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UDS in the cold

ipls3355

ipls3355

is one Smokin' Farker
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I know we've been here before, but I'm having trouble keeping my UDS to temp. Its 7 degrees here. I'm thinking my problem is something other than the temperature, but either way, the pork but is getting wrapped and finished in the oven.

other possible problems
- thermo is shot. I've abused this thing, its not the best quality to begin with.
- moisture in charcoal. Half the basket was left over from the last cook. I sealed the cooker up afterward, but it sat in the rain for a couple hours while it cooled off.

Whatever the problem is, its putting a kink in my New Years Day plans.
 
ipls3355 said:
I know we've been here before, but I'm having trouble keeping my UDS to temp. Its 7 degrees here. I'm thinking my problem is something other than the temperature, but either way, the pork but is getting wrapped and finished in the oven.

other possible problems
- thermo is shot. I've abused this thing, its not the best quality to begin with.
- moisture in charcoal. Half the basket was left over from the last cook. I sealed the cooker up afterward, but it sat in the rain for a couple hours while it cooled off.

Whatever the problem is, its putting a kink in my New Years Day plans.
Click to expand...

I would guess the first two - bad thermo or moisture in charcoal. My charcoal basket is an 18" grate with a 6" expanded metal sides and I always fill it all the way up and just relight the unlit for the next cook and have never had any problems with it.
 
Yup sounds like you answered your own question. I always bag my leftover coals if I decide to even reuse them.
 
I had the same prob a week ago. The thermometer was showing a lot lower than grate temp due to cold outside temps.
 
My drum is chugging at 225* right now with ambient air temps of 18* and wind chill of 3*

I've got about a full chimney of left over unlit coals topped with a Sweet Cherry partially burned log and two splits of Hickory topped with 1/2 chimney of unllit K and a 1/2 chimney of lit K. The drum is partially out of the wind.
 
I have some ribs on now and it is 28 degrees here.

Ribs2.JPG
 
Bbq Bubba said:
Its not the cold weather for sure.
Click to expand...


Hmmm....from my little experience that I have the cold weather does matter,I have to put twice as much in the chimney to get my temps up right in the winter.
For a low and slow cook I have to put more coals in the basket also.
Since I was aware of it was no problem getting the UDS up to temp.
 
Must be the cook! :)
Phubar said:
Hmmm....from my little experience that I have the cold weather does matter,I have to put twice as much in the chimney to get my temps up right in the winter.
For a low and slow cook I have to put more coals in the basket also.
Since I was aware of it was no problem getting the UDS up to temp.
Click to expand...
 
Big brother I bag them (plastic bag) and then store them back in the UDS which is outside. No problems so far.
 
IMG_1366.jpg


Might be the thermo then, I close the inlet when done smoking and let the lump choke off. Next time I add a lit chimney and off I go. I have been at it 7 hours today. When I started it was below zero now it is +2°F outside. The only time I have trouble is if there are high winds.
 
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