The main benefits of using a water pan in your smoker are: Contents Show The boiling point of water is 212F meaning, water can never get “hotter.” At standard pressure and a boiling point of 212 F, liquid water is considered unstable and will evaporate rapidly from the surface in the form of water vapor – referred to as the enthalpy of vaporization. This is obviously beneficial if you smoke your meat at lower temperature ranges like 225 F. Water Pans Help with Maintaining a Lower Ambient Temperature
- It will make maintaining these temperatures much easier since the water pan is boiling at 212 F – effectively functioning as a heat sink.
- Opening and closing your smoker will have a smaller impact on temperature swing and if your temperatures drop below a set temperature like 250, it will make reaching that temperature easier.
Water is also considered to be a slow conductor of heat.
With that said, it also has a better heat carrying capacity than air (roughly 4.23x more); Meaning water can hold onto heat better than air – It also takes a significant amount of heat energy to boil water (2257 kJ/kg).
This is important to understand because if your smoker spikes in temperature, the water will continue to boil and consume extra heat energy which keeps the temperature down.
A number of sources will refer to this as a “heat sink” as it helps to moderate temperature.
The water pan also creates an indirect cooking environment.
The pan also acts as a baffle as it deflects flame from the meat. Indirect heat coupled with a heat baffle means that your meat isn’t burned.
Water Pans Add Humidity to Your Smoker
Humidity is an important factor inside of smokers, however it is often overlooked. The major benefit of a humid environment is to ensure that the meat doesn’t dry out – especially the surface.
Humidity is the measure of the total amount of water vapor in the air.
Hence the boiling water in a water pan adding humidity to the smoker.
A related process to humidity, evaporation, and condensation is evaporative cooling – aka “meat sweating.”
When water vapor evaporates inside the smoker’s environment, some of it will condense on the meat which further helps it to cool down. Meaning, more time for connective tissues and fats to render.
Note: This process is the same reason people will Texas crutch (wrap their meat). It combats the moisture wicking properties of the meat.
Some of this water vapor can also mix with the gases/particles found in the wood’s smoke which then sticks to the meat. It also helps in the creation of the “smoke ring” – interaction of myoglobin and nitric oxide and carbon monoxide.
What Else Can You Add to the Water Pan?
The name water pan implies that water should be used. However, a number of sources will note to use beer, wine, or apple juice.
While these liquids can certainly evaporate and result in aromatic compounds, they have few flavor compounds that you can actually taste.
Personally, all I use is water but if all you have on hand is a cheap beer or some fruit juice – it will work much the same with ZERO difference in taste.
Is a Drip Pan, a Water Pan?
It’s important to note that a drip pan can sometimes be a water pan.
A drip pan collects the juices that drip from the meat. It also prevents these juices from hitting the flame which can cause flare-ups.
These same juices/fat may hinder evaporation – the oils are less dense than water and will collect on the surface. It’s more ideal to have a dedicated drip-pan and a dedicated water pan – one to collect juices and one to add as much moisture as possible to the smoke chamber.
If your goal is to collect these drippings for stock, you should be re-adding hot water. If all the water were to evaporate, these flavor components will likely char and/or caramelize.
Where to Place the Water Pan in Your Smoker
It is usually recommended to place the water pan above the hottest place on your cooker so that more liquid will evaporate. This placement also acts as a baffle/deflector and generates radiant heat.
This is heavily smoker dependent.
For example, some smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain have a dedicated location for the water pan; The same could be said for the majority of electric smokers.
There are also some smokers, like a Weber kettle, where space might be limited.
Due to charcoal arrangements – like the charcoal snake – you may have no choice but to place the water pan below the food.
Arguments Against Using a Water-pan
As with any topic in barbecue, there are both people for and against using a water pan.
The main reasons people don’t use water-pans are:
- Boiling water evaporates meaning you will need to refill the water pan
- Bark and/or skin could become compromised
- More charcoal is used
- The drip pan and/or water pan will collect a number of compounds like grease/water that needs to be disposed of properly
