Originally Posted by fxpose
Some even fill the water pan with concrete.
FWIW, I picked this up from the Weber Smokey Mountain tips and mods site:
Purpose Of The Water Pan
The water pan used inside the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker serves the following purposes:
* Allows For Indirect Cooking
Many people feel that cooking over indirect heat is essential when making barbecue. The water pan acts as a physical barrier between the meat and the direct heat of the hot coals. It also catches the meat drippings that would otherwise hit the coals and flare up, a taste which many people associate with grilled, not smoked, foods.
To cook over indirect heat in the Weber Bullet, put the water pan inside the cooker, suspended by the four grill straps at the bottom of the middle cooking section.
To cook over direct heat, leave the water pan out the cooker. Some would say this is not "real" barbecue, but I believe it is--as long you're cooking "low and slow" in the 225-275°F range. Above these temps, you're getting into roasting and grilling.
* Helps Control Cooker Temperature
Water in the pan makes temperature control easier. If the cooker starts to run too hot, more water will evaporate, consuming extra heat energy and bringing the cooker temperature down. If the cooker starts to run too cool, the thermal water mass can give a little bit of heat back to the cooker. Either way, water moderates cooker temperature and makes vent settings, and thus temperature control, easier.
Water can help you maintain 225-250°F with ease, but it's almost impossible to achieve temperatures like 325-350°F with water in the pan. So, if you want to cook a turkey at 325°F, go with an empty water pan.
* Provides A Moist Cooking Environment
As water in the pan evaporates, water vapor fills the cooking chamber and surrounds the meat before exhausting through the top vent or condensing on the interior walls of the cooker.
There is some debate among barbecuers as to the value of this moisture. Some people believe that it keeps meat moist during cooking, even going so far as to say that it "bastes" the meat. They also point out that water vapor is more efficient at bringing heat to meat than is dry air.
Others say that they cook with a dry water pan and produce barbecue that is very moist, thank you very much.
Still others believe that it depends on what's being smoked. Meats that tend to dry out, like ribs or brisket, benefit from the moisture, while fattier cuts, like pork butt, do not.
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