A smoker in a windy and cold season might have difficulty in combating heat loss. Especially in some states of the US and UK where the weather is in negative degree Celsius. To have a BBQ that is not ruined with this issue, I have compiled this article for your assistance. I will be explaining to you the precautionary steps that you can take so that you can prevent this from happening. In a strong winter season, it is very challenging to keep a smoker warm. To do so, you will need to be very careful while setting up and using the smoker.
Heat a smoker is in self a demanding task. Once the heat is settled in it is very important to insulate the smoker so that the heat loss can be avoided. Below are some of the essential tips and tricks for this very purpose:
- Using an insulation jacket can come in pretty handy while trying to protect a smoker from heat loss. These can easily be purchased from the manufacturer of the relevant smoker. The jackets can also be bought from nearby stores. It is preferred to buy from the same company that you bought the smoker from. The jacket from the smoker’s manufacturing company will fit better to the smoker. There are aluminum fabrics inside the jacket that provides protection against heat loss and keeps your smoker warm.
- Build plywood with heavy-duty hinges wrapped in flexible insulation sheets. This will provide the most protection from the cold and snowy weather. Make sure such a way that the weight of plywood protects against strong winds and size can be adjusted due to the hinges. Plywood will serve as a long term option if it made of good material. In this way, it can come in handy for the next time also.
- A cement board.Before applying this remedy make sure that you do not have any wood-burning inside the firebox. the cement board will cover the firebox. It will provide additional insulation aside from a jacket or a blanket.
- Using an insulation blanket. The design of the insulation blanket works pretty well when it comes to protecting the smoker from heat loss. A thick interior of the aluminum coated layer gives the smoker a well-needed shade. The aluminum keeps the smoker warm and the blanket as a whole covers I from the strong winds.
- Using a welding blanket. You can also check inside your home. You might find a welding blanket. The welding blanket was essentially used by construction workers to protect them from sparks. It can also act as an insulator and protects the heat from escaping from the smoker. There is one thing that should be kept in mind. It is that the welding blanket should not touch the firebox.
- Find an appropriate spot in your backyard. Sometimes there are certain spots in the garden or the backyard where there is less than usual strong wind impact. Try to set up the smoker somewhere where the strong winds do not come in contact with it. In this way, there may be some additional resistance provided to keep the smoker insulated.
- Keep the lid closed. While smoking meat in winter, keeping the lid open is never a wiser choice. Whatever the stage of smoking maybe always keep the lid closed. Keeping the lid open even for a small instance can result in a very large amount of heat loss. This might put your smoking experience into vain.
In addition to the tips described above there are some additional tips for smoking in winter:
- Stock up on fuel.If you are planning on BBQ’ing in winter. You are most likely to burn quite a hefty amount of fuel. Therefore make sure that you have already stocked up on enough fuel for smoking meat.
- Choose by choosing meat. Follow such recipes that will take less time in cooking. This will keep the insulation of smoker better and there will be lesser chances of any mishap. In addition to this try to buy the portion of meat that is smaller in size and will cook relatively fast. This is also one of the tips that will help you in better insulation of meat in winter
- Charcoal can be handy. A full basket of charcoal gives heating of about 5-10 hours. Using the charcoal through a chimney oriented way can also be viable. Just make sure to take precautionary measures.
- Know the temperature inside and outside of your smoker. In comparison to snowy day, on a warm sunny day, the temperature of your smoker might be around 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. If your target temperature, for instance, is 250 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you will essentially only be required to raise the temperature by 150 degrees F. Moreover, in comparison to this on a cold winter day, the temperature inside your smoker might only be around 40F. This means that you will require around 210-degree Fahrenheit more heat. This is why it is necessary to make sure about the temperature of your smoker.
- In the case of rain. It is very problematic to smoke in heavy rain in the cold winter. Water comes in contact with the smoker, evaporates and essentially there is a significant heat loss. There you will be required to open the vents to recompensate the heat loss. Make sure to keep a closer eye on the internal temperature of the smoker.
Keeping a smoker insulated in the chilly winter season is very confronting due to the forceful winds. Therefore, you need to analyze the situation in depth before choosing and setting up your smoker. One of the remedies from the article above can be used to insulate the smoker. Some of these remedies can easily be accessed and are within your range. Try to apply the simple solution first. Hopefully, it will work for you. If you have any further queries regarding the topic of the article or regarding smoker. I am here to assist you. Happy BBQ’ing!!
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