Weber Kettle Club Forums
Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: Tim in PA on November 12, 2012, 10:29:53 AM
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Any tips on using charcoal during the winter? I imagine it is harder keeping the inside hot with the temperature outside being much colder.
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i'm working on a blog post on this right now (for this site).
if anyone has tips, post them here and I'll also include them in the blog post.
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Wear a warm coat, hat & gloves!
Seriously though, I grill/smoke all year 'round. From what I have observed, wind is the biggest factor, it can sap the heat from your grill/smoker as well as drive the temps up via the vents. I grilled tonight, it was about 20 degreeswith a north wind coming in at 10 mph; which makes it about 15 degrees. I don't do anything different as far as coals go, but I place a wind break around my performer and the wind is no longer a factor.
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Wear a warm coat, hat & gloves!
Seriously though, I grill/smoke all year 'round. From what I have observed, wind is the biggest factor, it can sap the heat from your grill/smoker as well as drive the temps up via the vents. I grilled tonight, it was about 20 degreeswith a north wind coming in at 10 mph; which makes it about 15 degrees. I don't do anything different as far as coals go, but I place a wind break around my performer and the wind is no longer a factor.
I agree with Chad, being here from MN. Not much of a difference. I prefer cold to a hot, humid and a no wind day.
Greg
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I have no advice.. It rarely dips below the 40's here in Cali..
I agree though, wind chill is the worst thing that can zap the heat out of a cooker.
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Grilling in the winter (http://weberkettleclub.com/blog/2012/11/13/grilling-in-the-winter/)
i haven't had time to proof this or add an image, but I've been neglecting the site for far too long.
If you find problems, object to things, want to add things, please let me know!
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer ;D
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer ;D
LOL! No need for huggie, but a glove for the 12oz curl hand comes in handy.
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer
Just how cold does it get in Arizona, Like 80?
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer ;D
I noticed that the other night ;) Plus if the beer is not cool enough to your liking, you can always stick it in the snow bank ;D
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer ;D
LOL! No need for huggie, but a glove for the 12oz curl hand comes in handy.
"Curl hand" LOL isnt that the truth!
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When i grill in the winter i find that my beer stays colder longer
Just how cold does it get in Arizona, Like 80?
Brutal no? LOL
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I find the biggest challenge to maintaining heat is heavy rain. Cold temperature is nothing compared cold rain. Wind can be troublesome too but I usually find ways to block that. One way is with my gasser with the cover on. It extends nearly to the ground and can be positioned to block the wind.
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I find the biggest challenge to maintaining heat is heavy rain. Cold temperature is nothing compared cold rain. Wind can be troublesome too but I usually find ways to block that. One way is with my gasser with the cover on. It extends nearly to the ground and can be positioned to block the wind.
Hank I have used my cover as a wind block for my gasser I have never cooked in snow with my kettle will have to try it. With gasser it takes a little longer but you do not sweat in the winter, so far not bad aroud here only two snows and about 6 inches thus far, more coming. Not as bad as many parts of the country.
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Hank I have used my cover as a wind block for my gasser I have never cooked in snow with my kettle will have to try it. With gasser it takes a little longer but you do not sweat in the winter, so far not bad aroud here only two snows and about 6 inches thus far, more coming. Not as bad as many parts of the country.
Hi Easy,
I've cooked down to the teens but today it was in the low twenties. I had several things to prepare so I used my gasser to hold stuff that was finished and keep it warm while the rest of it finished. Then it all came in at the same time (on cast iron to keep it warm.)
No snow to speak of just west of Chicago but we'll get some some day. ;)
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it was zero today...BRRRRRRR! But I smoked anyway. There was a decent breeze so I used my windscreen made of 4 2'x4' 1/2" plywood and held together with hinges so I can fold it up. it isn't anything fancy, but it works great for my WSM, Performer, and Gasser....not all at once though ;) No pics today, but here's a couple of shots of it from warmer times.
(http://chadea.com/windscreen1.jpg)
(http://chadea.com/windscreen2.jpg)
(http://chadea.com/windscreen3.jpg)
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Now that's just nifty :o
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... I used my windscreen made of 4 2'x4' 1/2" plywood and held together with hinges so I can fold it up.
Does that stay put in heavy wind or do you need to do anything to hold it down?
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... I used my windscreen made of 4 2'x4' 1/2" plywood and held together with hinges so I can fold it up.
Does that stay put in heavy wind or do you need to do anything to hold it down?
Slight to breezy winds havn't been a problem, gust and moderate winds can be though. So I was using the gold hooks on the top as temporary hold downs. I soon switched to four eye bolts through each side, much sturdier and fate wasn't being tempted. I also swabbed it down with some Thompson Water Sealer so it would do better when it's wetter. I plan on adding feet to it eventually so it doesn't sit in water and ruin the bottom.
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... I used my windscreen made of 4 2'x4' 1/2" plywood and held together with hinges so I can fold it up.
Does that stay put in heavy wind or do you need to do anything to hold it down?
Slight to breezy winds havn't been a problem, gust and moderate winds can be though. So I was using the gold hooks on the top as temporary hold downs. I soon switched to four eye bolts through each side, much sturdier and fate wasn't being tempted. I also swabbed it down with some Thompson Water Sealer so it would do better when it's wetter. I plan on adding feet to it eventually so it doesn't sit in water and ruin the bottom.
Maybe get some strip metal & bend to make the feet match WSM ?
Good build on the wind screen !!!
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... I used my windscreen made of 4 2'x4' 1/2" plywood and held together with hinges so I can fold it up.
Does that stay put in heavy wind or do you need to do anything to hold it down?
Slight to breezy winds havn't been a problem, gust and moderate winds can be though. So I was using the gold hooks on the top as temporary hold downs. I soon switched to four eye bolts through each side, much sturdier and fate wasn't being tempted. I also swabbed it down with some Thompson Water Sealer so it would do better when it's wetter. I plan on adding feet to it eventually so it doesn't sit in water and ruin the bottom.
Maybe get some strip metal & bend to make the feet match WSM ?
Good build on the wind screen !!!
That's not a bad idea. I found some metal bracket glides with adjustable plastic feet, but I only have four and I cannot find them anywhere else. So the strip metal/aluminum might be the better idea.
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Maybe make the footing with a flat part ( 6~ 8 inches?) to sit on the ground, then a 45 degree bend back on each side, then bend straight up on either side of the wood, drill thru & bolt.....
Not just a small pointy area sitting on the ground like the WSM, think it would be a whole lot more stable?
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(http://chadea.com/windscreen3.jpg)
Chad can you give me the specifics of what I would need to build that? Like how to ask for that type of board/wood by name and all the little do-hickeys I would need. :P :P :P
I am guessing this could be made with regular home tools? Just regular little home drill and tools like that?
Excuse my ignorance...... :-\ :-\ :-\
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Chad can you give me the specifics of what I would need to build that? Like how to ask for that type of board/wood by name and all the little do-hickeys I would need. :P :P :P
I am guessing this could be made with regular home tools? Just regular little home drill and tools like that?
Excuse my ignorance...... :-\ :-\ :-\
Jumping in for Chad ...
He used 1/2" plywood - probably exterior grade. That comes with either one side nice or both sides nice at different costs of course. He sealed with Thompson's preservative. Another alternative would be to use pressure treated plywood and then there is no need to seal. I can see that he used ordinary strap hinges which would be my choice if (when?) I make something like that. Then just get whatever handles or fasteners you want to use to make it convenient. (I see some sort of chain clasp that Chad can identify.)
The biggest issue tool-wise is cutting the plywood. I find it difficult to get a really straight cut with a hand saw. I think some home repair stores have saws that can cut sheets of plywood. I would look for a store that has that and ask them to cut it. Even if they charge extra (one cut free?) it's probably worth it.
Were I making it, I would add a couple small pieces hinged to the bottom that would fold out flat on the ground big enough to hold a couple concrete blocks. Or maybe attach a hook that could tie down to a concrete block. I'd really hate to have this blow over in heavy wind and that's the time I would most likely be using it.
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Chad can you give me the specifics of what I would need to build that? Like how to ask for that type of board/wood by name and all the little do-hickeys I would need. :P :P :P
I am guessing this could be made with regular home tools? Just regular little home drill and tools like that?
Excuse my ignorance...... :-\ :-\ :-\
Jumping in for Chad ...
He used 1/2" plywood - probably exterior grade. That comes with either one side nice or both sides nice at different costs of course. He sealed with Thompson's preservative. Another alternative would be to use pressure treated plywood and then there is no need to seal. I can see that he used ordinary strap hinges which would be my choice if (when?) I make something like that. Then just get whatever handles or fasteners you want to use to make it convenient. (I see some sort of chain clasp that Chad can identify.)
The biggest issue tool-wise is cutting the plywood. I find it difficult to get a really straight cut with a hand saw. I think some home repair stores have saws that can cut sheets of plywood. I would look for a store that has that and ask them to cut it. Even if they charge extra (one cut free?) it's probably worth it.
Were I making it, I would add a couple small pieces hinged to the bottom that would fold out flat on the ground big enough to hold a couple concrete blocks. Or maybe attach a hook that could tie down to a concrete block. I'd really hate to have this blow over in heavy wind and that's the time I would most likely be using it.
Thanks Hank! Correct on pretty much everything. I used outdoor grade 1/2" plywood partly because it was cheaper than the pressure treated stuff. But also the outdoor grade was already cut to 2'x4' sizes, a BIG plus as far as I was concerned. I didn't want get into having to cut a 4'x8' section into 4 2'x4' sections... too lazy I guess. I picked these up at Home Depot. The chain you see is actually a door chain I had laying around in the garage. This helps keep the wind break closed when surrounding my wsm.
I don't have them, but some handles would be nice to help move it, it is a little heavy but not impossible to pick up when I want to move it.
I thought about the hinged "wings" on the bottom for stability and block anchorage, but I wanted as little as possible in the way of a foot print with the wind break. My thought was less is better for easier deployment and storage. So I used four eye bolts that are attached in each section to which I can tie down the wind break to whatever is heavy enough that's close by.
So tool wise, a small drill, wrench and pliers are about all you would need to do this project . Thompsons can be sprayed on too, so you wouldn't necessarily need paint brushes either.
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(http://chadea.com/windscreen3.jpg)
Chad can you give me the specifics of what I would need to build that? Like how to ask for that type of board/wood by name and all the little do-hickeys I would need. :P :P :P
I am guessing this could be made with regular home tools? Just regular little home drill and tools like that?
Excuse my ignorance...... :-\ :-\ :-\
Here you go...
4 2'x4'x1/2" plywood sections. You should be able to find these at a local home improvement store; Lowes, Home Depot, etc.
6 6" strap hinges. Zinc plated or galvanized ones won't rust on you, go with zinc or galvanized.
48 1 1/2"x1/4" bolts, with washers and nuts; 1" is not long enough 1 1/4" would be perfect but you'll probably only find 1 1/2"...again, go zinc plated or galvanized.
4 or more 1 1/2" long eye bolts with nuts & washers. Yes, zinc or galvanized again.
Handles would be a nice addition, so would a door chain. Some feet protectors would be nice too, it will raise the wind break slightly so as to keep it off the ground and out of the water.
The hing placement is the tricky part. If you look closely at the pics, you'll see it gave me trouble too :-[
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The hing placement is the tricky part. If you look closely at the pics, you'll see it gave me trouble too :-[
I was going to suggest to be careful with hinge location so the panels can fold back on themselves. Was that the issue you wrestled with?
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The hing placement is the tricky part. If you look closely at the pics, you'll see it gave me trouble too :-[
I was going to suggest to be careful with hinge location so the panels can fold back on themselves. Was that the issue you wrestled with?
Yep. Rather than clamping them to see if they were placed right, I just plowed ahead and screwed it up. Glad it was salvageable and serves as a constant lesson about haste and waste; I never was one to measure twice, cut once. ;)
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It gets in the 20(s) around here but the biggest change for me grilling in the winter vs summer is the light. I have Weber light that clamps to my deck rail so I can see what I'm cooking.
That is a very nice wind screen there Chad. I may make one of those as is does get breezy here on the hill.
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Hank I like the way you used the gasser to keep things warm great idea and a good use of your tools.
It is still real cool around here during the day highs of 30 to 35 low winds but by the time I get home already getting dark for the day. I want to try and do a cook this weekend, I am missing the taste of smoke.
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... but by the time I get home already getting dark for the day.
Yeah, the days are still short. But even in summer I often find myself finishing a smoke long after the sun sets. A remote reading thermometer allows me to keep an eye on things without braving the elements. When I do go out, I often use one of those head mounted LED lights to see what I'm doing. It works pretty well.
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One of the things I have come to love is the screened-in porch off our dining room. I am able to grill all winter long without a whole lot of discomfort. Of course the buddies are all jealous too!
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jbxsKUdHMtM/UO2dMYjxG4I/AAAAAAAACKI/aQr2CDBJH6c/s646/DSC01843.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FLQYRHdytLg/UO2dLH5py1I/AAAAAAAACJ4/5g4Fi9NjaOE/s646/DSC01841.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J6VAOaIjZVU/UO2dKWELllI/AAAAAAAACJw/fKgJsmU5a2U/s646/DSC01840.JPG)
I even have heat!! Doesn't do much but the wife gets a kick out of it. ::)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7UUi9r_A11s/UO2dLPo9L_I/AAAAAAAACJ8/LDEUKgxmG3w/s646/DSC01842.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pawD69ze9kQ/UO2dGBR1l2I/AAAAAAAACIo/vgIKSXFRNJk/s646/DSC01830.JPG)
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That's a grillers paradise! :o I nthink that what weber had in mind when they mentioned grilling indoors. Let's have a closer look at that old yeller. :)
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That's a grillers paradise! :o I nthink that what weber had in mind when they mentioned grilling indoors. Let's have a closer look at that old yeller. :)
Thanks!
Here's old yeller...
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D76-h_jCoAo/UCby-SL9jWI/AAAAAAAAALo/0qkcM-5WBGk/s485/2012-05-26_17-55-13_652)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w_hKRFqrc0c/UCb3LyEpy1I/AAAAAAAAAOI/J80dVuwTzyA/s640/DSC01924.JPG)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wf1eKMi45Dk/UHN-KToQsdI/AAAAAAAABRQ/G4fyDFvNTkw/s485/IMG-20120616-WA0004.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rof_KSCsZHk/UHN-KRIeb7I/AAAAAAAABRQ/B40w8aSP0RI/s485/IMG-20120616-WA0005.jpg)
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Got that jealous buddy thing right........This where we have to cook in the winter
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ES6HPFc25XU/UOMWCZMAAMI/AAAAAAAAAYM/H47EWCrdGTk/s891/IMG_20121226_165724_634.jpg)
Sure is nice when Ted lets us hang out in the porch and grill :)
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That's a really nice Yachtsman Ted! That wooden table handle looks saweet on that blue performer Big B!
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That is a nice blue performer! Forgive my ignorance though, is the table attachment a mod, or a product from Weber? I've seen it on a few other performers but always thought they were home built.
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That is a nice blue performer! Forgive my ignorance though, is the table attachment a mod, or a product from Weber? I've seen it on a few other performers but always thought they were home built.
Since it doesn't look like big b is going to answer your question...Yes that is a mod. B's brother makes butcher blocks at his work from scrap and b then makes the tables.
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I want one!!! seriously. please?? I can get the Folding L-Brackets how much for table shipped?
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Well, B's brother makes a fine looking table 8) Very tempting to make one but I have a table made from an old Weber gasser frame.
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Sweet looking yellow Ted! I havn't seen one heat up before. Lookes like they darken to and orangeish color like when redheads turn plum-purple when they get all hot.
Here's my patio set up when there's snow on the ground.....
(http://imageshack.us/a/img197/7681/photodec29123136.jpg)
I liked the way the sun was hitting the woodgrain on the Warrior handle that day.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img593/5214/photodec29150613.jpg)
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I liked the way the sun was hitting the woodgrain on the Warrior handle that day.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img593/5214/photodec29150613.jpg)
This Pic needs to go to the head of the class, or the front page of the site, or something !!!!