Red Box Smoker, Part 2

[teesquare]

Thanks Art!

[Hub]

Enjoying your new machine and the posts.  Had one thought as I was reading the dimensions you posted:

Your user manual probably says this, but it is very true.  Water pan "maintenance" needs to be done fairly frequently.  If you let the pan go dry you will notice a burned fat/meat stench instead of the wood smoke aroma.  Since the pan sits between the heat source and the meat it both catches all the drippings and quickly fills up with fats and juices.  The pan may look full on a long cook but it will be full of the wrong stuff.  grease floats on water and will block the moisture/steam from achieving the desired result.  Foiling the pan helps and it is even better if you can find a disposable aluminum pan that is close to the same size.  This makes empty/refill a lot easier than trying to remove the water pan itself since it can be a little tight and is heavier.  Some of the monster smokers I've seen have a hose hookup and an outside drain.

Billy had a big charcoal smoker for the 2014 season and it turned out some fine chow but keeping an eye on what and how much is in the water pan made a big difference.

Looking forward to the cooking!

Hub

[squirtthecat]

What he ^^^^^^^^^^^ said!

Also, with a closed box like that, you probably won't be happy with chicken skin..     Lots of moisture in there, even if you run with a dry water pan.

But, that setup makes the best rib cookers out there!

[ACW3]

What he ^^^^^^^^^^^ said!

Also, with a closed box like that, you probably won't be happy with chicken skin..     Lots of moisture in there, even if you run with a dry water pan.

But, that setup makes the best rib cookers out there!

I was already aware of the chicken skin issue.  I was planning on smoking them and then give them a ride on the Weber to crisp up the skin.

The fact that I could put a gallon of water into the pan gave me a big hint that I needed to watch the water level while on a long cook.

This will be a new learning curve for an old dog.


Art