Cold Start

[Steve In Pa]

It’s 4F with a -11 windchill out there today so I wanted to see how the PB would do for a test run for a smoke later today. Once started the auger was grinding and protesting for a minute or so but then it quit making noise and ran OK. It took about 5 minutes for the pellets to ignite but it’s going now.
So I’m going to do a burn off for now and see how it holds temps. The PB is on the leeward side of the house, still a bit breezy but not full on wind.
Today I’m supposed to do smoked cream cheese and smoked nuts. I’ll need about 225F at 2 hours for that.
If that works, then tonight around 10 PM I’m putting on a couple briskets for a slow smoke overnighter to finish up for tommow’s evening dinner.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Redoctapus]

It’s 4F with a -11 windchill out there today so I wanted to see how the PB would do for a test run for a smoke later today. Once started the auger was grinding and protesting for a minute or so but then it quit making noise and ran OK. It took about 5 minutes for the pellets to ignite but it’s going now.
So I’m going to do a burn off for now and see how it holds temps. The PB is on the leeward side of the house, still a bit breezy but not full on wind.
Today I’m supposed to do smoked cream cheese and smoked nuts. I’ll need about 225F at 2 hours for that.
If that works, then tonight around 10 PM I’m putting on a couple briskets for a slow smoke overnighter to finish up for tommow’s evening dinner.
Fingers crossed.

Hello Steve,
I always brine and spatchcock turkeys and whole chicken. The simplest of brine has a big effect.
In this weather trying to set the skin might be a task in your kitchen, lol!

 

[Steve In Pa]

all went we for round one. The PB seemed to handle the cold temps fine and the appetizers were done in about the usual tim. It was brutal out there at the start.
Round 2 being an overnighter with a couple briskets on. Starting off at the smoke setting and will move up to 230 F in the early morning. 11F right now with little wind

 

[Steve In Pa]

Aside from the auger noise upon first starting up from dead cold is last night it threw a ERR1 code on me. So I unplugged, replugged back in and restarted. All’s been fine since. I’m theorizing cold may have affect connections right off. Other ideas welcome.

 

[Steve In Pa]

Regarding the built in temp prob, the one in the back corner. It’s way off. I have the PB set to 230, the prob has been reading in the low 200s. However my oven thermometers are located pretty much in the middle of the unit right below the brisket are reading 230-240ish consistently. So for now I’m not adjusting anything.

 

[Mike From R.I.]

Aside from the auger noise upon first starting up from dead cold is last night it threw a ERR1 code on me. So I unplugged, replugged back in and restarted. All’s been fine since. I’m theorizing cold may have affect connections right off. Other ideas welcome.

I got the code once when it was very cold and windy. I just hit the start button and it was fine, happens according to the manual if it is very cold out.

 

[t-roy]

I think your vertical will handle temps better than my barrel 820 sportsman for sure. I put mine up 2 weeks ago. and hoping to do a smoke next weekend if the weather is better. Lucky for me I have a whole freezer full of stuff from the last smoke. Its nice to have ribs when its -30 out and you didnt have to go out in the cold!

 

[Steve In Pa]

I think your vertical will handle temps better than my barrel 820 sportsman for sure. I put mine up 2 weeks ago. and hoping to do a smoke next weekend if the weather is better. Lucky for me I have a whole freezer full of stuff from the last smoke. Its nice to have ribs when its -30 out and you didnt have to go out in the cold!

For sure. There are something’s that are excellent reheated.

 

[MikeInFla]

Trying to get mine going now. Took longer than expected to warm up. I’m way behind.

 

[Steve In Pa]

Just had another error having to do with pellet feed. In fact the app alerted me to that. I restarted the PB and ran it up to 400 for a burn off and that went OK.

So playing it safe, the briskets are out of the PB and in the oven now for the finish.

 

[MikeInFla]

I had erL when I started up but I think I set it too high. I had it set on 350 and it never got that high because it was so cold. So I restarted it and gradually went up to 350.

Then smoked the turkey for an hour on 200. Then turned it up to finish in time.

Used one smoke tube. The other I accidentally left on the back porch and can’t find it because there is a foot of snow out there

I guess I’ll see it when the snow melts!

 

[Glove Medic]

Started around 17 degrees for me this morning. Nothing compared to those in the north. Turned out a great Prime rimb and turkey.

 

[Steve In Pa]

Started around 17 degrees for me this morning. Nothing compared to those in the north. Turned out a great Prime rimb and turkey.

Nice job

 

[Steve In Pa]

Despite the cold and a couple error outages we got a couple good briskets finally. Playing it safe I lulled them off the smoky and finished inside in the oven. Pic is of the smaller of the two briskets, it finished 3 hours before the bigger one

 

[Steve In Pa]