New To Smoking

[Norman61]

I'm new to BBQing so I need some help. I bought an electric smoker and it has a water pan/bowl. Should I use it for smoking ribs, brisket etc.? I have several recipes and none of them mention using the water bowl. Help

[Northsider]

:welcome: Go for it, smoke you up a brisket, ribs chicken or whatever you'd like.

The water pan is used for providing some extra moisture while you're smoking or so the theory goes. I also heard of folks adding apple juice and beer to the pan for added flavor but I never tried it myself.
I've added a water pan in my smoker in the past but I really didn't see that much of a difference. :shrug: Who made your smoker? Maybe someone here has owned the same one and can help you a lil further along. :thumbs:

Oh and stop on by the New Member Introduction for a proper Welcoming. :)

[UpTop]

It's a vertical type smoker, correct? The water pan is mainly used to create a "heat sink" to provide indirect heat. It soaks up the heat so the food isn't being cooked by direct heat like it would be when grilling. I'm sure the boiling/evaporating water keeps the humidity level fairly high in the cooking chamber, but I don't know if it really makes the meat any moister.

[Will32Rod]

I have heard of some folks putting sand in the water bowl. If I remember correctly, it was Woodman that mention the sand.
Maybe he will chime in and give some good advice on that.

[redneck cooker]

Water works better than sand, sand doesn't keep any moisture in the cooker to help prevent meat from drying out....hence less need for foiling...:twocents:

[Half Fast BBQ'n]

Don't waste your money on anything in that pan but water or sand. I never tasted a difference in my smoking by use of beer, apple juice , etc....

[UpTop]

Yeah, keep the beer for yourself........or give it to me.

[Will32Rod]

I had a Brinkman Smoker, burned it out a couple years ago, I always used water in it with good results. Always foiled my water pan for easy clean up.
That was before I had ever heard of the sand in the pan deal.
Oh yea .... welcome to the forum, glad to have ya.

[gordo]

Welcome to the forum Norman61...:)

Think most recipes just post ingredients and what type of prep work needed,
rather than tips on using smokers...

Ideas listed by others about using water or sand in bowl to help defer
the direct heat effect are corect...

best bet is just experiment see what works best for you...

have heard adding more water to the bowl can be more difficult after cooker get hot, than just starting out with sand
in the bowl...

Good Luck with your cooking..

[Zilla]

Welcome Norman!

[jptexas]

welcome norman good advise from gordo

[joe arras]

Welcome aboard Norman:thumbs:

[smoken don]

Welcome Norman! You've gotten some good advise here. Go with water or
sand and fire that thing up.

[Paymaster]

Welcome Norman. I add apple juice to my water pan in my offset. But I have no idea that it really adds flavor. It does however keep moisture in the smoke chamber,the only time I did not use liquid in my pan,the meat was pretty dry. So I have never had a dry water pan since.