cold weather cookin


 
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Hello all,

I live in Colorado and lately it's been around 50 degrees during the daytime. My problem is getting my WSM up to temperature with water in the pan. I fire up a full chimney of Kingsford until all briquets are glowing white. I dump the lit chimney and add 1/2 chimney of unlit briquets. I then add about 4-5 cups of tap water as hot as it comes out of the faucet and assemble the smoker.
I wait about 1/2 hour or longer with all the vents wide open waiting for it to heat up...and this is where i get the problem; it rarely if ever gets beyond 275. Eventually I have to add the meat anyway, and of course this brings the temp down considerably, usually to about 225-230. My target temp is 250, and since all the vents are open throughout this process I don't have anything to adjust. Eventually I'll start losing even the 225-230 temp and I have to open the door and bump the coals around to get a 'burst' of heat.
To compensate for the lower temp I've added to my cooking times, but lately I've been using the foilless waterless pan idea and have been able to achieve satisfactory cooking temps for extended temperatures. The product is very tasty every time, but despite basting at every opportunity even injected meat comes out much too dry.
Do I just need to wait til spring/summer when the temps are higher before I can use my water pan?

thanks!
craig
 
sorry- a quick correction:

it's a foiled waterless pan i'm using, not a foilless pan (is that even a word?
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Hi Craig!!

The weather isn't your problem as I have cooked in below zero weather many times.

It sounds like you simply don't have enough charcoal. 1 1/2 chimney's will burn down quickly and keep in mind, the WSM is a big unit to get warmed up.

I suggest you use the Minion method...load the ring with UNLIT briqs, light your chimney full and spread over the unlit ones. 2 weeks ago it was 20? here and it took only 20 minutes for the smoker to hit 250?.

Another question....does the WSM get SOME airflow? There are times where I look for a slightly windy place. Just to keep the airflow going through the smoker.

Also, many of us cook at 225? all the time for every meat except maybe chicken. Just add a little time to your schedule.

I still believe these units need the water pan. Although in below zero conditions, I have left empty as well. But, overall, they are designed for the water pan to be used. I believe it is one reason your meat seems to be so dry.

Without the water pan, you are cooking over DIRECT heat.

Anyway Craig...I hope this helps you out some! I'm sure others will chime in!

Good Luck to you!!

Stogie
 
Thanks for the prompt replies, folks, I love being able to get such high calibre opinions on such short notice!

Kevin, when you suggest loading a ring full of charcoal and then "light your chimney full and spread over the unlit ones", do you mean a full chimney or 15-20 briquettes like the minion method on this web site says? I'm just curious if you're adjusting to compensate for the somewhat low temps here in Colorado.

To answer your quesion about wind, I can definitely say it's getting enough...I've actually had to construct makeshift windblockers to shield the WSM from the gusts! It's one of a number of factors that I think is contributing to my trouble in getting up to temp with water in the pan.

I'm confident this advice will help and
I'm very much looking forward to trying out your suggestions this weekend!

craig
 
What stogie & jim have forgotten about smokin' is far more than ive ever learned,but i do know something about insulation.

I cooked babybacks monday on 18 brickets & one chunk of wood. it was around 35*,with water in pan,i had trouble keeping it below 250*

My method is to wrap my smoker in kao-wool blanket,a spun ceramic used to line various combustion chambers.
i suspect a water heater covers would work,but i know kao-wool is rated to 3500+*,not sure about w/h covers.

a little pricy,but think of the savings on lump/briketts over the long run.

still smokin'
 
When I first explained what I was doing it was in the middle of the summer so 12 to 15 pieces was plenty. When the weathers colder and the wind is blowing adjust to get where you need to be. The idea remains the same, fill the fire ring with unlit charcoal and use enough burning coals to do the job.
I always use water unless I'm doing something like cheese.
Wind break is the key in cold weather, if the winds not blowing I start with more charcoal but it will give a nice long burn, but let the wind blow and you will find that temp control is more work. A good wind break makes things much easier.
Most of the time cooking over 275? is not desirable because it burns the sugar in the rub, poultry is really the only time I shoot for the higher pit temps.
Theo if you send me enough kao-wool to do 3 WSMs i promise I'll send you everything I know about Q'n.. :>
Jim
 
Hi Craig!!

I do exactly what Jim said!

My summer procedure is to lite 12-15 briqs, when they are ready, I put them AND the meat in at the same time.

In the winter I will lite somewhere between 1/2 to a full chimney and let the unit come to temp and then put the meat in.

Hope this helps Craig!! It really is like everything else in life...practice!!

Stogie
 
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