Recent posts

#11
Introduce Yourself / Re: New Bradley owner
Last post by ulnaoperating - March 25, 2024, 08:03:06 PM
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on January 10, 2024, 02:41:11 PMHi J_L_Smoker;

Welcome to the forum.

Pork butt is one of those cuts of meat that you definately will want to replace the water, due to it's high fat content.

In the Bradley I smoke/cook my butts at a lower temperature than most; 200F. So it may take 18 hours or more for a 9 lb. butt. For my Original Bradley I used the bowl that came with the smoker. I would change the water after the smoking was completed. I would use 4 hours of smoke. That is twelve bisquettes that will completley fill the bowl, and the stack of bisquettes come very close to the heating element, so you want to be sure to change it at that time. I also will change the water bowl, just prior to retiring for the night. I try to have these two events occur at the same time, so I only have to change the water bowl once, before going to bed. I don't go beyond six hours of sleep, so when I wake up I change the water again. This seems sufficient, though you should check the bowl every 4 - 6 hours after that.

 
Changing the water is something that needs to be done regardless of whether or not you are using a foil pan; I ensured that it was done every four hours.
#12
Vegetables, Cheese, Nuts / Re: Smoking Pre-sliced Cheese
Last post by Nibs50 - March 25, 2024, 10:38:34 AM
Hi there Habanero Smoker!  Thanks for the welcome and for your reply - I was very much hoping you'd chime in.  I am not an active participant in these forums, but I have been reading them for years as a guest and have come to recognize your name as synonymous with wonderfully wise and sound advice.  You - along with the many other old timers  - have taught me well and I'd like to thank you for your guidance!

I am glad you agree that I should stack the slices prior to smoking. I don't think I'll be needing a net to support them, since the stack will likely be less than 3" high.  I'll just be extra careful when transporting the racks to and from the smoker, so as not to topple anything.

Thanks for the cracker snack recipe idea - it sounds delicious and I will definitely give that a try.  That hot honey is a real hit at our house...my boys will put that on everything!  Could I use any other tomatoes on these?  I'm not sure if my store carries Campari tomatoes.

I am still wondering about vacuum sealing the smoked sliced cheese though.  Since I plan to buy a few packages of it (it's a really good price - as far as "good" prices go these days...) I think I will just vacuum seal half of them without wax paper in between the slices and the other half with wax paper inserted between the slices, just to see what works.

Thanks again for your help! 
#13
Cold Smoking / Re: Cold smoke in new P 10
Last post by Habanero Smoker - March 24, 2024, 03:36:30 PM
Hi saltiel,

Welcome to the forum.

I also have been looking for a way to apply cold smoke with my P10. Besides the P10 I have an older model Bradley, and have been studying a way to pipe smoke in. I been planning this project for a couple of years.

The intake vent of the Bradley is located on the bottom panel of the smoker. My plan is to cut a 5-inch hole on the shelf that my P10 is sitting on. Then use a 4-inch dryer hose, with a magnetic mount to attach it over the vent, and the other end of the hose would be attached to my cold smoking box with the Bradley smoke generator. That way I can have "cold" smoke flow through the P10.  During cold smoking the Drip tray would have to be removed, so that it would not restrict the flow of smoke

So instead of drilling a hole in your P10, see if you can utilize the existing vent opening. Or if you have to drill a hole, maybe drill your hole there instead, and thread your tubing through the bottom of the P10.
#14
Vegetables, Cheese, Nuts / Re: Smoking Pre-sliced Cheese
Last post by Habanero Smoker - March 24, 2024, 03:10:07 PM
Hi Nibs50,

Welcome to the forum.

I've never tried to smoke cheese that was already sliced. My thought would be to stack the cheese. My other thought would be to use some type of netting, but something like cheesecloth may block too much smoke.

Those slices are also the perfect size for saltine crackers. I place the saltines down on a sheet tray, and place a slice of cheese on each cracker. Then thinly slice Campari tomatoes and place them on top of the cheese, and sprinkle either oregano or Italian Herb Blend over them. Sometimes I will also drizzle Mike's Hot Honey over them. Place in a 350F oven and bake until the cheese melts (but not too much). They are a favorite with guest.
#15
Vegetables, Cheese, Nuts / Re: Cheese Smoke Flavour
Last post by Nibs50 - March 24, 2024, 11:02:34 AM
Well, as always, I am late to the party.  I hope I can be of some help regardless.

We smoke a lot of cheese here on our Bradley (the older digital version, not the P10).  Our cheese smokes are usually a weekend affair and we do them twice a year (spring and fall) when the weather is cool.  Over the years, we've learned what our tastes prefer when pairing various  cheeses with the different flavors of puck.  There is a difference - and I say that as an old gal with old withered tastebuds (LOL).

As has already been said, you won't get smoked cheese with an apple flavor, for instance, but the apple wood does have a milder, sweeter smoke flavor when compared to other woods like hickory.  The maple bisquettes won't give your cheese a hit of maple syrup goodness, but it will impart a slightly heavier smoke than the apple pucks, and there is a sweeter edge to the smoke flavor compared to the hickory.  I really think the key is to finding your 'perfect pairing' - the type of cheese and the bisquettes that give it the smoke profile that works for it, and then you have to keep in mind that smoking times, cabinet temperatures and maturation times all do play their part in this as well.  It's definitely not a case of 'one size fits all' - just as  each cheese has its own flavor, each bisquette has its own smoke profile - not 'flavor' per se, but characteristics that can greatly enhance the cheese's flavors...or not.

Looking back, I think ultimately, that's how we stumbled on our final methods- we tried different cheeses smoked with different pucks and took meticulous notes.  None were really 'bad' (they were more like 'meh') - but some did stick out as exceptional, and so that's what we did with that particular cheese going forward.  We learned lots and had fun at the same time. 

Taste is a very personal thing - what works for one may or may not work for another, so that's what I would suggest to you: keep trying different combinations of bisquettes and cheeses.  You'll know whether its a hit or not. 

These are the pairings that work for us:  mozzarella and apple, swiss and apple, parmesan and maple, cheddar and hickory, and gouda and hickory.
#16
Vegetables, Cheese, Nuts / Smoking Pre-sliced Cheese
Last post by Nibs50 - March 24, 2024, 09:58:46 AM
Hi folks!  Hope everyone is doing well.  I am hoping that someone will be able to help me out here with a question I've got that I can't seem to find an answer to. 

We are big fans of smoked cheese on our Bradley.  We smoke all kinds of cheeses - cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, swiss and parmesan - twice a year.  I'm happy to say that we're rapidly coming up to our Spring Smoke for 2024 and I've started stocking up on cheeses.

This week, I've found a good sale price on sliced Cracker Barrel swiss cheese - it's a good deal cheaper than the block of swiss cheese I normally buy for smoking - and that's where my questions arise. 

1) Can I smoke pre-sliced cheese in a stack as I would smoke a solid block of cheese or should I lay out all the slices individually?  My 'smoker's instinct' says to stack it and smoke it - since it's essentially a just a block of cheese anyways (that's been sliced beforehand), but I'd like your take on it.

2) After smoking, we usually wrap the blocks of cheese in wax paper and then vacuum seal to mature and store. As you know, during vacuum sealing, the cheese is compressed to remove all the air.  This package of Cracker Barrel swiss cheese I'm looking at comes sliced - and so I'm wondering how this compression during vacuum sealing would affect the slices.  Could I separate the slices after a long time of being compressed or would they all the cheese simply turn into one block of cheese again?  These slices of cheese are in a nice square shape (perfect for sandwiches and burgers) so I'd like to preserve that if possible - would it be best to insert squares of parchment or wax paper in between the slices or would it be necessary?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.  I am grateful for your guidance!
#17
Cold Smoking / Re: Cold smoke in new P 10
Last post by saltiel - March 24, 2024, 09:48:14 AM
Very very difficult to cold smoke in a P10. Old bradley with remote smoke generator was MUCH better.
I bought a SmokeAI generator from New Zealand and now pipe in the smoke in a high temp food safe silicone tube. I about to drill a port in the side of my P10 to make it easier - I just need to find a suitable cap.

It was very disappointing that this brand new $800 smoker could not cold smoke properly after Bradley told me it could.
#18
Feedback and Help / Re: Smoker shutting off
Last post by Habanero Smoker - March 21, 2024, 02:07:57 PM
Hi Keelinddons;

Sorry to welcome you to the forum under such circumstancesm For us to better help you, can you tell us what model smoker you have.

From what you are describing, it could be a faulty heat temperature sensor. Have you added any appliances on the circuit the smoker is pulling current off of? If so, that may cause of drop in voltage.
#19
Feedback and Help / Smoker shutting off
Last post by Keelinddons - March 21, 2024, 07:07:06 AM
Yesterday morning, I started up my Bradley smoker at 7am when the temperature was 48°F. By 8am, the temperature had only reached 54°F. Even when I managed to get the temperature up to around 110°F, it kept turning off. I tried using plnkgame.com different extension cords and plugging directly into various outlets, but the smoker still shut off after just a couple of minutes. I'm baffled by what could be causing this issue.
#20
Introduce Yourself / Re: Newbie from Markham, ON
Last post by enbuilding - March 14, 2024, 02:08:26 AM
Hi Kurt, glad to hear you've found the advice here helpful! It's great that you upgraded to a Bradley Digital and installed an Auber PID. Those upgrades can really enhance your smoking experience. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback with the community!