Water pan

It’s a good question as many old-schoolers use a water pan religiously. When. I started first smoking on the offset back in the 90’s in Texas I always used one...didn’t want to dry out the food. Then went to a competition BBQ in AZ and none of the teams there were using a a water pan. When I asked about it all said it did nothing to improve the quality of the final product. So gave it a shot on my next cook and found out they were right...no difference. Haven’t used a water pan since...and that was about 10 years ago. Damn I’m getting old!!

Have a great weekend!!
 
I just bought a RT-700 and cooked some chicken thighs on it to season it. Yesterday I went big and smoked 3 racks of baby back ribs. This is my first pellet grill and have only smoked on a WSM. I have always used a water pan on the WSM so I assumed I should/needed to use on on the Bull. I smoke the ribs using the 3-2-1 method with a water pan right next to the interior temperature sensor. I think that must have given the controller a false temperature reading. It held steady at 225 for the entire 6 hour cook. At the end of 6 hours the ribs were only at 180, so I left them on for another hour but I could not get them to 195-200.. I have smoked ribs a dozen time on my WSM and at the end of 6 hours they just melt off the bone.

Could it have been the water pan placement or the water pan in general?
 
Congratulations on your Bull! If the water pan could be the reason, it is not the only possible cause. Case in point: if you're saying you cooked at 225 only because that was the reported temp at the controller it doesn't necessarily mean that was the actual pit temp. My experience is that my controller's reported temp was off, so I corrected it with an offset adjustment.
 
I just bought a RT-700 and cooked some chicken thighs on it to season it. Yesterday I went big and smoked 3 racks of baby back ribs. This is my first pellet grill and have only smoked on a WSM. I have always used a water pan on the WSM so I assumed I should/needed to use on on the Bull. I smoke the ribs using the 3-2-1 method with a water pan right next to the interior temperature sensor. I think that must have given the controller a false temperature reading. It held steady at 225 for the entire 6 hour cook. At the end of 6 hours the ribs were only at 180, so I left them on for another hour but I could not get them to 195-200.. I have smoked ribs a dozen time on my WSM and at the end of 6 hours they just melt off the bone.

Could it have been the water pan placement or the water pan in general?
Don't use a water pan on these grills, RecTec states it's not needed.
 
I just got the 700
I'm not an expert nor a newbie to smoking
I've always been told n used a water pan on some smoked
Where's the water pan

I have not used a water pan on my Bull, but on my Weber Smokey Mountain the bark was better without it. In the WSM I just put fire bricks in the water pan.
 
Thanx uncle Bob
I was one of those who was thought when doing chicken, brisket, bacon that waterpan was needed to keep from drying out
Learn something new every day
I appreciate all the feedback
If my 700 ever gets here today I'll be christening it with wings n Boston burnt ends tomorrow ??
I've read that a water pan will prevent poultry skin from getting crispy.
 
I haven't used a water pan in my Bull. But this old thread brings it to mind.

All of us that spritz or baste, might benefit from a water pan.

I've noted that the Rectec has a lot of airflow and dries out the surface of meats quickly. Then I have to spritz or baste. Conversely, my komado cookers will cook very moist with low airflow and no spritzing or basting is usually required, nor a water pan.

So, I may just give a water pan a try on the next run of ribs.
 

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