Although I love to
BBQ, I can barely boil water in the kitchen so I stick to BBQing. J
As I have
mentioned in the past, the key to BBQing is to be able to maintain a constant
temperature in your grill.
First thing you
need to do with any grill no matter if it's gas, charcoal, electric or wood
pellet is see how the grill keeps its temperature. You can do that be placing a
thermometer inside the grill and running your grill at various temps. Colorado BBQ Outfitters has all the necessary equipment to do this! Thermometers can range from the remote digital probe types to the less expensive
analog type. I must caution that the analog thermometers have been known to
fluctuate anywhere from 30 to 50 degrees F off depending on the type you have.
I would most definitely recommend a digital thermometer for accuracy.
Let the
temperature sit at least 15 minutes when checking it. I suggest checking all
settings on your grill: low, medium, and high. Some grills offer a smoke
setting as well. Write down your findings of each test. I also recommend doing
this test in both warm and cold weather as weather temp has a huge impact on
your grill temp.
Once you run your
test you are ready to work with your grill more accurately. If your grill can
carry a CONSTANT temperature of 180 to 225 degrees F, you are able to smoke
anything with that grill. This applies more so to gas grills.
Charcoal can be controlled by simply not adding more fuel (charcoal). Electric
smokers tend to hold temps much better. Wood pellet grills are just a matter of
knowing which temp you get from which setting on your dial.
Gas grills will
get very hot if on high so no need to be concerned about how hot they will get.
Same with charcoal as you control the fuel and therefore the heat. Wood pellet
grills will range on high anywhere from 450 to over 700 degrees F. You only
need that type of heat to sear meat or cook a pizza. Otherwise, that high is
not necessary.
If you grill will
not stay at a constant temp or you cannot get your temperature high as you
would like, here are a few things you can do:
1. Leave the lid
closed. This seems like common sense but many people like to see their food as
it cooks. Don't.
2. Check your
grill for too much air flow. Cracks, welds that have come apart, holes, etc. are
what you want to stay away from. Anything that will cause cold air to get in
and effect the grill temperature. If you have a charcoal grill they will come
with vents. Wide open for hotter and closed for lower temps is the rule.
3. If you have
looked for holes, etc and cannot find any then you have a grill design issue.
One way to alleviate this is to insulate your grill with a cover. You
can spend upwards of $200 to $300 for custom fit insulated grill covers OR
you can simply purchase a welders blanket. They are much, much
cheaper and work fantastic. They aren't the prettiest but you
just bungee cord it on and you are good to go. The are perfect for
winter months.
4. Buy a new
grill! :)
Winter months are
great for smoking food on the grill. It is very easy!
Next blog I will
share some simple grill/BBQ recipes.
