Pitminder and BBQ Guru:

http://www.thebbqguru.com/index.htm

They really work...


"TT" <.> wrote in message ...
> Cleanup is a major motivating factor. I really appreciate the comments
> about thermal mass and will adjust my procedures accordingly.
>
> What is a Pitminder controller?
>
> "CSS" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "TT" <.> wrote in message ...
>>>I am considering filling my WSM water pan with sand covered with foil.
>>>This sounds like a good idea from what I have read, but are there
>>>downsides?
>>>
>>> 1) If I do this, will it become more difficult to keep the temperature
>>> down to 250ish?
>>>
>>> 2) Will it be necessary to mop?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Tom
>>
>>
>> You will find that the temperature of the WSM is much more stable using
>> sand than with using water in the pan. That said, it also changes much
>> more slowly too. You may need to adjust your operating technique to
>> compensate for the increased mass. With water, I used to let my WSM go
>> above 250 before throwing the food on, it would then drop to 250. With
>> sand, if it goes above 250, it takes a long time to come back down. So
>> now my technique is to bring the temp up to 200 or so, throw on the food,
>> and let it rise slowly without overshooting 225-250 or so.
>>
>> The food I've cooked seems no different to me using sand than using
>> water. The convenience, however, is great-- no refills on long cooks, no
>> messy water to dispose of (cover the sand with two layers of *foil* and
>> then throw the top layer away after the cook- instant cleanup.
>>
>> If you really want no-hassle long cooks, use the Minion method with sand
>> in the pan and a Pitminder controller. I've done 18-20 hour cooks with
>> this setup and literally not had to do a thing but eat when the food was
>> done.
>>
>> Now, isn't someone gonna tell the OP he shoulda bought a Klamado?
>>
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