Smoking in the BGE

JohnfromKentucky

When I smoked in my old grill, I always used a pan in it with a liquid to help keep the meat moist. Do you do that with the BGE? 

And when it comes to boston butts, do you keep a pan under it to catch the drippings?

Just want to plan ahead so that I know.

Thanks!

WeberWho

No water pan needed for moisture but a drip pan is useful with long smokes. 

JohnInCarolina

The only people who use water pans in a BGE are the ones who haven’t learned that you don’t need them.

RRP

i agree with @WeberWho and @JohnInCarolina !
Also you will want to learn that going overboard with wood in a BGE will not produce good results...in fact cause bitter meat.

and Welcome aboard the Big Green Egg Nut Train!

RyanStl

When I BBQ I use platesetter with legs up, a spider legs up, with a SS drip pan, and grate on top of that.  If you don't use the drip pan your platesetter will get covered in grease, which you don't want.  Water pan, no way.

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/large-big-green-egg-accessories/products/large-3-and-5-leg-spider-bge-1

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/large-big-green-egg-accessories/products/16-round-stainless-drip-pan-l

Ceramic grill store has a 14 and 16 inch drip pan.  I don't have a large BGE, so I don't know which one works best.

lousubcap

Regarding the drip pan, air gap it from your heat deflector to preclude the drippings from getting scorched.  You can use three nuts, balls of foil, pennies etc.  

1voyager

Also, line the drip pan with aluminum foil.

OhioEgger

1voyager said:

Also, line the drip pan with aluminum foil.

Unless you're in the UK. To save on import duties, substitute aluminium foil.

RyanStl

1voyager said:

Also, line the drip pan with aluminum foil.

I should do this, but never do. Cleanup would be easier.

danhoo

RyanStl said:

When I BBQ I use platesetter with legs up, a spider legs up, with a SS drip pan, and grate on top of that.  If you don't use the drip pan your platesetter will get covered in grease, which you don't want.  Water pan, no way.

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/large-big-green-egg-accessories/products/large-3-and-5-leg-spider-bge-1

https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/large-big-green-egg-accessories/products/16-round-stainless-drip-pan-l

Ceramic grill store has a 14 and 16 inch drip pan.  I don't have a large BGE, so I don't know which one works best.

I have both a 14 and a 16 inch drip pan, and use both in my large, lined with foil. Which one depends on the cook. 

I'm cooking ribs today so I'm using the 16 inch. Here is the 16 on the PS woo. Pellet grill made a good storage spot. I had to pull things off to adjust a piece of smoke wood burning badly. 

Mark_B_Good

I ALWAYS use a water pan in my BGE .... just because I want too. LOL. You don't need it ... the water level hardly drops.  The only thing I use the water pan for ... it's a heat sink ... so the temperatures don't run away as bad if I make a mistake and am not paying attention.  So, it's not for moisture ... it's for temperature moderation.

lousubcap

Should you use a water pan then once you get your temperature stable with the water, if the water evaporates then your "stable" temperature will rise due to the loss of the heat sink.  FWIW-

johnmitchell

@Mark_B_Good. Does the water ever boil?

fishlessman

i cook ribs raised direct over the fire so........have even done porkbutt this way but you need to watch temps closer so its just easier to have a spaced pan in there. you can get a serious steam burn with water in the pan, i only do that with turkey drippings for gravy and i use wine and turkey stock instead of water. wear long gloves when using liquid in a pan in the egg. if you want to increase heat mass to help keep things more stable use sand in the pan, i do that for high heat pizza cooks.

JohnInCarolina

johnmitchell said:

@Mark_B_Good. Does the water ever boil?

Can you even boil water in an Egg?

Mark_B_Good

johnmitchell said:

@Mark_B_Good. Does the water ever boil?

I lose water .... not nearly as much as the gas BBQ. Like 1/4 the amount ... so it's evaporating for sure.  At cooks below 275F, I NEVER have gone dry though. I've gone dry on 350F cooks ... so the rate of evaporation is obviously dependent on the temperature. It's also just another mass in there that absorbs energy as you heat things up ... so it can prevent temperatures from increasing or decreasing erratically.

wps456

johnmitchell said:

@Mark_B_Good. Does the water ever boil?

I smoke brisket Aaron Franklin style at 275 on my egg and use a water pan (9x13x2 disposable foil pan) below the meat. I have had it run dry and then the drippings start to burn so I just add hot water (I just run water through my Bunn coffee maker) to it every now and then to keep out the burnt smell. Don't know if it helps with moisture or not but it might and I don't think it'll hurt anything.

UncleKeith

I almost always add a beer to the water pan. I think the smoke flavor covers whatever the beer may add but I do it anyway 

YukonRon

I have tried the water pan, once. Went back to raised indirect, 225°F, wrapping foil around the thin part of the flat. I then wrap it in butcher paper around 160°F,  No issues in getting moist and tender. I used to inject 2:1:1 beef stock, onion juice and garlic juice starting the cook and again just after the stall.

Pull let sit for 20 mins then into the cooler, covered in towels for 3-4 hours prior to serving.

Does not suck either way.