Hot winter BBQ tips

Cold weather BBQing comes with a suite of challenges but once you’ve nailed them, the fun is all yours. You’ll love socialising in the snow, or the frost, or on a crisp chilly evening, as long as you’ve done the decent thing… so here’s a list for you!

Top barbecue tips for wintry weather

• As long as yours is a portable BBQ, you can move it around to keep the wind from spoiling the fun or even putting the flames out – your barbie will also work more efficiently and won’t burn as much fuel as it would when standing in the teeth a roaring gale. If there’s room, place it behind a wall or hedge out of the wind, leaving at least 3m between the BBQ and anything flammable.
• Frogs and toads, hedgehogs, moths and insects like to shelter in the dry so make sure nobody has taken up residence in your BBQ – or is hiding anywhere else in the vicinity – before you fire her up.
• If you’re using charcoal or wood, make sure your supplies are dry. If you’re burning gas, have an extra cannister handy just in case.
• You could try using a windbreaker, one of the big ones people use at the beach or in the garden, but make sure it’s placed so it can’t catch fire. The same goes for any other kind of shade or shelter you use to keep the weather off people.
• If there’s actual snow or ice, make the surfaces safe before you go out there. The last thing you want is someone slipping and falling. Grit is a good idea, sawdust works well, but salt can poison the soil.
• Clothing is key. You’ll want to wrap up warm in several layers to stand outdoors in proper winter weather for any length of time. You can even wear ski gear 😉 – maybe it’ll look a bit dorky out in the garden but at least you’ll stay properly warm!
• However cosy people’s clothes, you might also want to provide a pile of blankets and fleeces to wrap up in, an extra layer to keep the warm air inside.
• It’s wise not to huddle so close to the BBQ that you set yourself on fire – make sure people stay at a safe distance from hot stuff
• Bear in mind it takes longer to pre-heat a BBQ when the temperatures are really low, sometimes as much as twice as long as usual. Charcoal grills will take even longer and will use up more charcoal. If your gas tank is cold a gas BBQ can struggle because of a reduced flow of gas.
• A pellet grill uses electricity, which isn’t affected by the cold. Just take the usual safety precautions as you do around electricity in general, especially if it’s raining or damp.
• Stay safe from trips and falls – light the pathways with solar LEDs and mark out anything dangerous so no matter how dark and nasty it gets, people won’t do themselves a mischief.
• Keep an eye on wet ground in case it turns to frost as the night goes on or the daytime winter weather gets worse.
• A grill light is your best friend, specially made to attach to the hood and light your way while cooking. The best ones flex so you can move them easily and change the angle of the light.
• Make certain the BBQ is clear of snow or ice and the hinges, knobs and doors aren’t frozen shut. Empty ice out of the drip tray. Warm water – not hot – or a hairdryer both do a decent job of de-icing a BBQ.
• Get rid of any grease, which could otherwise cause flare-ups even if the grease is frozen solid. A gas BBQ flame should burn a clean blue, nit the yellow you get when things are clogged up.
• Check the grill hose hasn’t perished in the cold.
• You’ll want to cook with the grill closed once you’ve got it up to the right heat. A BBQ with an integral thermometer and glass window means you won’t need to open it up as often to check the food, keeping more heat in.
• Food will take longer to cook in winter so adjust the cooking times accordingly. Take care to cook it all the way through.
• Hop tip: a heat resistant welding blanket wrapped around the grill insulates it, keeping it hotter for longer and keeping the heat steady.
• Because everything is that little bit more challenging, choose simpler recipes than you might go for in the summer.
• Prepare a cosy, welcoming room indoors to retreat to, warm and light, in case people need a break to heat back up. Have the makings of hot drinks ready, and some tasty snacks to revive your guests.
• A BBQ might not give you all the warmth you need to keep folk cosy so double up with a chimenea, just like a giant radiator made from metal or clay.
• Woolly gloves are snuggly but wool can catch fire. Acrylic fabrics are just as flammable. A loose scarf can blow into the flames and set you head on fire 😉 – just exercise common sense.
• Heatproof BBQ gloves are an essential.
• Keep a fire extinguisher close by. Fires are actually just as likely in winter as they are in summer.
• Never grill indoors! If the weather deteriorates, you can always cook up a storm indoors.