I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into using the Bradley digital in the winter, does it still perform outside in cool temperatures or do I need to insulate the unit somehow to keep it warm? ???
The wind is the Bradley's worst enemy... A lot of us have built/bought little enclosures to keep the smoker in.
So if I keep it free of any excessive wind the cold shouldn't affect the smoker temp to much?
I live in NW pa and have moved BDS into the shed to block from the wind i smoked every week i use a foil covered brick(which i use all year) and i put old thermal sweatshirt around the cabinet it seems to help waiting on rubbermaid shed to go on sale
As stated the wind is worse than the cold. The cold comes into play more when you open the door and the temp drops and has to recover. I would also be concerned about getting the electonics wet, especially with a DBS.
I will probably set it up just inside the garage door to keep it out of the wind and wet.
You can get dryer vent hose at home depot for bout ten bucks to direct the smoker out side my wife got me one but i have not set up yet
Scoville I live in Iowa and I do basically the same thing your wanting to do. During the summer months I move the DBS to the garage door. In the winter I just open the two walk in doors a little to vent out the smoke. I use a bottom section of a toolbox cabinet to make this easier on my self. Saves on a lot of bending over as well. Looks like this.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd237/tenpoint5/S8000538.jpg)
I live in Minnesota and use my smoker regularly in the winter. I have a 4 rack digital and just use it in my garage and set it next to a window and let the smoke roll out the window. When it gets below zero I will bring my smoke generator in the house until I use it.
Thanks for all the replies, I have it seasoning in the garage now preparing it for some ribs tonight, it is filling the house with a hint of mesquite as we speak. I have the temp set for 150 but it seems to want to hold 160 or better, is it common for them to have a 10 degree difference? As I said in my intro I am used to propane and wood smokers not the electronics as of yet.
Yes your DBS will have temp swings above and below your set point. Yours is doing good at +/- 10º. Mine runs in the 20º range
Nice set up Tenpoint5, how do you post pics on this site, I am having trouble with that.
I built a cabinet to keep mine out of the cold. But I have used in the winter as low as 20F and it still worked. It does hold the temp much better now being out of the direct elements.
Well, so far so good in the garage, takes a while to preheat but when it does it seems to hold the temp just fine. The outside cabinet seems fairly well insulated.