Winter smoking ina UDS

S

swallytrip

Guest
I just finished my UDS here a week ago or so and have been hooked on smiking in it. My question is that I live in michigan and its getting cold does the winter weather effect the consistiency with these smokers? Mine seems runs about perfect to me with my newbie standards. first smoke on a windy day with blockers around the drum and it ran at 250 for about 11 hours. I want to smoke some stuff in it still but dont want to waste time or meat for that matter.
 
Since I live in SW Florida, I've never tried smoking in the kind of cold weather you experience, but I have cooked on cold, blustery days. I would think that it is the internal temp of the smoker that counts. IF it stays at your target temp then it should smoke about the same. I suppose you might have to adjust the time a bit, but I'm not sure. All I really know is that if the temp probe says 250 inside the drum, then it should be 250, no matter what temperature it is outside.
 
Works fine in WI. Needs more fuel than summer and temps need to be watched a little closer. Nothing better than a smoked turkey this Thanksgiving and a Packer win over the Lions. :). Plan doing that in the UDS. New Years I am planning on using it for a party too. Good luck!
 
Ten below and wind blowing snow sideways, one cook. Just opened it up a bit more....
 
Not a waste of time at all. I don't know if my winters in central IN are as cold and harsh as yours where you are, but I've smoked all throughout the winter since I got into this. My drum rolls along just fine. The only difference is that I need to keep the intakes open more than I would have to in warmer weather, but once it's dialed in.....it's just fine.

SMOKE ON!!!!:thumb:
 
I also live in Michigan and create a wind block out of an old refrigerator box (taller I found is better) on a colder day, open the vents a little more and let the neighborhood wonder what I am doing. Once they get the smell, they know tis me again :grin: :grin:
 
Cool I was hoping it was gonna work about the same. If it works in muskegon then it will work in sh_t creek... AKA battle creek. I had to use a similar wind blocker when I did my first somke in it the other day but i just parked it in my shed shut the doors half way and let it go. Wind was blowing right at it and temp spiked but I put a block in front of it and it came right back down and stayed. Thanks guys
 
I am in Michigan as well and have had several successful cooks during the winter with my UDS. I always find that wind is worse than cold, so if you have that under control it will be fine.
 
I wrapped a couple of harbor freight moving blankets around mine and it was good in sub zero weather.
 
I use mine all winter long in Minnesota. It just take a little a longer to come up too temp, and will use a little more fuel.

--eric
 
Living in the igloo here in Canada, I was wondering the same thing. There are times were it greats REAL cold. -35c. But there are times where it warms up above zero (yay for Chinooks). I've grilled in the -20's and hoping that smoking is an option as well. Just need to shovel a clear path to the smoker while shoveling a path to the grill.

May require a wind break to keep the cold wind at bay!
 
No problems here in the Cornpatch winters either. :thumb:
 
Hmmmm...very timely...I've done ribs, pulled pork (twice) and a fatty on my semi finished uds....

The wind was howling when I did ribs and with a small wind break over one of the intakes I was amazed at how easy and steady temps held with only a few coooks under my belt. I was thinking either more fuel or insulating drum would overcome cold outside temp issue this winter . Moving contracter next to my work owes me a coupla favs so I see some moving blankets adding to the "uglyness"

rob
 
This thread is good news - I'm planning on making a UDS, but was going to put it off until the spring.
 
I'm in Michigan, and for opening day of deer rifle season I always do brisket for the guys on my UDS at our property up near Gaylord. It's been cold but not super cold when I do it, and it always goes great. Just a big more fuel, have to monitor it a little closer and takes a bit longer to get up to temp, but at the same time, it's easier to level it off at 250 without going over much at the start. Have no fear running a uds in cold weather, clear the snow around it and smoke some chit!
 
Winter time, is cold smoking time in the uds. Get some fish and rig it up for some cold smoke. You wont regret it.
 
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