question about drip pan and drippings

ncnative · January 2016

I have had a mini max with a woo for a few months and have enjoyed experimenting with it. I have the plate setter in the woo with a SS drip pan that I foil. Any tips to avoid having the drippings burn? I have put balls of foil on the plate setter so the drip pan doesn't sit directly on it. That helps somewhat ( although some burning did occur), but the drip pan is still sitting pretty close to whatever I am cooking.

Earlier this week, I cooked a whole chicken, which turned out pretty well, but there was still a good amount of drippings in the pan that were sitting just below the grate. I worry about something that may generate a lot more drippings/grease such as a pork butt. How does one cook for many hours on the mini max with a shallow drip pan sitting so close to the meat without problems?

RRog17 · January 2016

I have the same question. I have a good half inch air gap between my drip pan and plate setter and they still burn every time.

ncnative · January 2016

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Any suggestions?

xiphoid007 · January 2016

You may need to add water to the pan. The egg doesn't really need a water pan, but if u want to catch drippings you need water so it doesn't burn. You will have to check on a long cook that all the water hasn't evaporated also. Elevating with something helps, but still doesn't eliminated the fact that the pan heats with radiant heat from the plate setter. The elevation avoids conduction directly from the plate setter, but you will still get the hotter radiant heat from it.

Braggart · January 2016

Same here. Have NEVER been able to salvage drippings for gravy on the MMax. I've always concluded that the pan is too close to the lump/coals. Have tried balls rolled up tin foil to raise the pan, two pans back to back, and multiple layers of foil. No go.

Mattman3969 · January 2016

If your not trying to salvage the drippings you can add a heavy layer of salt to the pan. I think it's @Mickey that does this.

Mickey · January 2016

Mattman3969 said:

If your not trying to salvage the drippings you can add a heavy layer of salt to the pan. I think it's @Mickey that does this.

HeavyG · January 2016

ncnative said:

I have had a mini max with a woo for a few months and have enjoyed experimenting with it. I have the plate setter in the woo with a SS drip pan that I foil. Any tips to avoid having the drippings burn? I have put balls of foil on the plate setter so the drip pan doesn't sit directly on it. That helps somewhat ( although some burning did occur), but the drip pan is still sitting pretty close to whatever I am cooking.

Earlier this week, I cooked a whole chicken, which turned out pretty well, but there was still a good amount of drippings in the pan that were sitting just below the grate. I worry about something that may generate a lot more drippings/grease such as a pork butt. How does one cook for many hours on the mini max with a shallow drip pan sitting so close to the meat without problems?

Cook without a drip pan. Just let the drippings ...drip. They'll hit the platesetter and vaporize.

SciAggie · January 2016

@Mickey What purpose does the salt serve? Does it keep the drippings from burning? Easier to clean up?

Mickey · January 2016

SciAggie said:

@Mickey What purpose does the salt serve? Does it keep the drippings from burning? Easier to clean up?

Yes to both. I am not in the water pans in the Eggs. You do not want steam in there (IMO).

SciAggie · January 2016

@Mickey Thanks. I'll have to try this.

ncnative · January 2016

I might have to try the salt thing too.

"Cook without a drip pan. Just let the drippings ...drip. They'll hit the platesetter and vaporize."

With the woo in place, there are around 1.5" between the plate setter and the cooking grate. Is that sufficient space for the drippings to vaporize without causing problems with whatever I am cooking?

xiphoid007 · January 2016

I think so. I wrap the stone in foil for easier cleanup so you don't have burning grease for your next cook, but that's me.

Mattman3969 · January 2016

ncnative said:

Earlier this week, I cooked a whole chicken, which turned out pretty well, but there was still a good amount of drippings in the pan that were sitting just below the grate. I worry about something that may generate a lot more drippings/grease such as a pork butt. How does one cook for many hours on the mini max with a shallow drip pan sitting so close to the meat without problems?

I do whole chickens on the mini which the my stone sits less than 1" away from the grid. No worries on the chicken drippings. I just foil the stone and cook away. Never done a butt with some sort of pan but I know if you put salt in like Mickey showed you will be fine.

Mikee · January 2016

There is not much that can be done. Raising the drip pan off the platesetter will help as is will not be in direct contact with it. The temperature will be hotter at the platesetter than in the dome. Eventually the drip pan will heat up somewhere between the temp at the platesetter and dome temp. As for radiant heat in this type of setup, there is none. The platesetter will have absorb it.

question about drip pan and drippings

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