water pan...drip pan

[kingkrmx]

Sorry for silly question....new to this smokin` stuff,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
when folks talk about a water pan for moisture durin smokin a pork butt, its not the pan underneath that comes with the unit?
where do u put the second water pan?

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[smokeasaurus]

no sir, that is for drippings. You will find with these types of smokers that getting moist meat is not a problem. You could set a can of water or juice or beer next to the wood box to add additional flavor but you will find that a good rub and wood and a Smokin-it is all you need........imho.........

[afratki]

Welcome to the forum, no silly questions here.

A water pan for moisture would be a small pan you put inside the smoker on the bottom next to the woodbox.

If you go to the Smokin-It website and navigate to any of the smoker product pages you'll see some videos where Steve used a simple pan made of foil. I've used a small baking pan but pretty much anything that holds liquid and fits inside the smoker would work.

[UWFSAE]

Water pans are necessary for some smokers (those lacking rheostat temp control) to stabilize the chamber temperature and prevent the meat from being cooked at too high a temperature; technically, those pans could be filled with sand and you'd have the same benefit (much like a baking stone in an oven for stable temps for bread or cookies).  Admittedly, filling a water pan with a liquid will also help promote internal moisture ...

Smokin-It does offer a hanging water pan ( http://www.smokin-it.com/Miss_Lilly_s_p/lilly.htm ) that can be used to promote internal humidity; you can use water, juice, beer, or a combination of liquids and whole spices to provide an aromatic mist for your meats.

Smoke is correct that even a 12oz. can of liquid, with the top removed, will do the trick nicely, as would a disposable aluminum cake pan located on the bottom of the smoker or even the first shelf.

Hope this helps ... give a shout if you have any more questions!

[DivotMaker]

Welcome to the club, Kingkrmx!  I use disposable "mini loaf" pans from the WalMart baking section - they fit perfectly on the side of the smoke box in my #1.  I've tried apple juice, and water in the pan, and really can't tell much difference.  I do believe in the moisture-adding effect, though.  The Smokin-It units are so tight that they really hold the moisture in there, and I haven't had a dry piece of meat out of it yet!  You may get the same results without a water pan, but I'm a little superstitious...don't screw with a process that I've found works well!!

[kingkrmx]

    you folks are very kind....thanks for the help.....happy holiday weekend....be safe....

[DivotMaker]

   you folks are very kind....thanks for the help.....happy holiday weekend....be safe....

That's what we're here for!  This is a great community of hobbyists, and you'll find the info and ideas here second to none!  One more minor "tip;"  when you foil the bottom of the smoker, don't forget to cut a hole for the drain hole (that's what the drip pan's for).  I goofed one time doing beef jerky and had juice all over the bottom of the smoker!  lol.  Couldn't figure out why my drain pan was empty!  Duh....