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Winter Grilling


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Some folks have posted their grilling extravaganzas here before.....

 

But do any of you in cold climates grill in the winter?  How?  Big Green Egg?  Insulation blanket on the Weber?  What?

 

I use a Weber Performer with propane ignition.  I do NOT want to go to a propane cooker.  Just looking for ideas on charcoal grills and how to maintain effective grilling temperatures when it's 30-ish outside.

 

Gracias.

 

LL

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I am by Repute .... Lazy.  Ergo ... Some Lustrum ago I totally gave up on Charcoal.  Switched to a nice Stainless Gas Grill.  I Grill year round.  Well, unless I'm on Safari.  I don't drag the Gas Grill on Safari.

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I have a bbq/smoker I bought from lowes, I will bbq/smoke all year round no mater the weather, and all I do is watch my Fire to make sure it is hot enough. Mater of fact I smoked a turkey for thanksgiving. I will not use a gas grill do not like them and beside charcoal  has a better taste to it

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I use an old Weber Kettle that is over 20 years old. Unless its raining or snowing I am out there. I use real hardwood charcoal not the bricks. To maintain heat I will pile the charcoal on one side of the grill and place whatever I am grilling directly over to sear it. I then move it to the indirect side and put the cover over the kettle. How long you cook it at this point depends on what you are grilling. It takes some experimentation to get it right. Hope this helps.

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I live just east of Reno Nevada loophole, it may not get as cold or snow here but it does get cold

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Here in the Central Valley we have freezing temps, too... mid- to upper twenties is not uncommon; I've had pipes burst.

 

I use a Weber kettle (also over 20 years old!) year 'round and have never had a problem... heck, it wasn't freezing, but on Thursday I cooked a 16 lb turkey in the thing in two hours.  Unless it's extremely cold I don't think you're going to have much problem.  Toss in a few extra briquettes, maybe, but that lid holds in a lot of heat.   

 

I'll report back after trying my smoker this winter.  :)

 

 

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Consistency is the hard part.  I use Cowboy Charcoal, and can produce a real hot fire (500 deg +) if wanted; but in cold weather, that drops off fast and unpredictably.

 Weber has a new grill out (Summit) with a double steel shell, insulated by the air layer between the two.  Although they are pushing it for smoking, I may look to see if it will help with cold weather grilling.

Saw a competitor at a Kingsford competition with a homemade blanket, made of some kinda of NASA space blanket, covering his grill and helping to retain heat on a chilly day; I'm looking for a fabric that will insulate and not catch on fire (and does not include fiberglass or asbestos).

 

LL 

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Loophole,

I lived in upstate NY (Rochester) for most of my life. I grilled in the winter time on everything from a small portable charcoal grill to a Weber kettle (my favorite). As noted in previous posts, blocking the wind is crucial. All I did was choose a location to grill that was out of the wind first. After that, I donned my Carhart with the quilted lining, along with my favorite wool/ felt hat and something liquid to keep me warm inside. If you use charcoal, put the first load from your chimney on the grate, and add about 1/3 more on top. Wait until it catches good, then you’re ready to roll. Dress warm as you have to really tend to the fire- can’t even leave to refresh your liquid libation. Have a chimney full of charcoal on standby in case the grill temp starts to drop off too quickly. One of those fancy heat/ fire resistant Kevlar gloves comes in handy if you need to do the grill-top shift. I’ve grilled many a steak, burger, chicken breast and wing this way with good results. Even did a couple of venison tenderloins in cold weather. 

The most difficult thing about grilling in cold weather is keeping the grill hot and you warm...

Enjoy!

WWB

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I generally use the hat in my pic and a pair of shorts.  I grill / smoke year round.  

 

  Shovel the snow out to the grill. Turn it's back to the wind and it's just like summer. I don't use gas. Hate the lack of flavor. 

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When I was stationed in northern North Dakota back in the '70s, I grilled when the temperatures was in the 20s F.  I used just plain old Kingsford's charcoal.  Didn't grill on real windy days, but on less windy days, good hot coals did the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

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The "Q" must go on! 

 

Maine winter doesn't slow me down any.  Currently the grill -a Charbroil charcoal grill (usta be called the Santa Fe)- is in the wood shed next to the house so protected from the wind yet plenty of ventilation. 

 

I even smoked a turkey for Christmas on my (then) GF's back porch in northern Maine, also protected from wind.  Used a remote temp reader to keep track of the cooker from inside.  Just popped out every now n then to pop a few more briquets in and back to the cozyness. 

 

The bird turned out perfect, btw.  Moist and flavorful, everyone commented it was the best they ever had.

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