Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

How cold is too cold to cook on the BGE?

Grumpa
Grumpa Posts: 861
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I live outside of Chicago, we have tons of snow and its in the teens in the evenings when I want to cook. Has anyone used their BGE in such cold weather? If so what did you do to make the BGE work better? How cold is too cold?[p]Thanks for your help. Bob

Comments

  • BBQfan1
    BBQfan1 Posts: 562
    Bob, If you find that the metal tongs are sticking to your fingers, you may want to consider putting cook off for another day (or just get some gloves, if you're really in the mood for que!)
    Seriously, the Egg seems to have a higher tolerance for cold weather than the chefs involved. There has been some postings regarding the occasional cracking of fireboxes and the correlation between cracking and cold air rushing into the high-temp atmosphere of the Egg. Whether the introduction of extremely cold air during a winter cook, versus the moderate outside air of a spring-summer-fall cook creates a greater chance of firebox cracking is up for debate. Personally, I'd say that the Egg qualifies as an all-season, all-conditions smoker/grill.
    BBQfan1
    ps--This post is from a frost-bitten Canadian Egger who has used the Egg throughout the winter months, with no adverse affect to the Egg, or chef for that matter.

  • RhumAndJerk
    RhumAndJerk Posts: 1,506
    BBQfan1,
    During the Cold Cooks, use the peek and run method. Quickly peek at the egg and run back into the house.[p]Or you could cheat like KennyG does and move the BGE into the Garage and just cook near the open garage door.[p]BBQFan1 has it right, the BGE takes the cold better than the chef.[p]If this does not keep you warm, then try this.
    RhumAndJerk
    I am in Cleveland awaiting the next Snow Storm.[p]

    [ul][li]Hot Buttered Rhum[/ul]
  • MickeyT
    MickeyT Posts: 607
    View?u=474327&a=10378379&p=35018798&Sequence=0&res=high
    <p />Bob,[p]I don't think it's ever too cold.
    :>)
    I have cooked a dozen times the last 3 weeks and the egg really does a great job. [p]MickeyT.

  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    MickeyT.,
    Nice pic. Is the snow meant to keep the beer from freezing??
    Happy Holidays
    NB

    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • BBbrew
    BBbrew Posts: 33
    Bob,[p]I have only had my BGE for a couple of weeks now and have cooked on it four times in ambient temperatures ranging from about 2 to 20 degrees F. Windchills were in the -20 to -30 degree range during most of the cooking episodes. From my experience I can tell you that the Egg will cook just fine in ANY weather. Basically, the question is, "How cold can you stand it?".
  • KennyG
    KennyG Posts: 949
    RhumAndJerk,[p]Cheating?? Naaaaaw, I like to stay in the garage to keep my PBR from freezing with these recent wind chills. I've got to try Mickey T's "Illinois insulator".[p]K~G

  • RhumAndJerk
    RhumAndJerk Posts: 1,506
    KennyG,
    HehE
    R&J

  • Mr Beer
    Mr Beer Posts: 121
    eggsnow.jpg
    <p />Bob,
    As the folks here have said - there is no problem cooking with the BGE in the cold.

  • Mop
    Mop Posts: 496
    Bob, Siberia might rank as too cold.....other than that light er up!....[p]I`m in Ontario Canada and it`s cold......My new Egg works flawlessly![p]Mop!

  • ChefRD
    ChefRD Posts: 438
    Bob,
    When you can't stand the cold.
    I live 60 miles from you (across the lake) and I have used mine for several years with the temps in the single digits and the only problem i had was digging out the egg so i could open it and fire it up.
    So, from my experience if you can take the cold, so can the egg.
    Later,
    ChefRD