After watching the last video, I decided to do a pork shoulder without the water pan, I must say, it was one of the best I've ever done. Thanks for the advice!!
You crack me up the way you put humor into your videos. I like the green marker to add a little greenery to the food!!! That's just plain classy right there! LOL Glad you pulled that water pan out of the trash too. Ya never know when you may want to breed some Texas sized skeeters! Cheers bro!!!!!
Troy and Justin I learned so many things from you both, I used to worry about all the details and thanks to you both I have gained enough knowledge and confidence to just let it rip & enjoy the rewards
Troy and Justin I learned so many things from you both, I used to worry about all the details and thanks to you both I have gained enough knowledge and confidence to just let it rip & enjoy the rewards.
@@stevehilliard1495 So Steve, when are you gonna make some videos so Justin and I can retire? LOL We are always happy to help a brother out. We appreciate your support and wish you much continued success with your cooks. Cheers brother!
Been using my 18.5 WSM since 1998, same one, it's had a charcoal grate change as the original rusted away this year (been kept outside in UK weather all this time, what a thing it is!!) and its been changed for a Kettle grate which fits over the top of the dampers, I still use the HUGE water pot/Diffuser but have been running mine with 2 bags of penroc in it, even with lumpwood the temps are rock solid, all lower dampers shut, uper damper half to fully open. Will go for 8 hrs without touching it, just have to not leave the bloody lid off or it runs away quickly.
Easily the most underrated cooker on the market. Got an 18" from brother-in-law because he "didn't like having to fool with the charcoal and wood". Thx BIL!
You are fortunate! After my first cook on the 18” Weber I felt like a dummkopf for not buying one sooner! I’m 76! It’s fantastic! Now I own two and own a Fornetto also! I gave another Fornetto away before I knew how great they are. Dummkopf!
I quit adding water to the pan years ago and just cover the top with foil, lightly pressed down so the drippings pool in the middle. I made ribs several times without the pan in there at all and they came out great. I just smoked my first slab of homemade bacon in my WSM on Sun. Best bacon I've ever had but I'm probably biased there. Good to see BBM making good BBQ vids again.
What’s your preference of using the water pan covered with foil vs no water pan at all since you’ve done both? I’m to afraid that no water pan will put to much direct heat on my meat and burn OR cook the meat to fast. I leave it empty and cover it with foil for easy clean up.
@greeneyesfromohio4103 I prefer to cover the pan for longer cooks and no pan for shorter cooks. I usually run it at 250 or up to 275 if I'm trying to get it done. I'm not shy about finishing in a 250 oven especially if the meat is wrapped
I’ve tried ribs without waterpan and it was ok. I tried a brisket without waterpan over the weekend and it gets too much of the grease flavor from all the fat that burns up. This wasn’t even a Prime grade. I have a temp controlling device or I’m sure I would have had flair ups since it was windy.
Glad you’re back making bbq vids. You and T Roy are first ppl I subbed to years ago. Great vids man. Keep it up. I hate using the water pan. I just put a tin pan on second rack if I’m doing pork butt.
Not only are your videos informative but always entertaining. Keep on keeping on with what you do. And if you ever get tired of eating brisket in Texas, come to Lexington North Carolina for some great pork BBQ
Just got an 18.5 WSM and have ONLY cooked direct on it and have already cooked some of the best meat on my life. However, I am having a difficult time finding videos on temperature control, specifically when running without the water pan and would love to see more as I am still learning how to keep it around 275-300. Thanks for the videos!
@@greeneyesfromohio4103 for indirect yes it is. For direct heat that is typical, from everything I have seen between videos and recipes and some of my own experience that turned out wonderfully.
Just subscribed - been watching your videos for a while now. They are always so wholesome/encouraging (not to forget, informative!). Thanks for being you, keep it up.
Eliminating the water pan leaves you with essentially a drum smoker. Hot and fast! Just dial the bottom vents back some and cook in the 275-300 range and you’re golden 😎
You make all this just fun to do and keep us all entertained and engaged! I’d like to see a brisket done without a water pan, then I’ll copy that for myself. Keep up the great work Justin, hope all is and stays well!
In the northeast I am well team waterpan. I find that the 22 sometimes overheats and the waterpan is helpful to control temps, though I am looking at replacing the basket.
I ditched my water pan shortly after getting my WSM many years ago and never looked back. I replaced it with a fire dial and have been more than happy with it's performance for years
So I still use the water pan. Only difference, I wrapped it in Tin foil and now use it as a giant diffuser. I never fill it with water. What I do use for temp control [especially for overnight cooks] i use a food tray and fill it with water and utilize the bottom rack to hold the water tray. For pork product. I use no diffuser or water tray. Just use the smoker as a barrel cooker. Same way as you. Just keep the fire temps down. For briskets and thick cuts. I'll use the water pan diffuser method. All situational cooking. Cheers to a awesome video as always!
No water pan in my 14 and 18 wsm but I am running a hunsaker vortex plate on the charcoal ring. Way more control, better flavor, burns way less fuel! Thank you for making this video!
Great video Justin! I've seen others using the Gateway 55G drum diffuser plate in place of the water pan and they're turning out great results on ribs, brisket and pork butts. Keep the videos coming Sir...glad to see you posting more often.
I have the 18” WSM…..I don’t put water in the water pan but still use it during cooks to deflect direct heat and avoid any burning. I just put foil in it to catch any drippings for easy cleanup. If I want to use water I just fill up a normal sized pie pan and put it on the bottom rack. Much easier to clean.
I don’t use a water pan in my drum smokers. I reckon it’s the same a effect. The only thing is if that access door is not well sealed the fire could get hotter than in a drum smoker with only a bottom intake vent. A assume you have a gasket air some way to seal that door better than the stock model. Good video
Yeah, I wouldn't thought that too. Honestly, it takes a lot to get it out of control. I managed to do it in this video but it was because I left the door off completely because I got distracted. Once the fire gets going and after a few cooks, the door seals up better than you'd think. Or at least it doesn't effect temperatures like you'd think it would. I think it's because heat rises and the leaks are usually at the top of the door above the fire...So air can get out but it still only coming in through those same vents at the bottom. That's my theory anyways. Good to hear from you, Lew. Hope you are well.
Good seeing your work again! It appears to me that the WSM cooks similarly to the Pit Barrel Cooker except you can control temps better with the Weber. Even with ribs hanging in the Pit Barrel, I have never had them burn despite the decrease in distance from the heat source. Great video as usual buddy!
Great video. I might try ribs without the pan sometime. I've been thinking about doing chicken thighs and drumsticks without the pan since I have to cook those at hotter temps anyway. Love my WSM 18 but I really want a 22 so I can lay a full rack on the grates like you did in the video.
SO cool to see you back, brother! Love me some WSM! Ribs don't even tend to burn when I hang them on my WSM...turns it into a drum that way. Oh, and I still say, if you want a diffuser, use a 19" pizza pan in place of the water pan. Acts as a diffuser but doesn't take up space, so still gives easy access to coals. Also acts as a drip pan because of the slight lip. Great looking direct-heat ribs!
Yes, I totally agree. When I use a diffuser that's exactly what I do...though sometimes with ribs I use a cake pan since it's easier to foil and sorta matches the shape of the ribs. Thank you for watching !
Great to see you back, brother! Hilarious video as always… While I’ve never attempted to cook on my Smokey Mountain without the pan… I have cooked without water in it… I just felt it might diffuse the heat around the meat some… I know it’s a ton of work, but you excel at it… Keep the videos coming! 🔥🔥💨💨
Hey man, just want to thank you for the tip about ditching the water pan. I’d found myself less and less willing to use my 18” WSM because it’s a pain in the butt to deal with the nasty water after a cook. What would usually happen is I’d plan to “deal with it later” and 2 weeks later I’d have a smelly, moldy mess. Last time I used it in the fall this was the case, and it got rolled into the back corner of the garage until…. Yesterday. Talk about disgusting (both the smoker itself and me for letting it sit so long) I nearly had to call in a crime scene clean up crew. Bit the bullet and power washed the whole thing, put the water pan on a shelf and, remembering this very video, decided to smoke some chicken without it. It was delicious! Thanks again for the tip. I know making these videos is time consuming and you probably feel unappreciated, but trust me, you ARE appreciated. Your content is a rare mix of humor and really valuable information and is a fantastic resource for folks who want to learn more about backyard bbq.
Ok - so I was trying to eat my chilli and when you threw down that green pen - bloody chilli and rice all over my laptop! 😂 😂 😂 So glad you’re back - keep up buddy - love ya! 🖖
I cook butterflied chicken and pork hocks this way. IMHO, the direct heat helps render the fat better. But, the heat is too far to burn the chicken. My friends love it. So easy to do. When I was in Taiwan, they cook chicken and ducks in Chinese style stainless steel drums. Charcoal or LPG flame on the bottom. The birds hanging on hooks. Effectively, it is drum smoking. It's adds a little bit of grill taste. For overnight brisket, I still use the water pan.
The water pan debate…almost as controversial as beans or no beans in a chili. There I times I like the water pan, and other times I take it out as well.
Wow... So if I (ever) decide to purchase a WSM, I could tell the sales clerk to NOT include the water thing-a-ma-jing and not be chastized for it? Where do I sign? heh heh... Just kidding. At the rate my channel is going, I soon won't be able to afford a simple Wal Mart kettle type cooker thing-a-ma-jing. 🤣 Great video, Justin!
I bought my 18 inch Weber Smokey Mountain in about 1990 off of Amazon and it was under $200 back then and my EX-wife said I would never use it... she also told me 20 years later to get rid of some of my kettles😂.. I still have all my kettles (SINGLE) and I haven't used my water pan in probably 10 years. .. it's kind of like grilling and smoking but way up high over the meat and I love it and it gives great flavor to the meat..
love to try this for spatchcoked Turkey. I think the higher temp I could get without the water pan would make for better turkey skin but still not burn the turkey since the distance is still pretty far from the fire. Think u could try the spatchcocked turkey on the WSM without the pan in it in a future video? Great stuff BTW!
I love the WSM. If you really think about it, it’s 3 smokers in 1 depending on how u configure it A bullet smoker the way it was intended A pit barrel cooker And a drum smoker
I really wanted to buy a wsm, but the pit barrel pbx is on sale for 279 at my local bucees, kinda steering me in that direction. Any way great video glad to see you back man!!
I confess to want and keeping the water pan but i do wrap foil all over it to minimize cleaning off the gunk build up on the porcelain. But yeah, ill use it w/water on brisket, usually dry and completely foiled most often, and without it when doing PBC style hanging or a pit cook. I know, i know! It's a debate with that thing!
Offset cookers are inefficient. But that's their advantage. Hotter fires make for a better smoke flavor profile. While cooler cook chamber temps make for better fat rendering and protein tendering. To do the same in a WSM keep your water pan full and your vents wide open.
I can't say for sure because I haven't done it, but think you'd probably be OK. Just keep an eye on things and wrap them if they start to get too dark.
@@BabyBackManiac thanks! Ill make sure to throw my water pan away the day after trash comes so I’ll have a whole week to remember to take it out again 😂
I’ve tried this a few times on my 18, so I don’t have as much height. Do you flip them at all during the cook? And please, make the brisket and pull pork videos.
I would definitely appreciate a video on pan-less brisket and pork butt. I was greatly anticipating this video because I too hate the waterpan with a passion! Once I forgot to clean it out and came back to find maggots crawling all over it. Barf.
I can't say for sure because I've never tried it. But I think you'd probably be OK if you keep an eye on it and just wrap the ribs if they get too dark. Thanks for watching, Larry.
I have the 18 and use it just like Justin did here. Lump will make it scream so I'd start with a smaller fire or do what I do and use charcoal. I add my wood chunks 10 minutes before I put the ribs on.
I've had my wsm for years now & have dialed in smoking some pretty good ribs, but have done the costco 3 pack on the top grill rack. Last 4th of July I got 1 rib by the time I was able to eat so thinking of doubling it this year. I've never used that lower grill rack for cooking, have you? Would it cook slower than the top rack of faster since its closer to the coals?
6:36 “Pueblo Globero!” 😂 (Mexican politician anecdote, speaking at a town’s main square about “progress” and other lies... balloon seller looses grip on the balloons and let them go, and all the attendees gets distracted by looking at the balloons 😂 ) “Balloon people!”
I didn't do a minion start. I lit the coals with the weedburner and left the top of the cooker off until they got going while I was shooting parts of the video. I'm not sure how long it took but just a few minutes.
