BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Bradley Smokers => The Digital Smokers (BTDS76P & BTDS108P) => Topic started by: projump on July 26, 2006, 07:22:17 PM

Title: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: projump on July 26, 2006, 07:22:17 PM
I'm very impressed with it so far. It was packaged real good, all parts there and functions great. I look forward to smoking some pork steaks this weekend.


(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley004.jpg)
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley006.jpg)
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley007.jpg)
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley009.jpg)
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 26, 2006, 07:30:15 PM
projump,

Guess I forgot what a clean inside looks like.....

Fire that baby up and start giving us reports. We need some more digital feedback... ;D

Arcs_n_Sparks
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: projump on July 26, 2006, 08:30:59 PM
Yes indeed, I'll fire it up, post info about its performance and post pics of the end result-----the meat.
                    projump :D
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: icerat4 on July 27, 2006, 07:49:01 AM
wow the inside of my box looks like the outside of his.lol :D   
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: iceman on July 27, 2006, 08:27:31 AM
That thing is WAY to clean projump! Get er seasoned and get some critters in there. :D
Have fun.
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Oldman on July 29, 2006, 11:44:03 AM
QuoteGuess I forgot what a clean inside looks like.....
Funny I was thinking the same thing.
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: projump on July 30, 2006, 04:18:48 PM
Well I used the new Bradley last night. I smoked pork steak and chicken thighs. I use a dry rub that I mix up myself.  I smoked them for 4 hrs and 15 min at 200 degrees. I preheated the smoker to 230 degrees for 1.5 hrs, loaded all 4 racks, then when the temp got back up to 200 I set the temp preset to 200.                                                                               The temp of the digital heats to 201 and stays for a few minutes, then over about a 15-20 minute period will drop to 185 and then heat back up to 201. So there is approx a 15 degree fluxuation in temp throughout the process which seems ok to me. You guys with the PID"S, how much does your temp vary durring cooking? Is a 15 degrees variation good?
   Here's some pics of the meat, it was really good!!!
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley014.jpg)

(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m202/projump/DigitalBradley016.jpg)
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: West Coast Kansan on July 30, 2006, 09:02:39 PM
projump, the pics look great. My 4RD will overshoot the temp point about 5 to 7 degrees and then drop in a similar fashion (seems to drop less and overshoot less when it is in the sun). Anyway the look and as you say  - it was really good tells me the temp swing is just right.  A PID will however drive a more accurate temperature. Not a big deal to me but I know some guys really enjoy the pursuit of temperature perfection and while I will not move to a PID I can appreciate the pursuit.  All a part of the fun. Looks like a great first result. How long until you try another smoke? I lasted two days between my first and second on the Bradley. It may have been a record (but then I am kinda weak on this kind of thing)!
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: heinz on July 31, 2006, 04:56:08 AM
Projump, was that your total time (4:15) after the meat went in?

Those pics make me want to try pork that way. Was the chicken skin eatable or a throwaway? Just asking because when I did a whole chicken it was real good, except for the skin which was too touch to enjoy. Haven't smoked for a couple of weks. About time to do some again.
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: TomG on July 31, 2006, 09:12:56 AM
WCK,  I'm not sure anyone has suggested using a PID with the BSD.  PIDs are an option to the slide rheostat for temp control in the original BSs.

-Tom-
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 12:38:14 PM
Quote from: TomG on July 31, 2006, 09:12:56 AM
WCK,  I'm not sure anyone has suggested using a PID with the BSD.  PIDs are an option to the slide rheostat for temp control in the original BSs.

-Tom-

TomG,

I think Projump is asking a comparision question: digital BS PID loop control tightness versus other PID controllers that people have put on their original BSes.

Arcs_n_Sparks
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: TomG on July 31, 2006, 01:42:57 PM
Quote from: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 12:38:14 PM

I think Projump is asking a comparision question: digital BS PID loop control tightness versus other PID controllers that people have put on their original BSes.

Arcs_n_Sparks

AnS,

I didn't realize that the thermostat in the Dig.BS has been IDed as a PID.  If it is a PID, good on BS.
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 06:57:37 PM
TomG,

Got me there and a good question. I guess in this day and age of $2.49 microcontrollers, I had assumed that the digital BS had a PID control loop. Given the temp swings of projump, that is a very good question.....

Arcin' & Sparkin'
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: bubbagump on July 31, 2006, 08:02:10 PM
Quote from: TomG on July 31, 2006, 01:42:57 PM
AnS,

I didn't realize that the thermostat in the Dig.BS has been IDed as a PID.  If it is a PID, good on BS.

I doubt it's a PID controller, especially with the temp. swings noted by its users. It's more likely just a digital thermostat, which IMO is still better than the slide rheostat on the original.

Bubbagump
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 08:12:27 PM
Quote from: bubbagump on July 31, 2006, 08:02:10 PM
Quote from: TomG on July 31, 2006, 01:42:57 PM
AnS,

I didn't realize that the thermostat in the Dig.BS has been IDed as a PID.  If it is a PID, good on BS.

I doubt it's a PID controller, especially with the temp. swings noted by its users. It's more likely just a digital thermostat, which IMO is still better than the slide rheostat on the original.

Bubbagump

Agree with Bubbagump on that point; digital setpoint still better than the slider (unless you want to watch the temps while drinking adult beverages.  :D :D :D)

Arcs_n_Sparks
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: TomG on July 31, 2006, 08:16:26 PM
Hot Damn BubbaG, where have you been ??? ???
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 08:25:43 PM
Exactly. All these PID questions and the main man has been radio silent ??? :o

Arcs_n_Sparks
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: projump on July 31, 2006, 08:26:40 PM
Hello,
    Thanks for the comments and responses. I will smoke again this coming weekend. Not sure what I will cook yet. I'm also working on a storage cabinet to put on my deck to keep the Bradley in. I'll post a pic when it's done.
   Yeah the total time I cooked the meat was 4 hrs and 15 min. The wife tells me the chichen skin was good and tender.
   What does PID stand for? I know it's electronic and regulates the temp. I don't know if the digital Bradley unit is considered a PID. And yes, I was just wondering about the temp variation range between a digital BS and an original BS equipped with a PID.  projump
   
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: West Coast Kansan on July 31, 2006, 08:45:03 PM
Just re read my post and see where the confusion would be on my PID comment.  I didnt intend to relate a PID to the Bradley Digital. it was intended to compare the digital to accuracy of the PIDs folks here on the forum have rigged up on thier units.  Sorry about the confusion. I dont know all that much about the control in the Bradley Digital but it does not appear to be a proportional at all ... at least from what I can observe from my unit.  It seems to go up past the set point then suddenly decides that is enough ... shuts off and then wakes up again (eventually) as the temp drops past the set point. Seems to be ON or OFF without much of a variation in the duty cycle at all.

The good thing is that it sure seems to behave consistently so is becoming a lot easier to use with some experience. Frankly when I first started looking at Bradley I could not figure out what all the excitement was about relative to temperature of the oven but having seen pictures of some of the slick PID units guys have built and gaining some electric smoker  experience I have come to appreciate it a lot more. I think the PIDs offer another avenue for some fun but being a digital owner I am happy just the way it is... having fun.
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: Arcs_n_Sparks on July 31, 2006, 09:00:43 PM
projump,

Ready for your honorary E.E. degree? PID stands for Proportional, Integral, Derivative. This is a type of control scheme that applies various parameters to the control system. Basically, an error signal is derived from the difference between the setpoint and measured parameter (in this case, temperature). A proportional gain is applied to the error signal and fed to the control system. This will bring the system into alignment, but may have residual error. The integral term will drive the error to zero. The derivative term is used to "anticipate" how changes to the setpoint will affect the final value.

This is all complicated by various timing constants (turning on the Bradley to 100% will take some time to bring up the temperature). Turning off the Bradley at setpoint will result in overshoot, thus the cycling you see. Home heating thermostats applied this technique, but usually have a deadband of a few degrees.

For the purists (those are people that still use vacuum tube amplifiers (which actually have a lot of distortion, but that is another topic), and drink single malt scotch), the goal is minimal swing around setpoint. Which may or may not make any difference depending on what you are smoking.... :D :D :D

Arcin' & Sparkin'

Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: bubbagump on August 01, 2006, 04:34:18 PM
Quote from: TomG on July 31, 2006, 08:16:26 PM
Hot Damn BubbaG, where have you been ??? ???

Hi TG,

Olds asked the same question awhile ago. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things.  :)

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=3396.0

Bubbagump
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: projump on August 01, 2006, 05:13:20 PM
 arc-n-sparks,
        Thanks for explaining PID to me, now its clear as mud to me, lol    ???
     You must be an electrical engineer.
                                            projump
Title: Re: Got New 4 Rack Digital Today
Post by: asa on August 04, 2006, 06:24:56 PM
projump -
good job - those thangs look good enough to eat!