Cold weather smokin'

[bernarc]

Hi there,

I'm making some pork butt tomorrow for a two-year old birthday party. It's gonna be a chilly one with a morning high of -2 (around 28 fir you folks that use the wrong temperature scale...hehe). Are there any special thing I should do for a successful smoke in that temperature? Should I remove one of the rings in order to make the smoker more compact?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Most of all, shelter from the wind...that's your worst enemy. If you have a convertible-type vertical smoker and can remove some of the height, that will reduce fuel use and increase your potential peak chamber temp. Oh, and definitely keep the smoke chamber doors/lids closed...the heat you loose will take much longer to recover in cold weather.

BTW, just below freezing temps? Piece a cake. Try -30*F...that's when you really know it's winter...LOL!!!

Eric

 

[dukeburger]

-2*C ain't cold

Smoke away! As Eric mentioned, mind the wind.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I'm already over winter! We haven't been above freezing for over a week, and the last two nights, -4, -2. Need a warm snap to break the funk! I'd be happy with 40 degrees right now!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Yeah, we've had a week of near or sub-zero nights...17*F right now and getting ready to fire up the WSM 18 for another smoke. The calm winds will make for a bit less effort, but I have wind-protection measure at the ready, if needed.

Eric

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Yeah, we've had a week of near or sub-zero nights...17*F right now and getting ready to fire up the WSM 18 for another smoke. The calm winds will make for a bit less effort, but I have wind-protection measure at the ready, if needed.


Eric

There's enough snow here that wind isn't a problem. Fire up the smoker and it makes its own wind screen out of the snow!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

...not much snow here...about 6" fell in the last 3-4 days...a little drifting, but hardly noticeable. We generally don't get much snow unless it's an all-out blizzard. The weather makes up for the lack of snow with cold and wind, though.

Eric