Cooking in the cold. How do you adjust?

[roburado]

Hey, all. For those of you in cooler climate that are still trying to smoke/grill, what kind of adjustments do you make?

I'm finding that just preheating the grill takes forever, and I never even got to the desired preheating temperature of 400F. I just got into the 300s, and put my steak on there. My ambient temp right now is 34F. It's killing me. Damn fall/winter.

 

[Chili Head]

I haven't smoked in the winter yet. I would think the MAK would get to temp with no problem. Im sure it would take longer to get there but candy sue will make more pellets


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[Big Poppa]

first off rob I never pre heat to 400 unless I want to cook at 400...welding blakets help and be patient with the pellet boss you will get close

 

[Meat Man]

I did a 5 hour smoke today, outdoor temp was mid 40's, MAK ran about 5 degrees cooler than setting of 275. First winter here in Utah with my MAK, but I do not expect any difficulties. Ran my Treager all winter long over the last four years without any problems. For those high temp cooks, like steaks you might want to try BBQ'rs Delight oak pellets. I know those will get your temps up.

 

[FLBentRider]

Sometimes in winter I put on a long sleeve shirt, maybe closed-toed shoes.

Winter in FL is really brutal. The snowbirds, tourists, traffic. ugh.

 

[squirtthecat]

I dress in layers..

Seriously, I ran my MAK all last winter (and it was a nasty one here) without any problems. What kind of pellets were you burning?

 

[Big Poppa]

it will labor and use a lot of pellets as with all pellet cookers when it gets super cold...Also make suer that it is out of the wind as much as possible

 

[TentHunter]

I dress warmer and walk barefoot outside a little less.

I make sure my smokers/grills are as much out of the wind as possible. Oh yeah, I make sure my supply of flashlight batteries is full to deal with the longer dark hours.

 

[jimsbarbecue]

The Welding blanket BP suggest helps. Not only to hold in temps but to fight the effcts of the wind.

 

[sparky]

drink more. its helps me. the maks are on their own.

 

[kskomodo04]

This will be my first winter with pellet cooking so I am moving my Green Mountain cooker into the resrved space in the garage. Ordering a fitted thermal cover for it next week. Have the 20LB propane tank and heater ready. I will open the overhead garage door about 1/4 of the way and the opposite walk thru about 1/2 way and go from there.

 

[Radfisher]

Myselfliving here in Alaska where right now the temps are in the low teens to just above zero, I've had no problems using my MAK 2 star. Like others have mentioned I keep my grill out of the wind or put up a wind barrier of some kind. If I'm needing my grill temp to be high I use a hardwood pellet like oak or black walnut to get the higher btu's and temp. If I'm doing a low and slow cook I allow some extra time for the meat to cook and I might set my temp. 5-10 degrees higher. I did a 14lb turkey last week with the outside temp at 12 degrees and a 8mph wind. I used pecan and cherry pellets and set my pellet boss at 235 degreeS. I would normally set at 225 degrees. I too 7 hours for the IT to reach 160 degrees.
In other words try to keep the grill out of the wind if possible, use hardwood pellets like oak if you're grilling, give yourself some extra time to cook your food, and also consider that you will use more pellets than if you were cooking in warmer weather.

 

[roburado]

Thanks, everyone. Appreciate it. The thing we're probably going to try to do is bring it into the garage to get some wind breaking effect if it's windy. I'm definitely going to start early too for Turkey Day. Better to start and finish early, I think, than not to be done in time.

 

[elkcolorado]

Welding blankets or foil backed rigid insulation panels around the grill. Face the foil side to the grill, it reflects the heat and blocks the wind. I have cooked on the Traeger in snow and subzero temperatures with no problems and little to no extended cooking\heating times.
Sparky is also correct with his solution!

 

[roburado]

Thanks! What kind of rigid insulation?

 

[elkcolorado]

Prodex radiant panels or Owens Corning you can get the rigid panels at Home Depot or Lowes

 

[ITFD#15]

I grill all winter here in Ontario.
Sounds like all the points have been covered a blanket for the grill, out of the wind, hardwood mix to increase temp.
I also have heard of people putting fire bricks in the bottom just to maintain temp but not sure about that one

 

[FLBentRider]

I also have heard of people putting fire bricks in the bottom just to maintain temp but not sure about that one

Adding mass, via bricks or any other method, will slow the temperature changes. In both directions. It will be slower to heat up, since you have to heat the cold bricks, but it will also cool off slower since the (now warm) mass of bricks retains the heat.

For a MAK, I would not worry about the bricks. I would think there is enough mass in the steel construction.

 

[Big_Jake]

I started a ham @ 5 in the morning on Thanksgiving day.Outside temp was in the mid 40's.My pellet smoker ran pretty much as it always does.Although you can always turn it up 5 degrees or so to reach desired temp if you are having problems.

 

[squirtthecat]

For a MAK, I would not worry about the bricks. I would think there is enough mass in the steel construction.

I tried bricks in my MAK. Didn't make a bit of difference, as the Pellet Boss does what it is supposed to do.

Now I use the bricks to keep the cover secured down on windy days.