New here guys, in fact my JB digital hasn't arrived yet.
What kind of "table" or cart do you place it on, or do you set it on your concrete drive? I would think the bottom gets hot.
Read about the PID controller. Do you use this to just know what the internal temp is?
thanks, tons more info needed, but that is a start.
Welcome! The bottom of the unit does not get hot enough to cause you any concern. You can set it pretty much anywhere. Mine is on a stainless cart that I bought at Sam's Club. Others set them on wooden carts. Still others set them on rolling tool cabinets.
The PID is an add-on option some members use to be able to tightly control the temperature inside the tower. When the Bradley first starts smoking/cooking something the temperature in the tower swings back and forth approximately 20+/- degrees. As the meat comes up to temperature the swings lessen. For many things you smoke the temp swings aren't that big of a deal but on other things such as smoking sausages or fish the temp needs to be more on target.
Ask all the questions you want. That's why we're here!
Checkmate, heat through the bottom of your smoker isn't a problem, so you can set it on anything sturdy enough to support the weight. Folks use a variety of carts, shelves, etc. When I first started smoking, I kept my smoker on a furniture mover's dolly. This mean that I didn't have to carry the smoker in and out of the garage. I soon discovered that having the smoker at waist height was a lot more convenient, though. Some folks here use rolling steel utility carts for their smoker. Someone uses a rolling tool box base. The only thing to be careful of when you use something that rolls is to anchor your smoker to the cart. Falling off a cart and three feet down to the ground is usually a little hard on smokers. Many forum members have set up permanent smoker stations. Some inside garages and basements (the smoker vent is exhausted to the outside), some outside the house. My smoker sits in one of those snap together plastic storage sheds outside my garage service door. The shed houses a home built stand that the smoker sits on to keep it at a convenient height and to provide some storage space.
The PID controller that you have read about are used for two things. To provide better temperature control than the stock Bradley controls provide. The design of the Bradley temperature controls allows the temperature to swing about 10 degrees or so +/- your temperature set point. These swings aren't a problem for most things you will smoke. But, if you are going to be smoking fish, sausage, or cheese, the 2 degree +/- the set point control provided by a PID can be nice. The second, and maybe most common, reason why people use a PID is because they have upgraded the heating system in their smoker by adding a second heating element, or replacing the stock heating element with a higher capacity element. The Bradley wiring isn't designed for the power demands of high capacity heating elements. So folks with modified smokers usually use a PID to control the heating elements that is rated for the load the elements draw. Note that the higher capacity heating elements are used to speed up temperature recovery after you have open the smoker to add water to your puck bowl and the like. I believe that the vast majority of Bradley users find the stock heating element configuration is all they need. As with many forums of this type, I think that the folks here probably use their smokers more than the typical person, so they have tweaked their smokers to suit the way they use it most often.
Thank both of you for replying. Excellent info and I really appreciate your time to reply. Anxious to get started!
Welcome to the site
NOLA and Skeeter have pointed ya in the right direction
I have mine in the garage on an old 4 drawer desk that way I have storage and a solid base.
Plus it's high enough off the ground that this old guy doesn't have to bend over to much.
Don
welcome aboard the others have you pointed in the right direction
Welcome to the forum