we grill and barbaque outside all year round. at what air temp (i can get out of the wind) can i still maintain 225� inside of the smokette?
thanks,
joe
petersburg,alaska
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The smokette is well insulated, you should be able to Q below freezing if you want to. I have Q'd in a gas Brinkmann at 30 degrees before so I'm sure the CS will be just fine in any weather you care to use it in.
bd,
Welcome and Robbi is correct. I believe the insulation is either 1000 or 1200 degree, the main reason to keep the heat in. Added bonus is that it keeps the outside temp out.
You should be fine, until the snow piles up around the smoker and cuts off the airflow.
Smokin'
Welcome and Robbi is correct. I believe the insulation is either 1000 or 1200 degree, the main reason to keep the heat in. Added bonus is that it keeps the outside temp out.
You should be fine, until the snow piles up around the smoker and cuts off the airflow.
Smokin'
I recently asked Stuart the same question and the answer was basically external temperature has little effect on the internal performance of the CS. 
I agree, i've cooked all year long (snow, rain, summer, ect..) and never noticed a diff in cooking times unless i was impatient and kept opening the door..
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bottom-dragger:
[QB]we grill and barbaque outside all year round. at what air temp (i can get out of the wind) can i still maintain 225� inside of the smokette?
Maintain 225 deg? I have never been able to maintain 225, can't even come close. In fact, after the initial "spike" (and I don't always get that!) I average 180 deg throughout the cook (set at 225). Contacted CS twice and they weren't too worried. Said that was normal.
But, my smokes seem to come out fine, if one would consider two slabs of BB's taking 4 hours to cook to "just" done (not fall of the bone done, but that's not what I am looking for.)
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Grumpster
[QB]we grill and barbaque outside all year round. at what air temp (i can get out of the wind) can i still maintain 225� inside of the smokette?
Maintain 225 deg? I have never been able to maintain 225, can't even come close. In fact, after the initial "spike" (and I don't always get that!) I average 180 deg throughout the cook (set at 225). Contacted CS twice and they weren't too worried. Said that was normal.
But, my smokes seem to come out fine, if one would consider two slabs of BB's taking 4 hours to cook to "just" done (not fall of the bone done, but that's not what I am looking for.)
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Grumpster
Say, Grumpster: I'm surprised to hear that you can't maintain 225 in the smokette... even set up to 250?? I find that while the temps do swing a fair amount, I end up running pretty close to what I've set, whether 200, 225 or 250...
Mornin' Grumpster,
How are you checking the oven temps that barely reach 180�?
Are the "babybacks" 1.25 lbs., or up to 2.5 lbs/slab?
I tend to cook IBP loinbacks that average 2.25 lbs.
At 225�,with only a couple of slabs,only open the door at 3 hours,they pretty much take 4 full hours to bite off of the bone.
Does this sound like yours?
How are you checking the oven temps that barely reach 180�?
Are the "babybacks" 1.25 lbs., or up to 2.5 lbs/slab?
I tend to cook IBP loinbacks that average 2.25 lbs.
At 225�,with only a couple of slabs,only open the door at 3 hours,they pretty much take 4 full hours to bite off of the bone.
Does this sound like yours?
Good afternoon Woodburner and Tom.
I have checked my internal temps using a couple different probe type thermometers. Both through the top hole and through the door, although I don't make a habit of sending the wire through the door on a regular basis. I have also tried to measure temps with the probe at different positions in the smoker.
My rib smokes have been with BB's averaging upwards of 3 to 3.5lbs per slab. I do cut the slabs into thirds.
The interesting thing is, no matter if I cook just two slabs or, cook a full smoker (smokette)with 4 slabs, the temp always averages the same. It rarely gets up over the 195 mark.
Opening once @ 3 hrs and taking out at 4 is about what I do when cooking two 3lb slabs. They seem to be "just" done at that point. Not fall of the bone but a bit "chewey" although done and taste fine.
I think I am going to try some smaller loinbacks for the purpose of a better rib but, do you think that would help with the temp?
Have a great day.
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Grumpster
I have checked my internal temps using a couple different probe type thermometers. Both through the top hole and through the door, although I don't make a habit of sending the wire through the door on a regular basis. I have also tried to measure temps with the probe at different positions in the smoker.
My rib smokes have been with BB's averaging upwards of 3 to 3.5lbs per slab. I do cut the slabs into thirds.
The interesting thing is, no matter if I cook just two slabs or, cook a full smoker (smokette)with 4 slabs, the temp always averages the same. It rarely gets up over the 195 mark.
Opening once @ 3 hrs and taking out at 4 is about what I do when cooking two 3lb slabs. They seem to be "just" done at that point. Not fall of the bone but a bit "chewey" although done and taste fine.
I think I am going to try some smaller loinbacks for the purpose of a better rib but, do you think that would help with the temp?
Have a great day.
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Grumpster
I think Smokin' may have graphed or charted how much time increased, by each 1/4 or 1/2 lb. a slab weighed.[Maybe I was having a senior moment,but it seems like the kind of research he has done for us.]
At 3.5 lbs.,you could be getting up close to 5 hrs. at 225�.
I stuck a probe through foil and laid it on the middle rack,a few years ago,to to get a guess at the swings in the Smokette.
I did the same with the big CS,but the swings are more extreme in its big empty cavity.
It doesn't sound to me like your's is far off,as far as the cooking goes.
Seems like you know what you are doing,but you could always fill the cooker,check your probe in boiling and freezing water,set the temp for maximum,set probe in center,and check the readout every half hour.
If all else fails,call cookshack and talk to service.
At 3.5 lbs.,you could be getting up close to 5 hrs. at 225�.
I stuck a probe through foil and laid it on the middle rack,a few years ago,to to get a guess at the swings in the Smokette.
I did the same with the big CS,but the swings are more extreme in its big empty cavity.
It doesn't sound to me like your's is far off,as far as the cooking goes.
Seems like you know what you are doing,but you could always fill the cooker,check your probe in boiling and freezing water,set the temp for maximum,set probe in center,and check the readout every half hour.
If all else fails,call cookshack and talk to service.