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Too Cold for the Smoker?

M

Montagieu

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
70
There's nothing I like better than to throw a Boston Butt on the smoker and spend the next 8 to 10 hours drinking snobbish beer, lighting up a good cigar, and playing in the yard with the kid and dog. But it's been damn cold here and I can't bring myself to make the commitment to a 9 hour smoke when the highs are in the 20s. I like to sit outside and babysit my firebox but having a case of a$$ frostbite keeps me from BBQing during winter.

Do others brave the elements to enjoy a good BBQ? Or do you wimp out like me and wait until spring?

-Montagieu
 
I spent an hour snowblowing my driveway and shoveling the walks (second time today). I then grilled some burgers, and followed that with a smoke out in the garage. It was around 0 degrees. A radiant heater and heating pad helped out a little.

It is December though bro. We should have some cold temps, right? I'm actually a little thankful for these temps. November was 'so' warm (in Minnesota) it actually freaked people out.
 
Way to go, Mick.

Yeah, we grill all winter too. Usually steaks, burgers or chicken breasts. Nothing too complicated. Doesn't really matter how cold it is. Unless the wind is blowing like crazy, I'll grill.

Still, I'm really losing my love of the winter the older I get. Shoveled a drift last night (10pm) down to our barn so I could feed the cats. It made me wonder why the hell I still live here. Family. That's about the only reason. A very good reason, however.
 
Flatlanders, ya gotta teach 'em everything. Johnson Woolen Mills makes great green wool pants. Pendleton still makes a great wool shirt. Combine these with some of that high tech long underwear, an anorak, wool socks and a pair of Sorel boots and you should be able to withstand those frigid
rolleyes.gif
20 degree temps.

Doc.
 
I use a Big Green Egg with a Stoker and once I am setup I can leave my smoker alone while it does it's job.

If I am really geeked out that day I will graph my smoke on my computer, and that way I can monitor my fire and meat temps right from the computer inside!
 
Smoker in the cold? Hell ya! I wrap mine in some insulation if it gets too cold to keep the temp up. A good fire shouldn't need too much attention....
 
Devil Doc is right. We are flatlanders, where you can watch your dog run away for three days. We still grill quite a bit of steak during the winter, but I'll leave smokin' in the cold for you polar bears

-Montagieu
 
It's never too cold for the smoker! Nothing enhances the smell of a wood fire better than cold air. ;)
 
Honestly I am spoiled living here in Southern California ... It is never to cold to smoke here but there are some days that i find are just to windy to try to do it. I find the wind effects my smoker more that low temps. Though the temps rarely get lower then the upper 30's here.

Guess that is why i put up with California High Taxes but the weather is hard to beat.
 
You stop using the smoker in the winter because you can't stare at it all day? Hmmm. Checking it every couple of hours can be done in any weather. When I'm tired of waiting or it's just not going to be ready when I want to eat, I cheat. Through the thing in the oven to finish it. Couple of hours in a good cooker is plenty of time for chicken, turkey and most cuts of pork.
 
tsmckenney said:
I spent an hour snowblowing my driveway and shoveling the walks (second time today). I then grilled some burgers, and followed that with a smoke out in the garage. It was around 0 degrees. A radiant heater and heating pad helped out a little.

It is December though bro. We should have some cold temps, right? I'm actually a little thankful for these temps. November was 'so' warm (in Minnesota) it actually freaked people out.
Click to expand...
never to cold for bbq---foto from an annual contest on Mille Lacs
3343093830_3551aae571_o.jpg


thevalkrye said:
I use a Big Green Egg with a Stoker and once I am setup I can leave my smoker alone while it does it's job.

If I am really geeked out that day I will graph my smoke on my computer, and that way I can monitor my fire and meat temps right from the computer inside!
Click to expand...
and here is an egg(with bbq guru) last winter--great tool
3139535776_434184d02c_o.jpg
 
Yeah, the only thing you need to worry about is how much fuel you'll need to smoke when it's super cold. If you've got a big green egg, I'm sure you won't need too much more than normal, but if you have a metal smoker, you're in for a lot of refueling. I built my own using ceramic potters (thanks alton brown), so I'm somewhere in between. If you're doing boston butt, I like the suggestion above for the winter too...cheat. Get the smoke ring and outside of the butt nice and smokey (a few hours), then either finish in the oven or, throw it in a crock pot with your sauce and wait till you can just pull the bone out.
 
Yeah it's been real cold out west here. I think we are dropping to 40 tonight. As I write this I'm bundled up in the garage with a fan on and the door up about 1/3 to let the smoke from my Tat out. Ok ok I know Californians are pussys, you betcha!

As for smoking meat I use a Weber Kettle. Old school. Indirect method low heat all year long.
If you guys want to come here now and beat me up I understand!
Come on over and we will herf after!
I have been trying different brines. It's been great.
 
I smoked a smoked ham earlier this week using my MES. Had to finish it in the oven to get the temp right. The double smoked ham was pretty tasty.
 
It has been down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit here in Norway where I live and that is not the best conditions for enjoying a cigar :-(
 
Jeez haven't you guys heard there is no such thing as global warming...it's a farce. So keep on grillin' the C02 from the grill and the methane form the cattle your cooking is still is half teh volume of the C02 that was in the air right before the ice age from all them dinosaur farts...lol
 
I love grilling/smoking in the cold. I hate grilling/smoking in the rain. Right now I have a problem =\
 
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