Might purchase one questions please?

[TedEbear]

With a PID would I be able to set it and be able to walk away like the digital smokers?

Seems like the Digital smokers would be the way to go if the temp control was better.

If you're going to get a PID you'll be wasting your money if you buy a the digital smoker, unless you're getting it for the larger capacity.  An OBS and a PID are the way to go. 

If you like to tinker you can buy a do-it-yourself PID controller for around $45, far less than the $150-$185 of the plug-n-play versions.  Even with all the hardware to install it (probe, SSR, heatsink, etc.) the cost is still about 1/2 the price.   ;)

[muebe]

An Original Bradley Smoker does not have a thermostat. It has a temp slider that adjusts the intensity of the element or in other words the power to the element. So if you move the slider all the way to high it will give full power to the element causing the highest cabinet temp. There is a temp safety switch that will cut power to the element if the temp in the cabinet gets to 260F. So moving the slider to a certain position will give you an approximate temp but will be affected by ambient temps, wind, ect.

A Digital Bradley does have a thermostat but unlike a PID it is not "smart". It is a on/off thermostat and because of the slow response time of an electric heating element you get temp swings. As the thermostat is applying power to the element it does not stop and anticipate the heat rise. It powers the element down when it reaches the set temp. The problem is the temp does not instantly stop rising after the power to the element has been stopped. After the temp rises and then starts to fall the thermostat waits for the temp to fall below the set temp before applying power to the element again. And when power is applied to the element there is not an immediate response so it takes a little time for the falling temp to stop and start to rise again. This is why there are temp swings. But if you take the highest and lowes reading on the swings and divide it by the number of temp readings you should find a average of around the temp that you set it at. This is exactly how electric home ovens work and there is nothing wrong with it.

Now a PID is a smart controller. It is able to anticipate the heat rise and loss. Then it will throttle power to the element to maintain a cabinet temp within one or two degrees of the set temp and it will adjust on the fly for any ambient or wind changes affecting the cabinet temp. This allows for the most accurate control of the temp. PID controllers are used in all kinds of applications when precise temp control is needed. And people have found they are great for controlling smokers ;)

[lophole]

I have had a 4 rack for 9 years never a problem. Added a pid 4 years ago.  Used about 15 times a year. Go for it.
Lophole

[wolverines]

So, If I add a PID to an OBS, that is like having the Digital Bradley just with better temp control because the PID will have the digital dispaly?

Can I still cold smoke with the OBS and a PID?

Thanks again. I'm almost there

BP

[mikecorn.1]

Yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wolverines]

What's the difference between the OBS and the Electric Smoker?  Not the DBS.   It shows that the OBS and the Electric smoker are the same price. They both look the same except one has a thermometer on the door.

[mikecorn.1]

Not following. Bradley smokers are all electric but one. The propane Bradley smoker. As far as I know there is the original 4 rack, 4 and 6 rack digital and the new black one
That just came out. Oh, and the Jim Beam model.
Bradley Smokers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wolverines]

When I go to the products section.  There is the Bradley Original Smoker  BS611,  the Bradley Electric Smoker BT1S1 and then it lists the Digital Elecric smokers below that. The doors on the BOS and the Electric smoker are different. I'm not talking about the smoke design on the OBS but at the bottom of the doors of the BES BT1S1 it looks like there are some functional buttons. They are both the same price.

Hope that clears it up.

Thanks,

BP

[TedEbear]

The BS611 is the new version of the Original Bradley Smoker (OBS).  All of the controls are mounted on the smoke generator box.  The BT1S1 is the old style OBS.  I imagine you can find some clearance sales on those if you look around.

[wolverines]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think I am going to go with the OBS with the PID.  Going to ask a few more questions but am going to post a new topic.

Thanks again,

BP