Using a smoker in the winter, looking for help

[broman]

I just bought a used electric Char Broil smoker yesterday and I have some Tulibee from a co-worker. This will be my first try at smoking something (hold the puns).

I was wondering how well it will keep it's temp during the smoking process with the current weather. I have read that I should keep it out of the wind to prevent heat loss, but should I also build some kind of topless box to go around it or wrap it with some aluminum faced insulation?

What do others do to maintain the correct temp when smoking outside during the winter?

[Duffman]

I've used a box and a blanket to keep things up to temp in this weather before. And don't plan on using that blanket for anything else other than smoking in the future.

[broman]

How are you using the box and blanket? Are you wrapping it around the sides? Should I make sure the blanket or box doesn't touch the bottom closest to the heating element? Sorry if theses are dumb questions, I just don't want to have the fire department knocking at my door to inform me that my house is on fire.

[Duffman]

The box I used had about 4" of free space on all sides. I made a cutout to be able to put a new pan of chips in without lifting up the box and losing the heat. Then I just sort of wrapped an old blanket around it at times. If the box seems to hot, remove the blanket.

I did do this in a location (my patio) where if it went up in flames, the smoker would be the only thing that was damaged.

I don't blame you on being worried, it is a heating element, and the risk might seem low, but you never know when a burning ember might blow where you don't want it to. So a cardboard box and blanket might not be the safest materials to work with. I just consider it a calculated risk on my part. If it fails, I just lose the box and blanket....and some fish.

I did pop some vent holes in the top of the box, actually the bottom of the box because it is turned over upside down on the smoker. Smoke comes out the vent holes and around the bottom where the box touches the patio.

[hydro]

You can wrap the smoker in fiberglass insulation from the home store. It will not be a fire hazard. Use the stuff with the kraft backing and just tape it in place. It can be saved for re-use or thrown away when done.

[traveler]

Or...just smoke away:) I've smoked plenty in the winter; keep it out of the wind for sure, but other than that it just takes longer. Really no big deal.

[Jim Almquist]

It all really depends on what temp your electric puts out. You might find it works great in the winter and is too hot to use in the summer. No matter what time of the year, keep it out of the wind and have a thermometer of some sorts so you can gauge just how much heat it is putting out, and so you can guess when the fish will be smoked and not cooked or worse yet raw.

[Farley]

A good temp probe is key. You can buy them at Target (next to all the kitchen untensils) for $12 that have a timer, I think the brand I bought was a Tayor, it was -10 when we smoked our sausage and it worked for 17 hours straight in those elements. Very happy with it. Dont use the dial thermos' unless they are made for smoking\ being in an oven, the lens will melt.

Dont forget to rotate the fish halfway through, or the fish closest to the heat element will be hotter.

I've wrapped my smoker in a blanket a couple times (no box), just leave it open above the damper so the smoke can escape. It does take longer in these conditions so make sure you plan it out to have plenty of time to get the job done. Do you have a recipe or process you're going to follow?

Oh and remember every time you open the door it adds about 15 minutes to the total time so keep that door closed.

[fishinfey8]

I use movers blankets to wrap around the smoker. So far it has worked out great!

[broman]

Thanks for all the responses. I have some Tulibees soaking in the fridge in a 1 to 7 salt and water mix. I'm not using anything else for this first batch. Tomorrow I'll dry them and begin the smoking process.

Thanks for the info about flipping and rotating the racks. I'll try a blanket and watch it like a hawk.