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Cold Weather Cooking

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am a little concerned about cooking a low and slow pork butt in the cold weather up here in Minnesota with a Guru. Nights are getting in the single digets and I was going to put it on at night. I am not worried about keeping the temp on track , what I am worried about is the thermal shock to the ceramic inside the of the egg! Should I be concerned?

Comments

  • Painter
    Painter Posts: 464
    Mike C.,
    Not to worry. Cook on.
    From cold Wisconsin.
    Bob

  • 61chev
    61chev Posts: 539
    Mike C., The only thing is your plate setter might be better to bring inside and warm up a little before putting it in the egg
    gerry

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    61 CHEV,
    it's the same ceramic.
    you can just let it come up to temp with the egg...

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • DobieDad
    DobieDad Posts: 502
    Mike C.,[p]Don't worry at all. I've started up my Large and Small in single digit weather and never had a problem. Just can take a little longer to get to a stable temp. I generally cook on the Eggs three times a week thru the Chicago winter, so they have seen a lot of thermal cycling.[p]Recently I've seen warnings about getting the plate setter wet, or as '61 chev' suggested, warming the plate setter. Maybe I've been living on the dangerous side of Egging, but I generally leave my plate setter outside on a table fully exposed to the wet and cold. Many times I have put it in the Egg wet and at ambient temp (like 5 or 10°F) after starting the lump (I don't believe I've ever put a really cold platesetter in an Egg stabilized at, say, 350). I've done that for two winters. Maybe someday my laziness will be rewarded with a broken plate setter, but so far, I've not had a problem.[p]Good cookin',[p]DD
  • Mike C.,[p]I'm in MN as well and it is my first winter with the Egg. I was wondering about doing a super hot cook if it is super cold.[p]Has anyone done a 900 degree T-Rex kind of fire, or even a 600 degree pizza cook when it is say, 5 or 10 degrees below zero? Any issues?
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    42d4a3c6.jpg
    <p />Mike C.,
    i cook more in the winter than the summer, havent had a problem that wouldnt happen in the summer except the lid freezing down. the orange hose on the lower left is the weedburner i light the egg with and even that shocking a cold egg has not cracked it. fireboxes can crack at anytime, winter, summer, even half way thru a long low and slow.

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • ronbeaux
    ronbeaux Posts: 988
    fishlessman,
    I'm jealous that you guys don't have to make ice runs at parties! That beer looks right at home.

  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    fishlessman,[p] I almost didn't see the heat rising from the little guy. What is the hat on the Large Gold?
  • Mike C.,
    I also am in MN - Minneapolis and this is my first winter with my Egg.
    Now I take about 45-60 minutes to stabilize the temp. During the winter do I need to plan on another additional 30-45 minutes to stabilize?
    Where in MN are you at?
    -- Linnea

  • Sundown
    Sundown Posts: 2,980
    Mike C.,
    I've read through the threads below and I really think you guys are worrying about something needlessly. We've been cooking on these things for years in all kinds of weather in every part of the nation including Alaska and Canada. [p]Treat your cooks just like you would any cook in the summer. Light the fire as usual and go prep your food! Enjoy life in the cold.

  • FossilPeddler,[p]I have. Not the best pics but you get the idea. 2" thick Rib eyes[p]P1010153.jpg[p]P1010158.jpg[p]P1010156-1.jpg[p]E
  • fishlessman,
    Make sure that Sam Adams wont turn to a snow ball.

  • Nessmuk
    Nessmuk Posts: 251
    Sundown,
    Here in metro, the temp can change from hot to cold overnight. I never have considered the temp a factor in cooking.[p]I cook when over 100 &/or below freezing. The egg cooks the same regardless of the ourside air temp.[p]The temp inside the dome and/or the product temp is all that matters.[p]The difference is how I dress to tend the cook. I have a pair of LL Bean, insulated boots that I wear when the temp is cold as the concrete on the patio can cause your feet bones to ache.[p]

  • Basscat
    Basscat Posts: 803
    Mike C.,
    No worries. I may be in southern Missouri, but after 4 inches of rain, 2 inches of freezing rain and sleet, and 4 or 5 inches of snow, I dug my Egg out and fired it up for 6 and a half hours of rib cooking today, with air temps starting at about 15, and had fine results. I did bring the plate setter in the house for a while to warm it up before hand, but I've neglected that step in the past with no problems.