BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Smoking Techniques => Hot Smoking and Barbecuing => Topic started by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 04:56:19 PM

Title: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 04:56:19 PM
No...you don't take out dollar bills...   ::)

(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0001.jpg)


Then you slather them with Carolina Treet...

(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0002.jpg)
(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0004.jpg)


and some "Dust"...
(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0003.jpg)
(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0005.jpg)

Let them marinate for 12 hours...

Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 05:21:00 PM
Hang them up and wait...

3 hours of Apple Smoke and 3 hours of cooking

(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0006.jpg)
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 05:22:48 PM
Three hours in...

(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0007.jpg)
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: DTAggie on December 10, 2010, 06:52:16 PM
Well I was going to say I grab two in each hand!
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: KyNola on December 10, 2010, 07:07:59 PM
What smoke/temp you doing those at?
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 07:16:27 PM
Quote from: KyNola on December 10, 2010, 07:07:59 PM
What smoke/temp you doing those at?

Started at 200 with smoke and then bumped it to 225.

It is at an IT of 130

Just added more hot water to the pan to keep the box consistent.  Even though it is inside, it seems to be struggling to keep a constant temp.

I need to get some bricks in there.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: KyNola on December 10, 2010, 07:23:03 PM
Not trying to tell you what you should do at all but you could bump the smoker temp up to 250.  No reason to hold it low.

STC is the turkey expert, particularly on those boneless breasts.  He will be along shortly.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 07:39:28 PM
Quote from: KyNola on December 10, 2010, 07:23:03 PM
Not trying to tell you what you should do at all but you could bump the smoker temp up to 250.  No reason to hold it low.

STC is the turkey expert, particularly on those boneless breasts.  He will be along shortly.

I can't get it any hotter than that.  Temp is peaked at 320

Could there be something wrong with it?  I have never see more than 275 from this.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: KyNola on December 10, 2010, 08:06:15 PM
Don't think there's anything wrong this time of year.

You got this covered.  Love those little turkey breasts.  Great flavor.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 10, 2010, 08:13:29 PM
I am coming up on 8 hours... for 4 breasts.

I did 6 in 11 hours.

Guess I need to set the Maverick to wake me a 165... 
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 11, 2010, 02:19:44 AM
Well, I slept with the Maverick last night...well only 3 hours.

Guys,
I am on 15 hours for these...

IT is 151
Cabinet Temp topped out at 225

I think these are going to be real boulders when done...

I know you say to be patient but this seems ridiculous.  I don't know why this cabinet will not break 225.  I have it set at 320.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: SouthernSmoked on December 11, 2010, 04:00:30 AM
Yeah I agree - seems awfully long.

When I do these type of Turkey Breasts it will normally only take around 4-5 hours depending on how many.

Here is one of the post I did on these kind of Turkey Breasts.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17391.0
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: BuyLowSellHigh on December 11, 2010, 04:25:13 AM
It's been cool here lately (good for cold smoking, finally), and I was cleaning up my six rack a couple of days ago.  So I did a test to see what it could get to without the SG.  Ambient temp was in the upper 40's, with nothing in the cabinet except the drip pan (no bricks, no trays, no water bowl) all I could get after 2 hrs was 230 °F.

If you're using a six rack I suspect you're just fighting the limitations of heat output and the cabinet size, along with a huge heat sink in those four  .. uh ... breasts, versus outside temperature.

I will be adding a second heating element soon.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 11, 2010, 06:24:34 AM
I made a calc error it was 15 hours

I took them out when it hit 155. 

(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy69/Rckcrwlr/Cooking/IMAG0013.jpg)

Mine is in my shop that vents outside. 

I'm going to fire it up empty and see what happens.

What is involved in getting another element and is that the only option?

Could there be something wrong with it?

I'll let you know what I find out.
Title: Re: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 11, 2010, 06:41:30 AM
So threw them in the FTC so I could get some sleep.

Here it is. 

(http://184.72.239.143/mu/4a6de323-8d88-a69c.jpg)

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Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: TestRocket on December 11, 2010, 07:34:54 AM
Looks good to me! Let's eat!
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: KyNola on December 11, 2010, 08:24:03 AM
Those look great but something is definitely wrong.  I probably missed it but what were you using to measure the temp in the tower?  I'm wondering if the tower temp readings were inaccurate.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 11, 2010, 10:11:16 AM
Quote from: KyNola on December 11, 2010, 08:24:03 AM
Those look great but something is definitely wrong.  I probably missed it but what were you using to measure the temp in the tower?  I'm wondering if the tower temp readings were inaccurate.

I was using a Maverick ET-73...

It was placed on the rack that the boulders were hanging from.

The Onboard showed about 6 more than the Mav.

I did a test burn...

Ambient temp in shop is a controlled 60 degrees
1 hour (damper closed, exhaust fan off) - Cabinet temp 250
20 mins (Open damper) - Dropped 8 degrees
1 hour (Damper Open, Exhaust fan on) - Cabinet Temp 250

I picked up a couple bricks that I am going to scrub and then use.  Maybe it will help hold the heat versus the element trying to keep it hot.

Any thoughts?
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: BuyLowSellHigh on December 11, 2010, 03:15:12 PM
If the probe was above the turkey boulders, then I suspect that's the issue.  Those chunks will soak up a lot of heat.  Think of them as a heat sink.

Try placing place the probe just below the meat/poultry -- it's hotter down there.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 11, 2010, 07:23:38 PM
What about the 15 hours.  Am I expecting too much?  that would be about 12 lbs of turkey?

Would a PID be more efficient?

I am going to have bricks in there for the next go around.  Where is the best place to put them or doesn't it matter?

Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: BuyLowSellHigh on December 12, 2010, 03:32:21 AM
I don't know anything about cooking time for those boulders, STC is the expert in that department.

I went back and looked at the earlier pics and saw that you used an Aluminum pan on a rack under the breasts.  It looks like that pan about filled the rack it was on, leaving a small gap around the edges as the only route for heat flow.  If that was the case you probably created a good heat block, forcing the heat flow to the outside and around the birds.  I made that mistake once with a pork butt very early in my Bradley experience.  When I realized what was going on I pulled the pan and then things came back to normal.

Bricks will help with temp stability and recovery.  They act like a heat bank.  They won't speed cooking, but will help with recovery after opening the door, and can be used to even out temps in the cabinet vertically.  But, until they come up to temp they add to heat up time -- you have to make that deposit in the bank.

After removing the pan, if you're still having problems with heat flow a few things that might help are add a fan kit, or you might try a heat deflector or director like the one Southern Smoked made, shown here (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=18534.msg224943#msg224943).  Then there is the second element mod.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 12, 2010, 05:03:48 AM
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on December 12, 2010, 03:32:21 AM
I went back and looked at the earlier pics and saw that you used an Aluminum pan on a rack under the breasts.  It looks like that pan about filled the rack it was on, leaving a small gap around the edges as the only route for heat flow.  If that was the case you probably created a good heat block, forcing the heat flow to the outside and around the birds.  I made that mistake once with a pork butt very early in my Bradley experience.  When I realized what was going on I pulled the pan and then things came back to normal.

Funny you say this. I thought the same thing as I was cleaning the racks...  I am guessing that was the problem. 

I'm going to do a test today to see how long it takes to heat the bricks.  I will then have a good preheat time.

Where should these be?  first shelf on the bottom, down where the water is???
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: BuyLowSellHigh on December 12, 2010, 05:24:09 AM
Opinions vary on brick placement.  I think most put them down by the water bowl.  In my six rack when I have the room I like to put two (foil wrapped) in a rack at the lowest position -- one is leaned against the back edge at a 45° angle, the other leaned against the front edge.  That creates a bit of a heat deflector as well.  When room permits I also run with a patio paver, about 4" x 8" x 1.5", on the top shelf (also foil wrapped).  Together that setup creates a natural convection zone in between the upper and lower racks.  The top paver also acts as a rain guard, although I've never seen any signs of rain.

All together it takes about an hour to get my six rack up to 230-240 with the SG on, on a warm day.  I've never done it but others have preheated their bricks in an oven then transfered them to their smoker.

Next run of a brisket or a butt I'm going to add a strip of foil under the rear brick on the lower rack, from back edge of the rack out about a third of the distance, tin an attempt to emulate SS's deflector.
Title: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: KyNola on December 12, 2010, 06:17:43 AM
Great catch on the pan BLSH.  I totally missed it.  I'm betting that is the culprit.
Title: Re: Re: What do you do when you have 4 breasts in front of you???
Post by: Rckcrwlr on December 24, 2010, 09:05:54 AM
So I just ordered 12 more breasts. I have two bricks situated front and back of the bottom rack on an angle.

I will keep you update.

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