Gas cookers work perfectly fine during cold weather and can keep your meat hot on the grill. Read this article to know more.
Winter could get pretty depressing when all you have are icy, dreary, and gloomy days. The windy weather might make you think it’s bizarre to cook outside. Well, you are wrong! There are numerous tricks that can help you host an outdoor barbeque even during cold days.
Days like these demand delicious, succulent brisket or pork chops. You may also be interested in a built-in grill. Although the task might seem difficult since you have to keep the grill smoking while it’s raining, snowing, and windy, it is definitely not impossible. So pull out your winter gloves and jackets, and let’s make some barbecue.
Want to have warm tasty food even on miserably cold days? Simply follow these tricks and suggestions! Most importantly, be brave enough to take that first step, and get out of your house. The rest will be easy.
Tips to Keep Your Grill Fueled In the Cold
Smoking meat in cold weather is very tricky. Here is how you can beat the weather and cook that meat perfectly.
Know Your Smoker
A “ringmaster” knows how to work with its animals. Just like that, you need to know your tools. This involves understanding how your particular smoker reacts to chilly temperatures.
If you own thin-bodied smokers, their rapid loss of heat might be troublesome. It gets harder to reach higher temperatures, and their thinner metal shield conducts heat away from the compartments. To hold on to the right temperature, you are going to need more fuel.
So is using thicker smokers a solution? Well, not exactly. If you have ceramic smokers, you will still struggle with getting that temperature up. However, once you have reached the temperature you want, it is definitely easier to maintain.
Many people carry the misconception that gas smokers do not work in winter. Guess what? They are absolutely wrong. In fact, propane is used to make the gas in gas smokers, and to change the state of liquid propane to gas, you would require a temperature of about -44˚C. Pretty convincing for chilly days, don’t you think?
Insulation For Your Smoker
There are three things that are extremely important and should be at the top of your checklist while creating insulation for your smoker. These are efficiency, airflow, and safety.
Now you may think what is the point of going through the hassle of making one when I can simply buy an insulation jacket. Sure, go ahead, but if you want to save up some cash, then just use the things you have at home or your nearest local store and get creative.
Welding blankets and burner insulation are two solutions to explore. A welder’s blanket is a fantastic option as it protects you from the wonders of winter (i.e. snow, rain, and cold breeze). Along with that, you don’t have to worry about a fire hazard. Once you find your desired material, make sure to cut it into the right size and leave a window for the vents in the smoker.
Addressing the Windy Problem
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a steady temperature in your cooker’s chamber is contending with the wind. Large temperature changes might spoil your BBQ, so maintaining a constant temperature within the chamber is essential. While selecting a covered place may aid in keeping some regularity, airflow is the most important variable.
Every smoker has its own distinct pattern of airflow. Make sure to have that pattern figured out for your specific smoker. This is crucial to understand as increased airflow helps fuel the smoker and raise the temperature. If you do not have any airflow, the fuel will not burn, and therefore, you will be losing heat.
To avoid all of this, keep an eye on the direction of the wind and adjust your vents according to that. Close the vent facing the direction of the wind, and open the other ones to adjust the temperature. The goal is to avoid both temperature swings and suffocating heat. You just got to sway with the wind.
Do Not Peek Too often
We all get tempted to look at that beautiful luscious meat cooking in the grill and the oils just dripping while the marinating sauces are sizzling. However, doing so is going to leave you with some unhappy guests.
Opening the lid of your grill repeatedly is going to make your grill work extra hard to raise the temperature up all over again. That will take a good 10-20 minutes, making your guests go wild. Flipping the lid is not a great habit, and it might leave you with some not-so-tasty food.
When it is absolutely necessary to do so and if you find yourself in the rain, you can ask a friend to hold an umbrella for you over the smoker while you both chant Rihanna’s most famous lines from her hit song Umbrella.
If you want to save more time, you might want to consider buying a cold-weather jacket. DIY insulation is an awesome idea, yet sometimes the insulation you created might not fit right, and you would have to cop and do all sorts of things to fix that issue which might take a while. So if you don’t mind spending a few bucks, get a jacket for your smoker!
Pick a Spot So Your Smoker Can Get Hot
Take a look around your yard and find a good spot that will protect you from rain and wind. This will solve half of your problems and will also give you an idea of where to go to do any sort of outdoor activity in winter. You might even find spate spots for windy and rainy situations.
Nevertheless, do not push your smoker into your home or in a closed area while cooking. That might just turn into a big hazard. Your smoker will produce carbon monoxide (CO) while it’s running, and in confined spaces, the risk of CO poisoning would increase.
Also, be careful while choosing a spot. Ensure that there are no flammable materials nearby. Yes, cooking next to the trees sounds like a dream, but that dream just might turn into a nightmare.
Keep Extra Fuel On Hand
Do not forget to stock up on fuel beforehand since you are already aware that you will need some extras to keep things running smoothly. Keep any equipment that you would need to re-fuel close by so that in case of a re-fuel, the temperature does not drop too much.
We would suggest using a wood-burning smoker. That way, you can prepare the wood from before and leave it in a dry place that can be quickly accessed. Using charcoal or gas smokers is a good alternative too. Just make sure to have a stock of each material ready to be used.
Don’t Forget the Key Ingredient – You!
Don’t just protect and insulate your smoker; get some layers on yourself too. Health and safety come above all. So wear some nice warm clothes and dress appropriately. Of course, cooking a juicy BBQ is the main aim here, but you should not harm yourself in the process.
If you do have allergies from the cold, always carry all your medications and a first aid kit just in case any small accidents happen in the cooking scene. Most importantly, enjoy being with your loved ones. Cold days can be miserable, but it’s always a good time when you are with people who make you laugh.
Cleaning and Storage
While all the delicious food is bopping in your belly, don’t just get lazy and take a nap. Pay attention to cleaning and storage of the smoker. If you get that grill cold before cleaning it, you might just end up having abs when you clean it later. Don’t waste even a minute because everything will be frozen solid.
Store your smoker in a nice cozy place during the winter, and wrap it with the insulator you made or bought. Store it in a dry place and always check the grill before tucking it into the cover. You might find a surprise pet hiding inside to hide from the cold.
Have a Successful BBQ During Winter
Getting anything done during the chilly weather is a challenge. The gloomy weather makes you feel lazy and unmotivated. The only thing that’s worth it is that one hot meal, which you can now enjoy outdoors, thanks to these tips.
Having a BBQ in winter is not a bad idea after all. Spend some quality time with your friends and family while feasting on hot meat even on cold days. All you need to do is buy yourself the right smoker, get it fueled, follow these tips, and soon enough, you will have the brisket you have been craving.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay