What happens after "summer"?

[bamber]

As this is my first "summer" of BBQ'ing and smoking, I'm not too sure what to expect when it's officially end of summer in the UK.

Is it too cold to Q or smoke?
Will the cold temperatures/rain/snow stop me from using a Weber Kettle or UDS for smoking?

Just wondered how my fellow UK'ers get on, or is it a case of cooking in the kitchen until warmer weather comes around next year?

Cheers

Bam

 

[wade]

Hi Bam

Many of us BBQ all year round but it does take some preparation. Come the 31st August most of the DIY stores assume that the BBQs are put away for the winter and it is almost impossible to buy much in the way of BBQ supplies from them. You can get the odd end-of-season BBQ bargain though as they are clearing shelf space for their Christmas stock.

All is not lost though as stocks of quality charcoal are now  readily available all year round online. I BBQ at least a couple of times a month throughout the winter and my Christmas turkey has been cooked on the Weber each year for over 15 years. Hot roasting is fine in the winter but you need to pick your days carefully for anything low-and-slow as the wind, rain and snow will play havoc with your fine temperature control.

Get your sweater on and put up that umbrella and join the rest of us out there 

 

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello   What ya got against smoking with snow on the ground?  I am with Wade!  If I want BBQ I make it!  The rain has to be taking into consideration but GO FOR IT!  The posts on the Group page seems to die which frustrates me.  I n the U.K. folks equate  BBQ with eating outside.  So in winter they tend not to BBQ.  Well in Texas it is too da** hot to eat outside!    We BBQ and then move into the house where the air conditioner is running!  SO! Why can't the reverse work??  TOO cold to eat outside so move inside.  A good smoker well sealed does not require you to sit by it  every second.  Once you can trust it walk out every 30 minutes or so.  Better yet get a good digital therm. and you can sit on the couch and see the temp..  Open a tin of beer of course!  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[pc farmer]

I have smoked in -0 temps, snowing and windy. The winter is my busy time to smoke.

Wind is the biggest killer of heat lose.

Protect your smokers from wind.

 

[kettlecooker]

hey bamber, i only use kettles so for me, its simply a move into the shed, with the door open wide and the bbq in the doorway, if i'm grilling i'm there anyway so dont have any worries about it being a fire hazard, if i'm doing low and slow, i check every half hour or so that things are going ok.

if its really bad out and i'm on a low n slow, i will close the door half way and keep it like that using a couple of bricks, that way i control temp from severe weather but can also see things from the window.

once finished, i obviously make sure everything is out and safe before shutting the shed, works for me and its actually pretty cool to be playin with fire in the snow.

kc.

 

[ianplant]

Hi everyone, This is my first year also. I was pondering the same problem as well and have decided to convert my old greenhouse (10x8) into a BBQ shack I have a piece of 6in pipe that i'm going to use as a chimney, just have to figure out how to attach it :-) also will replace some of the glass for wood i dont want the glass shattering on me

Ian

 

[wade]

The important thing is to shelter it from the wind and cover it if it rains. These are the main factors that will affect your temperature control. If you are roasting something like a chicken or pork joint, then it is not so important as they will probably be at around 180 C (355 F). Slight variations here are not so important. It is when you are trying to maintain temperatures around 110 C (230 F) for slow smoking that the temperature fluctuations will become more of a problem. 

Sometimes we cannot help sudden changes in weather, but if needed we simply adjust our cooking times to compensate. We should be cooking by temperature anyway so the meat just takes a little longer to get there...

 

[kiska95]

Hi 

Your glass wont shatter unless you poke it, it was made with heat in the first place and your Q wont be any where near the temps to cause a problem to your glass. Use a roofing adapter to take your exhaust pipe out. You can get metal ones that they use for stench pipe exits.

Winter is the time for cold smoking and curing!!!

 

[resurrected]

What a bargain for a bit of cold smoking if you're in the UK :wife:

:welcome1:

image.jpg

• resurrected
• Aug 5, 2015

 

[kiska95]

Ho ho get me 2

 

[smokin monkey]

I had one of those, but looks like Wades got it now [emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji]

 

[resurrected]

I had one of those, but looks like Wades got it now [emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji]

I hope you never paid $399.00 postage!

 

[smokin monkey]

No, certainly did not pay that for postage!

 

[bamber]

Well perhaps I'll give it a shot in a months time when the snow hits =p

Moving house soon so will be looking at a way of building a little BBQ shack

 

[wade]

I had one of those, but looks like Wades got it now [emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji][emoji]128554[/emoji]

Hehe - What do they say about possession being 9/10s of the law 

 

[wade]

I hope you never paid $399.00 postage!

Shucks! do you mean that you can get one without having to pay that? Why do you think I nabbed Steve's one at the weekend ???

 

[resurrected]

Shucks! do you mean that you can get one without having to pay that? Why do you think I nabbed Steve's one at the weekend ???

Because, sir, you are a wiley Southerner ;)

 

[smokin monkey]

Going to send the Boys down!

 

[wade]

Make sure their passports and visas are up to date for when they try to pass Watford

 

[smokin monkey]

No their coming from the South on the back of a lorry!