Gale warning in effect...to smoke or not to smoke that is the question??

Wind advisory wind gusts to 56mph. Gale warning in effect (i'm just a few blocks off of Lake Michigan) and i'm thinking about smoking tonight. I've been meaning to make a wind screen but just havent gotton around to it yet.

Firing up the kettle now to doa couplle of prime sirloin steaks and then minion my way into the WSM but will I be able to control temps with winds like this.

It was a challenge in winter with winds from the NE but these are from the SW and I'm well sheltered to the west and the north and somewhat to the south by my neighbors house

Think I'm going to try it any thoughts from any high wind smokers????

I live on the Mighty Niagara River and the winds here during the colder months are bruttle, butt they are usually from the SW and my WSM is somewhat sheltered (and I can't get it lit when it's really bad). Anyway, we had a severe thunderstorm move through here late this morning and it came right off the river (65 - 75 mph winds) ~ WSM ended up on it's side. Glad I wasn't cooking anything . . . And she's just fine. The cover kept most of her together and there's no damage. Your choice butt be carefull.

I used to date Gale and i would suggest you take cover

It gets pretty breazy in Oklahoma. I put my WSM in a corner on the patio to get out of the wind. Then I only use the downwind vent, the other two are closed. If it's very windy you probably won't have to open that vent very much. Good luck.

Bob

I'm not worried about it getting enough breeze to blow over more worried about controlling temps.

I do it like you Bob, in a corner on my patio bordered by the house and the garage and I have it nestled in there...Just not too close!!

Well it was blowing like crazy last night but my little corner worked like a charm (so did my very temprature stable WSM) I'd hear a bad gust and look over and look at my Maverick ET-73 and see it purring at 235 or so. Woke up at 7:00 to 217 and checked the coals, decided it was time to refuel. (I know this isn't popular for the potential safety concerns but I love that temprature stability for hours on end and have never had a problem) I fired up a chimney and moved the shoulders to an adjacent weber kettle and dumped the 90% spent coals into my metal garbage can used exclusively for charcoal and refired the WSM all in about 20 minutes.


The wind advisory will come down around 10 or 11 when the front passes. I'm in the plateau right now and sitting pretty. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif