how to use smoker BigGreenEgg at below zero temperture in winter time

Unknown

Do you have any comment on usihg the BigGreenEgg smoker outdoor in winter time in cold temperture?[p]Do you have any result statistic about damage BigGreenEgg in below zero cold winter temperture

Pakak

Alice Carlson,[p]I dunno about below zero, but I've cooked when it was plenty chilly out - as have others. I think you'll be more apt to NOT cook because of the cold than by any chance of harm to the egg. IMO - the ceramic warms and cools slow enough there is not sufficient thermal shock to cause damage.

tn slagamater

Alice Carlson, check through the archives... The Egg works just as well at sub zero temperatures as it does in shirt sleeve temperatures. The ceramic is an incredible insulation covering... it uses very little charcoal and holds heat like an oven without heat loss regardless of outside temps.Look at the photos of the EGG in deep snow, SMOKING...Throw ice water on it at 500 degrees, no problem... HTH

BBQfan1

tn slagamater,
"Throw ice water on it at 500 degrees, no problem"...
hey man, now what did the Egg ever do to you to deserve that kind of treatment? LOL
Alice, take it from someone who should know... a frostbitten Canadian... there is nothing..repeat, nothing.. that you can't cook in sub-zero temps on the Egg that you can in heat of summer. Lump charcoal consumption might go up slightly in the winter months, but the 600-700° seared steaks I do in January are identical to the ones I do in July. There's times I've regretted taking it, but there's a picture floating around here of me Eggin' in January with 2 ft of snow on the ground and I'm wearing swimwear, basking in the warm glow of the Egg....
Qfan

The Naked Whiz

Alice Carlson,
Here's a link to my FAQ on the subject:[p]TNW
[ul][li]The Naked Whiz's Ceramic Cooker FAQ[/ul]

The Naked Whiz

BBQfan1,
I can't believe I don't have a copy of that photo to post, LOL!! Speaking of cold cooking (notice I carefully spelled that second word), have you have had ice form on the inside of the dome when you snuffed out a fire? I was chatting with a K owner who lives up at your lattitudes and he had a some crack because moist warm air rises up into the dome when you close it up. This moisture then condenses and then freezes inside the cooker. If there are any cracks for the moisture to get into, then the freezing moisture can cause bigger cracks and destroy the dome. He strongly recommends letting the fire go out, then opening the top before it cools off enough to freeze. [p]TNW

Unknown

Q-fan,[p]Look at your e-mail! :-)

WooDoggies

<p />Why, Mr Naked, that photo of the crazy Canadian can be found on your very own website under BBQFan1 in the Rogue's Gallery.[p]That boy aint right![p]

fishlessman

Alice Carlson, i use mine while ice fishing all the time.dont put the egg way out on a patio in the winter though, it is much more convienent to have it near a slider or door where you can watch the dome temp from indoors.

Marvin

fishlessman,
That's where the remote temp probe is the most useful!

Smoked Signals

Alice Carlson,
I have done overnight pork butt cooks with the temperature hovering at -5 F ... My medium egg ran at 220 F all night ... I had yummy BBQ pork in the dead of winter. [p]Yes - I used a remote probe to monitor the meat ... I was only going outside to put the pork in the cooker and take it out.[p]Happy cooking

fishlessman

Marvin, walking in the deep snow in slippers can be avoided by putting the egg in reach from the slider.

stike

Alice Carlson,
all i can tell you is that the last big storm we had up here (Boston area) dumped about 24 to 30 inches depending where you where.[p]it was a "Nor'easter" by definition, too.[p]Around 8 that night I built a lo-and-slo fire in the egg, doing nothing different than I would have if it were July 3rd.[p]I put the pork butt on probably around 9 o'clock, with the vents set for 220. there was, at most, 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground, but working up to a real storm.[p]It wasn't my first lo-and-slo, so I didn't worry much at all and went to bed, never checking or getting up during the night. [p]When I woke at around 6 (courtesy of a 1-year-old boy), I went to the kitchen, and peeked out while making coffee.[p]There was a snowdrift, over 3 feet high, encroaching on the left side of the egg, and snow about 2 feet deep around the rest of it, all sides. The relative warmth of the egg kept any snow at bay, and there was no snow touching the egg for about 2 inches out in a radius, despite being surrounded on almost all 'sides'.[p]the bottom of the drift was flirting with covering my vent hole, because it wasn't warm enough to melt the snow away, and so I scuffed it with my foot. I checked the dome temp, which said 220. Plugged my remote thermometer into the probe's wire lead (which was already in the meat) and found I wa in the plateau.[p]After not touching or opening or adjusting the egg, I went in, had a cup of coffee, and set the probe alarm for 195 or so.[p]Couple hours later, I pulled the meat off, and ate like a king during the football game.[p]Imagine the meat's surprise. It goes inside, with nothing to look at for 16 or 18 hours, and when I open the lid for the first time, to take her out, there's a blowing storm and 30 inches of snow.[p]You might guess I have a slow day at work, and hence the narrative. You'd be right.[p]But, in short (finally), the egg has no idea what temperature it is, or whether it's snowing, or raining.[p]Most folks, even up north, do not taper-off their use of the egg during the winter.[p]In fact, with the holidays and football, we might some weeks use it more. [p]

The Naked Whiz

WooDoggies,
DANG! I knew I had it!!! Old age.....
TNW

MickeyT

Alice Carlson,[p]The Wall Strret Jouirnal did and article last year on quing in the winter. I was part of the featured article using my egg.[p]Living in Chicago has tested Mr. Egg pretty well. [p]Coldest I have done is 25 mph winds and -30 temps. Did an overnighter with a #2 ring and never missed a step.[p]Now that's pretty dang good if you ask me.[p]Have fun[p]Mick

HolySmokes

WooDoggies,[p]not sure we should admit it, but you
can now yell "made you look!"[p]now wish maybe I hadn't :()
HS

Marvin

fishlessman,
Absolutely!

Hatch

Alice Carlson, I have found no problems at all with using the egg in cold temps. Nature boy and I have routinely used our eggs in sub-zero weather, (-9 degrees to be exact) we take them winter camping every year. He has a picture he can show you when the Eggtoberfest is over. It seems to use a bit more charcoal but other than that no different than usual. You just have to eat fast before it cools down.
Good luck, There's nothing like pulled pork on a cold winters day.[p]