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How this got started.

Had noticed when cooking at home and at competitions when it rains overnight, the meat would always have a better smoke flavor. Talking with other FEC owners, many of them had noticed the same and some of them were placing a foil pan or a painter's roll pan on top of the drip pan full of water to add additional humidity. This seems to work fairly well, but IMO the humidity level just isn't quite high enough to duplicate the level from a very humidity night. Beside placing a foil pan or a painters pan on the drip pan, have experimented with placing a foil pan in the rib rack so it's level and holds more water, but its doesn't seem to get hot enough. The problem is how to move the foil pan closer to the heat deflector, so my idea/experiment is to replace the drip pan with a water pan which slides in the bottom rack space with the bottom of the pan about 1/2" above the heat deflector. Will see how it works over the next several weekends [IMG. Since our next comp is not until the first week in August and the FEC needs a good deep cleaning, there is time to clean, re-season, and experiment with this idea. Will install a ball valve on the bottom for easy draining. Pan holds about 3.6 gallons filled 3/4 full.
What are your thoughts?


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My two cents thoughts...
Looks like that drip pan would catch a lot of the greasy drippings - any concerns about that catching fire when cooking a big load since it is so close to fire pot?

Think that much water in a pan like that would block heat from getting to meat, ie a heat sink. I tried a pan of similar size (14" x 21") in my FEC-100 on lower shelf filled with about 1" hot water. After about 2 hours I took the pan out as my food was not cooking fast enough. I thought the end result food from that experiment was a little mushy.

I would think one or two small pans (4" dia. or so) dispersed around on various shelves or sitting on floor would do the job better. Filling the smoker up with a big load of food is the best way to get a moist environment in there, but yes I know that is not an option most of the time. Let us know how your experiment turns out.
Last edited by olysmokes
This water pan works very well. It's not a steamer like some of Myron's water cookers. The paint pan just didn't give me the moisture I wanted. Then I tried a hotel size foil pan on the drip pan. That was better but still not enough evaporation. Thats why I custom designed this water pan to replace the drip pan, and to get it closer to the fire to increase evaporation.
If I am doing a small cook and feel the need to add moisture I put a 1/2 pan on the floor of the smoker and fill it with near boiling water. The heat next to the fire box seems to be enough to keep the water hot. If I am doing a competition with a full smoker I don't worry about adding moisture because I get enough from the meat.
Well I have to say that I do like to use a pan of water in mine. Don't throw rocks, they hurt. I started with a Kingfisher, and it had a water tank. And when it ran out, I could tell a big difference in the meats. I know there cooking chambers are very different, but when I am doing a few pieces, I like the result it gives me. But I only use a full size alum pan, and place about 3 quarts of liquid, of even juices. From time to time. Some times I will even do it for comps.

BMerrill, do you make house calls?? I like the way you clean???

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