Smoking in cold weather

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hendosmoke

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2015
18
10
Hello all! I have an MES40 and live in Michigan. It gets pretty cold in the winter here. Is it ok to use an electric smoker all year when it's cold out? I keep it in my garage and open the overhead door when I use it if it's raining. Just wondering about the electronics in the smoker being ok if I did the same thing in the winter.
 
Th cold ambient temps shouldn't hurt anything. You will notice it cycling on to heat more frequently to keep up with chamber temp settings. Of, course the hotter the target temp and colder the ambient temp the more the heater will run, to a point where you can't reach target temps if the heater element is too low on wattage...then it will run non-stop...but that depends on wind and insulation. Wind is your worst enemy with outdoor cookers...it zaps the heat right of them.

Eric
 
Ok thanks for the info. If I do smoke anything in cold weather it will be in my garage so the wind shouldn't be a problem.
 
I live and Michigan and run my mes 40 with the amzn pellet smoker all year round in my barn. It won't hurt a thing to use it all year. Plus this year were hovering around 40-60 degrees in December so it's really like March already!
 
Do not cover your smoker in cold weather.... Covering encourages condensate to form inside the smoker.... bad on mold growth and bad for the electronics... Leave the door ajar a bit to allow for air flow into the interior....
Experience is how I learn this stuff....
 
Thanks Dave. I wasn't planning on covering it since it is in the garage. But I didn't think about leaving the door open a little. Good tip!
 
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