Where do you smoke?


 
D

Drew Baker

New member
Picking up my WSM today. Can't decide where it should reside: back porch or garage. When you smoke (for instance an overnight butt), do you always smoke outside? Am I wrong to think its a fire safety issue to smoke it overnight in the garage?

For that reason, I'm thinking it will have to go on the back deck, even though that isn't as convenient. Thoughts?
 
99% of the time right outside my garage door. I keep my webys in my garage(unattached) and if it's rainin or knarly outside I'll set-up rite inside the 16' Open door. I have a side window W/ a great ceiling mounted fan that gives good cross ventilation and forces the smoke and fumes out the door.
I wouldn't do an overnite or unattended one in a garage tho!

Tim
 
A few years ago we tore down our wooded deck and built a screened in patio with steps leading into the kitchen. The concrete on one side of the patio extends about 2.5' beyond the screened-in portion. The roof overhangs a foot or so of this. My kettles and WSM are stored on that side of the patio/porch.

I normally cook on my kettles at the same placed they're stored. I normally move my WSM into the yard on a long oil drain pan to cook. However, if its raining or I'm cooking over night, I bring the WSM into the screened in portion. The porch is pretty large and there nothing on it except metal and glass table and chairs. Not worried about fire, but wouldn't want to cook inside the porch very often because of smoke. Haven't noticed any but don't want to push it.

I almost burned a wooden deck several years ago. My grill had rusted through a bit (non-Weber) and a couple of coals fell through. My SIL noticed smoke while we were eating and asked what I had on the grill. Went outside and there were a couple of holes burned through, one about the size of a softball. That could have been a disaster.
 
Smoke in and of its self is not the main reason you would not want to smoke inside a garage with the door closed. Remember if this is a fuel burning smoker (not electric) it will deplete O2 and give off CO2. And as it has already been mention. Always a far chance of creating a fire in the structure.
 
Drew -
I put down a small flagstone pad in the shade just off our patio. Smoker is close to all "important" things - picnic table, garage, water, gasser, kitchen.
 
I too have an unattatched garage and usually just set up in front of the door though I have been tempted to do it inside the garage in front of one of the windows with and exhaust fan and 2 floor fans running so I wouldn't have to leave the door open if doing an all nighter or if it rained. I've also been wanting to put it on the screened porch but my wife thinks it'll leave a stain on the ceiling even though there is a big ceiling fan up there,12' ceiling.
 
All my stuff is on my deck and I do all my cooking there, even overnights. Heaven to me is relaxing on the deck with food in the smoker and a beer in my hand. Relaxing with a beer in the garage just doesn't seem right.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lew:Heaven to me is relaxing on the deck with food in the smoker and a beer in my hand. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>In my case, it's on my pavers, but we have the BBQ and beer part in common
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My house is "L" shaped. I have a canopy in the courtyard with my BBQ and grilling appliances under it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lew:
All my stuff is on my deck and I do all my cooking there, even overnights. Heaven to me is relaxing on the deck with food in the smoker and a beer in my hand. Relaxing with a beer in the garage just doesn't seem right. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Like Lew and Mr. Mann, BBQ and beer on the “designated area” are all part of it. Thanks to one of my sons, we have a 15’ X 16’ paver area in the back of the house. There is a garden with spices at the end. This was last night getting “prepared”. The growler had AleSmith IPA by the way.

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Like Tim my cookers are right outside the garage man door! They sleep right under the eve and the smoker gets moved out a bit for smokes...I used to be pretty anal about the WSM and after every cook it would get cleaned an stored in the garage! Not now...rarely use the cover, gets wiped down after cooks and that has been it...zero issues, no mold or rust.
Garage is set up with a large fridge to hold beer and whatever is getting cooked, works for me until the outdoor kitchen is built!
 
Sorry Lew, I didn't mean for it to sound like I sit in my garage or have any intention of sitting in my garage when I cook, I'm just afraid someone could come down the drive when I'm asleep and make off with everything because my bedroom is on the opposite end of the house and as for the back yard,well there really isn't much of that or at least anything level. I also like to sip on a cold one from time to tme and on the porch there is a nice fan to keep me cool when it gets to hot and a beer fridge just inside the door to the laundry roomthat lead onto the porch,if it gets to hot for the fan I take my reciever into the den and kick back in the recliner,watch some tube and watch the smoker through the sliding door that also leads out to on the porch.

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Am I the only one that has a bar and bars-stools inside a garage? LOL.
Anyhew, this is the fan I use
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It's adjustable. Pivots side/side or up/down. It's made for garages and cost about $125 when I bought it from Farm&Fleet 4yrs ago.

Tim
 
Back deck if the weather is good. Front porch if they are calling for rain.(its covered) I've converted my sons 8'x10' clubhouse into my charcoal and smoker storage, and use it to smoke in when it snows!!! Would have to say, the back deck with a radio and some beer is my favorite place though.
 
In Florida on an uncovered un-windblocked deck about 15 feet from my front porch. (I just compensate for wind/rain during cooks.) I have a Platinum and a WSM there.

In Nevada I have only a kettle thus far. It is on a cinderblock and tile table. There is a hole cut in so the kettle, legless, rests in the hole. No roof or cover. Blocked only by one wall.
 
Tim u are not!!!I spend most of my time either in the garage or on the back side of it outside with the iPod and a cool drink!
 
I have a stone patio just off the screened in porch. Warmer weather I'm out there. I leave them out there covered. Turn the WSM 18 mid section upside down and store the racks inside, all vents opened and covered. I get no water inside the unite that way and it breathes just fine.

I have a Performer out there as well.

During the winter I move them into the screened in porch. Make it easier to get to and the added protection from the elements is nice. More likely to use them year round that way.
 
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