No drip Pan

weredaone

Smoked my 1st racks of ribs Sunday and I did it with out a drip pan. Just wondering after reading some other posts how much trouble I am in and what I need to do now!!

lousubcap

No trouble at all if they tasted great which I'm sure they did.  Only challenge may be the burnt drippings on whatever you used as the indirect set-up, if you cooked them that way.  You can scrape those off and fire it up again.  If you don't use a pan just put some foil on your heat deflector to ease the clean-up.

gerhardk

I hardly ever use protection, just scrape the scabs off so that they don't smoke during the next cook and everything is fine.  I know I have been given grief of what my plate setter looked like after a brisket cook.  Make pizza sometime and it'll look like new.

Gerhard

Brownie

Shouldn't be a problem unless you want to bake and the drippings/grease is making unpleasant smoke. But this can be remedied by scraping like lou suggested with a hot burn.

ratcheer

I prefer using a drip pan and not just because of the mess. I like to put a pint or so of beer or fruit juice in the pan. Sometimes even just water.

Tim

weredaone

Thanks!!! We will see how it goes tonight with the first cook after the ribs!!

pileit1971

I know they sell accessories that are drip pans, but can just a tin foil 9x11 or metal 9x11 pan work for drips?

Thanks!

lousubcap

pileit1971 said:

I know they sell accessories that are drip pans, but can just a tin foil 9x11 or metal 9x11 pan work for drips?

Thanks!

Yup-anything to collect the drippings.  And best to create an air gap between pan and whatever is holding the pan-platesetter, stone etc.  This greatly reduces burnt offerings.  You can use balled up foil, stacked washers etc to get the gap.

Skiddymarker

From the school of "Having been there, done that", a hot burn will clean up the setter, scrape off the lumps first. 

Use  of a drip pan, or at least some foil on the setter minimizes the "mess" the next time. In my medium egg, I use an old 9X9 pan, lined with foil, sitting on a 9X9 cooling rack I picked up at a $1 store. Raises the drip pan off the setter to the extent I may not even need to foil line the pan, but the foil does make clean-up easy. 

biggreeneggic

Drip pans are for more than just "cleaning up a mess." If you have a big enough drip pan filled with water, you raise the overall humidity in your Egg. This means more even cooking, juicier meat and an overall better tasting product. 

smasch

Its the BGE........success may be obtained either way.  

Skiddymarker

Funny, other than Italian Beef, cook a 3 pound round roast on a rack over 4 to 6 cups of broth, 400F indirect, I never use water or liquid in the drip pan. I suppose there is a difference between a drip pan and a water pan, the former is to catch drips, the latter is to try and add flavour/moisture. 

Cooked a chicken the other night that was really juicy, nothing under it but foil to keep the setter clean. We've tried the liquid, juice, wine, beer etc... under the food, much like a beer can chicken, for me a carry over from indirect cooking on my gasser or Weber. Saw very little difference with or without a water pan using my medium egg. IMHO, the moisture is not needed and does not result in either more even cooking or a better tasting product, like anything, do what works for you, but try everything. 

Hillbilly-Hightech

gerhardk said:

I hardly ever use protection, just scrape the scabs off ...

Gerhard

Not using protection is why you have scab....Oh, you're talking about cooking... )

Coastal_Egger

Hillbilly-Hightech said:

gerhardk said:

I hardly ever use protection, just scrape the scabs off ...

Gerhard

Not using protection is why you have scab....Oh, you're talking about cooking... )

Now that's funny!

pileit1971

Thanks for ALL the advice, will have more questions I am sure.