Do I Really Need a Water Pan?

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Q:  Dear Doc,    

I have a barrel smoker/grill without the extra smoker part. I want to do some indirect grilling and the manufacturer says to put a pan with water under the meat on the non-fire side.  I’ve never heard of doing that before. Does it make a difference to the quality of the food that has been BBQed?  Or should I just continue with indirect grilling the way I’ve been doing which seems to have worked just fine?

–Phil

A:  Hi Phil,The water pan will do a couple things. It will catch the dripping fat and make for easier cleanup, it will provide some moisture in the cooking chamber, and it will serve as a mass of heat to help keep the temps even. It won”t do any of those things all that well in a cooker like you describe. By all means the water pan can be skipped, but remember, good BBQ is done with the help of many little things…–Dr. BBQ

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