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Happy New Year! Let's BBQ!
Don't let the cold weather stop you. You can still have that great BBQ flavor from grilling and smoking during the winter. Maybe it's no fun standing around in the cold waiting for your meal to cook, but you don't have to do that. What do you do during the summer?
Well ... after you get things going, you stand around and visit with somebody, open up another drink, find a comfortable chair, you play catch, you toss some horseshoes, you open up another drink (intentional repeat), etc. The cooking continues while you relax or play. The same thing happens in the winter except you relax and play indoors where it is nice and warm.
Many people love cold weather, though. Besides, getting outside and working with the heat of the BBQ will help you keep from getting too cold.
If you don't think a little good BBQ is worth getting out into the cold for, then fix yourself a hot drink and stay inside. There is nothing wrong with that. This is not anything that you have to do. Actually, there are days that I feel that way, too.
But, did you know that over half of the people in this country claim to be cold weather BBQers? So, don't think you are alone if you are wanting to BBQ when it's cold outside. All you need is a little extra information to get you started.
First off, the only difference in cold weather cooking is that heat dissipates faster than in warm weather. You just need to know how to deal with that heat dissipation. The problem is, though, the colder it gets, the harder it is to overcome.
Truthfully... if you can maintain the correct temperature, it takes no longer to BBQ in the cold, than it does during summer. I know that statement is contrary to what you have heard, read, and possibly even experienced, but it's true. Think about it for just a minute.
When you travel somewhere in a car, if you are driving into a strong head wind, does it take you longer to get where you are going? Possibly ... but only because you were driving slower.
Sure the wind may have slowed you down, but if you would just get your foot into it, you could still travel at the usual speed and arrive in the usual time. But, that burns more fuel, you say? Right.
Wind direction and speed do not have an effect on the actual speed of travel in a vehicle (as it does with air speed and a plane). If your speedometer reads 50mph, then you are traveling at 50mph regardless of which way the wind is blowing or how strong. So ...
An internal temperature on your smoker of 225 degrees is still 225 degrees whether the outside air temperature is 90 degrees or -5 degrees. Keeping it there is the hard part.
Just as a head wind causes you to burn more fuel to maintain your speed, colder temperatures cause you to make adjustments (like more fuel) to maintain heat when BBQing.
Wind is the biggest temperature thief when it is cold outside. In a calm setting, a grill or smoker can heat up the immediate air around itself. Even a light breeze will blow away any buy.cheap.western.digital.external.hard.drive-20" title="western digital external hard drive">external warmth that may have been created. This causes the temperature next to the grill to be equal to the outside air temperature.
In most cases, if you can eliminate the wind, you are practically home free. This can be done by using existing buildings, tarps, or portable structures as wind breaks.
Be careful, though, to not operate grills or smokers indoors or under structures. Not only can they start fires, they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
Although wind is the primary concern, it is not the only one. The cold temperature means that more fuel must be burned to reach and maintain a desired temperature (the car and the wind).
Another option in cold weather to help maintain heat is to insulate the surface of the smoker. If you decide to do this, though, be sure to use only insulation that is foil-backed (actually foil on both sides).
When the lid is open, heat will escape (heat rises). The colder it is outside, the faster the heat loss. Yes, this causes the need for more fuel to be burned. But more importantly, it tells us that the lid must remain closed as much as possible. Just opening the lid to check on the meat will add another 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time, due to the heat loss.
What I said before is true. You know... about it taking no longer to BBQ in the cold? But, what if a wind gust blew your car off the road? Woops... there goes that theory about speed and wind. Once the temperature gets cold enough, cooking times seem to dramatically increase. That is because it becomes harder to overcome the increasing heat loss.
But how cold is too cold? You be the judge.
You protect yourself from the cold by dressing warm, staying out of the wind, and going indoors as needed. You must protect your BBQ heat in a similar way. Dress it warm (insulation), keep it out of the wind, add more fuel and keep the lid closed.
Too cold to BBQ? Not if you know how to keep the heat.
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