How to Manage the Fire in Your Grill for Cooler Temperatures

Real pitmasters know there’s no such thing as “Grilling Season” because Grilling Season is Year-Round! To accomplish the perfect grill or smoke sessions, you simply need to make adjustments to your technique for the weather. In this blog, we’ll be showing you how to manage the fire in your grill for cooler or even winter temperatures.

Lighting Your Grill/Fuel

When you’re initially firing up the grill for your cook, use more fuel than you typically would, so plan to buy more or add more than normal when you first start. Adding extra coals also gives a chance to heat up both inside and out. Allocate more time to preheating your grill to give time for both the interior and exterior to grow warm. It will definitely make a difference before adding your food to the grates. When grilling or smoking in colder weather, there’s a higher chance of your fire going out. Ensuring the entire unit is warm will prevent the food from going cold too fast before you can get the fire going again.

Fire Management

When taking the time to manage your fire, it’s even more important to tend to your fire and check on your temperature. Your fire is prone to go out more frequently from the cold air and wind, running the risk of your food growing cold or cooking unevenly. You will also need to do more adjusting with your vents, smoke stack, and/or dampers in order to maintain your temperature.

Opening the Grill

Unlike the summer months, an advantage of the freezing temperatures is that you are able to leave your food outside for much longer periods without worry, allowing time to get your smoke rolling. However, once you add your food to the grill, keeping all the heat and/or smoke locked into your barrel is even more imperative in colder temperatures. The phrase, “If you’re looking, you’re not cooking” could not be more true when cooking in colder temperatures!

If you are planning to spray, flip or add any other components to your dish, it is important to have it all ready and prepared to go before opening the lid. Even more so than usual, you want to maintain the temperature within your cooking chamber because heat and smoke will escape much faster sacrificing the quality of your dish. When your dish is ready, immediately bring it in the house for resting and serving.

There’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy a tender brisket, ribs or a pork shoulder just because the traditional grilling season is over. Make those amazing meals happen by simply making a few adjustments to your process. We hope this helps and we can’t wait to see those mouth-watering cooks. #chargriller #teamchargriller.