BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Welcome to the Bradley Smoker Forum! You have entered what is probably the best thing about a Bradley Smoker, The Forum. Here you will find people who will bend over backwards, and trip over each other trying their best to make your smoking experience the best that it can be. You will find some of the best tried and true recipes for use in your Bradley Smoker and others. If you have questions PLEASE ask them. If you feel stupid about asking the question. Just think how stupid we feel about admitting that "yeah I did that". At one time each and every member on this forum was in your shoes. We were "The newbie". So come on in and read awhile and ask questions, tell us about yourself. We really are a friendly bunch, even though it can be more like a dysfunctional family at times. We do have fun. I leave you with this quote that sums up the mentality of the members of this Forum.

"Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection to you" --Saint Augustine

Keep the Smoke Rolling!!
Tenpoint5
(Still a Newbie learning something new every day!)

I know I haven't been around for a while 10.5...but to the new members...HIS POST is a must read!!! We have all done the most idiotic things and learned from the other forum members!!! The beauty of cooking anything...if it comes out not what you expected...DO IT AGAIN!!!

Start slow and work your way up...just like anything else...the smoking "brass ring" is out there...GO FIND IT!!!  ;D ;D

I am a newbie to the Bradley system i bought a six rack digital smoker I loaded it up with chicken and ribs . tried to follow the directions from the cook book but nothing was done as it should have been. Then i recently put 10 lbs of chicken leg quarters in it for 8 hours with 4 hours of smoke again it was not done. What am i doing wrong even when i do it with the temp on high i get the same results . Somebody must know what i am doing wrong.

jerryc,
I don't want to hi-jack this thread so I will send you a Personal Message with some questions and possible tips.

Thats a nice welcome Chris, We should add links to the FAQ's and recipe site then make this a sticky.
Hi LQ, hope your doing well.
I think I'm the one who has NOT "done the most idiotic things."  ::) ::)
Everything I do is idiotic.  ;D ;D ;D

Ya mean i'm goin to learn somthin.............................


(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/homer-woohoo.png)

Hi my name is James and I am a smoke aholic. I am a newbie and I am very happy to be here.  Of late, I have spent the majority of my free time reading unbelievable smoking forums right here. Nothing like finding the ultimate fix to support an addiction! 

At this time I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to these forums, for if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be going to bed less stupider tonight.

Keeping it stoked,
JJ

Bought OBS Fri. before Memorial Day and smoked ribs and cornish hens over the weekend. I read up a lot before buying and in this short time I absolutely love this smoker. I think it would make a tennis shoe taste good.

smokinmac, welcome to the Forum.

Need to start you a post and intro yourself so everyone can say Howdy!

Just got a digital 4 shelf Bradley.  Been looking forward to it for a while.  Have done chicken (wonderful) and brisket (way underdone) thus far.  I am a CPA from East Texas and intend enjoy this new hobby. Cheers

tprothro, welcome to the Forum.

Need to start you a post and intro yourself so everyone can say Howdy!

PS, I am an East Texan also.

Quote"Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection to you" --Saint Augustine

10.5, now that is friggen brilliant! Says it all...

I'm thinking about buying a Bradley 4 shelf digital smoker and wanted some advice as to how easy it is to say smoke ribs chicken etc. Do you just put it on and leave it?? and then do you normally then put it on the BBQ to finish

any help is appreciated
Just waiting to pop the "smoking Cherry"
Klaw from Canada

Quote from: klaw77 on June 28, 2010, 11:04:16 AM
I'm thinking about buying a Bradley 4 shelf digital smoker and wanted some advice as to how easy it is to say smoke ribs chicken etc. Do you just put it on and leave it?? and then do you normally then put it on the BBQ to finish

any help is appreciated
Just waiting to pop the "smoking Cherry"
Klaw from Canada

Welcome to the forum klaw77, start up a new topic in the general or new topic section and we'll get you smoking in no time.

just got my 4 rack digital smoker. Have smoked a lot of food the old way with charcoal and hickory chunks and beer. Have to sit there all day monitoring it. I was usually drunk by time food was done. made some good stuff just want easier and more control so here I am.

Quote from: Mailman on June 28, 2010, 12:57:29 PM
just got my 4 rack digital smoker. Have smoked a lot of food the old way with charcoal and hickory chunks and beer. Have to sit there all day monitoring it. I was usually drunk by time food was done. made some good stuff just want easier and more control so here I am.

That's why I got a Bradley so that smoking some good food wouldn't get in the way of my drinking.

Welcome aboard. Think you'll fit right in.

Well, I'm in hour five my very first smoking adventure with my Father's Day gift (God bless my wife's BBQ'd face), a 4 rack Bradley Original. I keep reading about hitting the "plateau" and am worried that we might be eating at 9:00pm instead of 6:00!!! I'm on hour 5 of a 5lb pork butt (Shoulder?) at 210 deg F and have an internal roast temp. of 155. How long should this roast really take? Can I speed it up? and can you freeze leftovers (Like there will be any)

Thanx for any insight!

W E L C O M E  to the Forum CanaSmoke!

I hate to tell you this, but you aren't even halfway done.

That pork shoulder will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours per pound.

Hello all,  I am from Douglas WY just  seasoned my new Digital Smoker today.  Will be trying it out tomorrow.  This forum and it's members helped me decide which type of electric smoker I would buy.  I have been using my Weber Kettle with a smokenator for the last 12 months, love it just got tired of tending the fire during long smokes.  Thanks for all you help.

Welcome kelpie

Welcome Kelpie.  Glad you turned darkside and joined us in our fun.   Your DBS will serve you well in the years to come.  You have journeyed on the road to Smoking Nirvana for a while now, but now you have the DBS its downhill the rest of the way.

Hi ..........another newbie!!  Got my digital 4 rack smoker a few days ago and did my first smoking yesterday.  About 7 lbs. of chuck short ribs.  Prepared a wet rub sat in the fridge overnight.   Used about three hours of hickory smoke and another five hours of cooking at 210 degrees.  They were absolutely delicious.

W E L C O M E  to the Forum jatoba!

Quote from: jatoba on July 02, 2010, 08:29:13 AM
Hi ..........another newbie!!  Got my digital 4 rack smoker a few days ago and did my first smoking yesterday.  About 7 lbs. of chuck short ribs.  Prepared a wet rub sat in the fridge overnight.   Used about three hours of hickory smoke and another five hours of cooking at 210 degrees.  They were absolutely delicious.

Sounds like you hit the ground running.

Congrats and Welcome.

You might want to check out our FAQ's
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=748#post748

recipe site:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/

Try this link to get your pictures going.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11

Hello to all, rod here new to the Bradley community...to be honest, smoked 2 yard birds
prior to finding this site...just ok...referenced YouTube videos...I'll be reading posts to learn as much as I can...

rod, Welcome to the Forum.

You might want to check out our FAQ's
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=748#post748

recipe site:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/

Try this link to get your pictures going.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11

Any questions, just ask.

good morning, bought a garage sale propane smoker last summer. had some luck but pretty used up, but loved the experience. had a new bradley for about a month. good luck with it but would like to get more heat out of it. wisconsin smoker

How do I go about introducing myself? I just wrote a bunch of stuff, and when I tried to post it, the whole thing was deleted !

I hate when that happens. this post worked. try it again and Welcome.

Alrighty then ! I am 58 years old, living on Long Island. The only experience I ever had with "Smoking" had nothing to do with food. I once tasted smoked Mako Shark. It was good, but I thought that you had to buy it, from some exotic island in the Pacific. I was what you'd call "A Kamikazee Barbequer". Eating anything I cooked was suicide. If anyone asked me what I was making, I could only tell them what it started out as. When it was finished, it was no longer recognizable. I even managed to burn the coleslaw. The other day, I happened to see a program called; "The Best BBQ Restaurants in America". I was astounded. These places didn't use charcoal and lighter fluid!( I love the smell of Napalm in the morning)! These guys were craftsmen, who cooked their offerings at very low temperatures, for many hours. They used different flavored woods to infuse their foods with exquisite aroma's, and tastes. I researched all the smoker's available, and quickly realized that the Bradley original would be the best one for me. I mean, it does everything except eat the food for you. I want to order one right now, but I'm not sure whether or not the unit would work properly in the fall, or winter on Long Island. I have a garage, so ventilation is no problem. My question is: Will it function efficiently in 30 or 40 degree temperatures? Should I wait till the Spring? I really don't want to screw this up, so any help you can offer would be most appreciated. This is going to be a most excellent adventure. I thank you for being there !

Hi Wanko;

I'm about 120 miles north of you and your location has milder temperatures then I get.  I use my Original Bradley Smoker (OBS) outdoors throughout the winter. Though the winters have been mild over the past few years, I have smoke foods in the low 20°F using one element (I now have and additional element to assist with getting the smoker up to my set temperature). There are members in Alaska and Northern parts of Canada that use their Bradley's in the winter, though some use some type of shelter. It takes longer to get up to your set temperature, but once you are there the smoker will hold it's temperature; just avoid opening the door too often.

Since you have a garage with ventilation, you can use your smoker in that and you won't have problems with wind.

If you haven't done so yet; check out the following links:
Recipes (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes)

Bradley FAQ's (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?481-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=748#post748)

wonko the sane,

30 to 40 degrees in a garage which keeps it out of the wind should be no problem. Some memmbers do smoke in the garage but the have built a vent system to divert the smoke outside. I am sure that people will post links to their venting system.

Brad

North East PA here.

My Bradley's are in the garage without vents, i smoke all year with the door open cuz i want everything to get the smokey goodness  ;D

Would suggest you start a new thread in the "meat" or "hot smoking" sections to address your questions regarding a specific smoking question.

Hi everybody. I am a newbe from central alberta Canada. My wife just bought me a 4 rack digital smoker for christmas and I am stockrd to fire it up. Good to meet you all.
Shane

thanks for the welcome! I'm new to the somking world, i just got a new bradley smoker "the original" for x-mas. I'm have some problems with it getting to temp. We had family over and I thought I could smoke some chicken,but could not get the temp up it only got to 165 .Yesterday I seasoned it and had a hard time getting it to 150 the manual said it would get to 150 in ten min. but it took 45. Today i had to take the chicken out and finsh it in the oven my manhood is hurting bad please help

Quote from: nachosmoke on December 26, 2010, 01:54:40 PM
thanks for the welcome! I'm new to the somking world, i just got a new bradley smoker "the original" for x-mas. I'm have some problems with it getting to temp. We had family over and I thought I could smoke some chicken,but could not get the temp up it only got to 165 .Yesterday I seasoned it and had a hard time getting it to 150 the manual said it would get to 150 in ten min. but it took 45. Today i had to take the chicken out and finsh it in the oven my manhood is hurting bad please help

If you use a very long extension cord or plug your unit into a outlet that is also used by several things on the same circuit it can cause your smoker to have slow heats. It is best to plug it directly into a outlet that is not used by anything else. Maybe this will help  :)

thanks i had it plug in yesterday straight to the plug on its own and had a hard time get to 150 but today i had to put it on a cord just in side my garage it was snowing pretty good and windy i had the door down about half way and still couldn't get it above 165 anymore good tips i need all i can get

I guess I should have introduce myself better before i started asking for help I'm form alabama. This my first smoker. I've only helped someone smoke once before on a homemade smoker and fell in love with it along with the help of the t.v. show barbe-que pitmasters. Now i have this nice smoker thanks to my loving wife and family really have no clue about how to use this smoker ot its fullest looking foward to leaning how and making some great meals

Where in Alabama? TestRocket (Morgan), TMB (Tommie) and I (Gus) are from the Huntsville area.

about 20 min. north

Nacho - what position is your top vent? Open, closed, part open?

20 minutes north? Where?

hazel green area my vent was closed at first but after some reading i opened it about alittle less than half

Hi all!
After painstaking research, I bought the OBS last night at Cabelas.  It's seasoned and ready to go.  Since we are looking at a major blizzard here in SD over new years, I have planned a few "first" smokes.  I'm planning to make the Stuffed Pork Loin Roast and Smoke without Fire Buffalo wings located under the Mesquite recipes on the bradley website.  The rest of the weekend will be spent scouring this forum for the secrets of mastering this smoker!

Off I go to prepare that pork loin for tomorrow!

Quote from: cmadsen on December 30, 2010, 05:35:03 PM
  The rest of the weekend will be spent scouring this forum for the secrets of mastering this smoker!

Leave your vent open

thanks for the help i'm starting to get alittle better with it i guess its going to take some time.I'm going to smoke a pork tender loin today and wanted to smoke a deer shoulder but they are alittle smaller should i do them at the same time and take the deer out before the pork  or do them seperate smoke the pork then when its done smoke the deer ??? ???

Quote from: Keymaster on December 26, 2010, 02:13:52 PM

Quote from: nachosmoke on December 26, 2010, 01:54:40 PM
thanks for the welcome! I'm new to the somking world, i just got a new bradley smoker "the original" for x-mas. I'm have some problems with it getting to temp. We had family over and I thought I could smoke some chicken,but could not get the temp up it only got to 165 .Yesterday I seasoned it and had a hard time getting it to 150 the manual said it would get to 150 in ten min. but it took 45. Today i had to take the chicken out and finsh it in the oven my manhood is hurting bad please help

If you use a very long extension cord or plug your unit into a outlet that is also used by several things on the same circuit it can cause your smoker to have slow heats. It is best to plug it directly into a outlet that is not used by anything else. Maybe this will help  :)

Open your door and look inside to see if your element is glowing red after 10-15 minutes. If it is not I would suggest contacting Bradley customer Service. There was a bad batch of elements at the Factory. They will get you a replacement element out if it isn't glowing red.

thanks for the response i think i got that problem worked out but now i'm thinking that my thermometer is not accurate meat sem's to be cooking faster then it should according to the temp on the door or its just that i'm a rookie i truely thank every body for all there help

Awesome Tenpoint5!
I look forward to being a part of the forum experience ;D

new to bs and the net got bs for x-mas have had a good time playing and eating what I've smoked on it but I'm looking to find out about how long i should smoke and cook a whole chicken about 6lbs

I'm trying to figure out how to post a question.  Do I have to reply to something to get it posted?  Anyway, I can't decide whether to get the 6 rack or the 4 rack smoker.  Does the 6 rack smoke as well as the 4 rack?  Will I really need the extra room the 6 rack will provide?  Thanks to anyone who can give me some tips.

Welcome to the Forum max1961!

Pick from the different topic group that is closes to

your question. Like a question about "Beef", choose

like "Hot Smoking". Look in right hand side and slect

"start a new topic". Then title it and post your question.

I have both the 4 and the 6. They both do a great job.

If you plan on doing a BUNCH at one time OR plan on

smoking sausage, then go with the 6. If not, thn the 4

will be plenty of room. Good luck and let us know what

you decided.

Hi all,
I'm new to Bradley Smokers but saw the rave reviews and got one.  Previously, I used the "Smokenator" in a Weber with good results but the Bradley eliminates the need to babysit the entire time.  Used to be a "griller" but have come over to the dark side of smoking.  I like the Bradley because it can smoke consistently cool enough for fish!

Hello, i just bought a 4 rack digital smoker, i'm from London Ontario Canada and i love this forum...everyone seems so helpful. i look forward to hearing some feedback when i have questions and need help!!

I have recently been given a smoker,not a bradly but still a good one, or so I'v beren told.I have worked in many restaurant's in my life and am quite adapted to all sort of preperation aqnd cookin ,but never have used a smoker.I need resipies that I can try out on my family.The smoker is an electric without a temp guage.thaqnk you for youer patience,the Sherminator.

Hi Sherminator and welcome to the forum.

Here is a link to the recipe site. It's loaded with tons of tried and true recipes from all the fine folks around the forum.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes

Mike

newbie from lexington,ky and just waiting arrival of my bradley fro next week.

I JUST purchased a 4 rack digital smoker a couple of hrs. ago and am looking forward to life long smoking experience.  Thank gawd this forum exists so that I can spend hrs. on the computer educating myself from all of your experiences.  I am 60 yrs. old and retired 2 yrs.  I hunt, fish, garden an acre garden, am married with grandchildren and live in Upstate N.Y.  I have no idea why my wife stays with me ;-) and hope she continues to do so even if it's just for my smoking.  Please continue to post hints and challenges so that new folks like me might learn.  As my Dad said during WWII, "Tanks!".

hi guys and gals my name is steve i live in big bear cal at 7200 ft and just bought a obs smoker i have been following the forum for about three years and find it very interesting to say the least my screen name is heisershouse as you can see. i do a lot of fishing up here largemouth,smallmouth bass and trout the large and smallmouth go back in the lake the trout go in the smoker.hope to get some good ideas about smoking.
                                                                                         
                                                                                            THANKS STEVE

Hey, All!
I just ordered a OBL and am anxiously waiting for the delivery.  I am really thrilled about all of the people posting on this site.  Since I am brand new to the, "smoking world", I am sure that there will be a learning curve to overcome.  I am very interested in any recipe you all might like to share for turkey legs.  My wife has put in her request and I will try my best to honor it.  Happy wife, happy life!

Hello every one.  I am new to this game of smoking but this forum has already helped me.  I have a DBS4 rack.  I have had some success and some not so good.  But the forum has helped me improve on some of my failures.  I welcome your input's.  With good luck one of these day's maybe I will have the knowledge to help someone.  Like the member's of this forum have.  After all that is what it is about.

I think if the forum went back to when everyone on here starting smoking we would see that everyone was a newbie once...I still am lol.  Good luck and welcome.   :D

[email protected]
St Catharines Ontario

Just a newby to Bradley smokers.  I am 76 years old, but as they say, never to old to learn new things.
But I have a question about the Bradley Hot smoked salmon recipe.
They quote"Smoking Method
Remove fish from cure and place skin side down on oiled racks. Rub fillet to even out the residual cure and sprinkle parsley or chive flakes. Place the racks in the Bradley meat smoker."

If there still a quantity of Salt cure left on the fillets,or should they be washed of with cold water
before smoking. Would this not make the salmon rather Salty , as there is not a 50 50 balance
of salt and sugar to balance out the Salty taste ???????
I bought the Bradley  2 weeks ago, and smoked 4 lbs of Cheddar Cheese. 2 lbs old, 1 lb each of marble
and medium.Kept the temp below 90F for 1-1/2 hours. Turned out very well.(Even my wife likes it)
And she is very picky . Have ordered apackage of Jerky cures from Halfords,and am sure looking forward to making both Jerky and Pemmican.
Thanks and Good Smokin

First off..welcome Bootlegr Man...second...I don't know anything about Pemmican...however I do rinse my salmon as well as soak it for maybe a half an hour...but that is for cold smoked salmon...and I do know how to do that...love that cured smoked texture...yum...my husband becomes a salmon eating machine when it gets cold here...a bagel..cream cheese...capers...he goes bonkers...oh and cucumbers...he's English...gotta have cucs on his bagel with the other stuff!!!

Anyhoo...keep asking questions...everybody here is great...

Hi all, just got my new bradley digital 4 shelf smoker , glad I read some of the posts in the last week, as I have learned lots already, But I am still looking where I can get some morts cure or something that will work as I really want to make some pepperoni sticks, I went to there site can buy for around 5 dollars but shipping will cost me 19 dollars any ideas as to how to get it in British Columbia Canada? thanks ,hope for a replie ,smokin77

Just tried my new Bradley 4 rack digital smoker, brisket and ribs. Oven temp 220F, smoke for 4 hours, they were done in 4 hours and wayyy too smokey. HELP

Hey Kropos
I'm a newbie like yourself.
Just used my Bradley for the first time and did beef short ribs.
Turned out very well.
Based on what I picked up on this forum and others, I only smoked for 2 hours--people told me 4 hours was too long.
I used a temp of 200 degrees and cooked for another 6 hours after the 2 hours of smoke. Then 2 hours of FTC.

Check my post in the new member section
You will need to experiment and try things. Good luck.
SDC

Hello,Nice to be in here.Hope we can swap some recipes.

Quote from: slowpoke on January 22, 2012, 09:27:53 AM
Hello,Nice to be in here.Hope we can swap some recipes.

http://susanminor.org (http://susanminor.org)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks,Mike

Greeting from the far north of Thompson, MB. Canada. I have viewed this forum a few times and am now excited to be a member. I have recently upgraded from a Little Chief smoker to the Bradley Digital and am excited to start using it. I have dreams of someday becoming a self declared expert sausage maker and to do some fantastic smoked fish. I am sure i will find a thousand other uses for my smoker as well. My wife thinks I'm crazy but such is life. I have used nothing but my Little Chief and my BBQ for my smoking projects thus far and I really like having the low temp control or temp control period. Not to mention that where I live I couldn't use my Little Chief for 10 months of the year lol. If any members have a must try recipe suggestion for breaking in my smoker and learning about it please let me know.

Quote from: gcn11 on April 05, 2012, 10:23:10 AM
Greeting from the far north of Thompson, MB. Canada. I have viewed this forum a few times and am now excited to be a member. I have recently upgraded from a Little Chief smoker to the Bradley Digital and am excited to start using it. I have dreams of someday becoming a self declared expert sausage maker and to do some fantastic smoked fish. I am sure i will find a thousand other uses for my smoker as well. My wife thinks I'm crazy but such is life. I have used nothing but my Little Chief and my BBQ for my smoking projects thus far and I really like having the low temp control or temp control period. Not to mention that where I live I couldn't use my Little Chief for 10 months of the year lol. If any members have a must try recipe suggestion for breaking in my smoker and learning about it please let me know.

Welcome aboard. You can start out with some baby back ribs. Or maybe a pork butt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gcn11 Welcome aboard, you'll find a lot of great recipes & info here & here http://susanminor.org/

Hi, All,

I'm a noob from Cary, North Carolina and just got my Digital 4-rack. Here's my simple setup out on my deck:

(http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s375/Karellin1/Bradley.jpg)

Just tried my first project, smoking pork belly for bacon, and ran into a little problem. Any help would be appreciated.

A recipe suggested smoking for 2-1/2 to 3 hours at an OT of 200F, shooting for an IT of 150F. I have the Maverick ET-732 thermometer and another internal probe from Williams & Sonoma. Well, everything seemed to go okay, me keeping a sharp eye on the OT, except I reached the IT in only one hour, according to both remote probes. So I discontinued the session and the meat is now resting in my fridge.

Probably not enough smoke time, no? Why so fast to reach the critical IT?

Many thanks,

Steve

P.S. I KNOW I am going to have a lot of fun. My wife says this is the perfect hobby for me: love to cook and am a fine-detail person. :)

Welcome aboard Steve , Hopefully some of the bacon makers will come along and answer your question. Was you bacon on the bottom rack?

Hi Steve;

Welcome to the forum.

I don't use that high of a temperature for my belly bacon, unless I am cooking fresh belly. There could be a few reasons, so more information on where you placed the cabinet, and meat probe(s) would be helpful.

One is that you could have bee cooking at a much higher temperature then 200°F. Where were the cabinet probes of the Maverick and W&S located at, and how close were they to the bacon.

Two; the bacon may have been thinner than most, and/or very lean? Where you monitoring withe internal temperature with one or two probes? If you were using one probe, you may have not had the probe in the middle point of the thickness of the meat. For thin cuts of meat it is better to insert the probe through the side of the bacon. Also it the temperature is reached that quickly, you should move the probe slowly in or out, to see if the temperature drops.

Third; if one probe was used to monitor the bacon, it may have been giving a false reading. Test your probe for accuracy, and make sure your batteries are fresh.

Thanks for the welcome, Keymaster. The bacon was on the bottom two racks, totalling 3 lbs.

Steve

Thanks for replying, Habanero. The bacon, 3 lbs., was on the bottom two racks. I put the Maverick and W&S IT probes three inches apart in the thickest part of the bacon on the lowest rack. The Maverick OT probe I put hanging below the lowest rack off to the right side, so nothing would drip on it. I noticed that the Maverick OT probe consistently read 10F cooler than the Bradley OT.

The belly on the upper rack was indeed very thin. The meat on the lowest rack was at most 1" thick. I suppose I should shoot for meat around 3" thick next time?

Thanks,

Steve

I think Habs hit it right on the head.  The location of the belly being on the bottom two racks and the racks being in the lowest positions contributed to the quick cooking time.  I regularly smoke belly bacon at an oven temp of 200 to an IT of 150 and it normally takes 2-3 hours to achieve the 150 IT.  Granted, I hang the bellies in the tower but placing the racks on the upper two positions or the middle positions should help you.  I have attached a couple of photos so you can see what I'm talking about by hanging the bellies.
(http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr340/lnjrudolph/DSCN0530.jpg)
(http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr340/lnjrudolph/DSCN0531.jpg)
Don't give up.  You'll get the hang of it and we're all here to help you.

Hi, Kynola,

Thanks for the assistance and for the pix. I am getting the idea. I am going to try your suggestions.

Steve

Hello all I'm a newbie to smoking but really looking forward to a new enjoyment of food.  My 4 rack original is being shipped today and I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions.  Thanks to all who take the time to help the little people ;D

Quote from: Money Mike on May 09, 2012, 04:25:43 AM
Hello all I'm a newbie to smoking but really looking forward to a new enjoyment of food.  My 4 rack original is being shipped today and I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions.  Thanks to all who take the time to help the little people ;D

Welcome aboard $$ Mike. This forum also has another site where you can find all kinds of recipes and FAQs. Its been down for about a week due to some knuckleheads hacking it but hopefully it will be back up soon. It is full of great info. Make sure that you have some bisquettes so when it arrives you can start the seasoning process. You should also invest in a remote thermometer to monitor the meat and cabin temps more accurately. I will also keep you from having to open the door and sticking the meat to check the temp. Lots of members here use  the Maverick et732. Here is a link to a Bradley Forum Members special going on right now. yardandpool.com may forum special (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=28322.0)

Hey
everybody hello from Nova Scotia! I'm new to the world of smoking and looking very forward to your recipes, comments etc.

Quote from: kelpiedg on June 29, 2010, 09:03:35 PM
Hello all,  I am from Douglas WY just  seasoned my new Digital Smoker today.  Will be trying it out tomorrow.  This forum and it's members helped me decide which type of electric smoker I would buy.  I have been using my Weber Kettle with a smokenator for the last 12 months, love it just got tired of tending the fire during long smokes.  Thanks for all you help.

Welcome from just up the road in Casper.

Quote from: Jerry Nelson on August 28, 2012, 10:08:51 PM
Welcome from just up the road in Casper.

Welcome aboard, Jerry. 

Casper, eh?  I've done some bicycle riding in that area.  The climb up the Big Horns via Rt. 14A (the old, alternate route) from Cody to Sheridan is one I'll never forget.   :)

Hi, I've had a Bradley 4 rack original since christmas and have made a lot of good stuff.  However I have temp issues all the time.  If its cold out around 20 to 30 i can't get my temp up past 150.  I'm smoking jerky today (which is awsome) peheated for 1hr t0 250+ put in 5.5lbs of muscle jerky 1/4 thick temp will stay at 150 to 160 for the first 2.5 hrs.  I leave my meat out for 1 hr before i put it in I leave the vent wide open.  I've replace the seal, temp probe what else can I do.  I love using it and for jerky its ok because I only have to get to about 160ish but for anything else i can't get a hi enough heat.  I love doing ribs but it will take 3 plus hrs to get to 225.....

any ideas help

Quote from: hoover on August 29, 2012, 09:28:59 AMIf its cold out around 20 to 30 i can't get my temp up past 150.

With cold outdoor temps the single 500W element Bradley struggles to reach the setpoint.  You have several options.

1. Make a "house" for your smoker so it is not directly exposed to the cold weather.  Some members have posted pics of some real nice ones they made with a smoke vent, insulated walls, lights and more.  Keeping it out of the wind will help the temp rise faster.  Some insulated blanket material attached to the outside walls helps if you don't want to build a whole enclosure.

My New Smoker Home (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=29545.0)

My Smoker Just Got A New Home (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13306.0)

Winter Time Smoking (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=18295.0)

When/If It Gets Cold Out (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=23906.0)

Hot Smoke in Cold Temps (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=24699.0)

2.  Add a second element for 1000W total or replace the single 500W element with a 900W finned element.  Both are popular upgrades on the forum.  It is highly recommended to get a PID controller if you add wattage to the original design.

Additional Heating Element Modification (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification)

Additional Heating Element for OBS with On/Off Control (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?578-Additional-Heating-Element-for-OBS-with-On-Off-Control)

PID Controller (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?315-PID-Controller)

Auber Plug & Play PIDs (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?672-Auber-Plug-amp-Play-PIDs-Single-Dual-Probes)

I'm new to my Bradley but have been smoking with other products for years. My first go at it turned out not so great. My ribs were a little well done on the short ends. I'm used to going about 7 hours but it was a little long. Time to make some adjustments.

I have a new Bradley smoker, and I'm just starting out with it. It was these forums that convinced me to buy one, actually -- I was Googling questions about barbecue, and came across wonderful, thoughtful, helpful posts in this forum from people who really seemed to know what they were talking about.

I'm an avid home cook both indoors and out. I've done slow smoking in a kettle Weber and over gas through many years of experimentation. I'm already getting better results with the Bradley than I ever did, and I'm looking forward to more.

So far:

1 brisket-flat, in hickory -- excellent slicing/sandwich barbecue.

1 4-lb bone-in pork butt, in hickory -- EIGHTEEN HOURS in the smoker before the collagen fully melted. Three AM it was finally done. But by that time it was hard to get out of the smoker because it was falling apart on the fork. Best pulled pork I've ever made.

1 6-pound turkey breast, in alder -- no fuss, no muss, didn't brine or anything just bought it on a whim last week and threw it in in butter and salt. 5.5 hours. It's fantastic.

I've got a 7-lb pork butt sitting in rub in the fridge right now, I'm waiting till evening to start it overnight.

Ogling recipes for cured smoked goose breast (spikgans) and cold-smoked cured salmon.

Thank you. It's good to be here. I set up my smoker and seasoned it today! My first meal is salmon, tomorrow! I might not be able to sleep tonight...

Howdy:  I am gettor and are bettor at gettin than grilling but I got a moose last year so I decided I had bettor learn more uses of the meat.  I have smoked for decades using a refigerator smoker initially, than a Cookshack Smoker the last couple of decades.  I have a large cold smoker and I decided a needed a large hot smoker.  I ordered the Bradley Digital six tray and that should work.  I found making a quality smoker, the costs of the indvidual parts added up to cost more than buying a factory built one.  After reading the comments posted here, I also ordered an Auber PIT Controller for the Bradley.  I will order a 900 watt finned heat strip and fan after I received the smoker and tried it.  That is if I think I need it.   I want to compliment the members on this forum, the information is well written and very useful.   I especially like the sense of humor that some members posess. 
The idea of using pucks turned me off on Bradley Smokers for years but now, it seems like the time to try one.   I can make about any sausage and jerky but the small smoker I have limits the quantity that I can put out.  I have enough volunteer eaters to take care of all of my successful products.   The dog gets the marginal attempts and the rest goes into the garbage.   Not too much in the garbage anymore.   I like the opinions and recipes that are posted here.  Especially the warnings about what not to do.  I already have a lot of hard knock experience and I prefer learning with the armchair method if possible.  If I had known that this site existed, I would have been bettor at smoking than what I am now.   I hate typing the lettors shown in the picture and the test at the bottom here.  Too many hoops to jump through to post here.

Welcome, Elk.  I think the word thing is only active for the first 10 or so posts you make, after that it goes away, as it deems you are a real person instead of a spamming computer.

Hope you enjoy your new smoker, and please "show and tell" with your smokes...even those not done in the Bradley.

Yeah is it for a limited number. So post away, wish people happy birthday in the birthday thread and before you know it you will be rid of the dreaded letters,

Hello to all you smoker nuts out there.....I thought I was alone with my madness!
I've been smoking fish and meat in Scotland where I grew up and latterly in England since I was 11 years old with everything from an old bread tin with a methylated burner on the outside to a galvanised waste bin with a camping gas stove under....to the OBS.

The UK isn't a big home smoking country, so I feel like the village idiot when I enthuse about home smoked food. Recent adaptations to a remote smoke box on my generator have resulted in superb cold smoked trout and cheese.

I came accross your forum whilst looking for answers to a malfunctioning motor in my SG.  I'm still no wiser and have a situation where it advances one or two pucks, then stops. The advance button doesnt do anything, so I manually load 2 at a time on to the heat pad. Not great if it's a 12 hour cold smoke.

Any ideas ?  Motor ? 

Look forward to our madness together on the forum

Cheers

Gordon (Nodders)

Quote from: Nodders on March 12, 2013, 01:03:23 PM
Hello to all you smoker nuts out there.....I thought I was alone with my madness!
I've been smoking fish and meat in Scotland where I grew up and latterly in England since I was 11 years old with everything from an old bread tin with a methylated burner on the outside to a galvanised waste bin with a camping gas stove under....to the OBS.

The UK isn't a big home smoking country, so I feel like the village idiot when I enthuse about home smoked food. Recent adaptations to a remote smoke box on my generator have resulted in superb cold smoked trout and cheese.

I came accross your forum whilst looking for answers to a malfunctioning motor in my SG.  I'm still no wiser and have a situation where it advances one or two pucks, then stops. The advance button doesnt do anything, so I manually load 2 at a time on to the heat pad. Not great if it's a 12 hour cold smoke.

Any ideas ?  Motor ? 

Look forward to our madness together on the forum

Cheers

Gordon (Nodders)

Look at this site. You will find many helpful things here
Bradley Smoker FAQ's (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?481-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s)


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Hi, I recently purchased a Bradley OBS611 and am going thru the learning curve of how to use it. I used a home-made smoker for years , but it was a chore to keep everything going. I'm sure I'll have better luck with this on. I added a AUBER controller to the Bradley. I've done ribs and chicken so far with reasonable success. I live in central California. I am doing chicken quarters tomorrow.

Quote from: fleisch raucher on May 07, 2013, 08:55:49 PM
Hi, I recently purchased a Bradley OBS611 and am going thru the learning curve of how to use it. I used a home-made smoker for years , but it was a chore to keep everything going. I'm sure I'll have better luck with this on. I added a AUBER controller to the Bradley. I've done ribs and chicken so far with reasonable success. I live in central California. I am doing chicken quarters tomorrow.

Welcome when doing chicken keep your vent almost wide open to let the moisture out.

Hey all
im a newbie to the whole smoker thing. I got a 4 rack original for may birthday and so far its been great. had some fail and had some great results. my first salmon turned out great!

Just a few words. If like myself, you have been smoking foods for years and think you know everything. Then this may not be the site for you. Since joining the Bradley Forum I have had to accept the fact that I only new 1/4 of what I thought I knew. If you are to smart to ask the question, then you are probably to dumb to learn.

Jump right in and enjoy the wealth of information you will find here. The Bradley will give you many years of pleasure & enjoyment. Just remember, you must treat it like a fine woman. Learn her habits, and every little quirk, never get angry with her and always treat her with respect. You are now in the company of an elite group of people. WELCOME ALL.....

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

Hi.  Just ordered the 4 shelf digital from Amazon.  Should be here Monday.  Just wanted to say Hi.  I'll be back once it is here and set up.

Ciao

Welcome to the forum. You do not have to wait until your tools arrive - folks are welcome here whether they smoke/cook or not and owning a Bradley is not a requirement. In my opinion, joining the forum due to having an interest is possibly the best sales pitch Bradley could have. The folks here are so friendly it is like family and everyone will be eager to tell you how easy it is, how fun it can be, and above all else are willing to help all they can.

Quote from: Wildcat on August 08, 2013, 03:49:50 PM
Welcome to the forum. You do not have to wait until your tools arrive - folks are welcome here whether they smoke/cook or not and owning a Bradley is not a requirement. In my opinion, joining the forum due to having an interest is possibly the best sales pitch Bradley could have. The folks here are so friendly it is like family and everyone will be eager to tell you how easy it is, how fun it can be, and above all else are willing to help all they can.

X2, everyone has welcomed me, helped me and encouraged me, you can't go wrong with a Bradley or this forum. Shoot they'll even invite a newbie like me to one of their infamous Smoke outs.....

Hey pondee, this forum is great. Tons of knowledgable people in every type of smoking you can think of. Ask a question and you will have many people giving you their input. Can go wrong here!

I am definitely new to the smoking world.  I have tried to use my original smoker and haven't done so well.  so I will take whatever advice or suggestions you have.  oh yeah I have the 4 rack original smoker with the slide on the bottom of the main body.  if you cant tell I am getting frustrated.  I haven't figured out how long I am suppose to smoke what ever I am cooking.  i tried to cook ribs the thermometer said they were done but the ribs were tough, the wife put them in the stove to finish them and they came out alright.  anyway i am gonna stop whinning and say i look forward to any info you have

Quote from: yooper1971 on September 04, 2013, 06:17:23 PM
I am definitely new to the smoking world.  I have tried to use my original smoker and haven't done so well.  so I will take whatever advice or suggestions you have.  oh yeah I have the 4 rack original smoker with the slide on the bottom of the main body.  if you cant tell I am getting frustrated.  I haven't figured out how long I am suppose to smoke what ever I am cooking.  i tried to cook ribs the thermometer said they were done but the ribs were tough, the wife put them in the stove to finish them and they came out alright.  anyway i am gonna stop whinning and say i look forward to any info you have

Sorry to hear your having trouble getting your feet wet, ribs are one of the few things that you have to go by look because the meat is so thin the probe is to close to the bone to get a good reading, watch for the meat to start shrinking back from the cut end of the bone and give them a little bend with the tongs to see if they are starting to get to the doneness you are looking for. For most other meats use the IT's that are listed in the posts for the meat you are trying to make. I don't know if you've been keeping your bowl full of water and your vent open, if you are that is good if not you need to, that will eliminate some causes of unsuccessful smokes. If you haven't been reading and researching methods here on the forum I would suggest you do, then when you get ready to do a smoke take pictures and start a post and people here will help you with any specific questions you may have and it always helps to have another set of eyes on your plans. Hope this helps and gets you on the right track.

Hi yooper1971;

Sorry to welcome you to the forum in this manner. You can finds many tips at Recipe Site (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes)

As to how much smoke, the below link is a guide you can use:
How Much Smoke (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?488-Answers-To-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=782#post782)

A couple of excellent sites to learn about low/slow cooking techniques which can be adapted to the Bradley are:
Amazing Ribs (http://www.amazingribs.com/)
The Virtual Bullet (http://virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html)
They also have an excellent forum.

I mainly cook/smoke spare ribs, and I can't depend on the amount of bone exposure from the meat pull back, but the way they bend is often useful. I go by time, and then use the toothpick method; actually a bamboo skewer. As soon as the toothpick can be inserted and retracted easily they are bite off the bone (pull off the bone) ready. If you want fall off the bone continue to cook them.

What internal temperature were you going by. For spare ribs Alton Brown suggests 185 - 190°F for bite off the bone tenderness. If you been watching this season of Pit Masters, you may have noticed many of the competitors using a Thermapen to take the IT of their ribs. They would slide it through the foil into the thickest part of the slab, and were looking for IT's of 190 - 195°F for bite of the bone. While taking the temperature, you can see them slowly slide the probe in and out, and go by the lowest reading. If you don't have a Thermapen or other fast reading instant read thermometer, this technique may not work as well.

Hi everyone thanks for all the great info on here. I'm from central MO and started smoking stix and sausage last year. Turned out pretty good I had so many request do do dear sausage thet I am in the prosses of building a bigger smoker. Used electric oven elements and built a smoke injector that seems like it going to work awsome. Next is trying to figure out the PID. Thanks again for all the great reading.

I've been smoking for a while now.  Smoked a turkey one thanksgiving (usually have 125 people so I wasn't the only one cooking) and now it's my responsibility to bring a smoked bird. Had a propane cabinet smoker but it finally rusted out.  I just ordered a 6 rack DBS.  I think the first thing I'll do is put in a 60 CFM fan to circulate the air, a 900 WATT heating element and an Auber PID. Also ordered the cold smoke adapter as I want to ry my hand at cold smoked salmon.

Hello.
I'm a newbie from Glasgow, Scotland.  Just ordered a digital 4 rack and can't wait for it to arrive. Look forward to picking your brains for tips and ideas.
Cheers.

Welcome from Texas, Keep your vent open and your water bowl 3/4 full and have fun smoking everything you can think of.

Hello! I'm new to this site (and to posting on anything in general). I'm trying to find an answer to the steps on smoking salmon with the step of baking the fish for about a half hour in a mixture of pancake syrup and butter (not sure if anything else was in it). I used to have to help with making it but it was about 10 years ago and I cannot remember how to do it. I know it needs to soak in brine overnight. Do I bake it in the syrup and THEN dry it? Do I dry it first THEN bake it? Or dry, bake, dry again? Does anyone know? Thanks for any input you  may have!  :-\

There are many salmon recipes here.
http://justsmokedsalmon.com/recipes/recipes/

Never heard of the recipe your asking about. Good luck as it sounds interesting for sure.

Well said Tenpoint5.  I'm fairly new and I've paid a lot of attention to the 'seasoned' (haha no pun intended) members of the Bradley smoker forums.  Definitely words of wisdom to live by here.  :)

Hi Folks, Bought a new digital 6 rack yesterday.  Cant wait to get started.  Any tips and good babyback recipes love to hear them.
Good day to all

Hi there. Just got my new digital 4 rack Bradley. Sent the kids out ice fishing and hope to be able to smoke some Northern Pike soon. Also plan to smoke deer jerky and sausage after the Xmas season winds down a bit. Have seasoned the smoker...now just need something to smoke! Oh, yes plan on smoking cheese too. Great site.

Hey I got a Digital Bradley Smoker for a Gift this Christmas. First time user and first time smoker. I never signed up on a forum before.  :o

Welcome to your newest addiction

  Howdy, just found this site while under duress.. I'm brandy new to smoking, the wife just bought me a 4 rack digital. I like a little cooking now and then, pretty ok with the gas grill, but have always secretly longed to learn how to smoke. Until today, all was great. Made my first 2 batches of pork ribs, came out great. Smoked a big ole pork shoulder last night and have just learned about the Black Rain.. I'll be calling Bradley Monday about the lifted paint all over inside my smoker, but otherwise loved it until today. Actually, I still do, just nee to get this unit replaced I think. As for the black rain raining down on my pork, thought it was ruined but it looks like I cleaned off the bitter bark and the meat inside seems ok....

  I look forward to participating and learning from the folks here and maybe someday be able to give it back

Quote from: turbo38gn on February 02, 2014, 10:46:09 AMSmoked a big ole pork shoulder last night and have just learned about the Black Rain.. I'll be calling Bradley Monday about the lifted paint all over inside my smoker, but otherwise loved it until today. Actually, I still do, just nee to get this unit replaced I think. As for the black rain raining down on my pork, thought it was ruined but it looks like I cleaned off the bitter bark and the meat inside seems ok....

Check the replies to the message you posted about this in the other section.  If you had the vent closed or mostly closed you'll get black rain.

Hey everyone, this is Tony from Alaska....soon to be moving to Idaho.  Heard about this forum from a longstanding member of your community.  I am new in the Smoking game and am completely humbled by all of you and your experience.  I look forward to learning from you as I move forward on this journey.  I have always been a huge fan, and am now hoping to gain a little experience myself.

Quote from: AKGalloway on February 07, 2014, 07:38:06 PM
Hey everyone, this is Tony from Alaska....soon to be moving to Idaho.  Heard about this forum from a longstanding member of your community.  I am new in the Smoking game and am completely humbled by all of you and your experience.  I look forward to learning from you as I move forward on this journey.  I have always been a huge fan, and am now hoping to gain a little experience myself.

Welcome aboard Tony, fire up a new topic and let everyone give you a more proper welcome and let us know if you have any questions we can help you with.

Welcome from Southwest Idaho.  You will discover that most if not all of your questions can be answered here.  Remember there is no such thing as a dumb question.  What part of Idaho are you coming to?  Maybe we can get together sometime.

Blake

Hello from Montana, I just bought one and broke it in per book recommendations. I have a simple question about muscle jerkey. What is the smoke time per pound.?

Quote from: JJd on February 28, 2014, 06:15:28 PM
Hello from Montana, I just bought one and broke it in per book recommendations. I have a simple question about muscle jerkey. What is the smoke time per pound.?

Welcome from Texas, I don't think I've ever heard anyone discuss "smoke time per pound" for jerky, 2 hours of your favorite wood should be good for getting your jerky smoked, then you have a choice of finishing in the Bradley or moving it to a dehydrator for faster drying times.

aloha former georgia resident now in hawaii. longtime eater first time peeking behind curtain. purchased bradley 4 rack smoker want to try but no clue as to prep or actual working of smoker. how do you use wood chips in a eletric smoker

Quote from: philipcrudo on March 01, 2014, 02:08:29 PM
aloha former georgia resident now in hawaii. longtime eater first time peeking behind curtain. purchased bradley 4 rack smoker want to try but no clue as to prep or actual working of smoker. how do you use wood chips in a eletric smoker

Hi Philip and welcome aboard.  My daughter moved to Kauai about 1.5 years ago.  She now lives on Oahu.  I don't think she misses the cold, snowy winters we have here in St. Louis.

Anyway, instructions on seasoning your new Bradley can be found in your user manual or just click here: How do I season my new Smoker? (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?488-Answers-To-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=760#post760)

Also, you cannot use wood chips in it, just the Bradley bisquettes.  If you can find the 120-packs they will give you the best price per puck.

Visit the recipe site for some ideas on what to smoke:  Our Time-tested and Proven Recipes (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/)

I'm the newbie  ;) I've been Bbq for many years, but smoking for about 4 .
I just love the my new 4rack digital Bradley I'm looking for a good pull-pork recipe I like it spicy but not my family.
thanks from mtl99

Hi everyone , Jordan from Hamilton, Ontario. I've been smoking for about 3 years (mostly beef Jerky, but I've experimented with salmon, pork, and chicken on occasion). I've only used a charcoal smoker and really interested in moving to digital electric.....reviews so far online have lead me to Bradley....then to me joining this forum. I'd really appreciate any insight into the Bradley product and which smoker would work best for my jerky hobby. 95% of the reviews I read were positive, but the only negative reviews were concerned with the element not being powerful enough (500W) to reach max temp on colder/windy days which can be an issue for our Canadian winters lol. As I said any input would be appreciated as I am strongly leaning towards a new and exciting purchase.

Cheers!

Quote from: jordo1986 on April 27, 2014, 10:29:47 AM
Hi everyone , Jordan from Hamilton, Ontario. I've been smoking for about 3 years (mostly beef Jerky, but I've experimented with salmon, pork, and chicken on occasion). I've only used a charcoal smoker and really interested in moving to digital electric.....reviews so far online have lead me to Bradley....then to me joining this forum. I'd really appreciate any insight into the Bradley product and which smoker would work best for my jerky hobby. 95% of the reviews I read were positive, but the only negative reviews were concerned with the element not being powerful enough (500W) to reach max temp on colder/windy days which can be an issue for our Canadian winters lol. As I said any input would be appreciated as I am strongly leaning towards a new and exciting purchase.

Cheers!

Welcome from Texas, I think you will be happy with a Bradley for jerky making, but you won't stop there because there are so many great things you can make with it. Many people smoke their jerky then move it to a dehydrator to finish it off quicker, but the Bradley will do a fine job by itself. I would recommend that you start a separate post introducing yourself and asking the same questions, you will get more attention from others who will have more input of the pro's and con's of the Bradley.

Hello everybody from Manitoba! I've been using a $49 old school Brinkman to smoke for the last three years an received a six rack digital from my wife and kids for Xmas. Looking forward to all the tips and ideas from the forum. Still going to use the Brinkman when I have the time to tend and am not fishing.


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I don't know how to introduce myself!  It is mothers day morning.  I gave my husband a new bradley smoker for his birthday in April.  My son used it once and the temp only got to 170.  I thought maybe he did something wrong or we opened the door too much.  Now we are having a rib cook off, my sister and I.  The ribs have been on since 5 am and the temp is only 170.  They have to be ready by 9 or 9:15.  How can I get the temp up while they cook?

Check all the cords. Sometimes when it is new it is hard to get a good power connection. Unplug and re-plug. It sounds like only the smoke generator is getting power. Look at the main heating element and see if it is glowing red. If all else fails, smoke the ribs for a couple of hours and transfer to the house oven to finish cooking.

Hello all, MoiBella from Lethbridge AB.....just got my smoker and am going to give it a whirl tomorrow..........smoking ribs!!

Relative newbie - new to this forum, bought my Bradley about a year ago and have been very, VERY pleased - as have family and friends enjoying our feasts!  Live in the Minneapolis area - did some cold smoking last winter with good results. Now that summer is here, it's back to 215 to 250 degrees!

Hoping to learn a few things here, and maybe be able to share some experience that will help out some other addict.

One question for the group - Is there any way to add another heater to the little 500 watt element in my smoker? I can barely get the temp to 1000 degrees when the thermometer is below freezing.

Ran home from work at noon, and put some ribs in for dinner tonight. Gotta love the Bradley automatic smoker!

Thanks in advance -  mark

Hi mark;

Welcome to the forum.

When you have a question it is best to start a new subject, so that more members may read it.

There are a few mod to increase the watts for your Bradley, but it is highly recommended that you have an third party temperature control device, such as an Auber PID, Stoker or BBQ Guru, to control the heat. Below are a couple of mods, if you search the forum, you will come across others, such as adding a 900 watt element.

Additional Heating Element Modification (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification)
Additional Heating Element for OBS with On/Off Control (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?578-Additional-Heating-Element-for-OBS-with-On-Off-Control)

I am new to BBQ with my 4 rack digital smoker. 

Hello: New to forums and quite new using Bradley Smokers. Probably should start a new thread but what the heck. Bought the two rack a few days ago, unpacked it and followed the steps to season it. All went well 'cept for a grinding noise than lasted about a couple mins towards the end of the preset half hour, right before it was due to shut down. Yesterday I plugged it in and loaded it up with biscuits set the temp and time and the smoke time. After about 5 mins it shucked the first biscuit into the water and no smoke was produced as the first biscuit was uncharred and again the grinding noise lasting a bit longer. I unpluged it, removed all the biscuits and started over as the error code E1 was present. Plugged it back in reset the times and temp and no grinding noise and smoke was present but not inside the smoker. Smoke was coming out the feeder tube. Then the grinding began and it dumped the first biscuit not into the water but behind the deposit bin. BTW the deposit bit is quite the sloppy fit. Removed the feeder tube and flames were present and melted the plastic collar that the feeder tube fits in. Let it cool down and cleaned what was left of the burnt biscuits and this morning I was going to give it another try. E1 is all I get.
Suggestions??

Quote from: fxstc on September 03, 2014, 10:30:28 AM
Hello: New to forums and quite new using Bradley Smokers. Probably should start a new thread but what the heck. Bought the two rack a few days ago, unpacked it and followed the steps to season it. All went well 'cept for a grinding noise than lasted about a couple mins towards the end of the preset half hour, right before it was due to shut down. Yesterday I plugged it in and loaded it up with biscuits set the temp and time and the smoke time. After about 5 mins it shucked the first biscuit into the water and no smoke was produced as the first biscuit was uncharred and again the grinding noise lasting a bit longer. I unpluged it, removed all the biscuits and started over as the error code E1 was present. Plugged it back in reset the times and temp and no grinding noise and smoke was present but not inside the smoker. Smoke was coming out the feeder tube. Then the grinding began and it dumped the first biscuit not into the water but behind the deposit bin. BTW the deposit bit is quite the sloppy fit. Removed the feeder tube and flames were present and melted the plastic collar that the feeder tube fits in. Let it cool down and cleaned what was left of the burnt biscuits and this morning I was going to give it another try. E1 is all I get.
Suggestions??

Call Bradley Customer Service and DO NOT USE the smoker. There should NEVER be any flames present in any of the Bradley smoker products.

Hello from Wyoming. Just got my Bradley 4 rack smoker. I am looking forward to getting started and gaining some helpful insights from all of the experience this forum has to offer. Got a couple of buddys that are big into smoking and can't wait to kick their tales in the first smoke off. I hope  :)

Howdy
New to the forum but not new to trying to smoke. Got the digital 4 rack as a Xmas gift. Jumped right in and cured the smoker. Made up some fatties and went to work. Loved the automation the fatties looked great but just not the taste was looking for. I think a few things went wrong, 1. I was excited and 2. I dont follow instructions 3. There was beer involved. Trail and error is my style but if anyone has a great fatty recipe bring it on. Hope you all had a MerryXmas and will have a smokin New Year.

Hello from Saskatchewan Canada.  Just got my OBS for Christmas and just did some burgers and they turned out awesome!  Our temperature today is -15 feels like -23 so the smoker was slow heating.  Managed to maintain around 200 degrees on high.  How do others smoke in the winter? 

Just finished the quick assembly of what I hope to be a great post-holiday gift: BTDS76P. I've been an offset charcoal-fuel guy for years. Carolina pulled pork is the passion. I can't wait to expand the smoking menu!

The damn cold and snow has postponed seasoning so any suggestions about this initiation are welcomed! From the looks of it, it will be at least a week before I fire this thing up.

Plan to spend the rest of the afternoon cruising the forum and diving in.

Welcome to the forum. No need to wait on outside temps, just keep it out of the wind

Hello y'all- been smoking  for a few years on various things- now time to use the thing I fell in love with at my brother-in -law's...I have done a couple of things really well-some not so well. Glad to be here near Dallas and Smokin'! Glad to be part of the forum...look forward to reading some words of wisdom. Thanks for having me.

welcome to the forum

Brand new to smoking. Bought the Bradley Original and the Auber PID Temperature Control after reading some of the posts here. I understand how to connect it to the smoker but the actual instructions on how to operate the Auber seem pretty technical. Any tips on how to simplify the process?

Quote from: wnybrown on March 19, 2015, 04:00:37 PMAny tips on how to simplify the process?

Hi and welcome aboard.  The links below may help.

Auber Plug & Play PIDs - Single/Dual Probes (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?672-Auber-Plug-amp-Play-PIDs-Single-Dual-Probes)

There is a tutorial in this thread:  Auber Dual Probe Instructions (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=18346.0)

Wanted to smoke a ham on my bradley anyone had success at this if so could you give some tips please?!


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Check the recipes here.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes)

Do a search on that page for "Ham" and you'll see several options.

Take some pictures while preparing and smoking the ham and post them when you are done.  We like seeing pictures.

Hi new to this forum. Need some help. I have a Bradley digital smokes. When I power it up I get a error 1 code. Can any one tell me what this means.

try   unplug the cords and reseat them  wiggle around to make sure they are in tight.  common problem  there is also a troubleshoot post on here  do a search and check.

Randy, the E1 code means the thin sensor code that goes from the smoke generator to the tower is not making good contact.  Try reversing the cord and plug it in firmly.

Quote from: randyhcraig on April 26, 2015, 01:20:53 PM
Hi new to this forum. Need some help. I have a Bradley digital smokes. When I power it up I get a error 1 code. Can any one tell me what this means.

Hi;

Welcome to the forum.

The following link may be useful to you for future trouble shooting. It also provides a lot of tips.
Bradley FAQ's (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?481-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=748#post748)

Just ordered my Bradley digital smoker. Started processing my own game meat last year due to processing fees. Can't wait to make smoked deer sausage next week.

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Hiya all,
I`m a "newby" based in Kent County UK (Garden of  England)
Have been cold smoking for a few years now ,Mainly Fish, ie Trout.Which is carried out in open air on cool nights.
Just now I`m about to try Hot Smoking a bone-in Boston Butt. Any help or advice will be very welcome. As us "Limey`s" know nothing about this style of cooking.
I have on order a butt of 3/3.5 kgs ( maybe 6/7 lbs)
In reading dozens of the posts on this site it seems as though air temperature has some effect on cooking time!
And as we are just heading for Winter Time here in uk I am wondering about where to smoke. indoors ie ,Shed or maybe Glass house. In my shed this would be unbearable with the output of smoke,but in a glass house this can be cotrolled by the opening of windows & doors also the ambient temp would be somewhat milder.
How am I doing my friends. going to leave it there to see what reaction I get. Be nice, thas all I ask.

Do it outdoors. Just try to shield it from the wind. Bston butt is probably the easiest and most forgiving thing to smoke. Trim most of the fat off. Let it sit at room temp for an hour or two. Rub with olive oil or mustard, then apply spice rub. I personally like Iceman's Oinker rub on butts the best. Smoke for 4 hours (I like apple) at a cabinet temp of 200 to 230 F. I prefer 205. Then you can either continue to cook at same temp in smoker without smoke or transfer to house oven until meat passes the fork test. Depending on how hot the cooking temp is, the internal meat temp will be somewhere between 175 and 190 F when done. It will probably take between 12 and 18 hours. When done loosley tent with foil and let it rest until cool enough to handle. If it is not time to eat you can FTC for 3 to 5 hours with ease. This is for pulled pork. A little different for sliced.

Great advice from WC!

Hi everybody, greetings from the UK.  Just taken delivery of my OBS 4 rack digital smoker. Spending a bit of time reading up before I start smoking. Hope to season the unit tonight and get cooking at the weekend 😄

Gday,
My name Locky. I live in New Zealand and have recently bought a digital 6 rack smoker. I used to have a Hark chest smoker but only used that for smoking fish and cheese. I can't wait to be smoking ribs chicken beef etc etc. I'd love some receipes from you guys. I'm yet to look through the forum, thought I'd introduce myself first.

Quote from: Locky78 on May 22, 2016, 07:03:42 PM
Gday,
My name Locky. I live in New Zealand and have recently bought a digital 6 rack smoker. I used to have a Hark chest smoker but only used that for smoking fish and cheese. I can't wait to be smoking ribs chicken beef etc etc. I'd love some recipes from you guys. I'm yet to look through he forum, thought I'd introduce myself first.

Here is a link to our recipes.

http://www.susanminor.org/

Hi there, newbie with a 6 rack digital Bradley Smoker bought yesterday.  Haven't had my first cook but recommended to check this out.  Located in Canberra Australia in the middle of winter. Looking forward to my smoking experiences.

Quote from: Gafala on May 22, 2016, 07:53:54 PM
Here is a link to our recipes.

http://www.susanminor.org/

Have you clicked on that lately? The website is no longer up.

Quote from: TedEbear on July 23, 2017, 05:57:36 AM

Quote from: Gafala on May 22, 2016, 07:53:54 PM
Here is a link to our recipes.

http://www.susanminor.org/

Have you clicked on that lately? The website is no longer up.

I didn't catch it at first, but Gafala's post is over 14 months old.

Hello everyone
I have been using a Bradley smoker for a number of years. I mostly cold smoke sockeye salmon. To get a good cold smoke, I have the Bradley hooked up to a refrigerator, which I turn on low when I am smoking. The smoke never gets hotter than about 70°F. It makes a very fine product.
last year, the puck advance mechanism quit working. Turned out that it was simply worn out. So I bought a new one. Now, it only waits about half the time that it should before advancing the next puck, so I end up with half burnt pucks lying on the floor. Although it makes for lots of smoke from the three or four pucks still burning on the floor, it seems like a terrible waste. I have seen the problem with continuous feeding. That's the problem that I used to have. Now it seems to work fine, it's just that it forwards the pucks before they are finished burning. I read one post where they put a bowl of water under the pucks. This is probably to reduce the temperature, but that's not my problem. I just don't want to waste the pucks. Anybody got any ideas?

I have never had my puck advance apart but I would think you should be able to set the timer for what you want unless it is out of order. I never got an instruction book either. I would have a look at it anyway. Piker

Hi Jim;

Welcome to the forum.

Have you actually timed when the bisquettes are advancing, or are you just going by what the bisquettes look like after they have been pushed off the burner?

If you haven't timed when the bisquettes cycle through, I would do that first. Just to verify what is the time cycle when the bisquette advances. What I do is I will advance the a bisquette, set a kitchen timer for 18 minutes, then go off to do what I need to do. When the alarm goes off I will check if the bisquette had already advance, if it did, I will repeat the procedure but set the timer for 10 minutes. If the bisquette did not advance, I would time how long it will be for it to cycle. Fortunately I have a countdown feature on my timer, so that keeps track of the time past 18 minutes.

Though it doesn't appear you have had this problem in the past, a few things can come into play, that will effect how the bisquettes burn. The two most common is cold smoking, and/or humidity. When you are cold smoking; especially in your case - where you are using refrigeration; the lack of heat from the heating element can cause the bisquette not to fully burn. Humidity is another. If you haven't stored the bisquettes to prevent them from absorbing moisture, or if it is very humid during the time you are smoking, that can cause them to burn poorly.

Less common problems can be not enough power (voltage) getting to the generator. The bisquette burner should reach a temperature of around 550°F at the surface. You can test the temperature if you have an infrared thermometer. Sometimes the bisquettes come from the factory more compressed, then the previous ones you have been using. That can also cause the bisquettes to burn the way they are doing.

Quote from: Jim Allman on February 02, 2018, 02:14:14 PMNow, it only waits about half the time that it should before advancing the next puck, so I end up with half burnt pucks lying on the floor.

Hi, Jim.  How long does it wait between each cycle?  If it is working correctly it should advance a puck every 20 minutes.  I do not know that there's any way to change that time.

Hi
I am timing it. Another post suggested that. I will let you know.

Hello, brand new to the smoking world! Bought a Bradley for the husband's birthday. Looking forward to some good advice.

Hi -- I am a new member; own a Bradley BTDS76P 990216  since 2012 and used it a lot. Since my door seal is burnt at the bottom I am trying to find a replacement door seal. Can I please get help with this?
Thanks

Hi tulnic;

Welcome to the forum.

That depends on where you are from. If you are from the U.S., the best place is Yard & Pool (http://www.yardandpool.com/bradley-smoker-replacement-magnetic-door-seal-4-rack-digital)

 I am new to the whole smoke thing.  I have smoked a few things on the bbq with a side smoker box.  Really struggled trying to keep the right temp, etc.  I have been wanting an electric smoker for a long time but it has never been in my budget, however a week ago I actually just purchased a used Bradley smoker (and a different one) at an estate sale for $10 each.  The person doing the sale said she couldn't sell it for more than that because it was dirty.  I am excited beyond words and can't wait to start using it.  I am hopeful this forum will be super helpful.  I already have a question though.  How would you suggest I clean it? Thanks in advance!

Souper

Hi Souper;

Welcome to the forum.

You came across a great find. You don't want the inside too clean. You want the inside to still have some seasoning. If the seasoning is too caked on and beginning to flake, use some aluminum foil, wad it up into a ball, and lightly scrape the inside of the cabinet to remove the flaking. If the inside is moldy, then you will need to do a more thorough cleaning using a vinegar and water mixture; then re-season it. If the racks are in good shape, just throw them into a dishwasher if you have one. If the chrome plating has been worn off and they are rusty you will need to replace them. Also go to the Bradley Smoker site and download the manual for your smoker.

Hi Souper and welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you came across a real find.
Let us know how you're making out.

Hello, my name is Ben and I just started smoking as I got it as a Christmas present.

Welcome to the forum Ben, hope you enjoy using your new present. What model did you get?

I am new to smoking food and making my own charcuterie, although I have jumped in with both feet. I purchased the P10 smoker in November 2021 after several months of debating with my wife about the merits of purchasing a Bradley versus other brands versus smoking on my Weber grill.  I cook >99% of our meals and I grill and barbecue year 'round in NE Ohio regardless of the weather.  Since November 2021, I have smoked two turkeys, 4 slabs of pork belly, 1 beef brisket plate, 1 chicken, 2lbs of buffalo mozzarella cheese and three slabs of speck.  I have some guanciale in my frig that is curing and will be ready to smoke in about a week.

I have a Steak Locker meat locker (Pro series) that I use to age my meat.  At present, I have some speck and a prosciutto aging.

Did I mention that I grill and barbecue?  I made my own fire table. churrasco swords and asado crosses for true Argentinian barbecue, a barbacoa pit for Mexican barbecue and a tandoori oven for Indian barbecue.  This year we will host a "Meat Fest" for our 50 or so closest friends and offer barbecued, smoked and grilled beef, chicken, pork, fish, lamb, duck and rabbit.

Hi Uncle Duke;

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you have a wide variety of skills. I hope you post some recipes, and techniques.

Welcome Uncle Duke.

I second what Habs said about posting recipes and techniques.  :)

Welcome to the Forum Uncle Duke