Glad I only pay about .12 per lb 

Grill, Camp Chef DLX, (Cabellas) Savannah Stoker controller.
Harbor Freight welding blanket.

Yesterday, two butts, cooked hot and fast, 285 degrees, pan wrapped rather than just wrapped, finished 5.5 hrs,
about 8lb each. 17 lbs pellets consumed. Outside temp 11 degrees when cook started, 20 when finished.
From this point forward it will be my new way of doing butts. Best I've ever made.

11pm last night, fired up cooker for brisket cook, 10 degrees outside.
SS set to 180 degrees for first 3.5 hrs, then 230.
Woke at 7am to maybe 1lb of pellets left in hopper, refilled. 4 degrees outside temp.
Currently 179 in the flat, 168 in point, I'm guessing another 4 hrs, maybe more.
Already 20 lbs pellets consumed.

If I had to guess I'd say I'm burning 2 to 2 1/2 times more pellets compared to normal outdoors temps.

Great info.  Thanks

 Cold does take its toll on pellet consumption for sure..

 

Pulled the packer at 2 pm, separated flat from point.
Point is cubed and back in cooker for another hour.
Going to be 26/27 lbs total for the cook. 16 hours. Present temperature 15 degrees.

Pulled the packer at 2 pm, separated flat from point.
Point is cubed and back in cooker for another hour.
Going to be 26/27 lbs total for the cook. 16 hours. Present temperature 15 degrees.

I smoked a flat in negative temps and used around 30 pounds after 12 hours. 

Pulled the packer at 2 pm, separated flat from point.
Point is cubed and back in cooker for another hour.
Going to be 26/27 lbs total for the cook. 16 hours. Present temperature 15 degrees.

I smoked a flat in negative temps and used around 30 pounds after 12 hours.

That becomes expensive brisket unless you are using heating pellets.  That is why I try to fill up the grill and cook as much as I can on one cook.  Funny how I am cheap like that but throw money away on other things.

I smoked a flat in negative temps and used around 30 pounds after 12 hours.

How much of an increase was that over a flat smoked on a mid-summer day?

Good question.  I did a packer for 19 hours and probably used about 20 pounds.

"That becomes expensive brisket unless you are using heating pellets.  That is why I try to fill up the grill and cook as much as I can on one cook.  Funny how I am cheap like that but throw money away on other things.
"

Correct. Only thing I use "food" pellets for is my smoke tube if I'm going for a particular flavor.
If I was paying a buck a lb for pellets the pellet grill would get parked and the kamado would be cooking
this time of year.

 

Luckily I only pay about 40 cents a pound. 

I did a packer for 19 hours and probably used about 20 pounds.

So, normal use is a pound an hour.  Smoking in negative temperature used 2½ pounds an hour, or 1½ pounds an hour more than "nice" weather.  At 40¢ a pound that's 60¢ an hour additional expense due to cold.

A 6'×8' welding blanket from Northern Tool is $160.  If it allowed you to burn pellets at the "nice day" rate, you'd have the welding blanket paid for through saved pellet expense after 267 hours of smoking.

I did a packer for 19 hours and probably used about 20 pounds.

So, normal use is a pound an hour.  Smoking in negative temperature used 2½ pounds an hour, or 1½ pounds an hour more than "nice" weather.  At 40¢ a pound that's 60¢ an hour additional expense due to cold.

A 6'×8' welding blanket from Northern Tool is $160.  If it allowed you to burn pellets at the "nice day" rate, you'd have the welding blanket paid for through saved pellet expense after 267 hours of smoking.

So @ 60 cents a pound we are talking abut an extra $12.00 for a 20 hour cook.

I am not judging or trying to put anyone down, you pay what you have to pay for pellets and weather is weather, cant do anything about that...To me, $12 to cook something is a ridicules amount of money. 

But its been a long time since I paid more then about .20 cents/pound!

I may just avoid long cooks in extremely cold temps.

To me, $12 to cook something is a ridicules amount of money.

That is what I thought when you add it to the cost of the meat per pound.  But, like I said, I throw more money than that away on things so if your hungry for brisket when it is zero degrees, you cook it and enjoy it no matter the cost.