If you let me ask, what is the most precious thing you possess as a barbecue lover, what would be your answer? For, me it’s my grill. It’s an investment for me; you should know and implement everything possible to protect it. When you are using the grill outdoors, high windy weather conditions are one of the main issues you have to deal with, particularly in terms of the safety of the grill. Yes, I’ll explain how to secure the grill from wind. Let’s get going.
[wpsm_toplist]
Is it Safe to Grill in High Winds?
First of all, if you own a charcoal grill, grilling in the wind might not be the easiest job in the world. The situation gets tougher for the charcoal grills as the winds make it challenging to provide consistent temperature levels on the food you cook.
This says you will have to facilitate more fuel to the grill in order for it to do the job you expect. If you want a direct answer from me, I would not recommend you continue with grilling in hurricane-like environments.
How to Secure Grill from Wind – Methods & Step By Step Guide
There is more to discuss in this regard, and the following questions and answers would clear some of the puzzling points in your mind.
How to Light a Gas Grill When It’s Windy?
My advice is not to lift the grill’s lid, especially when you are not 100% sure about whether the flames are working or not. Instead, investigate match-hole. If the wind condition is more serious, you have to cover the grill when you are checking the state of the burners.
Also, in a situation of a burner go out, you have to shut down the gas supply as soon as possible to prevent unwanted scenarios. In addition, stay for a while without reigniting until you figure out the smell is not there. Always try to use a BBQ grill wind guard in severe windy conditions.
How to Prevent the Grill from Blowing Over?
You can have various methods to protect grill from wind, and if you are tactical enough, you can create your own formula to prevent wind blowing BBQ grill. Anyway, let me tell you one easy way that I use.
If your grill doesn’t have a cover, you can use heavy sand containing bags across the crossbars of the grill to anchor it. This will help you keep your grill to remain without falling or rolling and minimize the chances of wind blows out the gas grill.
How to Avoid Cover is Blown Away by the Wind?
Wandering around the neighborhood looking for the blown BBQ cover is a nightmare, isn’t it? This thing won’t happen to you after you read my tricks on how to secure grill cover from wind. Here are some of them.
- You can use a bungee cord around and over the cover after you complete grilling in windy conditions.
- Gust guards are another super easy method to use not only for the BBQ covers but also for other furniture covers.
- Always use a fitting grill cover. It might sound pretty obvious, but I know most of you don’t use appropriate covers on your BBQ grills.
- Using a relatively heavy cover also is a good option. Also, you can attach magnets to the ends to provide additional strength. Even some products come with magnets attached to the cover.
Best BBQ Tools for Windy Conditions
If you are in a mentality to buy the best gas grill for windy conditions, I’m afraid I cannot approve it. Instead, I recommend you focus more on the following tools because even with the best windproof grill, you will find it difficult to manage harsh windy conditions. These are the tools I have in my arsenal.
- Blocks – you can use any type of block as an outdoor grill lock. I think there is no need to mention options you have in your garage to use as blocks.
- Barbecue windbreak – A BBQ windbreak or windscreen is essential to keep everything safe when the wind is not catering to your needs.
- Bungee cords – As I explained previously, this is one of the most straightforward options I use to protect my grill from winds.
- Grill cover – Obviously, you got to have a sound grill cover whether or not you suffer from wind.
How to Build a Windshield for Built-In Barbeque?
Guys, you have to believe me in this. Building a windshield is not a painstaking work as one would think. I will just give you some tips as a DIY guide so that you can make your own gas grill wind guards without much of a fuss.
Tips
- You can use either metal or wood as the material for the windshield.
- It should be taller than your machine and cover two or three sides.
- The material you use has to be heavy enough to bear strong winds.
- Also, consider a method to anchor the shield to the ground.
- Keep in mind to allow sufficient space between the grill and shield if you use wood to build the cover.
- It should be easy to move from one place to another to cover the direction of the wind.
If you concentrate on the above tips, it’s not rocket science to come up with a solid grill wind block.
How to Secure a Grill to a Deck?
As far as I’m concerned, this is a must-know for all the people who have a BBQ grill with them. It’s not all about the security of the grill, but an unanchored grill could bring injuries to the people who wait for the meals as well. This is how I do it.
- One method that I frequently use is wedging wooden blocks into my grill’s wheels. Once you place them, try to move the grill to double-check whether it is moveable or not.
- Also, you can tie down the grill to a nearby object that is strong enough to keep the grill in place. I recommend you use a nylon rope for the task and ensure you leave a gap of at least three feet from the object to the grill.
How to Strap Down a Grill?
Yeah, let me explain a wee bit on the strapping of a BBQ grill. The object you use to strap down should ideally be a deck or porch. Also, the nylon rope that I use has the capability to hold 100 pounds. When strapping, weave the rope around your machine’s legs and the structure. Secure everything with tight knots and make sure the wind has no chance to slide or roll the grill. Moreover, the rope should have a considerable clearance margin from fire; otherwise, all the efforts would go in vain, and you could end up in a catastrophe.
Smoking Meat Tips on a Cold, Windy Day
Guys, I’m an owner of a gas grill. So, let me elaborate on the tips associated with gas grills first. However, I do have suggestions for charcoal grills as well, so keep reading.
For Gas Grills
- First, identify that you are about to come across winds and turn the grill perpendicular to the direction where the winds are hitting the machine. By doing this thing, you are leaving minimal chances for the wind to affect the cooking.
- Keep a close eye on the grill when you cook in windy conditions. If you observe the burners out, do not ignite them back immediately. Wait for a few minutes with the lid open to allow air to circulate.
- Last but not least, ensure there is an allowance of 10 or so feet from the gill to surrounding buildings.
For Charcoal Grills
- If you own a charcoal grill and have to manage winds, the first piece of advice that I can give you is to carry more charcoal with you. The faster the wind is, the faster the charcoal burns. If you run out of fuel for around thirty minutes, it is inevitable to receive bad-tasting food.
- When you open the lid, be careful with it, as winds can blow the ashes on the food you cook.
- The damper has to be open during the process. That said, paying attention to the cooking is imperative, and manipulate the damper as needed.
FAQs on How to Secure Grill from Wind
Here are quick-fire answers to three frequently asked questions regarding the connection between winds and BBQ grills.
Do Outdoor Grills Need to Be Covered?
The rule of thumb is to keep the cover on stay animals away from the grills and when the grill is not in use. However, it doesn’t necessarily suggest that you have to keep the BBQ grill covered 24*7. Covering a grill alone won’t be enough when it comes to the longevity of the machine.
You have to wipe it down and give a thorough clean once in a while. It is crucial to have a high-quality grill cover in a windy environment and keep it on when kept outdoors. As they say, you have to expect the unexpected to handle situations appropriately.
How to Secure Gas Grill during a Hurricane?
The critical thing is you have to secure the tank of the grill before you worry about anything when in a hurricane. If you can cover it from a wall or something, it would be a great precautionary action.
Take it inside if possible as soon as you learn about a forecasted hurricane. I’m not telling you to use it inside your home, but it will help you keep the grill safe from unforgiving weather conditions.
Which Direction Should I Face My Barbeque Pit?
Since I’m talking about winds, my recommendation would be to keep the grill in a place where you get a minimum amount of wind hassle; obviously. Angle it away from the wind irrespective of the type of grill you use, perpendicular to the burners.
In addition, if you are using a windshield, it is important to anchor it to the deck or use one of the methods I explained. If not, the strong winds can push the shield down onto the grill.
Wrapping up..
For those who struggled with wind easily blows out gas grills, this article’s content should be more than enough to get a fair idea about how to secure grill from wind. The success of this purely depends on our preventative procedures rather than worrying at the final minute. If you have further questions, please notify me of them in the comment section. Adios, Amigo!
