# WIND! Its Killing me!



## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

Of course the first time I get the smoker fired up in a month its gotta be super windy!  I'm watching the smoker's temp drop 15 degrees and then creep back up and then another gust and it drops 10 degrees and so on...  I normally run with the vents wide open, but that keeps letting too much wind in.  So I battened down the vents leaving only a small crack.  Seems to help a little but I'm still running too cold.  The propane knob is really sensitive too, a fraction higher and the temp will jump from 215 to 235, I'm trying to get it right between though.

Just venting as the wind sucks the heat outta my vents.


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

Just watched the temp drop from 207 to 192... I guess I'll have to run it hot in order to at least keep the temp above 210.


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

Oh! Found part of my temp problem!  the probe was too close to the meat and got meat drippings onto it, that was the temp dropping... this is what happens when you don't smoke on a regular basis...


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## seenred (May 3, 2013)

Hang in there!  We've all had to do battle with the wind at some point.  You didn't say what you're smoking, but with most meats, it wouldn't hurt to allow the smoker temp to creep up towards 250*.  It might help with the temp swings caused by gusts.

Many of us have devised and constructed some kind of wind break.  I once built a simple wind break out of 2 old sheets of 3/4" plywood and 2 old door hinges, then just stood it up around the pit.  Didn't work too bad.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Red


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

7.3lb pork shoulder.  Its for a big 'ol Church party Saturday night, actually like 2am Sunday morning (Us Eastern Christians are only just now Celebrating Easter this weekend [its an old calender/new calender thing], so we've all been holding off the meats and dairy for the last 40 days and now its time to break the fast).

Got a couple bits of patio furniture, and the big gas grill plus an anchored cardboard box helping break the wind (hehe... break wind) a bit.  I think I'll making something like that you describe for the future.

I've got it stabilized at 239 now, which should be fine for pork.


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## redneck69 (May 3, 2013)

is there a way you can build a wind deflector out of some ply wood? or move your smoker to a shelter area buy your house, garage, wood fence or anything like that


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

no spare wood around and I have a very bare back patio.  The wind was really causing the wood chunks to burn up and smoke fast to the point where there's been some soot (sooting?) on the meat, at least thats what it looks like.  Still smells delicious. 

I think next weekend I'll "have to" purchase some new tools (I don't own a saw or saw horses) and some wood... I'm sure my wife will understand.


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## scootermagoo (May 3, 2013)

SeenRed said:


> Hang in there!  We've all had to do battle with the wind at some point.  You didn't say what you're smoking, but with most meats, it wouldn't hurt to allow the smoker temp to creep up towards 250*.  It might help with the temp swings caused by gusts.
> 
> Many of us have devised and constructed some kind of wind break. * I once built a simple wind break out of 2 old sheets of 3/4" plywood and 2 old door hinges, then just stood it up around the pit.*   Didn't work too bad.
> 
> ...


HA!!!  That's what I did!  My CG Pro is rather drafty, so occasionally, I need a wind break.  It's better than bad, it's good.


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

The pork's internal temp has been holding steady at 156 for the last couple hours.  It seemed a little early for the stall but I've still got another 4 projected hours left on the clock.  Since I'm not eating it today I'm not too worried about wrapping to hurry things along.


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 3, 2013)

knotquiteawake said:


> The pork's internal temp has been holding steady at 156 for the last couple hours.  It seemed a little early for the stall but I've still got another 4 projected hours left on the clock.  Since I'm not eating it today I'm not too worried about wrapping to hurry things along.


A stall around 156 is pretty normal. My last pork shoulders hit the stall right around 157-58. One was 8 pounds the other was 9. Took right at 20 hours to hit the 205* IT. It was a cold windy day/night. Was well worth the wait! Now where's you Q-view!!!


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## knotquiteawake (May 3, 2013)

q-View as requested:













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Also I get to try these babies out whenever its finally done, no more burning my fingers trying to use dinner forks while its too hot to handle:













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I am estimating 1.5 hours per pound which puts me at 11 hours, but I know from experiance to add another hour AT LEAST to that.  Thankfully its not tonights dinner so Its stress free.


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## seenred (May 3, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *knotquiteawake*
> 
> I am estimating 1.5 hours per pound which puts me at 11 hours, but I know from experiance to add another hour AT LEAST to that.  Thankfully its not tonights dinner so Its stress free.


Yeah it could even take 2 hours per pound, or more, with the wind and the temps dips.  Sorta depends on how long the stall lasts.  Its always good to allow some extra time (what JJ calls CYA time) to the estimated finish.

Red


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## themule69 (May 3, 2013)

i have had 4 hour stalls on 9# butts. you can kick up the temp and power threw it. if you have a time limit. if not let it go. the I.T. will tell you when it is done. you can also use the tooth pick test. if you poke it with a tooth pick and it is hard to go in and hard to pull out. you will have tuff meat.

happy smoken.

David


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## knotquiteawake (May 6, 2013)

It finished at about the 12.5 hours mark, but that was because I ended up wrapping it in foil for the last hour to get it up.  We were ready for bed for I grabbed it at 198 instead of the preferred 203.

Here is the finished product













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I used a crock pot to reheat it.  Church services took a little longer than expected so it sat on low for about 3.5 hours, when I got back to it finally it had been dried out significantly :( Still tasted great but not juicy like past experiance.  I used finishing sauce to lightly dress it before reheating, and a little bit of store bought bbq (very little, just enough to add a little more moisture) but it still dried out.  I was afraid to overdress it in the finishing sauce but next time I think I might just do it anyways or add a tiny bit of stock or water.

Kind of disappointed in the result.  Even so, people were raving about how delicious it was (if only they know how much MORE delicious it COULD have been!!!).


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## JckDanls 07 (May 6, 2013)

you could use a little apple juice as well..


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## knotquiteawake (May 7, 2013)

JckDanls 07 said:


> you could use a little apple juice as well..


Thanks! I forgot about that one too.  So far I feel pretty confident in providing copious amounts of meat hot off the smoker to my immediate friends and family but this whole providing meat to a crowd  is still a little stress inducing because I don't know all the little tricks yet.  I'll just have to keep showing up to the church potlucks and subjecting my friends to more smoked food, I hope they don't hate me for it


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## sqwib (May 7, 2013)

If you decide on a windbreak, you could use a luan or 1/4" plywood, that folds up flat, the hinges are duct tape... yes you heard right, duct tape.

I designed a hard wall shower for my Pop Up camper and it worked great, here's a couple photos.













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10 before hasps dry fit.JPG



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folded up flat and stored under the bunk cushions.













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## anylizer (May 8, 2013)

Is that "Veronica" from Scooby-Doo I see on the pillow there SQWIB???? lol


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## knotquiteawake (May 8, 2013)

Anylizer said:


> Is that "Veronica" from Scooby-Doo I see on the pillow there SQWIB???? lol


Looks like "The Little Mermaid" from Disney.


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## anylizer (May 9, 2013)

I realized last night that "Veronica" was from the Archie comics... "Daphne" was from Scooby-Doo!  But I think you are right... Little Mermaid!   Ariel????


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## sqwib (May 9, 2013)

Yes its Ariel.

Veronica













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Daphne













images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRP9RUbjneh3ewczciz-RUF8MpkCvhag



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Ariel













images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6xc-1QBUvZOf0bSjX5frT26OTT7-wo



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Scooby













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They all look the same to me!


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