Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Food Related => Topic started by: Canadian John on November 05, 2017, 08:48:36 AM
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What To Expect:
-Longer Warmup Times.
-Longer Recovery Times.
-Longer Cook Times.
-More Pellet usage.
-Snow.
-Pellets Absorbing Moisture.
-The Lubricant in the Fan and Auger Motors becomes more Viscous (thick) Causing, in Some Cases,a Slow or No Rotation Condition.
What To DO:
-Pre Warm the Pit So it is Ready to Cook. Shield the Pit From the Wind if You Can. Use an Insulation Blanket to Reduce Heat Loss and Reduce Pellet Usage.
-Plan on the Shortest Time the Hood is Open and Number of Times it is Opened. Fire Bricks (heatsink) Will help Stabilize Temperatures and Speed Recovery Times, in some Pits.
-Allow Extra Time for the Cook.
-Dig Deeper into Those Pockets for Extra Pellet Purchases.
-Keep the Snow Cleared so the Pit is Ready to Go.
-Store Pellets in the Driest Location Possible. Damp Pellets = Lower Heat.
-Warm the Motors Safely or Better Yet,Lube them by Dissembling and Lubricating the Bushings and Shafts with a Full Synthetic Motor Oil I.E. 5/w20. Done Properly these Motors should Last For Years.
Dress Warmly,Keep those Plates Warm and Enjoy the Cold. You Don't Have a Choice.
Most of us Old Guys and Gals have been thru this and find this"old hat". If you can add to this post please do so.
Subnote added: Opening the lid allows for rapid heat loss. To eliminate or reduce it; A/ Don't open the lid unless absolutely necessary. B/ Use a constant read thermometer. C/ Use a "quick read" thermometer such as a Thermoworks Thermapen. Plan ahead and be quick.
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Nice post! Winter is by far and away my favorite grilling season :)
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Got the enclosure up yesterday. Nothing fancy. Just some scrap boards tacked up to the deck pillars.
The door at the lower level leads to the "cave". Also in the lower level furnace room is a deep sink and also houses the majority of the cooking/smoking items. The exterior stairs is also enclosed and houses grills etc.
(http://i.imgur.com/IPH4cXTl.jpg) (https://imgur.com/IPH4cXT)
I'm a believer that the wind is the main predator when cooking outside in cold weather. This informal "shield"
protects from the wind in the winter time and it works very well in its intended purpose.
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What To Expect:
Good advice, C John. I see neither longer cook times nor increased pellet use. Actually, I can't tell you about pellet use 'cause I don't monitor that.
But, as near as I recall, my uninsulated pit maintains the set temperature and cooks at the same rate as in the summer.
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You are all crazy...as it is house oven season around here!
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Bentley, You could be on the right track as age is leading me that way!
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If allowed I will do the Turkey on it, and we have a Standing Rib Roast that we usually do for Christmas, but it maybe just the 2 of us, so that is up in the air! Nasty day today, overcast, misty, not cold but about 57°...I am going out to fire up the Memphis to do some Scotch Eggs with my homemade Jimmy Dean knock off sausage!
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I would add :lick:a good light as it gets dark earlier
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This will be my first winter using my Traeger and that checklist will be very useful. I think I'm going to get an insulation jacket. However, I still think my Big Green will still get a lot of use. I love cooking outdoors in the winter!
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Nothing messes up my cooks like a good, stiff wind, and a cold wind is worse. I'm still trying to figure out a solution that will enable me to smoke and sear all winter which the wife will sign on to. Something like a canopy and/or awning. Winters are when I have the most time to smoke so I want to be able to take advantage of it.
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I used my firecraft q450 all winter long, coldest I fired it up at was -15 I believe. I usually get it going, hold the pellet prime button for a couple seconds to make sure everything is moving. Close it and wait for it to heat up. Grilling/smoking season is all year long. I do have a welding blanket I throw over it, sometimes.
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Great advice on cold weather cooks. I will only add one item to your list, see photo.
(https://i.imgur.com/868Twgrm.jpg)
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My GMG Daniel Boone is built for winter. Already have the thermal blanket on it. It sits outside all year, i just move it close enough so I all have to do is open the door to the backyard and open the lid of the grill. If it is going to be windy out I have a 1/2 sheet of plywood I will use as a windbreak. Set the WiFi controller to the cold weather setting, and go.
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I do year round here in MN. My Elite stays in the garage all year a i have no deck of patio :( When it's really cold or windy I smoke in the garage with the over head open. Have smoked when it was -30 before.
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I smoke all winter with my Camp Chef in central WI. Last year when i had it on a timer with a fatty inside it failed to start. I believe it was 4*F that morning and i had a weird error about the temp sensor. The sensor had frost on it so I quick hit it with the torch melting the frost and then it fired up and I went back to bed. Few hours later the fatty was done.
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And if you have a pit that you rarely use in winter I do one or two things. Run it once or twice a month, Or run the pellets out of it all together. One year I didn't use it all winter & it wouldn't budge when I went to use it. Sheared the pin on the auger. Ended up taking it apart. :2cents:
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Good info silverbullet! Winter storage or long times of unuse is an other subject..When I had my Traeger I "winterized" it just as someone would store a vintage automobile. That way it was guaranteed ready once the weather warmed..
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Still in the upper 80's here, maybe winter isn't coming this year...
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You must be well below the 35th Parallel...
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I use mine about the same year around. I actually prefer cold vs sweltering hot unless its below 0F and windy. My cooker is only a couple steps outside the kitchen so I can dart out and back in pretty quick. I doubt I ever go more than 2 weeks without at least cooking up some hot dogs, sausage or a quick burger.
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Now that it’s getting cold up here it’s time to start smoking. It’s always too busy in the summer so when the weather starts to turn I can relax at home & make delicious meal after delicious meal!