When the warmth of summer leaves and the chill of winter creeps in, many grillers shut their grills down for the winter. Others, however, aren’t ready to just give up the delicious homemade foods they can make with their grills. If you’d rather keep grilling despite the weather, here are a few tips for grilling out during cold weather.
Perform a Grill Check
The cold can often be much more demanding than warm summer days because of ice and snow. When you’re performing a fuel check for your grill, you should also inspect your grill’s condition and make sure it’s in working order. You should first clear any snow and other substances that have built up or in the grill, and then make sure none of the knobs are frozen over. Once you’re certain the winter weather hasn’t damaged or obstructed your grill, you can finally begin grilling.
Patience Is Key
From preheating to cooking itself, it will naturally take longer for the grill to heat up and your food to grill. Remembering to have patience is simply the best tip for grilling outside during cold weather because trying to rush things will result in undercooked food. To ensure your grill remains consistently hot throughout the process, you should consider using firewood instead of charcoal. Cooking wood burns longer than charcoal at more consistent temperatures, which is a great reason you should grill with wood.
Trust in the Lid
As much as you may want to open your grill to check on your food, you must resist the urge. Your grill’s lid must stay on when the weather is cold. The lid is key to retaining heat, so every time you lift it, you let all the heat escape and prolong the cooking time of your food.
Clean Up Quickly
Lastly, you want to ensure you can clean up before the grill cools off. The best time to clean the grill is when it’s hot because food debris will come off the grates easier. This is especially important if you’re planning to stop grilling for the season, as you don’t want that food debris to sit on your grill equipment until next summer.
