Well... I've talked about doing this for some time now and I finally got around to doing it so I thought I would share some pictures of the project. I wanted to do this for a couple of reasons. First, obviously to cold smoke. The second reason is because I have my smoker setup in my garage I wanted to eliminate as much risk of fire as I can. There have been very few members here that have had any problems but the few that have I felt was caused by the spent pucks piled up enough that they were not in the water in the bowl, add to this grease dripping into the bowl onto the pucks that were not extinguished properly and you have potential for a grease fire in the smoker. Now this could obviously be prevented by simply emptying the spent pucks and refilling the water bowl and this is certainly why everybody does this. But, again, because this is in my garage I wanted to eliminate any chance of this happening.
I managed to get my hands on a 10 gallon hydraulic oil reservoir. It's made of 1/8 inch steel and is about 16 inches square and tall. It was new and never used so I didn't have to worry about the oil contamination. I had to cut a 4.5 inch hole for the generator, a 4 inch hole for the vent to the smoker and a 7 inch by 12 inch hole for the door. Next I built a door that was 14 inches by 9 inches to allow for a 1 inch overlap to insure a good seal. I discovered that if your use 1/4 inch carriage bolts in a 1/4 inch hole the square collar of the bolt works perfect to hang the generator on. I also used carriage bolts to make adjustable legs for it. I managed to get the door to seal very well and with the draw of the rising smoke to the tower unit I have no leaks at the door even though I didn't use any type of seal on it.
I ran it empty for 2 hours and the highest it got to was 87 degrees. I never even had any water in the bowl so I feel confident that once I have product and water in the bowl in there it will easily maintain a temp around 80 degrees. Anyway... I thought would share a few pictures of the setup.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0361-s.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0369-s.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0367-s.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/mmike/Fishing%20Photos/IMGP0366-s.jpg)
Mike
Very nice.
What are the helmets for?
very nice walleye, a real clean looking job
Thanks guys
Tiny... My son has a GSXR 750. Scary fast!
I take it for a rip every now and again but the thing is nuts. It red lines at around 16,000 rpm! :o
Mike
Now THAT'S a professional looking job! Talk about taking it to the next level...hope it works out well for you.
Nice clean set up! ;)
Nice set up!
Really nice set up with some great pics. Thanks for sharing.
With all that room and nice shiny aluminum, where is the water jacket heat exchanger and second PID controller for cold smoke setpoint? :D
Very nice......
Arcs_n_Sparks
What a sweet setup.....Is that the Cabella's dehydrator to the left? I don't see a beer fridge but I'm sure you have one close by and fully stocked... ;)
You bet Mike, that's it. Works great too! I ran about 20 lbs of jerky through it for the first test run.
Oh ya... beer fridge is there, just not in the picture. Stocked?.... On a regular basis! ;)
Mike
My kind of set up, Mr. W, complete with alphabetized puck inventory. Definately, my type (that's type A) of setup.
Cheers.
Well Mike, i think it's safe to say that is the best Bradley set up by far! (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/goodjob.gif)(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/eusa_clap.gif)
I'm very envious! (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Wink.gif)
LilSmoker (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Tip-Hat.gif)
Thanks allot guys!
I love to tinker with things so everything is like a "work in progress" so to speak. I love making things that work good... work great! ;)
Mike
Dream Set Up Walleye, Very nice indeed. Outstanding idea for the chamber. ;D ;D ;D
Sweet set up!!! Very clean job Walleye. Glad to hear your fridge stock is rotated on a regular basis. ;) :D
Quote from: iceman on October 22, 2007, 10:04:41 AM
Sweet set up!!! Very clean job Walleye. Glad to hear your fridge stock is rotated on a regular basis. ;) :D
Ya.... You certianly don't want that stuff goin' bad!
::) ::) :D
Mike
PS
Hey Ice.... I think your setup is on another level alltogether. I seen some pictures of your various smokers.... Awsome! 8)
Quote from: Mr Walleye on October 22, 2007, 10:17:02 AM
Quote from: iceman on October 22, 2007, 10:04:41 AM
Sweet set up!!! Very clean job Walleye. Glad to hear your fridge stock is rotated on a regular basis. ;) :D
Ya.... You certianly don't want that stuff goin' bad!
::) ::) :D
Mike
PS
Hey Ice.... I think your setup is on another level alltogether. I seen some pictures of you various smokers.... Awsome! 8)
Thanks Mike.
It is hard to imagine the ICEMAN getting cozy with a smoker with flame designs. Seems Frosty the Snowman kind of wrong.
Yea, that is another level but ya got a really sweet set up Mike.
Nice work!
-Brian
Thanks Again Guys.
Mike
Mr. Walleye, I really need to take a road trip and have a visit with you. I have a garage almost as large as yours and it screams indoor smoker setup like Mr.W! Being only 45 mins away, perhaps someday I can meet you and get some tips on how to set something up similar in my garage.
Your setup simply rocks. I love how everything is so clean and done right. I am also envious of all those pucks up there!! :)
Not a problem SKSmoker!
Just let me know when. I always enjoy BSing about smokin'. ;)
Mike
Nice. I'll take you up on that offer!
QuoteWell Mike, i think it's safe to say that is the best Bradley set up by far!
Agree. It looks quite professional, actually. Hat down.
Hey Mike, I see your using a pid on your DBS. what advantages does that offer? is it maintaining temps better when hot smoking?
Kane
The use of the PID on the DBS is very good. I can usually stay + or - 1 degree depending on temps. It took me a little bit to get it dialed in but once I did it works great. The other thing that is nice is there is no longer a problem with the timer maximum of 9 hours & 40 minutes. It basically runs till you shut it off. The smoke generator's can still be used, so if you want it to shut down after the smoke portion is complete you can.
Mike
hey thanks Mike, Im guessing the cost to assemble a pid would be around a $100 or so? Im seriously thinkin I may just add the DigiII/Raptor package and be done with it. I assume this will control the tower in the same way? I dont care for these temp changes Im gettin with the unit now when the tower heater shuts down. Im getting temp swings 20 degrees either way from where I wanna be. not too mention I had some problems getting past 175 when I first put a turkey in. will the DigiII solve these issues?
Kane
Your right the Digi II/raptor will give you the same control as a PID does. I don't know if there would be any effect on the ability to heat the cabinet though. I will say that I really do like the fact that I can maintain a more accurate temp for things like jerky & sausage etc. I don't think the DBS temp swings really hurt anything when you are doing ribs, butts, etc. but I do prefer to have the ability to control it a little tighter.
Mike
The DigiQ II will control the cabinet temperature as accurate as a PID, plus you get a few more bells and whistles that can make your smoking experience easier. If there is a problem with the cabinet getting up to the set temperature, the DigiQ II can not improve the that area of performance of the smoker.
Poultry skin is notorious for bringing down the cabinet temperature. Are you having the same problems with other cuts of meat?
Turkey had been the most noticed problem but last weekend I did 2 racks of ribs and it took awhile to get the temp back up to 210. once I finally did than I couldnt control it. it varied anywhere from 185 to 235. Ive never had much trouble reachin desired pit temps with pork butts. I dont believe its a problem with the unit. Just seems to me that when the heated element on the bradley shuts off it takes a long time for it to get glowing red again and large temp swings are the direct result. How does the DigiQ keep these large temp swings in check?
Quote from: Kane on January 30, 2008, 03:14:41 AM
How does the DigiQ keep these large temp swings in check?
Kane
Basically the DigiQ's software learns how to control your pit temps. This is similar to the PID except the DigiQ will continually learn. The ability to continually learn is great because there really aren't two smokes that are the same, either the outside temp is different, you have a bigger load, the wind is blowing. I don't have the DigiQ but I have been lookin' ;)
Mike
To add to Mikes posts, it is not a simple off/on action. If you watch the pilot lites, once your set temperature is reached your will see that it pulses the heat on and off. To maintain the correct temperature. At times, it will completely shut off the heat element to maintain the set temperature, this generally occurs if there is an additional heat source other than the element. That additional heat source can be the generator or direct sun light shining on the cabinet. Overall it is extremely accurate, and if you have a ham in the smoker that you want to smoke at 80°F you can leave it over night and not have to worry about the cabinet going any lower or higher; even with the changes in ambient temperatures.
I was on the BBQ Guru website today, and saw that anyone with a Bradley made after 2007 needs to call. I would suspect that it has to do with the change of power from the cabinet to the generator. That cord will not plug into the back of the Raptor; they may suggest you purchase the proper cord when you order.
ok, thanks guys. Im gonna call and order tomorrow. I think it will help me but I also just happen to like cool new toys! ;D
how do I know if I have a unit built pre 2007?
Quote from: Kane on January 30, 2008, 04:15:13 PM
ok, thanks guys. Im gonna call and order tomorrow. I think it will help me but I also just happen to like cool new toys! ;D
how do I know if I have a unit built pre 2007?
Kane
I would take note of the required plug on the back of the tower then phone them just to make sure things are correct.
As far as the cool new toys go.... I hear ya! ;) 8) Ya gotta love the toys!
Mike
It will have this type of cord that connects the cabinet to the generator.
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=1015&sku=03141
Hey Hab, yup that is the plug I have - male end to the generator and female end to the tower. so I guess Ill be safe to say I have pre 2007 and I can go ahead and place my order via the websight.
thanks for the help
Quote from: Kane on January 31, 2008, 01:42:01 PM
Hey Hab, yup that is the plug I have - male end to the generator and female end to the tower. so I guess Ill be safe to say I have pre 2007 and I can go ahead and place my order via the websight.
thanks for the help
Ummm, that's the cord for the 2007 and later, not pre-2007...... Just don't want you to get the wrong item.
thanks Tim. it sounded as tho Hab was sayin pre 2007s would have that type cable. I called BBQ Guru and talked to someone in sales and he knows there was some type of issue with plug type but wasnt sure what. tech guy wasnt in but he said he didnt think it was a BIG problem
well. I talked to a tech guy at BBQ Guru. It doesnt sound like they have had any experience with the type of cable the 2007 BDS is using. He asked for a pic of it and I directed him to this thread. He said he wasnt sure how the raptor would connect with this kind of cable. most likely we would have to find some sort of adaptor to make it a standard type plug. He is gonna talk to the boss about it and decide what they can do if anything. said they will call Me back. :'(
If you're just running the tower with it, an old computer power cord will work, but you'll need an additional outlet (at least that's how I have my PID hooked up...don't know how the digi/raptor combo goes).
Very nice setup Mike.
I need to do something like that with the shed this summer.
nepas
I'm surprised that they are not aware of their own ordering system. Maybe the ordering department would have been the best route to go, hopefully they would have had a flow chart that would indicate the reason for the call. That company just doesn't make temperature control devices for barbecuing. They make temperature control devices for a multitude of equipment; BBQ Guru is only a small department.
Like Tiny Tim states, the change of cord is just replacing your existing cord with a computer power cord. But it is best to call to find out if there is another reason. Also as Tim points out, you will also need more outlets. You will need a power strip (surge protector is best) because you will need an outlet for the generator, one for DigiQ, one for the Raptor.
I agree with nepas. Mike has a sweet setup! very clean workmanship. Is cold smoking mostly what you do Mike?
Thanks guys.
I do a bit of cold smoking and hope to do more in the future but also to be able to maintain lower temps for making sausage, etc. Another bonus is, because its in my heated garage I want to elminate any risk of fire. Although this risk is small, by having the generator separate there is much less chance of having the burnt pucks pile up, not get extinguished and cause a grease fire. Like I said I haven't heard of this happening very often but I just wanted to eliminate it because of my set up.
Mike
hey Mike,
I take it you hot smoke using the same setup . letting your PID control the tower heat? Do you have problems getting temps up? I have my unit vented in the garage as well and I like the preventative safety measures with your system.
Kane
You are correct, I do use the cold smoke setup for hot smoking as well. I really haven't had problems getting up to temp although it really depends on the load. For an example I did 6 full racks of ribs the other day and it did take a while to get up to temp when I put the ribs in but once it got there it maintained it no problem. It really depends on the size of your load which is kinda that way even with the generator mounted in the tower. It makes sense that it may take slightly longer to get to temp but with it inside of the garage with a constant temp around 65 degrees it works pretty good. Certainly better than outside with our current temps.
Mike
yea, Ill have to keep an eye out for a suitable box to use. I have access to steel and/or aluminum. Im sure I could fabricate something nice. will have to give it some thought. right now I want the DigiQ. ;D
Wow Mike, I am impressed, that is one neat set up. Quick question, is that your PID set in the white tube on the shelf in the last picture. Maybe that could be the way for me to go seeing as I am having such trouble finding the Radio Shack box. If it is can you direct me to the post describing how it was made. Large plumbing fixtures maybe?
Brian.
Brian
Your right, that's my PID. Here is the link to some pictures of my PID. Another place you should check out is an electrical supply store. They have lots of small boxes that might work as well.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4735.0
Mike