Water and sand

[mike65]

Low and slow naturally keeps the meat moist and tender.

Also steam from the water boiling off disguises the amount of smoke you are actually producing as well as softens the bark to where it never really develops properly.

At least that was my experience before I quit using water in my pan.

Mike,

The ECB needs all the help they can get. I have been thinking about purchasing another set of hooks to install another area for sand, but still on the fence about it.  Currently my ECB is it's best with all the Mod help.  

 

[hambone1950]

I wrapped an old cobble stone with aluminum foil and put it in my water pan and found that my ECB held pretty good temps at 250 4-5 hours long with minimal attention. 

2013-07-27 12.06.08.jpg

• bobank03
• Jul 28, 2013

No more water for me! 

Holy moly , that's a huge chunka granite(?).....I bet that does the job all right! :grilling_smilie:

 

[hambone1950]

I have been using foil pans for the meat all the time now. Still get a great smoke, and zero mess. Also makes foiling process easy.

X2 on the foil pans. Love them. :grilling_smilie:

 

[pcpro215]

I just gotta say  that I LOVED that sand!   I will post some pics of my ribs tomorrow.

 

[reasoning]

Im gonna try the sand idea..... Sloshed some water into the kettle today lol.

 

[moses]

I have a 40 MES. Should I fill my water pan with sand and cover with foil or should it be placed in something else. Also if I decide to use the brick method, where should I place it and will just ordinary house bricks work and how many?

 

[pc farmer]

I have a 40 MES. Should I fill my water pan with sand and cover with foil or should it be placed in something else. Also if I decide to use the brick method, where should I place it and will just ordinary house bricks work and how many?

I used a fire brick in the water pan in my 30.  then wrapped the waterpan in foil.

 

[moses]

C farmer,
Do you think a regular brick will work?

 

[pc farmer]

Yea it would.

 

[moses]

That's what I'll be trying out next time.

 

[sodak]

For the sand, where do you fill it to.  I have an MES40 and the water pan has a water max level.  Do you fill it all the way to the top or just to the level it shows in the pan?

 

[hambone1950]

For the sand, where do you fill it to.  I have an MES40 and the water pan has a water max level.  Do you fill it all the way to the top or just to the level it shows in the pan?

I would just fill it 2/3 full or so....no need to make it too hard to handle....that way you can leave a depression in the foil to catch drippings and they won't go all over. :grilling_smilie:

And FWIW , I use a regular red brick sometimes , but mostly I use a cement brick....for a while I was even using a couple pounds of pea stone gravel....it all works.

 

[s2k9k]

I would just fill it 2/3 full or so....no need to make it too hard to handle....that way you can leave a depression in the foil to catch drippings and they won't go all over. :grilling_smilie:

And FWIW , I use a regular red brick sometimes , but mostly I use a cement brick....for a while I was even using a couple pounds of pea stone gravel....it all works.

Yea! Don't over think this. You are just trying to create a thermal mass!

 

[ravenclan]

I have found that the water in the smoker is not for the meat but too keep the temp when you do have to open the door to add wood or just to peek at the meat.

their is a lot of good info on here about the subject , and as was said before low and slow cooking and the meat will stay moist.

I noticed that while i was cooking and useing a water pan i had a lot of maisture inside the smoker but this was alos because the meat was also putting out moisture , after i took the water pan out i had less moisture in the chamber but the meat had enough that it didnt dry out , even after a 10 - 15 hour smoke with my briskets.

 

[gitnby]

It would seem to me that the pea gravel or denser stone would be better than sand?

Sand will heat up quicker, but won't hold temp as well as a denser material.

Dry sand will tend to absorb moisture, thereby robbing your smoker of the natural moisture for the meat.

Even if you put water in the sand initially, wet sand will still absorb some moisture, but may also add unwanted moisture/humidity to the chamber.

I think I'll go with pea gavel or river gravel.

Will let you know how it works!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

It would seem to me that the pea gravel or denser stone would be better than sand?

Sand will heat up quicker, but won't hold temp as well as a denser material.

Dry sand will tend to absorb moisture, thereby robbing your smoker of the natural moisture for the meat.

Even if you put water in the sand initially, wet sand will still absorb some moisture, but may also add unwanted moisture/humidity to the chamber.

I think I'll go with pea gavel or river gravel.

Will let you know how it works!

I have run both sand and gravel and have found that both retain the heat very well. The sand actually compacts into a tighter mass with less air voids than the pea gravel. When thinking of a radiant heat you want the densest material possible so you do not loose heat via convection with the air gaps.

I have been running a dry smoke chamber for more than ten years and have never not been able to produce a moist juicy product. You do not need water in your smoker, you do not need to spritz, and you do not need to brine to keep your meat from drying out. You do have to pay attention to your smokers temp and to the IT of what your cooking.

 

[gitnby]

Maybe I''ll put in some gravel and then fill in with sand?

  Cuddent hoit?

 

[s2k9k]

I have run both sand and gravel and have found that both retain the heat very well. The sand actually compacts into a tighter mass with less air voids than the pea gravel. When thinking of a radiant heat you want the densest material possible so you do not loose heat via convection with the air gaps.

I have been running a dry smoke chamber for more than ten years and have never not been able to produce a moist juicy product. You do not need water in your smoker, you do not need to spritz, and you do not need to brine to keep your meat from drying out. You do have to pay attention to your smokers temp and to the IT of what your cooking.

I totally agree with that statement!

 

[draken]

Switched from water to sand for my second ever use of my MES 30" and noticed the temp didn't swing very much compared to the first time when I used water. First time had 20+ degree swings on either side of set point. With sand in the water tray, it didn't swing more than 5 degrees on either side of set point. That was proof enough for me.

 

[gitnby]

Appreciate your input.

Regarding the brine: doesn't the brine also serve to allow the smoke to better penetrate?

At least, that's what I have heard?