Bad decision?

mbowker641 · Nov 4, 2006

The weather around here has been crappy on the weekends, but the forecast for today looked ok, so I decided to clean out the freezer.

Fired up the smoker at 7 am, the temp outside was 27 degrees and it took an hour to get up to 210. I put on 3 racks of babybacks, two butts and 4 fatties. The problem is I can barely keep the temp at 200. Whenever I add wood/charcoal to the firebox, the temp drops to about 170 and by the time it gets back up over 200, I have to add more wood.

I've never done this in the cold before, so is this the typical experience?, Should I be loading the chimney and adding preburning coals? Is the meat gonna turn out wierd because the temps varied so much?

Jeff_in_KC · Nov 4, 2006

Anything you can insulate your smoker with? I think I'd add what would normally be too much wood because it appears it won't be too high for too long anyway. Preheat the wood on your smoker so it ignites faster too.

I wouldn't worry about the meat turning "weird" because of varied temps. Ideally you won't have that but I've also heard of cookers in contests practically allowing fires to go out, waking up and firing them back up and getting calls at the awards ceremony.

Cooking in cold weather is definitely a different animal and takes time to basically re-learn your cooker and how it performs in those kinds of conditions.

swamprb · Nov 4, 2006

I stopped and got 4 chickens to do and their calling for high winds today! That usually means I'll lose power and be smokin' in the dark.

Solidkick · Nov 4, 2006

If you can get 3-4 hours of smoke in the meat, then let your oven be your friend...just wrap in foil and finish. You'll be OK....

mbowker641 · Nov 4, 2006

Solidkick said:
If you can get 3-4 hours of smoke in the meat, then let your oven be your friend...just wrap in foil and finish. You'll be OK....

I was sort of planning on finishing the butts in the oven. It has warmed up outside a bit and the temp is leveling off at about 210. I think it'll be OK.

Thanks for the quick responses.

Ron_L · Nov 4, 2006

Sounds like you're doing OK now, but adding lit coals will help to bring the temp up short term. I'm not sure what type of cooker you are using, but if you can insulate it or block the wind, that would help, too.

jgh1204 · Nov 4, 2006

It is cold today here as well. Should only hit 81.

Jorge · Nov 4, 2006

On a day like that it is handy to have some lump around.

mbowker641 · Nov 4, 2006

Update- Just took the fatties off and the ribs are almost done too. The probe in the butts says 170, but that seems kinda quick. I'll have to move the probe to be sure.

These are the first fatties I've done and the preliminary results are that I see a long term relationship forming.

jpw23 · Nov 4, 2006

Fatties are the best!!!! Experiment with rubs, coatings, anything......can't screw up a fattie!

Ron_L · Nov 4, 2006

jgh1204 said:
It is cold today here as well. Should only hit 81.

Farker

:-D :-D :-D

ushi · Nov 6, 2006

I had similar problems on a windy day a few weeks ago. To make matters worse, it was my second smoke ever. I was going nuts cause I was running through tons of charcoal, and my smoker was not terribly warm. I was letting meats get their smoke in and then foiling and throwing them up real close to my firebox to get done. The brisket however was scaring me. After 10 hours of smoking, it was totally not done. However by this time I was completely smashed, so I said screw it, foiled, threw it closer to the heat, and passed out.

I woke up in the morning with a bit of a hangover, at around 11am, slightly perplexed. I then realized I left the brisket in. I was expecting a a giant chewy brick of beef. brisket was still warm, I still had hope. let it rest for a bit and took a slice. PERFECT.

moral of the story, if the smoker is giving you trouble, get wasted and pass out. everything will turn out JUST fine in the morning.

Bevo · Nov 6, 2006

MBOWKER, man you have to move!!!!! 27 what does that even feel like?

tjus77 · Nov 6, 2006

Yeah, up and down fire is no problem, when I worked in BBQ resturant our overnight fire would die about 4am or so, we would come in at 7am and restoke the fire and take things off by 11 or 12.

BrooklynQ · Nov 6, 2006

ushi said:
if the smoker is giving you trouble, get wasted and pass out. everything will turn out JUST fine in the morning.

Sounds like Willie B's method at competitions!

mbowker641 · Nov 6, 2006

Bevo said:
MBOWKER, man you have to move!!!!! 27 what does that even feel like?

I look at it this way, when it's cold, I can keep putting clothes on. When it's hot, there's only so much I can take off before it starts to get real ugly!

QansasjayhawQ · Nov 7, 2006

ushi said:
[SNIP] let it rest for a bit and took a slice. PERFECT.

moral of the story, if the smoker is giving you trouble, get wasted and pass out. everything will turn out JUST fine in the morning.

I am also an adherent to this method. :grin: However, it may only be Second Smoke Mojo (SSM) . . . on my second smoke, I put the last rack of ribs in after about 19 hours non-stop smokin' - at about 1:30AM . . . and passed out.

Got up several hours later, the firebox was not totally cold and the ribs . . . were the best I've ever tasted. Perfectly done and just as beautiful as can be.

Bad decision?

mbowker641

Full Fledged Farker

Jeff_in_KC

somebody shut me the fark up.

swamprb

somebody shut me the fark up.

Solidkick

somebody shut me the fark up.

mbowker641

Full Fledged Farker

Ron_L

Administrator

jgh1204

Babbling Farker

Jorge

somebody shut me the fark up.

mbowker641

Full Fledged Farker

jpw23

Babbling Farker

Ron_L

Administrator

ushi

Knows what a fatty is.

Bevo

Guest

tjus77

is Blowin Smoke!

BrooklynQ

Guest

mbowker641

Full Fledged Farker

QansasjayhawQ

is Blowin Smoke!

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