Many people use an electric smoker outside to cook and smoke meat and other foods. It’s an important tool for a BBQ party, which you often need to have in your backyard or any other outdoor areas around your house. However, when you use an electric smoker outdoor, there’s a chance that the weather is not good. Sometimes, it will rain outside and you still need to use your electric smoker in rain to cook your favorite meats or any other foods.
So, the question is this. Can rain damage your Electric Smoker and Equipment? You will find the answer in this guide. This is a simple guide you can follow, which will explain all the details. Let’s get started.
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Using an Electric Smoker in the Rain – Some Important Things You Need to Know
First, you need to know that electric smokers are not waterproof. It can get damaged when you expose it to water. It has various electrical components that can get affected when you put it in constant water exposure. However, you can still use it in the rain only if you take certain precautions. For instance, you need to make sure that all electrical components don’t get exposed to water at all times.
Here are some important things you need to know about it:
- Constant exposure to rain or heavy rain is a big no for your electric smoker. Again, the water can seep into the electrical components and damage them.
Your electric smoker equipment can withstand water exposure to some degrees, as they often have the safety mechanism to protect the electrical components from water damage. However, this safety mechanism is not prone to failure.
It’s the best practice to put your electric smoker equipment under some kind of shade when you use it outside. This way, you won’t need to worry about the rain getting into the electrical components of the smoker.
The rain can disrupt the smoking process as it can affect the temperature of the electric smoker. So, keep this in mind when you plan to cook or smoke your foods under the rain.
The most troublesome part of using it in rain is when you need to keep the temperature high. So, in some ways, smoking or cooking with an electric smoker in the rain is not a good idea.
Your Electric Smoker Can Withstand Light Rain
In case of heavy rain, you might risk damaging the electric smoker when you use it outside. You shouldn’t use the electric smoker under heavy rain, although it is a common device you can use for cooking outdoors. Place your electric smoker under some kind of shade to protect it from the potential water damage under the heavy rain.
Here are some tips you can follow to use electric smoker during light rain:
- You can use a tent suitable for electric smoker, which also has some ventilation systems that help keep a clean air circulation in it.
If the rain gets bigger, it’s better for you to stop using the smoker and put it in a safe place where the rain won’t get to it.
You can continue cooking and smoking during light rain and only if it doesn’t give your smoker big water splashes. After completing the cooking session, you can store the smoker until the weather becomes good again.
Move your smoker so that the electrical wiring or the power supply doesn’t get exposed to water during the rain.
- Cover the outer parts of your electric smoker so that the water won’t impede your cooking.
Remember to follow these tips only when you use it during light rain. Stop using the equipment if the rain gets bigger, which can give you a risk of water damage to the equipment.
Tips to Use an Electric Smoker Outdoor
Having an outdoor party with the electric smokers around you can be so much fun. You can cook many kinds of food, smoke meats and just enjoy the good time with your friends and family. Using it outdoor shouldn’t be a problem in a good weather condition, but it can be a problem during the rainy season.
Here are some tips to use an electric smoker outdoor:
Give some space between each electric smoker, such as when you use two or more smokers at your outdoor party.
Cooking in the backyard? You need to make sure that the wiring system is secure and foolproof. You also need to make sure that the wiring system won’t get exposed to any water, such as the water from the rain.
It’s best to cook outside when the weather is fine. So, when it’s cloudy or about to rain, you should know that you might need to stop the cooking process during the sudden rainfall.
It’s better to cook under a kind of shelter, even a small shelter. You can use a tent, a patio, or any other types of small shelter where you can put your electric smoker in a safe place there, free from the potential water splashes from the rain.
- Heat the smoker beforehand. It will take quite some time for your electric smoker to burn the pellets or hardwood chips. So, it’s best to heat the smoker beforehand, so that you can use it right away in your outdoor party.
Some Things to Do when Using an Electric Smoker in the Rain
Some electric smoker products have excellent protection against the rain, which means you can use them in the rain. You can rely on the electric smokers that have a good build quality, and you can check the instruction manual if it can withstand the rain or if you can use it during the light rain. However, there are also many models that don’t have a good safety protection for you to use it in the rain.
Here are some things to do when using them in the rain:
Make sure that your electric smoker model is suitable for you to use in the light rain, as not all electric smokers have excellent safety features against water damage.
Don’t take any risk for water to get into the electrical components of your electric smoker. Protect all electrical components of your smoker from any water splash.
Light raining might be fine for your electric smoker, but a long exposure to light rain might not be fine for your smoking equipment. Stop all cooking processes during the long period of light rain.
Drastic temperature changes during the rain can prevent the electric smoker to keep burning the wood chips or pellets. It’s good to maintain the temperature of your smoker as best as you can during rainfall.
Don’t keep your electric smoker outside. Always store it indoors after use.
FAQs
Yes, it is still OK to smoke meat in the rain, provided that it is light rain. For heavy rain, it is not OK for you to use the electric smoker outside. However, if you use a tent or any kind of shelter, it is still OK to do that.
Yes, it is fine however please note that you can only use it during the light rain. Keep in mind that the water can seep into the electrical components and damage them if you expose the electric smoker too much in the rain.
The same rule still applies. However, you shouldn’t use the Pit Boss smoker in the rain. This is according to the instruction manual for the Pit Boss brand of smoker products.
Electric smoker products can withstand some water splashes, such as the outer parts. However, the inner electrical parts cannot withstand water exposure, and thus they can get damaged by water. So, it’s not waterproof, and you should avoid using your electric smoker products in the heavy rain.
Conclusion
The answer to the question is yes, you can use it in rain, but only if it is light rain and not for a long period. As with any other electrical devices, an electric smoker can get damaged when exposed to water, such as heavy rain.
Be sure to avoid using your electric smoker in the rain, and only use it in the rain with some precautions as explained in this guide. Our recommended Electric Smoker is Masterbuilt MB20073519.
Happy cooking!
