The family wants me to smoke another turkey for New Years eve lunch. I have the turkey brining in the fridge. My plan is to start smoking it late Saturday night. The predicted low Sunday morning is -5! The thought of roasting the turkey in the oven is sounding very appealing. I am sure I will end up smoking it. My little Weber water smoker is going to struggle to keep the temp up in the cold.

Twenty years ago I never would have given the cold a second thought. My favorite time to hunt pheasants was the first week of January. The colder and snowier the better! I have hunted grouse in northern MN at -20 and had blast. But smoking meat at -5 isn't getting too excited.

Tom

Be half a wimp.
Smoke it for a couple hours, wrap in foil and finish in the oven.
I smoke meat often in the winter on a Bradly smoker, but I usually plan it when day time temps are 20or so.
My smoker just won’t get warm enough when it’s super cold.

Isn't the aging process a wonderful concept.

Looking back on what we USED to do and addressing reality of what our bodies will let us do now.

I would go with the Half Wimp suggestion.

I would go Full-Wimp. That little Weber ain't gonna make it fun.

While it is cooking inside, go out and sit with your best friend, whatever drink that may be, and remember the fun you had back in the day ....... then go back inside and see what's on TV.

your thinking too short term.
what about next year and the year after when it's just as cold?

get you a pan of chips.
wet them down.
set them on the bottom burner of the oven.
place the turkey in the oven and flip the switch.
go get coffee at the café for a couple of hours making sure at least one family member comes home in the mean time.
enjoy the attention when you return home, and relish the fact your not having to smoke a turkey ever again.
they do sell them at the grocery store you know.

even in the small town I live in has bbq joints that will smoke your turkey for you.

The wimp won! My daughter mentioned she could cook the turkey. She didn't have to ask twice!

We just don't have any local BBQ places. There are a couple of guys with food trailers and smokers that set up at different times and places.

Now we will get to see how a 48-hr brine comes out of the oven as opposed to the smoker.

Happy New Year everyone!

Tom

I have found that the issue is, keeping the temp up to even close to high enough to do any cooking with the amateur style smokers. The more professional designs may have enough "fire to keep up. I even tried putting mine in a container to hold the heat but the minimal fire in them just isn't enough overcome ambient cold.
AND that is in warmer temps than you are talking about.

I built a smoker out of an old Norge refer.Stripped off gaskets + replaced w/ silicone caulk w/ wax paper on one side! Let set for 24 Hrs then you have a perfect seal.Since the old fridges were porcelain lined they are perfect.I built shelves to hold several birds at as time.I then pt a porcelain pan in the bottom to hold the coals. I installed a close nipple in the door right at the top of the coal bucket. In the the nipple I put a pc. of C/U tubing that fitted the nipple but was taper cut to allow allow regulated ingress of air into the coals.The sawdust I used was from from the peach + pecan trees that I cut myself.I used to do everyone's turkey @ Thanksgiving + Christmas.I'm too tired to do it today but t is a fun project. FWIW,NEVER let your temp go below 160 + that is pushing it. 160 is the point of moisture release as well as the point of rot.