Winter BBQ Guide

Just because the sun goes down earlier, the nights become longer, the air becomes cold and in some parts of Australia the snow falls, it doesn’t mean you need to give up that primal instinct of cooking over fire. BBQing and grilling is as Australian as Ned Kelly, fairy bread, meat pies, so with some simple hacks, tricks and knowledge you will be king of the grill all year round. 

If you need help find the ideal BBQ or outdoor kitchen for your needs, we have created an assortment of guides to assist you, with a selection of BBQ, Outdoor Kitchen, Outdoor Rangehood, and BBQ Accessories Buying Guides. 

Firstly what sort of grill are you running? Gas, charcoal or wood? In cold weather, they will all react differently, cook differently and have your food ready at different times.

Gas is easy to control with the dials while charcoal and wood are a lot harder to bring up to temperature and maintain.

Does your BBQ have hot and cold spots? 

There's a simple tip to remember. Take a loaf of bread, lay each piece out in one layer, cover the whole grill and you will see which pieces cook first and which take longer - hot and cold spots!

Use these to your advantage in cold weather - use the hot spots for quicker grilling!

There is nothing worse than inviting the extended family over for dinner, firing up the grill and then realizing you are falling behind because it’s so cold. While the cold will most certainly have an effect on you, it will also affect your grilling game. The cold air temperature will settle on lids, plates, utensils and slow down heat transfer meaning a longer cook time. 

Always allow extra time for your grill to come up to temperature and even longer for solid fuel fires like charcoal and wood to preheat.

If you live in extreme cold or snow areas, you can minimize winter effects on your grill for about $70. 

Tip: From any good hardware store you can purchase a welding blanket to drape over the hood/cooking chamber of your BBQ. These blankets are safe to use up to 250°C - just be careful not to place over direct heat sources like fireboxes or charcoal fires. By using the blanket you are forming a barrier between the cold air and the cold steel and also insulating the chamber. 

BBQing and being outdoors in the winter is seriously underestimated and nothing truly beats the taste of grilled steaks and pork chops - regardless the time of year. However, you don’t want to have the family over and halfway through one of the best cooks of your life have the fuel source run out. No gas, no firewood, and no charcoal can all spell disaster so it is best to be prepared.

In really cold temperatures you can use 1.5 times as much gas fuel as a normal, sunny, summer afternoon. Always be prepared! With charcoal, you can find you will use up to ⅓ bag more than normal and wood can use significantly more just bringing up to, and holding, the right temperature.

Tip: As a general rule, you should always have a spare bottle just in case and for the winter it is an absolute must. 

Nothing like a cold winter wind to wake you up and this can have a serious effect on your grilling, smoking and BBQ experience. Wind can, and will, have an adverse reaction to your outdoor BBQ experience so there are some easy solutions to make sure you have the best chance of cooking outside this winter.

If your BBQ unit has a natural air flow movement (like offset smokers, some charcoal grills) it is okay to let the wind travel this path.  However, there are some steps to take to maximize efficiency.

You may want to close the vents down more than normal if the wind is following the normal air path because if you don’t, you will go through a lot more fuel and face uneven temperature spikes which are hard to control.

BBQs that have hoods and run on gas are far better protected from the wind and elements.  However, don’t fall into a false sense of security and think that you are totally safe. The wind can, and will, still travel through under the plates and affect the gas flow.

If you can move your BBQ, move it out of the direct wind, as air flow won’t cause too many issues once the gas is already ignited.

If you can’t move your unit, do your best to stand in front or shield pelting wind from hitting the burners.

Tip: Stand up some old boards or wood panels around your BBQ to create a wind barrier. (Note: Be careful not to stand too close to the barrier as the unit is still hot and can combust the material!) 

When you need to move food between your BBQ and indoor kitchen or serving area, move the food in cast iron or ceramic cookware. The extra thick, insulated material of both won’t cool down your food!

Choose easy recipes that don’t require you to open the lid often and let the heat escape and the cold air enter. Remember: If you’re looking, you ain’t cookin’!

Cook foods that you know how to cook inside and out, without constant supervision and maintenance. This means you let the BBQ do the work without losing the heat and can trust in your machine to do the legwork.