Braai in wind and rain

How to place, shelter and run a braai when the wind is up or the rain comes down, without burning the food or the fence.

Rain is not a reason to cancel a braai. Wind is the thing to respect. A little planning handles both.

Wind is the real problem

Cold on its own does little. At 5 to 7°C (41 to 45°F) cooking times barely change. Near freezing, a kettle needs extra charcoal to hold its temperature, but it still works.

Wind does three things:

It fans the coals, so they burn hotter and die sooner. Expect to add fuel every 30 to 45 minutes instead of every hour.
It blows ash onto the food.
It pulls heat out of a kettle every time the lid comes off.

Where to put the braai

Keep any braai at least 3 m (10 ft) from walls, fences and anything that hangs over it.
On a kettle, turn it so the front leg, the one under the bottom vent, points into the wind. The gusts then hit the bowl instead of blowing straight into the vents.
A gas braai goes side-on to the wind, so the flames are not blown out or pushed back toward the controls.
Use a sheltered corner of the garden if you have one.

Windbreaks

A fabric screen or a temporary three-sided screen of board, lined with foil on the fire side, cuts most of the wind. Two rules:

Never close the fire in on all sides. It needs air, and a sealed space builds up heat and carbon monoxide.
Keep anything loose or flammable well away from the bowl. A windbreak that blows into the fire is worse than no windbreak.

Running the fire in wind

Start with the vents open as usual. If the fire races, close the bottom vent partway to slow it. In rain and cold, do the opposite: more fuel, vents fully open.
Keep the lid on as much as you can. Open it slowly and on the downwind side so ash does not lift onto the food.
A dual-probe thermometer, one probe in the meat and one at grid level, lets you check progress without lifting the lid.
For steak, consider a reverse sear: cook it gently on the cool side to about 46°C (115°F), then give it a short sear over the coals. You stand in the weather for less time. See salting and resting meat for pull temperatures.

Rain

Cook under a gazebo or canopy with plenty of headroom. Do not push the braai up against the house or under an eave.
Rain landing on a hot kettle lid robs heat, and over time it can crack the enamel.
Keep charcoal and wood dry. Damp charcoal lights badly and smokes. Light a chimney of briquettes under cover and carry it to the braai.
Expect a longer cook. Check reading your coals more often than usual.

Stopping the braai from blowing over

An empty kettle on a paved stoep will go over in a strong gust. Put a few bricks on the bottom rack. After the braai, bungee the cover down. A fitted cover also stops rain turning leftover ash into a wet paste that eats through the bowl.

When not to braai

Do not light a fire during a strong wind warning or when a fire ban is in force. Embers travel further than you think.
Keep a bucket of water or sand next to the braai.
Never move a lit kettle. Wait until it is cold.

Short cooks suit bad weather. Boerewors, chops, sosaties and braaibroodjies are done in under 20 minutes. A potjie suits it too, because the lid stays on and the pot does the work while you stand under cover. Save the whole chicken and the long roasts for a still day.