Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Any useful tips on smoking a whole pig (70 lbs) in cold weather besides don't do it. I've got a home made off-set smoker made from a 120 gal propane tank. Some friends of mine called 2 days ago and want to do this for new years eve for about 30 people and I said sure.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks I kinda figured that was coming.

 

I do it this way all the time. Cut one end a potato and put that flat side down. Top part I make a ^ and I jam the probe through it

 

Damn Brian...shit luck with all the growing pains! Once you get it all sorted you’ll be a happy camper.

 

I hope my smoker gets hot enough for a grease fire tomorrow. ( or any fire).

 

Pile of walkers...

 

Look here, page 6: https://www.traegergrills.com/images/en-us/Manuals/DOC095_BBQ075.02_Texas_Pro_Blue.pdf
Are you SURE the grease tray is above the lip that funnel the grease into the bucket? And again, any grease in the bucket?

 

That’s like the pro model or something. My grease tray and spout are combined and the grease does in fact funnel in to the bucket

 

Swilled a bottle of 20yr old awhile back... Buddy (guy in the pic) works for the ABC board. Basically, any liquor in Alabama is bought through the state, and we are raped on taxes on it. The whiskey was very mediocre IMHO, especially considering the price.

 

@Misplaced Nebraskan

 

I don't have the same grill obviously, but I gave it a shot. Sum ting wong. Good luck.

 

Not sure what yours looks like but throw moving blankets over smoker barrel. Block the wind off the fire box and be prepared to feed more wood and pay it more attention. That’s what I do on my old noninsulated stick burners when it’s real cold. Can also build a campfire close to it so y’all can stay warm having a drink.

 

Thanks for the encouragement I'll definitely need the blankets, now the high for tomorrow is 10F. I'll make it work some how. It might be entertaining I'll keep you posted.

 

A good windbreak would help a lot, maybe rig some plywood or move some vehicles around it or something

U ever roast a pig before?

 

I have never smoked a whole pig before, I kind of got thrown into this. I will have the smoker protected from the wind but the temp has me worried.

 

Ya 10 is cold
Good news is you only need 250 degrees to do it right lol
If it will fit in the cooker I’d butterfly it and cook it skin side down
Use remote temp probes to monitor smoker and pig temp so u don’t have to open it
And allow yourself lots of extra time
It’ll be great

 

Many moons ago we cooked a whole hog on an offset was very very cold, had some trouble keeping temp where it needed. A buddy ran to his house and got bags of charcoal and built a fire under the barrel. It was enough to keep it running where we needed it.

 

Thanks, I wasn't sure skin down or up. I'll have my coveralls on and do my best to keep temps.