Weber Smokey Mountain: Pan Cover Essential?

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker is a popular choice for barbecue enthusiasts, with many users opting to utilise a water pan during the cooking process. The water pan serves two main purposes: creating an indirect cooking environment and maintaining a consistent temperature. While some users choose to cover their water pans with foil or disposable liners for easier cleanup, others opt for a dedicated pan cover accessory, which can be purchased separately. These covers are designed to fit specific models of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, such as the 18 or 22 variants, and make cleaning the grease and drippings a breeze.

Water pans are available in four different sizes

The water pan for the 14.5-inch smoker is 11.5 inches in diameter, 4.125 inches deep, and can hold up to 11 cups or 0.6875 gallons of water.

The water pan for the 18.5-inch smoker (2008 and earlier models) has a narrow rim and a shallow, round bottom.

The water pan for the 18.5-inch smoker (newer models) is available in two sizes, one with a wide rim and a flat bottom, and the other with a narrow rim and a deep, round bottom.

The water pan for the 22.5-inch smoker has a narrow rim and a shallow, round bottom.

It is important to choose the correct size water pan for your specific Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker model to ensure proper fit and function. The water pan plays a crucial role in maintaining the desired temperature and creating an indirect cooking environment, which is essential for good barbecue.

Water pans can be cleaned by rinsing and wiping dry

The water pan in the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is essential for creating an indirect cooking environment, which is essential for making good barbecue. The pan also helps to maintain a low and slow cooking temperature and keeps the meat moist.

Cleaning the water pan is important to ensure your Weber Bullet operates well and looks good for many years. Here are some tips for cleaning the water pan:

• Before cooking, make sure the water pan is clean. Accumulated grease can cause a grease fire, especially when using an empty pan and cooking at high temperatures.
• After cooking, let the water pan cool enough to handle safely before removing it from the cooker.
• You can dispose of the water pan waste by bagging the fat and water with cold ashes or by separating the fat from the liquid and disposing of them separately.
• Soak the pan in hot, soapy water to loosen gunk inside the pan and smoke residue on the outside. A non-abrasive cleanser can also be used. Then, scrub, rinse, and dry thoroughly.
• To make cleanup easier, cover the water pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil before use.
• If the water pan is caked with residue, you can try soaking it with dish soap, using a degreaser, or boiling water in the pan to loosen the residue.

By following these steps, you can keep your Weber Smokey Mountain water pan clean and maintain its performance.

Water pans can be covered with foil for easier cleaning

The water pan in the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker serves two purposes: creating an indirect cooking environment and keeping the cooker temperature low and slow.

Water in the pan makes "low and slow" barbecue temperatures easy to achieve and maintain. It takes a lot of energy to heat water to the boiling point of 212°F, and if the cooker starts to run too hot, more water will boil away, consuming extra heat energy and keeping the cooker temperature down.

Water also keeps meat moist, enhances smoke flavor, and helps form a smoke ring. Water vapor fills the cooking chamber and surrounds the meat, condensing on its surface and helping smoke to stick. The water vapor can also keep meat moist and prevent it from drying out, and some experts say that it "bastes" the meat, cooling it through surface evaporation.

However, there are a few downsides to using water in the pan. The water level must be checked and refilled, and poultry skin may turn out soft instead of crispy when cooked in the presence of water. More charcoal is used when cooking with water, and there is also the issue of disposing of the water/grease mixture afterward.

One way to make cleanup of the water pan easier is to cover it with heavy-duty aluminum foil before use. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to seam two pieces of foil together to make one piece large enough to cover the pan. Here are some recommendations for foiling the pan:

• Every time you use the pan, wrap the bottom with wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil. This eliminates the need to scrub off the smoke buildup that occurs on the bottom of the pan.
• When using an empty pan, wrap the inside with foil.
• When using water in the pan, don't foil the inside of the pan. Instead, foil just the bottom of the pan, bringing the foil over the top edge, and then remove any excess material so that the foil does not touch the water. Keep the water level below the foil when filling the pan.

If you do foil the inside of the pan when using water, be aware that water can get past the foil and into the pan through pinholes, small tears, or seams created when piecing together two pieces of foil. When heated, this water can expand up and over the edge of the pan and into the fire, creating a mess and sometimes causing a funky smell.

So, while it is not necessary to cover the water pan in your Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, doing so can make cleanup faster and easier, especially if you use heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Water in the pan helps to keep the cooker temperature low

Water in the pan of a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker helps to keep the cooker temperature low. This is because it takes a lot of energy to heat water to its boiling point of 212°F. If the cooker starts to run too hot, more water will boil away, consuming extra heat energy and keeping the cooker temperature down.

Water in the pan is also useful for creating an indirect cooking environment, which many people feel is essential for making good barbecue. The water pan acts as a physical barrier between the meat and the heat, catching drippings that would otherwise hit the coals and flare up, creating a grilled meat taste rather than a barbecued one.

Water in the pan also keeps meat moist, enhances smoke flavor, and helps to form the pink "smoke ring" often associated with barbecued meat. The water vapor that fills the cooking chamber surrounds the meat, with some condensing on its surface, helping smoke to stick. This water vapor can also cool the meat through surface evaporation, slowing the cooking process and promoting the rendering of fat and the conversion of tough connective tissues into gelatin.

For new Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker owners, using water in the pan is a good way to get comfortable with the cooker. It is almost impossible to run the cooker over 275°F as long as the pan is filled with water. However, there are some downsides to using water in the pan, including the need to regularly check and refill the water level, the potential for softer poultry skin, and the increased charcoal usage.

Water in the pan can prevent meat from drying out

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is a vertical smoker that uses a water pan to create an indirect cooking environment. The water pan acts as a physical barrier between the meat and the heat source, which is usually charcoal. This setup helps to regulate the temperature inside the smoker and prevents flare-ups caused by dripping fat.

When the water in the pan boils, it creates water vapour that fills the cooking chamber and surrounds the meat. This vapour condenses on the surface of the meat, keeping it moist and preventing it from drying out. The water vapour also mixes with the rub on the meat, making it sticky and allowing smoke particles to adhere to the meat, enhancing the smoky flavour.

In addition to keeping the meat moist, the water pan helps to stabilise the cooking temperature by absorbing and radiating heat. Water has a high heat capacity and takes a lot of energy to heat up or cool down. Therefore, it can act as a buffer against temperature fluctuations, helping to maintain a consistent cooking temperature.

While the water pan is useful for low and slow cooking, it may not be necessary for high-heat cooking. For cooks that require higher temperatures or crispy skin, such as chicken or turkey, the water pan can be removed.

Frequently asked questions