What would the happen if...

[EFGM]

One was smoking in freezing temperature and the grease drippings began to freeze as they dripped out of the bottom grease drain hole which is also the air intake hole? Anybody of you in cold climates ever have this happen or does anybody have any thoughts?

 

[old sarge]

I would think the the close proximity of the heating element to the drain hole would prevent freezing or coagulation. But if not, I reckon air could be choked off.

 

[Hank R]

I have used my #1 a few degrees below freezing and no problem.  Once it land in the drip pan is gets solid quick , or should I say like honey  will pour but not well

 

[Pork Belly]

I raise my smoker with bricks to increase the height from the deck. Remove the SI drip pan and place a deeper pan under the smoker, I recommend a disposable one, secure it so it wont blow away.

Smoke as much as you want all winter, clean the smoker and throw away that pan of grease in the spring.

I smoked like this a couple times a week for four months in miserable Michigan weather, no issues.

 

[EFGM]

I have used my #1 a few degrees below freezing and no problem.  Once it land in the drip pan is gets solid quick , or should I say like honey  will pour but not well

Hank, I think you hit it on a head as to what happened to me 1 time. My perception was that it was freezing as it dripped but since you highlighted it getting solid as it hits drip pan, I think it just build up from there and did eventually restrict my air flow.

 

[Pork Belly]

I think it just build up from there and did eventually restrict my air flow.

This is why you need a deeper drip pan, it will build up in the pan but the drain hole stays clear beause of the hot grease.

 

[old sarge]

Sort of growing a grease stalagmite?

 

[Pork Belly]

Sort of growing a grease stalagmite?

Pretty much, but I'm not cleaning a smoker in the winter.

 

[kona77]

I have smoked several times in single digit or the teens and have never had the drip hole freeze shut with grease/fat.
I do always check my smoker before each smoke just to make sure the hole is open and not covered by foil etc.

The only extra step I take in extreme cold is to bring my smoker in the house the night before.. Have a 3-D and found some of my control settings would be impacted by extreme cold. I know this has been covered on a separate thread.

 

[NDKoze]

Hi Doug,

If you search for "Fat Volcano", you'll find several posts (most of them mine) where I show and/or talk about the "Fat Volcano's" that I get when smoking in really cold weather. I do not have any exact or really even a good estimate, but I my guess based on memory is that I don't get a "Fat Volcano" unless the temps are well below zero degrees.

If I smoke in really cold weather, I just set the drip pan below the hole instead of into the drawer slides.

As far as any other issues, I have not really ran into any other than maybe taking a tad longer to come up to temp. But, once up to temp, I have not had any issues in maintaining the temperature in as low as -20's.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[EFGM]

Being in Dallas I don’t recall except one time smoking at 12* and I think that is when I got that “fat Volcano”. Guess I had missed all your posts but will do that search and read of your experiences. Only reason I even thought of it was trying to reason in my mind possible reasons for blocked or restricted airflow which may or may not have an impact on this wood chunks to ash or charcoal issue, or non-issue, which ever it turns out to be.

 

[NDKoze]

Being in Dallas I don’t recall except one time smoking at 12* and I think that is when I got that “fat Volcano”. Guess I had missed all your posts but will do that search and read of your experiences. Only reason I even thought of it was trying to reason in my mind possible reasons for blocked or restricted airflow which may or may not have an impact on this wood chunks to ash or charcoal issue, or non-issue, which ever it turns out to be.

Wow, I am surprised that you would get a Fat Volcano in 12° weather. But, I guess that is 20° below freezing.

 

[SconnieQ]

Gregg's fat volcano picture is so great, that I just had to repost it below.