BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Bradley Smokers => The Digital Smokers (BTDS76P & BTDS108P) => Topic started by: [email protected] on May 21, 2011, 05:49:25 PM

Title: PID or two digital thermometers
Post by: [email protected] on May 21, 2011, 05:49:25 PM
Hey everyone, I just received my new digital smoker and am fired up!  It is working great.  Here is my question.  It looks like many agree that the PID is the way to go.  I have a BBQ digital thermometer that has both food temp and oven temp.  I hung it down into the smoker to see what it reads.  I have the Bradly digital unit up to 320 degrees yet it is reading 191  in temperture on the Bradley digital display yet my thermometer is reading 220.  I was thinking that I could bring back my Bradley oven temp back to 200 and see what that really reads inside with the BBQ digital thermometer and come up with an approximate temperture difference so i know what really is the reading when i set the Bradley oven temp.  Any one done such a thing or have any comments?  Thanks and it is really cool to see the community that is here.
Title: Re: PID or two digital thermometers
Post by: watchdog56 on May 21, 2011, 07:43:50 PM
If you plan on doing sausage or fish you will need the PID. It controls temps +/- 2 degree. The Bradley digital has temp swings of +/- 10 degree which could actually turn out 20 degree swings. If you get sausage over 180 then it will fat out and wreck your sausage. Sometimes depending on how much meat you have in the smoker you will not be able to reach your higher temps(230 and up)even with the PID.
Another tip is to keep it out of the wind if possible,also (and I have a major problem doing this) try not to open the door. May be why I have so much trouble getting the temps up there. You can also put a brick on the lower shelf next to your water bowl to help retain the heat.