Swapped my water pan for a foil drip tray on my offset

I kept getting dirty smoke after adding wood chunks because the water pan would steam and mess with airflow. Switched to a cheap half-size aluminum tray filled with sand and covered in foil. Has anyone else tried ditching the water and using sand or clay instead?

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2 Comments

the_jenny3mo ago

Dry bark & temp swings are real but @lee72 sand's heat stability beats steam issues for me.

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lee723mo ago

Sand works fine for heat stability but it doesn't do anything for moisture in the cooking chamber like water does. Running a dry pan on an offset can lead to drier bark and less forgiving temp swings when you open the door. I'd rather deal with a little steam than sacrifice that buffer.

6