Tricks to smoking in the colder months?

[LoveSmoking]

Just curious if anyone has any tricks to share while smoking in the winter months.  I've heard of a cover for some of the other brands, just curious if anyone ever tried one of these.  I heard it can help promote heat retention up to 25 degrees.  That would be wonderful, especially for Turkeys.

[tskeeter]

Bricks.  Foil wrapped bricks.  Used as heat sinks to help with temp stability and temp recovery.  Preheated in the smoker, or even preheated in the oven.

While I keep one brick tucked under my puck burner, I have used as many as four oven heated bricks to speed along a turkey breast that was still slightly frozen.

Of course, covers will help.  Anything from a simple cardboard box to a shed that keeps the breeze off the smoker.

[KyNola]

The Bradley is well insulated.  Wrapping it in a welding blanket, etc. is really not necessary although many do wrap it.  If you choose to wrap, be sure to not cover the vent nor the louvers in the smoke generator.  Your biggest enemy is the wind.  Wind blowing across the top vent literally sucks the heat out of your tower.  Figure out a way to block the wind from blowing directly across the top of your smoker and you should be fine.

[beefmann]

may want to  store your  smoker in a storage shed, much  like this

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17581.msg213170#msg213170

[TedEbear]

Just curious if anyone has any tricks to share while smoking in the winter months.  I've heard of a cover for some of the other brands, just curious if anyone ever tried one of these.  I heard it can help promote heat retention up to 25 degrees.  That would be wonderful, especially for Turkeys.

There are a few things you can do to help it.

1. First, be sure your smoker is out of the wind.
2. Do not use an extension cord.  If you must use one get a heavy duty cord that is made for a large appliance, at least 12 ga.
3. Pour hot water into your water bowl puck catcher.
4. Heat a couple of bricks wrapped in foil and put them on an empty rack.
5. Further insulate the outside of your smoker with something like a water heater blanket.
6. Keep the top vent open.  Do not be tempted to close the vent completely to try and hold in the heat.
7. Add a second 500W element or replace the original with a finned 900W.  If you do that you'll also need to add a PID controller.  There are "how-to" guides available on how to do this.

Here are some more ideas:

When/if it gets cold out...

Insulated Blanket/Cover

Normal temps...