Whats in the pan

[iamimdoc]

After cooking ribs and sausage and a pork butt in the last few weeks, I have a drip pan full of brown liquid.  Some oil floating in the liquid - not a ton.

No water pain in the cooker

Is this mainly water from the meat?
When fat renders, does it solidify again when it cools in the pan or does it create some of the liquid?

Thanks

 

[Lonzinomaker]

You are lucky your drip pan hasn't run over.  I get 1/2 to 3/4 full pan when I do a butt in my #3.  I empty the pan after every smoke.
I usually let it cool overnight so the solidified grease can be disposed of in trash instead of down my septic tank.  The other stuff is just gelatin from the collagen in the meat and maybe some water.  As much as I would like to use that for gravies, I don't because it has left the cook chamber.

 

[LarryD]

You are lucky your drip pan hasn't run over.  I get 1/2 to 3/4 full pan when I do a butt in my #3. 

I did 4 butts in my 3DW recently... I dumped the pan before I went to bed as it was already getting pretty full and it was full to almost over-flowing by the time the smoke was done.  I've since bought a larger pan which should take care of that problem. 

 

[iamimdoc]

So it’s mainly water, not fat?

Also I found some heavy duty tin foil pans that fit inside metal pan perfectly at a restaurant supply house. They are too tall but can be shortened easily with a knife blade cutting horizontally at top of metal pan.  Easy to dispose of tin pan and fluids. Cleaning up metal pan that came with smoker now trivial

 

[Lonzinomaker]

It depends on the meat.  I've had some that were mostly fat and some with very little fat and mostly gelatin with some water.