With Fall officially upon us, many people are already
experiencing colder weather. And that presents a unique problem to
grilling and BBQ enthusiasts. What's a person to do? Do you simply cover
up your old friend for the Winter with a promise to see him again in
the Spring? Or do you take some steps to insure you can visit your grill
as often as possible throughout the Winter?
If you truly enjoy your grilled and barbecued meals, you will want to keep the fire burning even on the coldest days. Here's a list of tips you can employ to help make cold weather grilling easier.
If you truly enjoy your grilled and barbecued meals, you will want to keep the fire burning even on the coldest days. Here's a list of tips you can employ to help make cold weather grilling easier.
- Consider adding a few fire bricks to your grill. These will help retain heat and keep your cooking chamber temperatures up where they need to be.
- Fashion a grill cover from an insulated water heater blanket. This is another great way to keep the heat trapped in your cooking chamber when the temperatures are nearing zero.
- Keep the snow off of your grill. This will help make sure your lid isn't frozen shut when it's time to fire things up.
- Position your grill or smoker in a safe place, sheltered from the wind. Wind is your enemy when it's cold, as it will steal the heat away.
- Keep the grill lid closed as much as possible. The more you open it, the longer it will take for the chamber to reheat to proper cooking temperatures
- Safety first! Yes it's cold and yes you'll be bundled up, but take care to keep loose scarves, coats, etc. safely secured. You don't want to become part of the barbecue.
- Clear the area around your grill. It's unlikely that snow and ice is going to cause a fire hazard, but it can be a slip or fall hazard. And launching 8lbs of burning charcoal across your backyard is a bad idea now matter when you do it.
- Prepare in advance and have a backup plan. Winter grilling is enjoyable for sure, but don't wait until the last minute. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need. Charcoal, propane, sauces, rubs, marinades. And if the weather is just too nasty, invest in a cast iron grilling pan that you can use on the stovetop. There's no hard and fast rule saying that you have to grill outdoors.