High winds?


 
C

CJ Eichinger

TVWBB Member
So, I'm on track for getting the butt on at 9:30 PM tonight. It's 7 pounds (after trimming), so I'm assuming a 14 hour cook.

It's going to be windy here all night (20-24 mph), and the temperature is going to drop from 62 to 50 by 1AM, and is going down to 43 by 4AM (feels like 34!).

How concerned should I be with these high winds and low temps? I'm cooking 1 7lb'er, and I'll be lighting up using the Minion Method. There is a foiled clay saucer in the water pan (no water).

Also, is it OK if the bottom of the water pan touches lit coals and smoke wood? I filled the ring to the brim with some wood on top (and some buried), and the top of the wood is touching the bottom of the water pan - and that's without the lit coals that I'll use to start the fire.

Should I be concerned about that?

**edit** Forgot to mention, I'm using a DigiQ II, so only the top vent will be open.

Thanks!
 
Yes, eventhough you are using a DigiQ II wind could be a factor, especially with 20 to 30 mph winds or higher gust. Best thing to do is put a windblock up around the WSM or move it to a more sheltered location where it will be somewhat protected from the winds.

For days like this I have a BBQ Guru Silver Bullet jacket, and i use it on windy days when we are getting high winds off the Great Lakes.
 
Ugh - I was afraid of that, because I don't exactly have a windblock... Wife doesn't want it too close to the house, either!

Wow - it's so strange to have these winds tonight. It's unusual for us. Maybe I'll move it A LITTLE closer to the house.

There wouldn't be a problem if the smoker was right under my daughter's window (she's on the second floor), would there? Here windows are closed.

Thanks!
 
Wind is the enemy... cold can be conquered.

If you are getting similar winds to what we had today I wish you good luck. Try as best as you can to fashion some sort of wind break. Often I use my house on one side and a sheet of metal on another.. or an old door... just something to prevent the wind from suckin the life out of your smoker.

If you windows aren't well sealed you could get a hickory scented room, but nothing dangerous.
 
I agree with all above ... if you have nothing else, use your trash cans for a wind break!
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Before I built my wind break I used the patio/folding lawn chairs laying on there sides to make a break! Anything you can find will work.

Just make sure you have at least 12" of clearance for safety.
 
I put the smoker close to my garage. On one side is a cinderblock wall that comes up about 2 feet. Then I turned a table on its side and pushed it up close. Garbage cans on the other side.

Hopefully that will do it! The garage smells a bit like the beginnings of BBQ, but I guess that's to be expected!
 
OK, so here we are at 7:45 AM. The cooker is at 240, and the meat is at 168. I have a feeling that the cooker hovered around 240 all night. I woke up at around 3:45, and went out to check the status, and the meat was at 165 and the cooker was at 250.

I had the Guru set to 225, which it maintained from probably 9:45PM - 2:30AM, at which point I think it settled into around 2:50.

It was a cold and windy night. Why did the cooker INCREASE in temp, and is it going to drastically alter my cook times?

Any input you have is appreciated. Thank you!
 
I put a lawn umbrella on its side. Last night we had winds gusting to 80-90 Km, and a branch fell across our street pulling down our power. Really glad I wasn't trying to do an overnighter.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CJ Eichinger:
OK, so here we are at 7:45 AM. The cooker is at 240, and the meat is at 168. I have a feeling that the cooker hovered around 240 all night. I woke up at around 3:45, and went out to check the status, and the meat was at 165 and the cooker was at 250.

I had the Guru set to 225, which it maintained from probably 9:45PM - 2:30AM, at which point I think it settled into around 2:50.

It was a cold and windy night. Why did the cooker INCREASE in temp, and is it going to drastically alter my cook times?

Any input you have is appreciated. Thank you! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes it was windy last night. The wind was probably getting through some cracks, either around the closed vents or at the bottom of the smoker and fanning the fire, ever so slightly.

Since I think you are probably done by now, did it cook faster than you thought it would?
 
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