BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

New Members => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Stew1950 on September 29, 2013, 08:06:02 PM

Title: Biscuits
Post by: Stew1950 on September 29, 2013, 08:06:02 PM
New to the forum, want to say hi and ask a question. Just smoked some fish and the fish turned out OK but the wood biscuits are only burning about a quarter before a new biscuit is pushed in. Seems like a huge waste considering the cost of the biscuits. What am I doing wrong?
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Quarlow on September 29, 2013, 09:30:00 PM
Ok so first things first. Hello from Surrey B.C. Can. Now the first question for you is are you usimg an extenxion cord. If so you want a 12 ga wire and keep it as short as possible. Next question is, are all your pucks only partly burnt or was it just first couple. If it was just the first couple did you preheat the puck burner before feeding in the pucks. You should run the burner for 20 to 30 minutes before feeding in the pucks. That is some to get you started and others will chime in.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: mahto on September 29, 2013, 10:30:59 PM
Welcome from westminster
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Habanero Smoker on September 30, 2013, 01:05:05 AM
Hi Stew1950;

Welcome to the forum.

Other things can also have an impact on how well you bisquettes burn. What type of wood were you using? Some bisquettes are more compressed then others, and don't burn completely through. The heat from the heating element also helps the bisquettes burn more fully. For example, if you are cold smoking, or keeping the box within the range of hot smoking (100°F - 180°F), I find the bisquettes do not burn as well.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: ragweed on September 30, 2013, 05:33:33 AM
Welcome to the forum from Nebraska.  Even with pre-heating the puck burner, my pucks never burn down completely before being advanced.  This is one of the pluses of the Bradley, producing consistent, good quality smoke without all the "bad things" that result from complete combustion.  That being said, gotsta pre-heat.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: beefmann on September 30, 2013, 07:02:00 AM
Stew,  welcome to the forum,

did you  preheat your  smoke generator for  30   minutes prior to  using it? if not   in  most cases  the  puck  burner is  not  hot  enough  to burn it  throughly and will have   results  like you  are   having, also the temp of the  box also will affect the puck  burn  sometimes along  with  moisture..


on your  next  smoke,,,  pre heat it  for  30  minutes as you  get  everything  else  ready,, then  start  your  smoke /  cook
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Saber 4 on September 30, 2013, 07:07:27 AM
Welcome from Texas and Happy Smoking to you, everyone above has got you going in the right direction.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Salmonsmoker on September 30, 2013, 08:07:37 AM
Another thing to check....I don't know how old your smoker is, but over time you can get a build-up of wood resins, creosote etc. on the puck burner. If it isn't kept clean you don't get good contact and heat transfer, resulting in partially burned pucks.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: NealSoCal on October 02, 2013, 10:56:45 AM
I have been smoking foods and am a heavy BBQ user for over 30 years. I just bought a used Bradley Digital smoker and am trying to find a local store in north San Diego County, CA to buy the bisquettes. I have called around and so far have not found any local stores that stock them. Any suggestions?

FYI, I also age meats and started a blog a while back to answer questions people regularly ask me when I am buying large quantities of meat at the store.  The URL is www.agedmeat.wordpress.com if anyone is interested.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: tskeeter on October 02, 2013, 12:38:41 PM
Quote from: NealSoCal on October 02, 2013, 10:56:45 AM
I have been smoking foods and am a heavy BBQ user for over 30 years. I just bought a used Bradley Digital smoker and am trying to find a local store in north San Diego County, CA to buy the bisquettes. I have called around and so far have not found any local stores that stock them. Any suggestions?

FYI, I also age meats and started a blog a while back to answer questions people regularly ask me when I am buying large quantities of meat at the store.  The URL is www.agedmeat.wordpress.com if anyone is interested.


Neal, according to the "find a retailer" feature on the Bradley home page, the closest Bradley dealers to you are in the LA area.

Bass Pro Shops - Rancho Cucamonga

Fireplace & Patio Trends - Orange

Melton International Tackle - Anaheim (on State College Blvd)

Field Time Sports & Tackle - Westminster

If they would be easier for you to get to, there are also dealers in Torrance and in Pasadena.

That said, if you have the time, I usually buy my biscuits from an internet retailer.  Often, it is Amazon, for price, free shipping, and convenience.  Or Yard and Pool.  I know some folks order biscuits from Allied Kenco.  I've also gotten biscuits over the internet from Cabella's (as well as picking them up at the local store).  The find a retailer function also indicates that Home Depot, Costco, and several other folks sell Bradley products through their internet operation.  I assume that they also stock biscuits.
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Gafala on October 02, 2013, 12:54:21 PM
Quote from: NealSoCal on October 02, 2013, 10:56:45 AM
I have been smoking foods and am a heavy BBQ user for over 30 years. I just bought a used Bradley Digital smoker and am trying to find a local store in north San Diego County, CA to buy the bisquettes. I have called around and so far have not found any local stores that stock them. Any suggestions?

FYI, I also age meats and started a blog a while back to answer questions people regularly ask me when I am buying large quantities of meat at the store.  The URL is www.agedmeat.wordpress.com if anyone is interested.


Try this looks like they have them.

Grizzly's Outdoors

6470 Lake Mere Court

San Diego, California 92119
Email: [email protected]
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: NealSoCal on October 02, 2013, 07:07:19 PM
Thanks for all the info. Before I subscribed to this forum this morning I ordered 120 hickory biscuits via Amazon. Unfortunately they won't arrive until sometime next week and I have some prosciutto I was going to start smoking over the weekend.  I may be smoke crazy but I'm not driving all the way to LA to buy biscuits. It is hard to believe there is not a single retailer in San Diego County that stocks them. Oh well. Next time I'll be prepared!


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Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: TedEbear on October 03, 2013, 04:33:05 AM
Quote from: NealSoCal on October 02, 2013, 07:07:19 PMIt is hard to believe there is not a single retailer in San Diego County that stocks them.

Did you try contacting the retailer posted in the message right above yours?
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Yancey on October 03, 2013, 08:14:25 AM
Greetings from Florida!
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: Grouperman941 on October 03, 2013, 11:49:27 AM
Humidity may be a factor -- I think if I leave my pucks out too long before using I get partial burn due to them sucking up moisture. (It is almost always humid here.)
Title: Re: Biscuits
Post by: NealSoCal on October 04, 2013, 07:28:30 AM
TedEBear, I did contact them.  They do not stock anything locally, so it has to be shipped from Missouri.  They do have a great range of products available though, so they are a good resource, just not for immediate needs.