I just read day 2 of the 5 day smoking course and I wanted to relate a passage out of a book by Harold McGee's tome called On Food and Cooking. Jeff mentioned that some people like to use the water pan method to keep the meat jucier but he didn't see any evidence of that happening. It seems he is right.
One of the few things I remembered from reading McGee's book was on page 150 under Final juciness.
As the meat's temperature rises to 140 F more of the proteins inside its cells coagulate and the cells become more segregated into a solid core of coagulated protein and a surrounding tube of liquid: so the meat gets progressively firmer and moister. Then between 140 and 150 F the meat suddenly releases lots of juice, shrinks noticebly, and becomes chewier. These changes are caused by the denaturing of collagen in the cell's connective tissue sheaths, which shrink and exert new pressure on the fluid filled cells inside them. The fluid flows copiously, the piece of meat loses a sixth or more of it's volume, and it's protein fibers become more densely packed and so harder to cut through. Meat served in this temperature range, the equivalent of medium-rare, is changing from juicy to dry....If the cooking continues the meat will get progressively dryer, more compact and stiff. Then around 160 F connective tissue collagen begins to dissolve into gelatin. With time the connective tissue softens to a jelly like consistency, and the muscle fibers that it held tightly together are more easily pushed apart. The fibers are still stiff and dry but they no longer form a monlithic mass, so the meat seems more tender. And the gelatin provides a succulence of it's own. This is the delightful texture of slow cooked meats, long braises and stews and barbecues.
Yeah!!!! That's what I'm talking about.....
Of course the art of acheiving this slow cook is a fine art as I am sure all here realize.
To add to the tenderness of the meat, the flavor of smoke added.
Pouring or steaming the meat with water or other juices even mopping is not going to change the juciness of the meat but it may impart more flavor or moderate the cooking process.
Thanks Jeff.....