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Dec 01, 2023

San Antonio barbecue cooks discuss whether you need that water pan

San Antonio Express-News Food Columnist Chuck Blount slices smoked pork belly at

San Antonio Express-News Food Columnist Chuck Blount slices smoked pork belly at Chuck's Food Shack in San Antonio with the meat cooked with a water pan.

I have had many smokers in my day. The first one was actually an electric device made by Brinkmnan that came with a water pan, and you sprinkled wood chips underneath it on top of lava rocks. It wasn't very expensive, but it did the job.

The ribs were juicy and the brisket produced a great smoke ring to it. But it didn't really matter all that much once I went to stick burning devices that achieved the same results. My electric smoker almost seemed like it was training wheels before learning how to ride a bike, but it did deliver good results.

So how important is a water pan? It depends on who you ask.

"I don't think it makes any difference in the texture of your meat or the final result," said champion San Antonio barbecue cook Darwin Hoel.

Advocates of the water pan will give you some slightly voodoo advice. They will say that the vapors will counter the temperature of the fire box and can act like a heat buffer that will make the temperature inside easier to manage. They will say that the water will boil and produce steam that helps the cooking process.

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A typical backyard smoker setup includes offset barrel smoker, log lighter, mini-shovel for managing the fire, wood chips and charcoal for kindling, water pan, BBQ gloves and wood logs for burning.

Yet, the boiling temperature for water is about 215 degrees, and water pans evaporate at a faster rate than they have the ability to steam, so every time you have to refill the pan, you lose heat and basically have to start over.

The Weber 22.5-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker has 50 percent more cooking area than Weber's 18-inch model. It is equipped with a lid-mounted temperature gauge and a no-rust aluminum door with a new spring-loaded latch for easy access to the charcoal/wood chunks or chips chamber and the larger porcelain-enameled water pan. Other features include two plated steel 22.5 diameter cooking grates which provides ample room for smoking a turkey and a ham at the same time, a porcelain-enameled bowl and lid and water pan, and four no-rust aluminum vents. A premium cover ships with the smoker.

Another argument for the water pan is that it helps create a better smoke ring. It doesn't, and I'll call anybody out on that one. As a result of endless debate, I have seen little to no difference in my briskets, ribs and anything else based on whether I used a water pan.

"No ... some people use them. I've done it. I think it's a personal preference," said San Antonio cook C.J. Bean. "When the water gets hot it steams, keeps it a little more moisture. I've done just fine without it though."

But that's not say there are plenty of other reasons to use them. For certain, and there is no scientific way to address it, water pans will not ruin any of your finish on the smoking process. They also can help significantly with the cleanup process because a well-placed pan of water will catch the fat drippings that come off the meat, so you don't have to spend as much time cleaning your grill or smoke in the process.

Said drippings can be easily used as a frozen beef stock or whatever, although I would shy away from the chicken and let the grocery store take responsibility for that one. I have not had much success with homemade chicken stock.

Chuck Blount prepares chicken, pork and brisket with pecan wood with a water pan placed under the meats.

So if you do go the water pan route, the question is where to put it (just make sure it's made out of metal instead of glass). When I'm cooking big pieces of meat like a brisket or a pork shoulder, I'll put it directly under the meat. If I'm cooking an assortment of meats with sausage, ribs and whatever, I place it in the middle of my smoker and go from there.

Water pans don't necessarily mean that they are limited to water. I know of cooks who have used various sodas, apple cider vinegar, fruit juices and other concoctions. None of these ingredients really add any more flavor to the meats, but they do smell good while cooking. But you won't go wrong with only using clean water if you do decide to go down the pan route.

Water evaporates fairly quickly, so a 12-hour cook with a brisket may take a few refills of the pan. Use of the pan will also mean that you are likely to use more charcoal or wood to finish your meats.

Overall, I do not regularly use water pans, but they do provide an extra layer of security to protect your meats. I can say with authority that when I do use a water pan, it hasn't been a negative effect on the final product.

If you are smoking or grilling meat that you feel is coming out too dry, the pan could be a true floating foodsaver.

[email protected] | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver