Many people spend a pretty good chunk of change on their pellet grill/smoker. Therefore, having to limit its use to only the summer months of the year would be disappointing. Luckily, you can use a pellet grill all year round, even in the winter months. However, how easy it will be to get the pellet grill/smoker performing well will depend on where you live, how cold it actually gets and the pellet grills features. Please note, this post is not about whether you can use a pellet grill in the rain, I’ve discussed that previously. Here we are purely discussing the impact of colder temperatures on pellet grill performance.
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How a pellet grill/smoker performs in the winter/colder months depends on its construction and the type of control panel it’s fitted with. For instance, is the cooking chamber made from just thin steel?
Because if that is the case, its not going to hold on to its heat very well without some assistance (a thermal blanket).
A pellet grill’s performance in the winter/colder months is also influenced by its control panel technology. Specifically, does the pellet grill feature a PID control panel or a time-based control panel? All will be explained below.
Keeping Heat Inside The Pellet Grill/Smoker
So first, let’s discuss a key concern when using a pellet grill in cold/wintry conditions keeping the heat inside the cooking chamber. While I’m a big fan of cold smoking, we still want to have to option to use a pellet grill/smoker as intended in cold conditions.
Now, some makes and models of pellet grills are better suited (actually designed) to hold their heat better. For instance, above I used the image of a Grilla Grills Silverbac as a reference for a pellet grill featuring twin-wall construction.
To further emphasize the benefits of twin-wall construction, I’ve included the video below from Grilla Grills.
The Camp Chef SmokePro range is a good budget option in many cases. However, they don’t currently feature twin-wall construction, and as the video above shows, that means more heat is lost through the base of the pellet grill.
That means higher pellet consumption (higher running costs), but importantly as part of this post, it means its hard to get heat into the cooking chamber in cold weather conditions.
It should be noted, it’s not just Camp Chef that doesn’t currently include a twin-wall combustion zone, most pellet grill manufacturers don’t.
As stated in the video above, twin-wall construction is found on more expensive pellet grills (Traeger Ironwood/Timberline models, for instance). However, twin-wall construction is not commonly found on more affordable/budget pellet grills.
I should also note, while the Silverbac appears very similar to the Z Grills 700 range, its not the same grill as I discuss in my Grilla Grills vs Z Grills post. For instance, the Z Grill does not feature a twin-wall combustion chamber.
Insulated Thermal Pellet Grill/Smoker Blankets
If your chosen wood pellet grill does not feature a twin-wall insulated combustion zone, and outside of Grilla Grills and luxury pellet grill brands, most don’t, to use a pellet grill in cold weather, you really need an insulated cover/blanket. I discuss this more in my Traeger accessories post.
If available, you’re probably better off purchasing the manufactures insulated grill cover. Yes, they are more expensive than a generic insulated thermal blanket to fit a wide range of pellet grills.
However, a poorly fitted insulated blanket every time you have to open the lid is going to get annoying fast, trust me.
Now, an insulated thermal blanket is generally keeping the heat around the cooking zone. Grilla Grills currently only insulate the lower half of their grills (the combustion zone).
However, the upper cooking chamber on the Grilla Grills is not twin-wall construction.
Hence, an insulated blanket could make even a Grilla Grills pellet grill more efficient.
What Type Of Controller Does Your Pellet Grill/Smoker Have?
Now you may understandably be thinking, ‘Chris, what does the type of pellet grill controller have to do with cold-weather performance?‘ Well, to get right to the point, a PID pellet grill controller performs much better in cold weather conditions.
A PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) controller found in many modern pellet grills is constantly making adjustments to the auger/fan speed to maintain the set temperature. Just think of a PID controller as a ‘smart’ controller.
Many previous-generation pellet grills, including the Traeger Pro Series, used time-based controllers. To ‘try’ and maintain a set temperature, they simply turn the auger/fan on and off for a set period of time.
Hence, time-based control panels are not well suited to dealing with external temperature changes, especially when it comes to cold winds.
Calm cold weather is hard enough for a pellet grill controller to maintain the set temperature. However, you add in wind chill, and it makes it even harder for the pellet grill controller to do its job.
The wind is generally very inconsistent, and the constant fluctuations in the external temperature around the grill can cause real problems.
If you have a previous generation Traeger Pro Series controller, for instance, you’ll want to look into how to change the P-Setting (Pause Setting). However, if you own a pellet grill with a PID control panel, it will simply adapt to feed in more fuel when required in colder external temperatures.
Conclusions On Pellet Grills/Smokers In Cold/Windy Weather
So, in conclusion, while you can use any pellet grill in the winter months of the year, how it will perform will vary. If you have a budget/previous generation pellet with thin single-wall construction and a time-based control panel, you need to prepare.
An insulated blanket is pretty much a must, and you would want to keep the pellet grill out of direct wind exposure as much as possible. However, you should only ever use a pellet grill in a well-ventilated environment due to the risk of carbon monoxide.
Hence, please don’t be tempted to use a pellet grill in your garage. A pellet grill/smoker is a fire risk, and it should be treated as such.
If your pellet grill has a PID control panel, it will be much better suited to dealing with the colder external temperatures. Likewise, if the pellet grill features semi/full twin-wall construction around the cooking chamber, that will help to keep the heat inside, improving cooking performance and reducing pellet consumption.
That’s it! Thanks for reading, I hope the article has helped to answer your questions about using a pellet grill/smoker in cold weather. If you would like to learn more such as how a pellet grill works, please check out my Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker Guide. 🙂
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