Wind

Unknown

I'm depressed. Admittedly I'm fairly new to smoking, however 20+ winds seemed to deprive the coals of my inexpensive water smoker of oxygen, which seems to go against logic (low pressure areas affecting air flow?). I can construct a wind screen, but they are cumbersome and are visually destracting in my opinion. I'm thinking about buying a more expensive water smoker due the designs forgiving nature, but from what I've learned via the internet and my past experiences with charcoal grilling, the wind is the devil when it comes to useing charcoal. I would like to know what people's experiences were when grilling in high wind. I live in Pennslyvania and I am a busy professional and I NEED to grill year round.

Spin

Don Stephens Jr.,[p]Many people I know have the same problem with water smokers you describe (I live in South Jersey). Most have either given up using them or only cook during calm days.[p]Wind is definitely a devil to charcoal cooking but it is only a minor consideration to the burning of charcoal in the Egg.[p]The Egg is the only outdoor cooker that I can use year round (I have two). It works as well in the summer as it does in the winter. A smoker can't grill but the Egg can do both (and more, all four seasons).[p]Feel free to email me,
Spin

Smokin' Todd

Don Stephens Jr.,
I use a $30 Brinkman h2o BULLET smoker..i have smoked in high winds and even in the rain(with a board over it of course)...but never had too many problems. The charcoal pan is at the bottom while the door and dope are closed. Are u using a bullet smoker?
But, of course, u can never go wrong with the Egg no matter what the weather...Cornfed and Finger Lickin' Tom Egged during Hurricane Floyd here in Central Jersey....and all was Egglicious!

Char-Woody

Don Stephens Jr., The wind here today was a whopping steady 40 to 50 mph turning the country area's into dust fog. I didn't try cooking as time was short. (hauling rocks & landscaping) When I do work in the wind with my BGE I use simple wind baffel's (bent aluminum sheeting) in front of my lower vent opening and a swivel directional one for the top. I made it so my daisy wheel holds it in place. Seems to work fine an temperatures stay steady.
Cheerio..C~W[p]

Dr. Chicken

Don Stephens Jr.,
I wore out 4 water smokers. Seriously, I literally wore them out. I had some problems with the wind (here in KS it can blow any time and any direction) but generally I was able to work around it! Now that I've gone to the "Eggs", I don't have any problems what-so-ever! I did a brisket on a long-slow cook last night into this morning. Winds 20 to 25+ mph. No problem. My brisket was done in 18 hrs. I mean "fork tender" done too! I grill all year too! I'd go crazy if I didn't. I'll grill in the rain, in the snow, in misserable heat, and everything in-between. It's in the blood![p]Give me a shout via e-mail, and maybe I can help you out on things.[p]Dr. Chicken[p]

Elder Ward

Don Stephens Jr.,[p]Far be it from me to hurt another mans feeling I don't know. But here goes. I used them damned water style smokers for 10-15 + years and when condition are perfect they do a passable job. If you are a professional man as you claim, get the right tool for the job. Ceramic is unsurpassed for any type weather. Ice storms in Hell and wind in Kansas and rain even in the tropics. I like the Mr Egg but son if you are going to do this thing year round it would be execptable to even stoop so low as to buy one of them Dragoon Cookers. [p]Real men buy the right tools and explain the cost later.
Remember it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission. (If like me your married)[p]If you got em smoke em,[p]Elder Ward

Tim M

<p />Don Stephens Jr.,[p]I don't have any pic's of me cooking in the recent hurricanes that plagued us on the east coast last year (maybe my friend Spin does) but here I am cooking after an ice storm. This Egg is like a mailman - neither wind nor rain nor sleet or the dark of night will keep it from its appointed meal![p]Money well spent[p]Tim

Mike Oelrich

Don Stephens Jr.,[p] I used a water smoker for a couple years before getting my Eggs. Like your's, it never did work in the wind. The charcoal would keep burning (the wind will definitely not deprive your coals of oxygen -- the laws of physics still apply in BBQ :-) ), but so much heat was taken away by the wind (just think about how much cooler you feel in the summer if a fan is blowing on you -- most inexpensive water smokers have a very open design and this compounds the problem) that the food would never cook. Normally to avoid this I used a fold-up table (an old rusty metal thing with a main section and two wings) to make a three-sided wind screen (both "wings" folded half-way up). Worked OK as long as the wind was less than about 10-15mph. With stronger wind, more shielding was necessary and not worth the trouble. Since I got my BGE, I've experienced no trouble with wind or rain. If you really do NEED to grill/smoke/BBQ all the time, take a look at the BGE. As others have mentioned, it is something of an investment but well worth it IMHO.[p]MikeO

Dr. Chicken

Tim M,
Terriffically stated and nicely said! Both got the message across in no uncertain terms![p]Dr. C

MAC

Don Stephens Jr.,
I used to have a water smoker. In cold weather I put a card board box around it to get it up to temp. Even used insulation when it was real cold. Well two years ago I set it up with the card board box for an early smoke of a turkey for Thanksgiving, that day. It was about 32Deg. turned it on and left to go up stairs. Came back down and the box was on fire. Burnt the smoker, the cord, the phone wires at the side of the house and darned near the house. Needless to say, I now own an EGG for my safty and that of my family. If ya got to help it cook, it ain't a cooker.[p]MAC

Spin

Tim M,[p]Unfortunately I have no pictures, but did cook on the Egg that day. The prettier half though it would be a good (fun?!) idea as the power would probably go out. She was right .[p]Spin