Should I smoke with water in my 20x42?

[Mike-Sid]

Do you guys put any water in your offset when you smoke? I've done a few cooks now, and I'm wondering how water in my smoker will affect my cooks.

[bardsleyque]

I smoke with water in my bong...
oh, in the smoke chamber. I always have a water pan in there.

[bbqLuv]

What type of cooker is a bong?

[Murdy]

@ bbqLuv

"What type of cooker is a bong?"

Brain

[bardsleyque]

what Murdy said!

[Jerod Broussard]

I think it's a good thing to put water in there. Help stabilize temps, easier on the grease cleanup, possible increase in smoke adhesion.....

[Steve B]

For longer cooks I always put about 3 gallons of water in the cooking chamber of my LSG 24x36.
1 it adds moisture and 2 it seems to help stabilize the temps across the cooking surface. It does however take a bit longer to get things heated up and stabilized.

[Mr. Bones]

FWIW, I always use some water...in my offsets, most likely a 4" half sheet pan full...

Ain't never seen it to hurt nuthin,,,

[Henrik]

Yes, add water.

[Debra]

FWIW?
My husband even adds water to his Cook Shack Pellet Grill and his Cook Shack SM066.
Cook shack actually sells a "Flavorizer" container for the SM066.
I am beginning to feel the love for the SM066 as it is as easy to use as a kitchen oven.

[jfmorris]

I don't have a LSG, but do tend to put a foil water pan in the main cooking chamber, right next to the hole into the fire box. That said, I don't have a ball valve on my grease drain, and you probably are talking about putting water in the actual bottom of the smoker?

[Murdy]

I don't have an offset, but I put a foil pan about a third full of water in the middle of my Weber kettle when doing the snake method.

[Mike-Sid]

On my next smoke, I'll put water in the bottom of my smoker. Thanks for all the input, I heard no negatives about using water.

[Troutman]

I don't cook much anymore with a stick burner, sold mine, but when I did I always put a water pan close to the intake by the fire box. If you aren't actually getting the water to the 212*F boiling point there really isn't much of a point in having one. You need it to turn to steam. Learned that from a video from some guy named Franklin, or something like that.

[Murdy]

Troutman -- I don't entirely agree with that. Water will evaporate, even at room temperature, and more so as it approaches the temperature rises. And, this is probably not the case with a high-end, 1/4 inch steel offset, but in a COS or kettle or the like, the extra mass of the water helps stabilize the temperature.

[Troutman]

Murdy Agree with mass although small pans of water in a larger offset probably aren’t affecting temps that radically. Also agree water evaporates at room temp obviously but not enough to be drawn across the proteins in the cook chamber. That was Franklin’s conclusion, made sense to me. Moisture encourages bark formation.

[smokin fool]

With me like anything else its yes and no, depends on my mood and the meat I'm cooking.
I rarely use a water pan with ribs anymore, this morning I'm using a water pan with two pork butts.
A roast of beef, no water pan.
Maybe I'm just ditzy.

[Troutman]

Yea but I bet you spritz your ribs don't you? Same same

[smokin fool]

Troutman that's another maybe yes maybe no situation....usually I just plain forget too....
With todays butts I will crutch at 170 with some Kilkenny ale in the foil, 1/4 can, 1/4 can,
1/2 can for me....quality control y'know.

[STEbbq]

I don’t have an offset but I have only used a water pan once in my MB for Meathead’s smoked turkey and see little value in it. I find it extends cooking times and lowers temps for no quality improvement.

That said, with fire management a more challenging and involved process with an offset, I can see the value in helping control temps with a water pan even if it extends cooking times.

[jfmorris]

You only want to use a water pan in lower temp smokes in the 225 or so range. They negatively impact cooking at 325 or so for poultry because the temp of steam is 212… reducing your cooker temp.

[kenrobin]

I put water in mine for all cooks except for poultry.

[Mike-Sid]

Well, now I'm confused. I'll give it a try next cook. I'll put a few gallons in the "belly" of the smoker.
I can understand how it might work against crispy chicken skin, and maybe soften bark?
I would think my fire would overcome any limiting of temperatures by the water and steam

[Steve B]

Never use water when cooking poultry. It will keep the skin from crisping up, unless you want to run it over the hot coals/embers at the end of the cook.
Always use water when doing pretty much everything else. Ribs, pork butts, briskets, plate ribs, ect….

The water, moisture, won’t hurt the "bark". In fact it may help it. The moisture will help adhere the smoke to the meat especially when the meat is colder. And as it comes up to temp the bark will naturally form.

Not sure what exactly you mean about the last sentence of your post. Would like more clarification on that one.

Again tag me or kenrobin We both have a ton of experience with these cookers.