BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Smoking Techniques => Sausage Making => Topic started by: bigredsmoker on November 13, 2013, 03:56:10 PM

Title: Second vent opening
Post by: bigredsmoker on November 13, 2013, 03:56:10 PM
Has anyone added a second vent opening to their front door to aid in air circulation during drying of sausage? I recently took a day long sausage making class and the electric smokers they use have a lower door vent. The teacher suggested adding one to the Bradley. Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: GusRobin on November 13, 2013, 04:11:27 PM
mine dries just fine with one vent
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: Sailor on November 13, 2013, 04:11:47 PM
Does not sound like your teacher knows very much about the Bradley smokers.  If you look at your smoke generator you will see "vents" on it.  The "vents" draw air into the chamber and the heated air is ejected out the top vent.  You don't need to cut holes in the door for extra vents.  I don't know what electric smokers you were using in your class but my guess is that the ones that have a low vent is used to draw air in and to aid in the wood chips or sawdust burning.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: Saber 4 on November 13, 2013, 05:13:21 PM
Quote from: Sailor on November 13, 2013, 04:11:47 PM
Does not sound like your teacher knows very much about the Bradley smokers.  If you look at your smoke generator you will see "vents" on it.  The "vents" draw air into the chamber and the heated air is ejected out the top vent.  You don't need to cut holes in the door for extra vents.  I don't know what electric smokers you were using in your class but my guess is that the ones that have a low vent is used to draw air in and to aid in the wood chips or sawdust burning.

Agrees, I get plenty of air flow through the big SG hole.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: KyNola on November 13, 2013, 07:02:46 PM
These guys have you covered.  The lower vent is located on the smoke generator.  What electric smokers were they using that had lower vents?
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: bigredsmoker on November 14, 2013, 05:52:40 AM
Quote from: KyNola on November 13, 2013, 07:02:46 PM
These guys have you covered.  The lower vent is located on the smoke generator.  What electric smokers were they using that had lower vents?

ProSmoker out of Wisconsin. They sell these smokers as well. Really liked it and would have loved to get one but don't have $1,300 laying around.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: bigredsmoker on November 14, 2013, 05:54:25 AM
Quote from: Saber 4 on November 13, 2013, 05:13:21 PM
Quote from: Sailor on November 13, 2013, 04:11:47 PM
Does not sound like your teacher knows very much about the Bradley smokers.  If you look at your smoke generator you will see "vents" on it.  The "vents" draw air into the chamber and the heated air is ejected out the top vent.  You don't need to cut holes in the door for extra vents.  I don't know what electric smokers you were using in your class but my guess is that the ones that have a low vent is used to draw air in and to aid in the wood chips or sawdust burning.

Agrees, I get plenty of air flow through the big SG hole.

So when you are drying do you leave the smoke generator off the smoker or are you saying you get enough are with it attached?
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: Tenpoint5 on November 14, 2013, 06:04:20 AM
You will get plenty of air movement with it attached.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: NePaSmoKer on November 14, 2013, 06:29:26 AM
When you say drying sausage are you referring to dry cured sausage or drying the casings? Big difference.

You do not need to add another vent. Like stated the vents on the smoke gen are good enough. If you want more air just lift the generator from the pegs and pull the gen back an inch.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: bigredsmoker on November 14, 2013, 07:46:19 AM
Just drying before smoking.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: Sailor on November 14, 2013, 09:35:48 AM
Leaving the smoke generator attached will dry the casings just fine.  Been using the OBS for years making sausage and they dry just fine at 130 degrees.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: Saber 4 on November 14, 2013, 07:41:11 PM
If I'm using the AMZN-PS to cold smoke in the Bradley I will pull the SG off of one mounting peg like NePaSmoker suggested to get a little more air draw, but I have never needed to for anything else.
Title: Re: Second vent opening
Post by: bigredsmoker on November 15, 2013, 08:44:01 AM
Thanks all, that pretty much answers my question.