Are you finding it challenging to smoke your meat during winter? Is the weather too cold for smoking making the process difficult? We understand that you need help in smoking food in cold weather. The thickness of the smoker’s metal body determines the extent to which the smoker will be affected by the cold weather. Cold temperatures will increase the time the smoker will take to heat up. You will also find it challenging to maintain a consistent temperature that is vital for the smoking process. In the long run, you will end up taking longer to cook your meal than expected. You may want to consider the following tips that will help improve your smoking experience during the cold weather.
Go for a food smoker made to function efficiently during extremely cold temperatures
Not all food smokers can withstand the cold weather. Some are made of thin metal, thus taking a lot of time to smoke food during cold temperatures. The faster the food smoker can heat up, the quicker it can lose its heat to the surroundings. When you are smoking food on these smokers, it will make it hard for you to maintain the optimum temperature regardless of the amount of wood you use.
We advise you to go for a food smoker made for the extreme cold temperatures if you want to smoke in the cold weather. Heat retention is what you are looking for, and you can precisely get that from the Bradley Pro P10 Smoker. We have designed it to withstand and function effectively in cold temperatures and provide you with maximum heat retention. Plus the stainless steel insulated body and PID-controlled 1000W heat element will get the temperature up and controlled whatever the temperature outside.
Use Electric, Forget About Fuel Sources
We recommend you go for our Bradley Bisquettes as we have ensured they provide the wood required in a food smoker for the precise time. Besides, our Bradley Bisquettes come in different flavors and guarantee up to 16 hours of constant burning with the 48-hour pack. Refueling can be a time-consuming and tedious process. So, why not choose to go for Bradley Bisquettes to make your food smoking easier, even in cold weather. No more stocking additional wood for cold temperatures when you have reliable wood that can last for a long time.
Look for a safe spot
Cold weather can sometimes be nasty, especially when combined with wind, rain, and snow. Consider finding a safe spot to keep your food smoker to protect it from cold wind and rain before you start cooking. The airflow into your food smoker has a direct impact on your cooking results. Thus, try to prevent the strong cold winds from entering your smoker’s vents. They can easily prolong your cooking by altering the temperatures in the smoker. You need to position the air vents such that the wind will not directly flow into the smoker but there is enough air flow for it to work perfectly.
Get your smoker a blanket
Some of the food smokers come with an insulating blanket, and you can try one if you don’t own one. The food smoker blankets are designed to create a barrier between the external cold temperature and the smoker’s hot surface. The blanket will act as an insulator preventing heat loss, thus helping maintain a constant temperature. Investing in an insulating fire blanket will also help cut down on wood costs due to heat loss.
Cut your meat into smaller pieces
It may not sound good to you if you are the type of person who loves cooking huge pieces of meat. You have to adjust according to the weather and cut your meat into smaller pieces and spread them out if you want to effectively smoke during the cold weather. Smaller meat pieces take less time to cook, and it is what you need if the weather is not working in your favor.
Resist the temptation to open the food smoker
Smoking during winter means you have to be extra careful in maintaining the much-needed constant temperature in the smoker. You will be altering the temperatures if you regularly keep opening the food smoker. It may take you additional 15-30 minutes of cooking if you constantly keep opening the smoker.
It is essential to refrain from the temptation to constantly open your smoker even if you need to check if the food is ready. Instead, we recommend using a food thermometer to monitor the food temperature to check if it is ready. The food thermometer will help you keep the smoker’s lid closed while still keeping an eye on the meat’s internal temperature.
You may also want to check out our official smoking temperature guide to make your smoking experience more fun despite the cold weather.
For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the fantastic articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
