Just got off the phone with Weber in regards to preventing grease fires on long cooks and pellet feeds.

[CEd4jets]

So you think just putting it on the bottom is the best way to go? Wouldn't you still have the same issue of grease being right in the "line of fire"? Not arguing one way or the other, I guess I had just assumed it should go between the flavorizer bars and the grates so the grease is nowhere near the firepot. It would be interesting to try it both ways and see the effects on heat distribution and airflow, as well as if one way is more effective than the other for grease management and fire potential.

I agree. I'm going to try both positions. I think Airflow might be better with pans in the lower part of the grill.

 

[ingiro22]

I’m no expert but I don’t see the point of putting it in the bottom. The flames would get it for sure down there. Between the flavorizor bars and the grates.

 

[tigermikie]

put it at the bottom and add some water

 

[Brad S]

don't know what's best but I'll try it at the bottom because it seems like the least disruptive to the original design of the grill...nothing in between the meat and the grates and heat section.

 

[FredSC]

Spoke with Weber support this morning, and if you brought the SmokeFire from them, I was told you have 30 days to return it, which is the same as Lowe's. I forgot to ask if you have to pay shipping back. So I'm going to continue trying it out.
This weekend I will do 2 pork butts, a Brisket, and a Sirloin tip roast. So lot's of cooking this weekend and continuing trying out the grill. We also plan to sear some scallops.

 

[SoCalMan]

Spoke with Weber support this morning, and if you brought the SmokeFire from them, I was told you have 30 days to return it, which is the same as Lowe's. I forgot to ask if you have to pay shipping back. So I'm going to continue trying it out.
This weekend I will do 2 pork butts, a Brisket, and a Sirloin tip roast. So lot's of cooking this weekend and continuing trying out the grill. We also plan to sear some scallops.

Actually, Lowe’s has a 90-day return policy.

 

[FredSC]

I may have missed this, but are you guys placing the pans on top of the flavorizer bars or down in the bottom? Thanks!

For the Turkey breast I did, I placed it on top of the flavorizer bar, but I believe Weber meant you should put them in the bottom of the grill. I did this above the flavorizer bars to catch the drippings for gravy ingredient.

 

[FredSC]

Won’t the water turn to steam? I don’t think water vapor is good for bbq. Or just use it bare? Still seems unclear. If it’s just to catch fat drippings I’d use a half cookie sheet.

In the Weber smokey mountain we have a pan you can place water in or leave bare depending on what your recipe calls for. You can see different recipes at the Weber Virtual Bullet forum, some use water and some don't. The water pan sits over the charcoal bed and does turn to water vapor but not a lot of steam. The water is used to help stabilize the temperature of the cook as well as helping keep the meat you're smoking moist. https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

 

[BadAss BBQ]

I think the pans should go in the belly of the cooker so there is nothing between the grates and flavorizer bars. The bars are part of the Weber flavour signature as well as the direct heat. I also think it will be hotter above the bars and in direct flames rather than on either side of the fire pot and below the flame. Drip pans probably won't be needed for lean cuts but I always use them for butts or pork belly etc whether its on my stick burner or FEC120.

 

[SmokeMeister]

My plan is to use the pans only for low and slow cooks. I don't think they'll be needed for grilling or hot and fast smoking. I bought several sizes of pans so I can try a few things and see what works best. My thought is that for low and slow, the flavorizer bars aren't doing a lot, so I'm going to try putting the tray on top of them first. I'll use the smallest size I can and fill it with water. I'll probably put a couple grate-level probes around it to make sure the temps are still good.

I have a 10lb pork shoulder just waiting to go on... Maybe I should pick up another one and put the pan on the bottom on the other side to do a direct comparison?