Questions for cold weather egg users 30 degrees with 20 mph wind.

Fearless Flatlander · November 2004

My house sits on a hill. Every once and while the wind gets busy. I did a bach of beans in an dutch oven in the egg("maple baked beans" from the food tv recipe web page plus 1 cup of Myer's dark rum) Cooked the beans for 12 hours. This was my second use of the BBG. Start of the cook 45 degrees and calm; end of the cook; falling past 30 degrees, blowing like stink and snowing; a standard fall day. I really had a time of it keeping the egg temp at 225 grill temp with a 300 degree dome temp. The wind kept shifing direction so I kept twirling the egg to keep lower draft door out of the wind. Some times the surface of the egg would just be warm to the touch. It seemed like the wind was sucking the heat right out of the egg.[p]How cold and windy has it been during some of your winter cooks? Do you have any tricks? I was thinking of building a table that had insulated pannels around the base of the egg keeping warmth in and cold wind out. Pannels could be removed during warmer weather when most normal people cook outdoors. I checked the archives. There are a couple of mentions of difficulty of temp control for long low cooks in cold weather with high wind made in 2001. Also mentioned damp lump. I started with fresh lump from a new dry bag.[p]The beans were the best I have cooked in a long time and the kithchen wasn't over heated because the oven had been on the 12 hours. Put in a couple of large chunks of maple, nice hint of smoke in the beans. Frineds and family liked them so much I might not ever get a chance to do ribs or a boston butt.

ChefRD · November 2004

Fearless Flatlander,
I have cooked at 7 degrees above, windy and the snow was swirling big time, but the BGE didn't seem to care, but I did have to open the bottom vent a touch more than usual to stabilize at 250 degrees.
My egg is on the deck which is on the southwest corner of our house. So the winter winter winds mostly blow from the west right at the Egg. I just pull the egg close to the house with the draft door facing my southern facing door. (the house is an "L" shape).[p]Never had a problem in the last 7~8 years of cooking in cold weather, and I know of others here that have cooked in far colder temps than I. Check out our friends to the north, [p]So don't worry about the temps outside, "you" will be the deciding factor if it is too cold to cook .[p]later,
ron.

WooDoggies · November 2004

Fearless Flatlander,[p]I think you'll find the cold will not affect the length of your cook. Once you get up to temp, the stuff inside the egg is pretty well insulated from the weather.
So I don't think insulating panels are necessary.[p]When doing low and slows, it will help to keep the bottom vent closed as much as you can...... the smaller the opening, the less the wind can work it's way in.
You can maintain 225 - 250 with the bottom vent opened the width of a credit card. [p]Getting the egg out of the wind or putting up a plywood barrier has worked for me..... I've even thought of making a baffle out of an aluminum PBR can that will attach to the bottom vent..... hmmmmmm, where are those tin snips?[p]Monday morning cuppa Joe,
John[p]

Unknown · November 2004

WooDoggies, I like the wind barrier idea and the baffel sounds good. So I need some scrap plywood, tin snips, where's my duc tape. I do love a good jury rig project.
thanks, Carlisle

Fearless Flatlander · November 2004

ChefRD,[p]Thanks for the reply, The way I see it if I can snowshoe in it I can cook in it and I am always happy when I have ice on my mustache.[p]Carlisle

WooDoggies · November 2004

Mr. Fearless Flatlander,[p]If you figure something out, let us know or better yet, post a picture of it..... good luck![p]John[p]

Questions for cold weather egg users 30 degrees with 20 mph wind.

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