Hi. I am really thinking of purchasing the 4 rack digital smoker. I was wondering if everyone is pleased with theirs? I have heard of a lot of heating element problems and can't decide if just the 1 year warranty is worth purchasing this unit. I only intened on using this for home use and $500 dollars is a lot of money to me with only a 1 year warranty.
Also, I see some on here add elements. Is that something that I would have to do with the 4 rack? Please help out this rookie!
Any comments, suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
BP
Might I suggest getting the original bradley and a PID instead. It will run you a little bit more cost wise but you will have much better temp control.
I'm Very pleased with my Digital 4 rack bradley,but if I had to do it over,I would go for the digital 6 rack.
Quote from: slowpoke on March 03, 2012, 06:44:54 PM
I'm Very pleased with my Digital 4 rack bradley,but if I had to do it over,I would go for the digital 6 rack.
Same here. Would be nice to have
The extra room. :P
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It would help if we knew where you are from. If it gets really cold where you are then you might want the second element but if you live in a warm climate then it would likely be a waste of time and money. I have both the OBS (original Bradley smoker) and the DBS (digital Bradley smoker) both are 4 racks. My OBS is about 5 years old and never had a heating element problem with it. I got the DBS because I wanted to be able to just set a temp and know it would stay there without having to fiddle with a slider. I was not aware that the temps would swing either side of the set temp but that is not a big deal unless you are going to do sausages then it is more important to have stable temps but not critical (I have done sausages in the DBS in the winter and they still turned out great). I did have an element go out on my DBS and I was not happy about it but Bradley replaced it and I have not had a problem with the element since. I also had a problem with the door and Bradley replaced that. I really like the DBS and probably would have just kept using it but I live in a cold climate and like to do double batches of fish and usually in the fall or winter and with only a single element that was just too much for the single element.
So I am in the process of making several mods to the OBS and will use it as my primary smoker when done. With the OBS you need to stay nearby and adjust the slider until you get the temp just right (unless you have a PID which will control the temp much better than the DBS).
IMO there are some quality issues with the Bradley smokers and depending on your point of view they may be considered minor. My biggest concern is with the plastic door hinges. On my 6 month old DBS the top hinge is already cracked and I am very careful with opening and closing the door. Some of the members don't seem to have issues and others do. Some members have posted fixes for the door hinge issue and I will likely end up making changes to mine when it fails.
These are my opinions and experiences and only intended to make you more informed before you make a decision.
Having said all of this I still like my DBS and am sure I will like my OBS even more than the DBS after the mods.
Thanks to all who have replied. I live in Indiana and it gets cold in the winter here as well. I'm sure not as cold as where you live. So, is the second element something Bradley can do or is that something I have to do and is covered by warranty/ easy to do?
Also, someone said to get the OBS with a PID...what's a PID and can you use a PID with the DBS? The only reason I was thinking about the DBS was so I could put my meat in and be able to walk away for a few hours if I had to.
I usually do about 2-3 butts and 4 racks of ribs. Would the 4 rack be able to handle that or should I think more about the 6 rack?
Thanks for everyone's help. I really appreciate it.
BP
If the warranty is one of your major concerns, then you should wait until the warranty has expired prior to making any modifications. Although Bradley is very liberal in allowing users to work on their smoker to bring it back to manufacturers standards, I'm sure adding elements and/or a fan will void the warranty. Adding a PID or other temperture control device, is perfectly alright.
I ran my OBS for more then 4 years before adding a second element. The second element is good to have, but I produced just as good food then as I do now.
Here is a link to the single probe PID...
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=72
Here is a link to the dual probe...
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=151
The PID turns a original into a better digital. You can install a PID on a digital but it will do the same thing on the original so unless you want a six rack Bradley I would get the original with a PID.
Read the product description on the website for more details. I do not believe these PID units will void your warranty...
I have had the 4 rack digital and now have the 6 rack digital. I live in Minnesota and smoke a lot in the winter. I put in an extra element in my 6 rack to help with heat recovery. Works great. I did not have it in my 4 rack but I wanted it many times just never got around to adding one. If you plan on making sausage(sooner or later you will get the bug then you are hooked) you will need a PID which will control your temps a lot tighter+/- 2 degree. With the digital you will have swings +/- 15 degree. You need tighter temp controls when making sausage and fish. If you only want the 4 rack you might want to go with the original smoker and spend the extra on a PID but if you want more room then you will have to buy the 6 rack and also need a PID to do sausage.
I bought the digital 6 rack shortly after they became available, because I needed the capacity. It's been absolutely trouble free since new. I do have the 900w element and fan parts upgrade, but haven't installed them yet. I live in the PNW, so it doesn't get as cold as where you live, but can get down into the teens occasionally, and I've smoked @ those temps. Shortly after buying the Bradley I bought an Auber single probe pid which controls the heating element, so the digital control is bypassed. If I knew I was headed in that direction before buying, I would have gone with the OBS. Also, just picked up the cold smoking adapter kit which works great. WINNING!
i would go with the original 4 rack with a pid and heater mod which can do 40 lbs of meat though a bit tight, if you are considering sausage which might be longer then get the 6 rack.
i have had my 4 rack for over 6 years now and only wished i had the 6 rack twice in that time, so consider how much room you will need before purchasing
Thanks for all of the information. It is a bit overwhelming for a newbie. So, I am thinking of going with the OBS with a PID. Is the PID easy to install? How do you get the sensor in the smoker? Also, somone said they upgraded their heater element and fan . Are these items something you can get from Bradley or are they after market? Also, is it hard to put in an extra element? Anyone have any pictures?
Why doesn't Bradley put better temp control monitors in their digital smokers? Seems like such a waste if they don't have better temp control.
Sorry for all of the questions. Just want to make sure I know what I am getting into and am make sure I purchase what I want and need.
Thanks again.
BP
The heater element/fan upgrades are after market things. They will probably void your warranty, so you might want to wait on those. The PID (single probe) is as easy as plugging the PID into the receptacle, plugging the heating element into the PID unit, hanging the temperature probe through the smoke vent, turning it on and programmming your smoking profile. I smoke year round and live in the PNW where maintaining temps. are managable most times. The add-ons are for quicker recovery, more even heat distribution, which helps keep from having to re-arrange the racks during the smoke. For the price of these smokers I think you'd be hard pressed to find better.
What is the difference between the BOS and the Bradley Electric Smoker? Still having trouble deciding what I want.
With a PID would I be able to set it and be able to walk away like the digital smokers?
Seems like the Digital smokers would be the way to go if the temp control was better.
Thanks again
You can walk away from both without the PID. The PID will help keep the temp at +/- 1. The BDS (digital) has a digital display where u can see what temp you set it at. ( this is what I have). OBS, I don't have but believe you slide the temp slider till you get the temp you want bit will not display it. They both have big temp swings and is the reason for the PID. On the DBS you can see it cause the digital display. You need a thermometer in the obs
Hopefully someone will clarify OBS
here since I dont have it.
GOOD LUCK!!
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Quote from: wolverines on March 06, 2012, 04:16:25 AM
With a PID would I be able to set it and be able to walk away like the digital smokers?
Seems like the Digital smokers would be the way to go if the temp control was better.
If you're going to get a PID you'll be wasting your money if you buy a the digital smoker, unless you're getting it for the larger capacity. An OBS and a PID are the way to go.
If you like to tinker you can buy a do-it-yourself PID controller for around $45, far less than the $150-$185 of the plug-n-play versions. Even with all the hardware to install it (probe, SSR, heatsink, etc.) the cost is still about 1/2 the price. ;)
An Original Bradley Smoker does not have a thermostat. It has a temp slider that adjusts the intensity of the element or in other words the power to the element. So if you move the slider all the way to high it will give full power to the element causing the highest cabinet temp. There is a temp safety switch that will cut power to the element if the temp in the cabinet gets to 260F. So moving the slider to a certain position will give you an approximate temp but will be affected by ambient temps, wind, ect.
A Digital Bradley does have a thermostat but unlike a PID it is not "smart". It is a on/off thermostat and because of the slow response time of an electric heating element you get temp swings. As the thermostat is applying power to the element it does not stop and anticipate the heat rise. It powers the element down when it reaches the set temp. The problem is the temp does not instantly stop rising after the power to the element has been stopped. After the temp rises and then starts to fall the thermostat waits for the temp to fall below the set temp before applying power to the element again. And when power is applied to the element there is not an immediate response so it takes a little time for the falling temp to stop and start to rise again. This is why there are temp swings. But if you take the highest and lowes reading on the swings and divide it by the number of temp readings you should find a average of around the temp that you set it at. This is exactly how electric home ovens work and there is nothing wrong with it.
Now a PID is a smart controller. It is able to anticipate the heat rise and loss. Then it will throttle power to the element to maintain a cabinet temp within one or two degrees of the set temp and it will adjust on the fly for any ambient or wind changes affecting the cabinet temp. This allows for the most accurate control of the temp. PID controllers are used in all kinds of applications when precise temp control is needed. And people have found they are great for controlling smokers ;)
I have had a 4 rack for 9 years never a problem. Added a pid 4 years ago. Used about 15 times a year. Go for it.
Lophole
So, If I add a PID to an OBS, that is like having the Digital Bradley just with better temp control because the PID will have the digital dispaly?
Can I still cold smoke with the OBS and a PID?
Thanks again. I'm almost there
BP
Yes.
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What's the difference between the OBS and the Electric Smoker? Not the DBS. It shows that the OBS and the Electric smoker are the same price. They both look the same except one has a thermometer on the door.
Not following. Bradley smokers are all electric but one. The propane Bradley smoker. As far as I know there is the original 4 rack, 4 and 6 rack digital and the new black one
That just came out. Oh, and the Jim Beam model.
Bradley Smokers (http://www.bradleysmoker.com/products/electric-smokers/)
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When I go to the products section. There is the Bradley Original Smoker BS611, the Bradley Electric Smoker BT1S1 and then it lists the Digital Elecric smokers below that. The doors on the BOS and the Electric smoker are different. I'm not talking about the smoke design on the OBS but at the bottom of the doors of the BES BT1S1 it looks like there are some functional buttons. They are both the same price.
Hope that clears it up.
Thanks,
BP
The BS611 is the new version of the Original Bradley Smoker (OBS). All of the controls are mounted on the smoke generator box. The BT1S1 is the old style OBS. I imagine you can find some clearance sales on those if you look around.
Thanks everyone for the help. I think I am going to go with the OBS with the PID. Going to ask a few more questions but am going to post a new topic.
Thanks again,
BP