BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

New Members => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: oxygenandy on July 05, 2009, 10:39:42 AM

Title: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 05, 2009, 10:39:42 AM
State Law Enforcement based in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Smoked on Wood for years and looking forward to the Bradley.
I was skeptical but now that I see all the fantastic results online, No Worries.
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Mr Walleye on July 05, 2009, 10:48:16 AM
Hi Andy and welcome to the forum.

Lots of great people here more than willing to help out. If you haven't found the recipe site yet just click on the smoker in the bottom of my post. Tons of great stuff there from all the fine folks here on the site.

Mike
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 05, 2009, 11:24:50 AM
Well I just found out that I have to pre-heat without a doubt. Cool meat brings the temp down...basic physics but I just wasn't thinking. Anyway...Ribs and Tenderloins are looking good!
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 05, 2009, 11:26:12 AM
Thanks for the welcome Moderator Mike. I appreciate the recipes.
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Mr Walleye on July 05, 2009, 12:04:10 PM
Quote from: oxygenandy on July 05, 2009, 11:26:12 AM
Thanks for the welcome Moderator Mike. I appreciate the recipes.

Not a moderator... just a fellow smoker.  :D

I usually pre-heat the tower to about 260 degrees, that way by the time you get things loaded it will recover quicker. In addition if you allow your meat to come to room temp while your unit is pre-heating will help. You also want to pre-heat the smoke generator, this way when the first puck is advanced it will burn more complete.

Keep us posted on your smoke!  ;)

Good luck

Mike
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Gizmo on July 05, 2009, 12:49:52 PM
Welcome to the forum O'andy.
With the state as your territory, you must be on the road a lot.  No doubt a daily endless supply of fresh critters to smoke up.   ;D  ;)
Sorry Andy, couldn't resist.

In addition to what Mike stated, I keep the temperature set point at high until the box recovers.  Don't know if it really makes a difference for sure with keeping the heating element from cycling off with a lower set point eventhough the box has a long way to go to recover.  Always seemed like it did when I first started and changed back in the early days, just never went back to verify. 

When you get going, post up some pictures to help us enjoy your experiences even more.

Gizmo
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: HawkeyeSmokes on July 05, 2009, 12:54:25 PM
Welcome aboard Andy. Mike gave ya some good advice about preheating as it helps a lot once you put the meat in the smoker.
For those ribs, I would suggest following the advice from 10.5 I've been doing that with mine and they come out great. And make sure to allow plenty of time. I've had ribs take about 6 hours when cooking spares. Here's a link to his tutorial.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=581
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: NePaSmoKer on July 05, 2009, 02:24:33 PM
Welcome Oandy

I dont need to say much more because its already being said.

Enjoy

nepas
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: FLBentRider on July 05, 2009, 03:28:43 PM
W E L C O M E  to the Forum oxygenandy!
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: deb415611 on July 05, 2009, 04:04:14 PM
Welcome oxygenandy!
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: La Quinta on July 05, 2009, 05:58:16 PM
Welcome OxyAndy...sounds like a new smokin designer drug!!!  :D  :D  :D

Everybody goes through the learning curve....please ask questions... ;D
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Smokin Soon on July 05, 2009, 06:15:05 PM
Welcome Andy! Quite a few of us here have had stick burners in the past and have found the Bradley a cleaner more constant smoke, besides it being so dang easy. Do some reading here and on the recipe sight
and you are good to go. Plenty of help here, so don't be shy!
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Caneyscud on July 06, 2009, 01:06:21 PM
Welcome Andy!  Using a Bradley is lots easier than a stickburner, and there are differences.  Don't know how big of a stickburner you were using, but a well-made heavy duty stickburner has a lot of steel, that holds a lot of heat so you don't get quite the temp variances that you may experience with your Bradley.  The Bradley just doesn't have that mass of steel to help moderate.  Peeking into a Bradley isn't something you should do much.  When opening the door, the hot air escapes, and with the lack of a hot mass of steel, the Bradley has to rely on the heating element to get the temp back up.  By doing so, the unmodded Bradley does seem to set up some major temp zone differences - i.e. the bottom rack will cook a lot faster than the other racks because of the proximity to the heating element, if you peek a lot.  That's why many have a remote reading thermometer.  And why some have modded with fans.  And why many rotate racks.  Oh, and you won't get a smoke ring.   And as you found out preheating to above your desired cooking temperature is a good way to keep that element from having to come on for a long time at first. 
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: OU812 on July 06, 2009, 01:33:18 PM
Welcome to the fun, don't no if you herd or not but with an electric smoker you only need 3 to 4 hr of smoke the rest of the time is just cooking and never close your vent. Most smoke with it half open or more, I never close mine more than half way. Also keep the water pan full unless your doing jerky or cheese.
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: beefmann on July 06, 2009, 05:53:21 PM
andy,

welcome to the forum and the fun begins
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: westexasmoker on July 06, 2009, 05:58:25 PM
Welcome to the forum Andy!  Lots of great folks here and excellent information!  Good luck and keep us posted!

C
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 06, 2009, 06:44:21 PM
OK...here we go. Pre-heated and smoked Baby Backs for 5 hours...They are close to done but still not "fall off the bone".
In fact kinda tough.

Do I just cook longer, wrap in foil or what?
Anything for the connective tissue to break down would be good.

Any suggestions? Thanks!
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: HawkeyeSmokes on July 06, 2009, 06:51:44 PM
Hey Andy, I would boat them with a splash of apple juice for a while. Not sure it will work after 5 hours but I do think it will help. Try using the post from 10.5 for your ribs. It works great. Here is a link to it.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=581

Good luck and keep smoking.  ;D
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 06, 2009, 07:00:53 PM
Cool ...thanks.
I think any and all posts I have seen regarding ribs, reference 10.5
I am gonna try in the next day or so.

For right now...got plenty of great looking tenderloins and a pork butt to boot...
Gotta get them et first.
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: Tenpoint5 on July 06, 2009, 07:31:32 PM
Quote from: oxygenandy on July 06, 2009, 07:00:53 PM
Cool ...thanks.
I think any and all posts I have seen regarding ribs, reference 10.5
I am gonna try in the next day or so.

For right now...got plenty of great looking tenderloins and a pork butt to boot...
Gotta get them et first.

Andy,
First of all Welcome Aboard.
Second My Rib Technique may be referenced several times but they are NOT MY RIBS. I didn't make the ribs. The folks that is talking about them is the ones that made the FANTASTIC ribs. I just supplied an idea on how I do Mine! You make the ribs YOURS by doing it your way. It really isn't all that special can sum it up in one sentence. Peel off membrane, season, place in preheated smoker smoke for 3 hours, wrap in foil with splash of apple juice, heat for 2 hours spares 1 baby's, remove from foil, sauce then cook for additional hour, when meat pulls back from bone 1/4 to 1/2 inch your done, Eat and enjoy.
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: OU812 on July 07, 2009, 09:24:21 AM
What 10.5 said.

As far as ribs go "there done when there done"
Title: Re: OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking
Post by: oxygenandy on July 08, 2009, 07:23:15 PM
Thanks again!

I can't wait till weekend when I'll thaw out 2-3 more racks.
I LUV ribs!