Target smoking temperatures are usually around 225°F. Never use your water pan as a drip pan. Water pans Some smokers, like the Weber Smokey Mountain, come with a water pan. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. Water pans are not designed for making gravy although you can use it for that if it is clean. This will eliminate direct heat and flames from potentially burning the food, as well as eliminate potential flare ups caused by dripping fat falling onto your charcoal. This is because water can’t go above its boiling temperature of 212°F, or 100°C, regardless of how hot you try to make your smoker. In my articles on the best setups for different grills and smokers, I advocate using a water pan under the meat or over the fire for smoking. A water pan induces moisture directly into your smoker as an ally for the indirect dispersion of heat. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. All the pros say to use a water pan when doing long smokes to help retain moisture, but they always say it when talking about using a charcoal grill. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Try this- (More science!) Remember- drip pans = a collection unit for residual or run off grease from the cooking process; a water pan = water for moisturizing foods. If you use a smoker like a Weber Smokey Mountain (which you can learn more about in our review), your water pan will be directly below the meat, and directly above the charcoal. The way pellet smokers work (I have a Green Mountain DB), there's no place to put a water pan under the grill gate, so it would … Why You should run a Water Pan in your Pellet Smoker/Grill. Place a pan of water right next to a heat source and you’ll find the water temperature is consistently the same across the entire pan. Water evens out the temperatures in your smoker: Another benefit to using water in your smoker is that water serves as a heat sink and evens out the temperatures in your cooking chamber. Water pans help to stabilize your smoker’s cooking temperatures.