# Need opinion for cold weather



## djjubbajubba (Oct 25, 2017)

I need your opinions, and discussion. I love my horizontal offset, but it's a cheap thin metal model. It won't keep temp in colder weather. To keep me smoking through the winter, I want to find something else. So, the question. Should I get a dyna-glo vertical offset, Oklahoma joe bandera, Weber smiley mountain, or a kamado?


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## pc farmer (Oct 25, 2017)

Wsm for me.  I have a UDS and a mini wsm.  Both work very good in my pa cold weather


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## foamheart (Oct 25, 2017)

I don't know how cold your cold weather is but have you totally ruled out a welding blanket and a wind break? If it colder than that, its too cold to get pizza delivered. LOL


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## djjubbajubba (Oct 26, 2017)

c farmer said:


> Wsm for me.  I have a UDS and a mini wsm.  Both work very good in my pa cold weather


I am still new to the forums what is a UDS?


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## phatbac (Oct 26, 2017)

UDS = Ugly Drum Smoker.
 I have never used a UDS but many swear by them and they aren't real expensive.(around $300 i think)

My vote is WSM. i have used in a foot of snow and it smoked some great pork and brisket. You can get a welding blanket to go around to keep the heat up if its really windy and to act as insulation.













WSMsmoker.jpg



__ phatbac
__ Feb 26, 2015






This was taken a few years back when i lived in VA. Its my WSM 22.5 .


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## Bearcarver (Oct 26, 2017)

Cold Temps bothers me more than it does my MES, but they're insulated very well, and electric & not on your list.

As for those on your list, my Son has no trouble with his Big Green Egg in our PA cold weather.

Bear


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## djjubbajubba (Oct 26, 2017)

phatbac said:


> UDS = Ugly Drum Smoker.
> I have never used a UDS but many swear by them and they aren't real expensive.(around $300 i think)
> 
> My vote is WSM. i have used in a foot of snow and it smoked some great pork and brisket. You can get a welding blanket to go around to keep the heat up if its really windy and to act as insulation.
> ...


I'm in VA. That's what I'm worried about. Thanks for the info.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 2, 2017)

I live in Vermont and use my WSM nearly all year round. 

Chris


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## noboundaries (Nov 2, 2017)

The coldest it gets here at my location in NorCal is at night, and it will occasionally drop into the teens. Upper 20s and low 30s are normal in the winter.  I've smoked in the 30s, wind blowing, no insulation with my WSM. The advantage of a vertical smoker, with the fire below the meat, not offset, is that it maximizes smoke chamber heat retention as the heat rises. I've never felt the need to insulate my WSM given my conditions. 

The real question is how much money do you want to spend on a fire-below vertical system?  $300-400 + $30 for a roomy WSM, welders blanket and some clips, or $300-1200+ for a slightly less roomy but insulated Kamado system you can also use as a grill.  I don't think you can go wrong with either.

I've never used a Kamado system, but three people I've known who owned one could never get the hang of low n slow temp control to smoke with it.  They weren't patient or analytical people though, so I chalk it up to personality, not the system.


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## phatbac (Nov 2, 2017)

djjubbajubba said:


> I'm in VA. That's what I'm worried about. Thanks for the info.


The time i took the pic i posted i was living in southern VA. 
The WSM held up well in VA Temps and wind.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## djjubbajubba (Nov 4, 2017)

phatbac said:


> The time i took the pic i posted i was living in southern VA.
> The WSM held up well in VA Temps and wind.
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)


Off subject, what part of south va?


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## phatbac (Nov 5, 2017)

At the time of that pic I was living in Pulaski va and before that Radford va.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## djjubbajubba (Nov 5, 2017)

Oh, south west. I'm in chesapeake. South east.


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## phatbac (Nov 5, 2017)

Yea I'm from the other Virginia.

phatbac (Aaron)


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