Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation electric smoker in cold weather

headed to michigan for the christmas holiday and thinking about buying dad a bradley electric smoker. anyone used one in cold weather and if so how cold and what did you do to keep temps up.

I've got two smokers at home i use weekly but it doesn't get that kind of cold where i live in louisiana.

Hoping to do a brisket and stuffed jalape�os for christmas eve if there's a way to keep this thing hot for a long smoke..

I used one for several years, forget the brand but think maybe Brinkman? It was cylinder shaped and on the small size for turkeys. It also did not have any sort of temperature adjustment and you had to pull the trays out from the top which made rotating or checking the bottom inconvenient. I tried using it in really cold weather, down to around 0 degrees F in one case and struggled to keep it warm enough. A METAL trash can over the top helped some. On one occasion I had to move it to the garage to keep it going. Garage smelled like smoke for awhile...
I have a LP version now that works great. I really like having control over the temperature and there is no doubt I can get it warm at any reasonable outside temperature. If you think your dad will use his much I would suggest going the LP route.

I had electric, when it was 0 or below I had to put insulation around it. Now I have lp no problem keeping it warm.

For cold weather smoking I'd go with a Big Green Egg, but I'm a little biased!



Mike

Tim M: My Bradley does not generate enough heat to cook and smoke in the winter. If there is a bit of wind it won't get above 110F at 15 F outside temp. I've contemplated making an insulated shelter for it but have not done so yet. For the time being I smoke meat in it in winter for a couple or more hours and finish in the oven.

I'm GREEN with envy! I only have one

I haven't had a lot of use for my bradley since I got it. I agree with the post above this...it won't do it in the cold, which can make problems with food poisoning in some foods, (foods that aren't cured, mostly poultry and fish)

I forgot the rest of my point...it'll come to me, and I will amend then...LOL, sorry

I just made an insulating layer for my electric. I went to the recycling bin in town and stole a LOT of newspaper and a big cardboard box large enough to fit over my smoker. I slit open the box down it's length, laid it flat. Layered on newspaper very thick, like entire newspapers folded in half, all over the 4 sides of the box (and the top flaps). I then laid extra pieces of cardboard on top of the newspaper, basically creating a newspaper sandwich with cardboard as the bread, about an inch thick. Use drywall screws through it all to hold together. Stand this up over your smoker and prop the slit edge shut with something. Non insulated to insulated in 30 mins and about 25 cents in screws.

I used my Bradley electric last night for some sausage. It was in the 40s dropping down to the 30s. It took a little longer to come up to temp but did just fine. I also have a ceramic grill as well but my electric will hold more meat.

Current WeatherFri. Dec 21, 2012, 11:00 - Fairbanks International Airport
-41

�F
Freezing Fog
Feels Like : -
Wind : 0km/h
Wind gusts : -
Sunrise : 10:58
Sunset : 14:41
Humidity : 365%
Pressure : 103.68 kPa
Visibility : 0.8 km
Ceiling : 200 ft
IT AINT GOING TO WORK!!!