winter smoking


 
D

DavidSF

TVWBB Member
I see Amazon has the weber smoker for sale again at $200. I'm reluctant to buy it now since winter is almost here. Is it practical to smoke meats and fish when it's 50F outside and raining? What about slow smoking, e.g. brisket, for 8 hours? Is that practical or a stupid idea in bad weather? Should I buy now or wait? Any experiences smoking in bad weather?

thanks,
David
 
Hello David,

Coincidently, I received my second WSM today -- thanks to this website posting the link to Amazon.com with the recent discounted price.

Yes, you can smoke meats and fish, even in the winter. (I live and barbecue year round here at the Jersey Shore.)

I am a new member here, but I have been reading the good info here for a few years -- this to include cold weather barbecue with your WMS.

I did purchase a BBQguru pitminder and an insulating jacket from the same company to make work easier.

Happy grilling, smoking, and barbecue to you.

Eddie.
 
I'm in the middle of New England where fifty degrees is still considred warm on some days, and does not deter me from firin up the WSM. Rain however is harder to deal with than cold weather.

If ya been thinkin about now vs. later, my vote goes for 'now' as it'll cost ya more come spring.
 
I purchased my 2nd WSM recently for $179 when Amazon had an “end-of-summer” sale . Don’t need it now but I knew I would in the Spring. It’s assembled, modified with a Guru mount and Eyelets and is sitting covered in the corner of a spare room waiting for it’s inaugural cook. I say get it now. This sale isn’t going to last and they definitely won’t be on sale come Spring. 50 bucks is 50 bucks! Use the savings on a chimney, thermometer, gloves, meat, etc…

If it’s windy where you are during the colder months, a wind block of some sort will save you a lot of trouble. Also, the WSM can handle light rain but more than that and it starts to run down the inside (between the lid and middle section) and will make quite a mess. Some sort of umbrella will make your life easier for sure. Check out the “Tips and Mods” section above and click on the “Cooking In The Wind, Rain & Cold” section for more info.

Welcome to the board David and Eddie.
 
Thanks everyone, I went ahead and ordered it! And yes I used the link from the homepage.

I noticed it comes with a cover. Is it sufficent to protect the smoker from heavy rains? If not, can anyone recommend a better cover?

thanks,
David
 
The cover that comes with it leaks (maybe through the seams).

I put a garbage bage over the smoker after it cools, then the cover.

No water gets inside.
 
I was smoking pork Dec of 05 while we were getting 18 inches of snow. Wind is a problem and steady rain can be also. I built a 3 sided wind screen out of a piece of plywood. The top of the 2 side pieces have an angle on them and the back piece comes up to the short side of the angle. I then screwed a piece of plywood on the angle to act as a shed roof. Pretty much covers the various conditions. It also acts as a good cover. I put the smoker up next to the house when not in use and put the screen up against the house. It will look a bit better when I get around to putting shingles on the roof and painting the sides.
 
I actually smoke more during the winter months than I do during the summer. I guess that comes from the fact that I have alot more things going on in the summer than winter. My neighbors must think I am nuts firing up in 20 degree weather
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
My first smoke was last February in a snowstorm. No problem.

Heavy rain will be a problem, a QuikSet canopy or umbrella is a good idea. I'm looking at the BBQ Guru Silver Bullet Smoker Jacket because I don't think I could make a better one for less.

The WSM cover can be waterproofed. Just get some Coleman tent waterproofer spray at your local sporting goods store, put a couple coats on, and the rain will bead and run off.
 
firing your smoker in a blizzard is actually very easy. so... smoking in sub zero weather is no problem. Especially if you are trying low and slow, since it helps to prevent temp spikes.

plus, seeing the lovely smoker out there chugging along with snow falling around it makes your heart proud...
 
Cold weather is not a problem for the WSM if there is not much wind. I've done a number of over night cooks during the winter. I think a chugging, smoking WSM smells even better on a cold winter morning.

Griff
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C. Main:

50 degrees and we would still be wearing shorts and t-shirts. I do most of my Q'ing at work during the day. Here's a shot of my WSM with six racks of BB ribs being done on a rather cool day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/contraptionist/WSM/WSMwinter.jpg </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Charlie,

What is the purpose of the rings on your WSM? Also, is the base some way of moving it?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Charlie,

What is the purpose of the rings on your WSM? Also, is the base some way of moving it?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I hope I'm not hijacking a thread!
Erik,

There is one ring mounted to the charcoal bowl. Let me explain. I use the WSM at work. At the end of the cook I bring the WSM inside the office for storage. Not wanting to leave it with hot coals I needed a way to dump the charcoal and ash into the wood stove located in the shop. So I mounted a ring on the bowl only for the convenience of having a handle. What may look like a ring on the mid section is actually two handles I made. Didn't much care for the garage door style handles so I came up with something different. I also have handles on the charcoal grate (thanks to a mod on this site). The ring and the two handles use the existing holes and hardware that came with the WSM.

The base? Yes, it has three casters and moves very easily. The legs of the WSM slide into short pieces of pipe that are welded to the base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/contraptionist/WSM/WSMfront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/contraptionist/WSM/WSMCharcoalgrate.jpg
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C. Main:

I hope I'm not hijacking a thread!
Erik,

There is one ring mounted to the charcoal bowl. Let me explain. I use the WSM at work. At the end of the cook I bring the WSM inside the office for storage. Not wanting to leave it with hot coals I needed a way to dump the charcoal and ash into the wood stove located in the shop. So I mounted a ring on the bowl only for the convenience of having a handle. What may look like a ring on the mid section is actually two handles I made. Didn't much care for the garage door style handles so I came up with something different. I also have handles on the charcoal grate (thanks to a mod on this site). The ring and the two handles use the existing holes and hardware that came with the WSM.

The base? Yes, it has three casters and moves very easily. The legs of the WSM slide into short pieces of pipe that are welded to the base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/contraptionist/WSM/WSMfront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/contraptionist/WSM/WSMCharcoalgrate.jpg </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow, that's pretty ingenious. I especially like the handles on the charcoal bowl. I just love the mods people come up with.
 
I actually find smoking in cool weather - even down around freezing - is much easier than in the heat of the summer sun. I pull mine under my patio umbrella if it's raining or snowing and it works just fine.
 
I prefer to do most of my smoking from Fall to Spring. It's just that much easier to control temps IMHO. Plus there's not as much to do, so I fire up the foodsaver and fill the frig.
 
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