Foil and a few bricks

[YetiDave]

Hi guys, just a quick question - I've got a bullet type smoker and I've given water in the pan a shot and it worked great for a lump of pork, but I'm gonna try some turkey legs on it and I figured that maybe a dry heat would be better for the skin. I know you can use sand in the water pan but I seem to remember seeing foil wrapped bricks mentioned as an alternative. Is it recommended?

[keith157]

I use sand with no problems, just get a good layer of foil to cover it then you replace the dirty foil not the dirty sand. I think you are referring to clay saucers wrapped with foil rather then actual bricks there are some thoughts on the subject;-
if you just put saucer in the search field
Be sure to use dry sand that way there is no steam build up under the foil cover.

[YetiDave]

Isn't the theory just that you need something in there to absorb a little of the heat to prevent suddenly temp drops? I would've thought anything like an old red brick or lump of stone would work so long as it's unglazed and doesn't contain any chemical nasties. Or is the clay saucer specifically used to cover as much of the water pan base as possible?

[Swindon_Ed]

Isn't the theory just that you need something in there to absorb a little of the heat to prevent suddenly temp drops? I would've thought anything like an old red brick or lump of stone would work so long as it's unglazed and doesn't contain any chemical nasties. Or is the clay saucer specifically used to cover as much of the water pan base as possible?

I've used both bricks and clay saucer in the water pan and both work fine.

[Eddie]

Plaese take a look at a post that the All Weather Griller posted http://www.bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.ph ... ucer#p1560 this may help you in a water free cook?

Eddie

[YetiDave]

I got a pretty stable temp with the bricks, I used 1.5 but I think 2 would've been better. I'm still struggling to hit 225F - 250F though. I'm using 1/2 a chimney of lit coal initially and having to keep the vents almost completely open to hit 200F and seem to be burning through charcoal (Big K restaurant grade) pretty quickly. Maybe a full chimney of lit coal to begin with would do a better job? (And hopefully let me close down those vents more)

[Swindon_Ed]

One of the problem i've found using bricks instead of a clay saucer with the excel 20 is that it uses a noticably more charcoal.

What i do when using my E20 is load the charcoal basket, pour on a full chimney starter of lit charcoal but then i only have one of the bottom vents open the other two are closed and i have the top vent open and once i get near my target temp' i'll close the top vent half way and do the same with the bottom vent and this tends to him 225-250f.

if you need to lower or raise the temp' just use the bottom vent to do this.

[YetiDave]

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a shot! I was under the impression that closing the top vent at all was strictly verboten. With your coal do you follow the minion method of making a hole in the centre of the coals and pour in, or just pour the coals straight over the top? I don't know what I'd've done without this forum, the advice really is invaluable

[Swindon_Ed]

I was under the impression that closing the top vent at all was strictly verboten.

i used to think like this as a lot of people will say you'll get a build up of nasties on your meat but the only golden rule that i stick to is to make sure that the fire is burning cleanly before you put your meat on the cooker. i normally light my smoker 2hrs before i'm looking to start cooking.

With your coal do you follow the minion method of making a hole in the centre of the coals and pour in, or just pour the coals straight over the top?

I'm too lazy to make a hole in the charcoal to place the lit stuff in so i pour the coals into the middle. If a bit goes off to the side i tend not to worry about it.

[keith157]

Seems to be a winning technique Ed