How does cold weather effect the WSM?


 
J

Jim Perry

TVWBB Member
Well it has been two weeks since my last smoke and I am needing a fix. I just read the Blizzard Pork post and it appeared that the cold weather and snow had very little effect on the smoker. I have a corner where a wooden fence connects to the garage so I could easily make a wind break if needed, but it sounds like I really don't even need to do that. The forecast here for this weekend is highs in the 30f and lows in the 20f.

Am I comprehending this correctly or is there something I need to know?

Thanks everyone.
 
I smoked some country style ribs about 2 weeks ago and the smoker did real good. Temp was hovering at 5 degrees above 0 when I started and 25 degrees when I finished. No problem with the cold or the wind. I just closed the vent that was facing the wind. The WSM is the best smoker for cold weather I've had. Found that you have to keep the coals stoked up a little more than usual. No bid deal.
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As far as single-walled smokers go, since the wsm is a verticle smoker, it's incredibly efficient.

The wind is more of a nuisance than the cold, and I'd use a windbreak of some sort. I have a drum that I cut the bottom and top out of and cut in two. It works pretty good, with a couple of cheap garage door handles bolted on, and if it's really bad I use duct tape for where the two sides match up.

My main problem with the cold is cooking high heat. I was surprised last night how much lit lump it took to get over 325, even with the door cracked. I started off with one chimney and added about 2/3rds of another after I saw it wasn't going to exceed 300.

I was cooking two split chickens on the top grate, so I gave in toward the end of the cook and took the pan out altogether to finish directly over the coals. Supper was a little late, but the yardbirds sure were good. No glazing or sauce required! Just salted for a couple of hours, rinsed, dried, buttered, and lightly seasoned with my KC style rub, smoked w/ apple and lump. Maybe the fact that some of the unlit was leftover briquettes kept the temp from climbing as high as I wanted.
 
yeah, as Steve and Dave said, cold really has no effect whatsoever during my extreme cold cooks.
And as everyone knows, high winds kill cooks.
I've fired-up my WSM last winter when the temps were Minus 8 below zero F and experienced no problems during a 14 hour cook...
This cook I did last Sunday in winds gusting at 45 MPH and temps at cook time at 15-20'F.
Jim, it should be absolutely no sweat cookin' in the temps forecasted for your neighborhood this weekend.
Good luck!
 
Agree with all above.

Just don't scrimp on the fuel - load it up.


If it's of a concern, wind breaks are easy enough to build and they certainly don't hurt. There are lots of good ideas in the Modifications section.
 
I smoked last weekend in the wind and cold. I did set up a trap for a wind break and it made it easier to maintain the temperature in the desired range. A little extra fuel helps also. Main thing is to just keep smoking despite the weather.

Mike
 
Have not had a chance to try wsm in cold weather. Still in the 80s here in south tx. I guess when we do get in the 40s for 24 hrs i will try it if we get in the 40s no guarantee.
 
Only real things to keep in consideration are you will use more fuel in colder weather, leave the water pan dry, and start with more lit charcoal when you start your minion. Also a windbreak is really handy if you have one.
 
i usually use sand in the pan instead of water when cooking ribs (in the 235 degree range). are you saying to leave the pan dry for high temp (300 plus degree) cooks or for low and slow as well?
 
Originally posted by Bill S (billgator):
i usually use sand in the pan instead of water when cooking ribs (in the 235 degree range). are you saying to leave the pan dry for high temp (300 plus degree) cooks or for low and slow as well?
Click to expand...

I believe the water acts as a heat sink, helping you keep the temps down. I have done high heat cooks with a dry pan; it definitely allows you to rise the temps where they need to be.
 
Cold, windy weather lowers the max temp I can get out of high heat smokes. I usually can hit 375+ on the dome for hh. However, this last chuck I did, it was windy and cold, and it would not get much higher than 325. Sure, it held in that range, but it was noticeably colder. This was all with around the same amount of fuel, and the door propped at about the same location.
 
a welding blanket from Harbor Freight (or your store of choice) does wonders for cold weather cooking, easy to store as well. Just wrap it around your WSM and secure it with clothes pins. Use a lot less fuel and really helps maintain steady temps in the wind. They will run you about $20 or so and you'll have it for years.
 
My wife and friends talked me out of smoking last weekend because the temps were in the teens...I was grumpy all the next day. Should have smoked regardless!
 
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