In alt.food.barbecue, Bob Muncie > wrote:

> Janet - I have not read past this time frame in this thread you
> developed :-) And I am certainly the last person to be called expert in
> the art of BBQ (smoking that is for those that want to argue, post it
> here and I'll watch your feathers fly), but why are you using water in
> the pan?

> I have it on good "reading" authority, that it's better to fill the pan
> with "play ground" quality sand (see note) which means it's sanitized
> and without the impurities from the beach, to around 3/4 full.

The difference between water and sand is that water cannot get hotter than
212, while sand can get up to the same temp as the coals. Water releases
steam into the cooking chamber, wich you may or may not think is a good
thing.

Both work as heat sinks. They absorb heat when the fire is hot, and
release heat when the fire cools.

In my cheap New Braunfels offset smoker, I put about 200 pounds of granite
paving blocks to do the same thing. I put as many in the firebox as wil
fit, and a bunch of them in the smoke chamber too. They make fire tending
much easier, given that the metal is so thin.

I've seen high quality offset smokers with thick steel fireboxes, which do
the same thing.

--
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
-- Bertrand Russell