Water Pan for the Mini

[Smokerbuild]

Does anyone use a water pan in their GF? Would it help with the bottom of briskets getting too much heat? On cooks at 225, briskets are crunchy on the bottom side, meat side down. Or should I put them fat side down, towards the heat? I cook on a mini. Thanks for your feedback.

[tinspark]

I have always put fat cap down with no water pan in my GF and they have turned out fabulous. 225 degrees also.
I usually get a little impatient at the end of the cook and bump my heat a bit because the meat stalls for such a long time and I wanna eat at a reasonable hour after the meat rests about an hour.
I do render down the fat in a small pan below the brisket , but I am not sure if it effects the moisture.
Also I wrap at about 155 deg F. in peach paper (fat cap down) . I use some of the tallow to mop my peach paper, which locks all the goodness (juice) in and still produces nice bark.

[Smokerbuild]

Thanks for the information

[Texasbowhunter]

Yes sir I to use a water pan...
However with my Inexperience smoking I have not noticed any negative effects of using water pan in my smokes...
I have always cooked with fat side up, but in the last couple months talking to Friends, folks and reading such post as Tin Spark and has mentioned I will cook Fat Side Down and use the Peach paper for the wrap rather then the Foil...
Best of luck...It seems its up to what you may actually desire for the final outcome...
Paul

[Dirtytires]

The water pan works more as a heat shield than to add moisture. Toss a piece of 0.25 inch steel plate below the brisket and you can avoid the water mess. And yes, fat down to shield the heat source.