I got new Bradley original for christmas from my wife. All excited, I get ready for some serious smoking. Not to be...Take smoker outside get all set-up, plug in turn on power, and load up some bisquettes. All is going well up to this point but this is when things go south. I push the manual advance button to bring up a disk(bisquette to long to spell) push again to advance another push once again to get first disk to heating element and nothing. As a side note it is about -6 deg (C as I am in Canada) Unit is dead, what a let down! After a conversation with a very nice and helpful tech @ Bradley( and taking apart the smoke generator) "we"conclude that the smoke generators brain had quit. So pack up smoker, wipe tears away form my eyes and head inside to wait for replacement part. Would have been a way worse experience if not for people at Bradley they are great to deal with. That brings me to today, I have the new smoke generator and it seems to be working. I have a brisket marinating in the fridge as I write this, and my neighbors are scheduled to arrive around 4pm tomorrow. I have smoked using a offset barrel smoker before ,but have never attempted a brisket. If any one has any last minute advise I'll take it, at any rate I'm cooking it and hoping for the best. I plan to feed them lots of beer before we eat... because everybody knows that beer makes everything taste better! A long first post I know but I thought I would share my story. I try and post the results of the first smoke. It's only going to get up to -8 or something like that tomorrow so I hope heat is not an issue.
Well.. Good Luck! And WELCOME to the forum!
Is that Jesse James?
You should be alright with the temp still. Just keep it out of the wind. Bradleys customer service is second to none. I have not done a brisket yet but someone will be alondg shortly to clue you in. We have some real brisket guru's here so they'll help ya. You should head up to the introduce myself thread and let everyone know who you are. And let me be the first to say welcome to the forum. And don't forget to keep that vent open.
Mesquite-Very strong
Hickory-strong
Oak-strong but not overpowering
Pecan-mild version of Oak
Maple-Mild
Cherry-Mild & fruity
Apple-Mild, fruity with a slight sweetness
Alder-Light with a hint of sweetness
Dang you hal you beat me to it. >:( >:(
W E L C O M E to the Forum smokeNcanuck!
Keep the vent at least 1/4 open.
Ok I need to get away from the forum for awhile. I didn't even realize I was in the intro section. My bad.
Hey welcome to the forum. I just thought I would start new again.
Welcome to the Forum.
Take that brisket out of fridge and let it wram up a cple hours before time tou want to start smokin.
Keep the temp up to 260 to 280 when you put the brisket in .
Your Cab temp will drop due to the coolness of a large slab of meat.
When the Cab temp gets back to your cooking temp that you want, Then lower the setting.
After that, change out your water after the smoke phase with clean hot water and drink a cold one.
The Bradley will do it's thing.
Good luck and slow smoke.
Hal4uk, That most certainly is Mr. Jesse James!! and good call.
Hey fellow Canuck, welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place. I have been here for about 3 weeks and learned more from these fine folks in that time than I could have learned on my own in a couple years. I am in Ottawa, where you located? Where did you get your brisket? I heard they are hard to find up here. They all go to MOntreal for smoked meat I guess.
Welcome Aboard and since none of the rest of these knuckleheads can read ;D ;D "Good Luck"
Quote from: Paddlinpaul on January 08, 2010, 06:27:49 PM
Hey fellow Canuck, welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place. I have been here for about 3 weeks and learned more from these fine folks in that time than I could have learned on my own in a couple years. I am in Ottawa, where you located? Where did you get your brisket? I heard they are hard to find up here. They all go to MOntreal for smoked meat I guess.
Hey paul I am in a small town not too far from the shores of Lake Huron called Brussels. I got my brisket when I bought a 1/4 of canadian AAA prime corn feed beef. Saved it from becoming hamburger. I usually use it to make jerky, If you call any local butcher shop they should be able to get one for you.
TP - re-check that first knucklehead's response....
Hey are you bastards picking on me. ;D ;D I deserved that one. I think I have been unemployed to long. Doh I think I go chase myself or something. ;D
Lordy, Q... Whatchu drinkin' tonight?
Doh I wish. This place has been dry for 3 weeks now. I'm starting to feel the effects of blood in my alcohol system.
SmokeNcanuck,
See what happens when your waiting for your brisket to cook, things get kind of crazy but they have a good time!!
That's like water in oil... You'll drop a rod if you don't get that flushed out.
Oh I hear ya I am going very easy on the throttle these days. I must be, cause the wife and kids are still talking to me. ;D ;D ;D
Well it's 7:30 AM and my brisket has been marinating for about (http://[img][img][img]12hrs)[/img][/img][/img]. I have just finished seasoning the new Bradley and am getting ready to start the brisket. Hear is a pre-smoke pic I will post the results. But probably not till tomorrow, will more than likely drink too many beers tonight. THANKS to all who welcomed me and for any advise! ;D
Ok, well I can not figure out how to post a pic. Anybody want to field that one?(I am way too new!)
Try this link for pics. May help a bit.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11
And, it may be a little late, but good luck :) Welcome to the Forum!
Quote from: Hoss on January 09, 2010, 04:52:45 AM
Try this link for pics. May help a bit.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11
And, it may be a little late, but good luck :) Welcome to the Forum!
Thanks Hoss, Here goes ,(http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac201/smokencanuck/IMG_1249.jpg)
Welcome, this is a great site. tons of info and guys and gals who know their stuff. Quarlow i am trying you dry brine smoked salmon today, along with some ABTS. I will post some pics later. It is -20 in Neb this am. wish me luck.
That's cold. It is -17C hear right now, good thing I set up smoker in my garage. What is max temp I should be smoking brisket at? I can only get seen to get about 220F out of the unit with it cranked on high.
220F is plenty. I do mine @205F
Ok thanks It's about 217F think I'll just letter rock out for the day. Do you smoke for the whole time or do you foil? what is better option for a first timer?
I only apply four hours of smoke.
Sometimes I leave it it the Bradley, other times I move to the house oven.
I have not used foil on Briskets and butts.
Quote from: smokeNcanuck on January 09, 2010, 06:34:39 AM
Ok thanks It's about 217F think I'll just letter rock out for the day. Do you smoke for the whole time or do you foil? what is better option for a first timer?
I run my Bradley at around 220 for everything. I've done butts/briskets both ways - boated in a foil pan and covered, and just by themselves on the rack 'naked'. Either way produces tasty food.
You won't get the nice 'bark' if you foil them.. But it wouldn't hurt to put a pan on the rack below it (make sure you are cooking on the middle ones) to catch the drippings for some tasty gravy. Just put a few glugs of beer/juice/water in the pan so the drippings don't dry out.
I only loaded enough pucks for four hours, so I'll just let it run it's course. They only reason I might foil it is to make sure it does not dry out. I guess I will have to just experiment
after all that's the fun!! Thanks for the help FL, sure glad I got a Bradley and joined this forum(first one I have ever joined). All the people are GREAT and I have only been a member for a day. Do you use some sort of blanks to get the last puck off the burner?
Search "Bubba Puck" on this forum and you might get more info.
smokeNcanuck,
You might some useful info here - http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=748#post748
Thanks for the link, lots of good stuff on their. I am a machinist by trade so I made some alu. spacer rings last night. Just wanted to make sure I was not going to damage anything
and as I saw in viewing your link, now one has reported them causing any damage.
Quote from: electricshaman on January 09, 2010, 05:39:55 AM
Welcome, this is a great site. tons of info and guys and gals who know their stuff. Quarlow i am trying you dry brine smoked salmon today, along with some ABTS. I will post some pics later. It is -20 in Neb this am. wish me luck.
Hey good luck with that salmon.
After approx 5hrs brisket is at about 168F, I took it out made a foil boat added some liquid and returned to Bradley. So far I have only had one beer, but cooking always makes me thirsty!
I am hoping to eat in another 4 hrs so hears to seeing 190 on the old thermo, If not can always have another beer.
Well just to close post everything turned out spectacular :D :D!! I was very worried about serving my first attempt at a brisket to company, knowing how tricky they can be to cook.
All worries went out the window as soon as I started slicing. It came out much better than I expected and was most likely the best piece of smoked meat I and everyone else at my island(as the meat never even made it to the table)had ever had. I shall be getting another one in the near future, I fear that I should have wrote all my ingredients down. When I get cooking I tend to free style which is fun, but makes it hard to duplicate a recipe. As a side note LOVE the Bradley, smoke'N has never been so easy. I have used an offset barrel smoker for a few summers now and not sure if I will use it again now that I have the Bradley. I found the smoke flavor to be very clean tasting and the fact that it looks after it's self is fantastic.
All I have to say is I'm hooked and bring on the MEAT.
Yeah smokeNcanuck Way to go! Glad you had good success.
Quarlow, the dry brine recipe for smoked salmon was a hit. Many thanks. It was just right.
Good Electricshaman glad it worked out. It's the way we have made ours since I was just a gaffer.
sNc glad to hear the brisket was a winner.
There won't be any stopping you now!
So waht is the next smoke.?
Remember we like pictures.
SNC, after consuming possibly hundreds of briskets over my life - or a least more than several, I came to the realization decades ago that there is just nothing quite as good as a smoked brisket - well ribs, fatties, bologna, brats, catfish, salmon, lox, chicken, turkey, cheese, and sausage come close. Congrates on the first smoke and persevering through the bump in the road! If you can find a whole one, they are not as tricky. Also, for comparison, I'd try one "nekkid", only salt, pepper, and some cayenne.
CRG, whatz up with the new pic? The smoking monkey was great, made me laugh every time I saw it.
I think I am going to tackle some ribs this coming weekend. Sorry about the lack of pics of the finished brisket, I was too excited to snap any off...next time I'll get some for sure!
Caneyscud, I'm pretty sure that the next time(which will be sometime really soon) I do a brisket I'll get my mitts on a whole one. And maybe I'll giver naked style, But I must say that I am a very big fan of sauce.
If you want to know what is up with CRG's new pic just stay tune for the rest of the day. It will be pretty obvious later on. ;D ;D ;D Sonny you are truly evil. ;) ;)
Either Hal's gone mad or CRG has. ;D
Quote from: KevinG on January 11, 2010, 11:39:22 AM
Either Hal's gone mad or CRG has. ;D
My guess is BOTH
Uh oh... :o