Hi all,
I see many of the recipes call for 1/8 or 1/2 to full open vent. When I did my fan mod I took my vent completely out, was that a mistake? Will I need to replace it for doing sausage ?
Thanks
My vent stays wide open all the time. It does not matter if I'm doing cheese, sausage or pork butt. :)
X2
You'll get lots of different answers about the vent question.
I removed the vent years ago.
Quote from: KyNola on November 02, 2014, 07:08:07 AM
You'll get lots of different answers about the vent question.
I removed the vent years ago.
What vent? ;D
I used to leave the vent fully open all the time. But then I bought a Con Yeager Trail Bologna kit and the instructions were different than anything I have ever tried. I followed the instructions exactly and I had good results. They were a little over smoked IMO at first and I hoped they would mellow out a little bit after sitting for a while, but they didn't. So I cut the smoke time in half because the Bradley puts out a really intense smoke flavor.
Here is the way I smoke sausage now:
Stage Time Temp smoke damper
1 1 hr. 140 off open
2 2 hrs. 140 on 1/8 open
3 2 hrs. 160 off 1/8 open
4 to IT of 156 180 off closed
Then into an ice bath for about 15 minutes to get the IT down to 100.
Then hang to bloom for a couple of hours.
Here is a link with pictures. http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=35716.0 (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=35716.0)
Mike
Quote from: KyNola on November 02, 2014, 07:08:07 AM
You'll get lots of different answers about the vent question.
I removed the vent years ago.
me too. Not sure I even know where it is.
Add me to the list of Bradley owners going ventless. No vent since 2012.
There's a vent?
Well, count me amongst the few that uses the thing, LOL. I like to close the vent 1/2 - 3/4 while I'm smoking sausage, my misguided theory is that it gives them a bit more smoke flavour and colour. While drying and during final cook it's fully open. For beef roasts I'll close it a bit while smoking too.
For foods with lots of moisture like chicken I leave it fully open. It seems to be against the grain for most forum members but I like to close it a bit if I'm looking to retain moisture in the food.
I wouldn't call it a mistake, but the vent can be useful especially in colder climates.
You can count me in also, as one that finds the vent settings very beneficial. When I had a single element, when most of the moisture was expelled; especially with chicken with skin, towards the end of the cook I would begin using a smaller vent opening, and would find the heat would increase. Even now, with my second element I will still use the vent. I find that my temperature controller works a lot better with the vent 1/2 - 3/4 open. As long a condensation does not form inside the cabinet, the steam already created by the heat will not cause your cabinet temperature to drop.
No Vent here... Done been gone for years.