Cold Weather Q

[Geos7812]

I live in Colorado and it seems everytime I fire up my offset the weather is COLD. I have a fully welded 1/4 steel offset and I am able to keep my temps constant even when cold. I put a digital thermo on the FB side and non-FB side and each read my target temp. With that said, It seems everything is taking forever recently. Should I increase my targeted temps at the grate because it is cold out to decrease cook time?

 

[weedeater]

What are your temps at grate level presently? The external temps in my experience increase my fuel usage in winter times but not my cooking time. If the grate level temp is 250 in the summer I am still at 250 when it’s 20 degrees outside instead of 90 degrees. I am just using more fuel to get there and maintain that temp. Are you sure your therms are still accurate?

Weedeater

 

[Geos7812]

Got it. That is what I was thinking. Grates were 230-250 for the entire cook. I am thinking I need to focus on 275-250 and just increase temps a bit to decrease cool time.

 

[jbellard]

One thing that might help ya is to get a weed burner.m and use it to heat your steel up much quicker than by just using the fire itself. Saves a lot of wood and tons of time.
I have a 34in diameter 6 ft long steel smoker myself and I can get that whole thing hot and a roaring fire going in about 5 min. Then it’s really just letting my coals burn down a little bit it’s drafting, steel is warmed up and it’s ready to cook on in probably 15-20 min vs the 1-2 hrs it took for my temps to get regulated before.
Look into it.

 

[Geos7812]

How do you actually use the weed burner to heat up the steel? Do you apply the flame from the weed burner directly to the steel of the cool chamber and then let the fire hold that temp throughout the cook?

 

[jbellard]

So I light the weed burner and just go over my grates to burn off anything left on there and then just put the flame down in the cook chamber for a few minutes while watching for my thermometer to go up.
Doesn’t take long and the smoker is then hot.
Drafts better too when it’s warm.
Then will go and start fire straight from logs and have a burning fire within 5 min or less.
Much better and faster than using tons of little sticks or having to buy charcoal.

 

[hardcookin]

Myself in cold weather I think it is important to get a good bed of coals.
I used to put a probe on whatever grate I was going to smoke on and use that for a temp reference.
From just doing it so much I can look at my outside gauges and know what temp I am at.
I crib my wood starting 3 on the bottom, then 2 on the next layer and then add some kindling in the gaps and 2 on the next then light it with a weed burner.
I leave my one smoker compartment door cracked to kind of even temps out. Lets the cold pockets out. Myself for long smokes I usually smoke @275

 

[Geos7812]

Great stuff guys. Thanks a lot. I like the weed burner and the advice to go to 275. Much appreciated.