BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Bradley Smokers => The Digital Smokers (BTDS76P & BTDS108P) => Topic started by: canyonman on March 04, 2010, 07:34:12 PM

Title: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: canyonman on March 04, 2010, 07:34:12 PM
     I live in an area where it stays pretty cold for about 5 months.  So I posted a question on the forum about adding and using a 2nd heating element without a PID.  I plan on getting a PID but I'm waiting for the dual probe to come available again.  So in the mean time I just wanted xtra heat so my BDS 4rack would get up to temp faster and have faster recovery times.  Now a word of caution do not try this if you do not have a way to monitor cabinet temps besides using the Bradley temp reading.  The Bradley temp reading is often off by 20 or more degrees and it is slow to respond.  The Cabinet is only designed to withstand temps of 300 degrees so without knowing the real time accurate temp of the cabinet you could burn it down.  With that said, the 2nd element improved my recovery times a great deal.  It use to take forever to recover from opening the door now it takes less then 10 minutes to go from 90 to 220 with an outside temp of 30.  The preheat process takes less than 30 minutes with the outside temp at 30.  I only set my oven temp at 240 because that insures my top preheat temp only reaches 290.  Any ways thanks for all the input on how to be careful when doing it.     
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: Quarlow on March 04, 2010, 09:44:51 PM
Hey canyonman good to hear you were successful. Now smoke on man.
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: MPTubbs on March 05, 2010, 04:46:48 AM
I've done the upgrade on my D6R and my OBS.

I got a PID hanging off my D6R and like you I'm waiting for the dual probe to come available.
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: lumpy on March 05, 2010, 06:08:56 AM
I also did the 2nd element improvement and love the way it heats up.
Even though I have a PID, I do not use it all the time.

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

Lumpy
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: femo on March 14, 2010, 02:42:03 PM
hello there,

is there somewhere a complete instuction, how to add a 2nd heate to the BDS ?

thanks
chris
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: HawkeyeSmokes on March 14, 2010, 02:46:04 PM
Quote from: femo on March 14, 2010, 02:42:03 PM
hello there,

is there somewhere a complete instuction, how to add a 2nd heate to the BDS ?

thanks
chris

Here's a link to it. http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=327
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: femo on March 14, 2010, 11:47:54 PM
great, thanks hawkeye
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: Habanero Smoker on March 15, 2010, 01:30:45 AM
Quote from: femo on March 14, 2010, 11:47:54 PM
great, thanks hawkeye


Please read the disclaimer and Notes, and give that some serious thought.
Title: Re: Added 2nd heating element. NO PID and it works great!
Post by: femo on March 15, 2010, 01:57:39 AM
thanks for the reminder habanero,

but my decision is final. all my cooking is around 220 degrees F, so thre is no problem.
i never used the bradley any higher. also i never rely on the machine ;-) i always have
my remote maverick checking, so i do not see a problem at all.

am even thinking abt an PID but first i check out, how it works with the 2nd heater.