I would like to barbecue kielbasa for a party a head of time - about an hour or two before we eat. How do I keep it from shriveling?

Why do you need to do it in advance. It cooks up so fast. I don't think there's any way to keep it from shriveling.

Is this precooked kielbasa?

If so, perhaps you could bbq it really quickly over really hot coals to get the desired grill marks, then seal it well in foil to avoid extreme shriveling - but Pam's right that you probably can't avoid some puckering of the skin.

Is it that bbq'd kielbasa isn't as pretty as you'd see in a food-stylist-touched-up picture promoting a product? (You know those aren't really cooked....I've watched them use a paint brush to put on grill marks.)

If this is like raw kielbasa you get ground from the sausage butcher, there's no way to avoid the shriveling. It's an outcome of the cooking process.

How are you planning to serve it? I use it for an appetizer. I use the pre-cooked kind and cut it in 1 inch slices. I quickly barbecue them and then serve with tooth picks. I suppose you could do it in advance and store them in some kind of sauce or liquid and re-warm just before serving.

I've also used grilled precooked kielbasa to use as an appetizer. It takes no time at all on the grill.

I found this but am not sure it will help since it still has you grilling at the last minute. If you don't like the idea of beer, you could just use water or part water/part low sodium chicken stock. Even a little apple juice could be good...

"Place the whole kielbasa in a frying pan that's just slightly larger. Pour in your favorite beer or ale and poach about 20 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and let everything return to room temperature. Do this in the morning when you will be grilling later in the day. Place the kielbasa on the grill until you get some grill marks and you're done. The result will be a kielbasa that remains plump and doesn't shrivel or split as easily. It will last for many days if kept cool."