My OSB finally got here last night. I set it up and seasoned it earlier today. I ran it with smoke for about 2 hours at around 150. At the end, I cranked up the heat and got it to 200ish, easily. I then removed a couple of racks, cleaned the bowl and set it to preheat back up to 200. I had a chicken all brined, dried, and rubbed. Well, the temp creeped up and did not get above 150. I put the chicken in for fear of the old clock. Since the bird was still cold, the temp dropped like a rock to 130. I messed with the vent and have only been able to get the temp to DROP!
I know that once the bird starts warming up, the cabinet temp will start to come up. But I have another concern. I have the OSB sitting directly on the cement slab of the patio right now. The sun has not come around to it so it is still pretty chilly. Is that pulling heat away from the smoker? If a couple bricks inside can make a difference, I imagine this giant gray heat sink is going to be bad.
Besides a cart, which will come soon, what can I do?
Edit: I have been searching the forum for a couple hours, but I just can't seem to find anything that would suggest a solution.
I know this is a stupid question, but did you happen to bump the temp slider? How about shielding it from the wind?
It is definitely somewhat breezy out. I will have to see what I can do about that.
Not a silly suggestion about the temp slider. But unfortunately, that was not the issue. In fact, I pushed it all the way to the right. :)
It is up to 140 now. After an hour and a half it is finally coming up. I have the vents about half open now.
Well, I have some work to do. A cart, some wind protection, and some bricks to store heat in the cabinet. Oh, and a Maverick. And some Bubba Pucks. :)
and a slicer...and more racks...and some seasonings...and more meat...and...and...and
;) :D
Quote from: Tiny Tim on February 20, 2007, 12:03:48 PM
and a slicer...and more racks...and some seasonings...and more meat...and...and...and
;) :D
Yeah! A slicer! I saw an inexpansive one for $99 this weekend.
So, now I am back down to 136. I could not rig much of a wind break, just a patio chair, really. The bird had been in there for 2 hours 20 minutes so far.
If you're done with the smoke part, you could cheat and finish it in the oven so ya don't have to pitch it. Until you can solve the problem anyway.
The smoke is done. I think I might finish it in the oven. It is the first shot. Learning curve.
Quote from: Ted on February 20, 2007, 01:11:11 PM
The smoke is done. I think I might finish it in the oven. It is the first shot. Learning curve.
Good plan! ;) If your bird has skin on then this will probably be better anyway. ;D
Update: Up to 145 now. I don't want to "give up". I'll give it another hour.
Is there a danger leaving it at such a low temp for so long? I will still bring it to temperature before eating it, but would it be bad to leave it and see how it goes?
Something is definitely wrong. It is 70F out. It has been pretty much all day. I can't get this thing much over 145. I had it higher during seasoning...
I have the heat slider cranked. Shouldn't it be blazing by now? Almost 4 hours later?
Oven is preheating. :)
Edit: Am I annoying yet? I just fiddles with the slider. I backed it off just a bit. I came in and typed the above and went back out to check. The temp is up to 168 and climbing fast.
Maybe the slider is a little flakey? This is definitely a learning experience. Hopefully I will somedat look back at this and smile.
No, you're not annoying. Could be a minor problem with the rheostat (sp) in the temp control. Keep an eye on it and/or contact Bradley.
Good idea. Tomorrow I'll run it with just the temp probe for a while and see if I can figure something out.
Maybe time for a PID? Heh, day one. :)
Hi Ted. Don't ever feel like your annoying around here. If you don't pipe up no one will know your having a problem and thus we can't help. Plus it allows all of us to become aware of problems that others have. There is a large amout of knowlage floating around this forum. COMUNICATION (something I don't have at work). So keep on posting buddy. :D ;)
Something is not right. With only one chicken in the smoker you should not have had any problems getting it to at least 200°F. You should preheat at least 25°F to 50°F higher thany you are going to smoke at. I would guess there is either something wrong with your temperature gauge, or your rheostat. Another problem could be the chicken is against the cabinet themometer, thus given you a false cabinet reading.
Thanks guys!
Well, I read here not to trust the cabinet thermometer. I have a digital thermometer probe hanging off a rack. I have since been able to get the temp to 200 to 203 steady. So I guess there may be a problem with the rheostat. Once it got up to around 190, I started hearing juices dripping and sizzling.
So, should I worry about it sitting at that dangerous temperature (135 to 145) for several hours?
Iceman, I hear you about the communication at work. :)
HS, I'll be sure to preheat a lot more than I did today. I can't wait to try something else. And this isn't even done yet! :)
Myself, I wouldn't worry about the low temps for that time, but, I also ocasionally eat uncured, rare pork and chicken (I ain't got patience sometimes) and haven't gotten sick. Others will have to advise you on the safety of the time/temp on today's test.
Once the bird is up to the proper temp all the bugs should be gone.
Welcome and keep the questions coming.
Enjoy that new smoker and share your experiences for everyone. :)
Ted to protect the vent from the wind, I took a coffee can cut the bottom out and put on top of the smoker. that helped when smokeing at 10 deg.
Quote from: Ted on February 20, 2007, 03:11:18 PM
So, should I worry about it sitting at that dangerous temperature (135 to 145) for several hours?
As a rule I now try not to answer these types of questions any more (long story - don't ask) :)
If you have handled the poultry properly prior to placing it in the smoker, and the cabinet was at 140°F within the time that you stated, and at one point got up to 168°F; the poultry should be safe; as long as you cooked it to the proper internal temperature.
Have you determined what the problem is? I'm hoping it's your door thermometer.
Thanks for the replies everyone! I got the OBS to do my bidding finally yesterday. I was able to get it heated to 201 - 203 and stay there pretty steadily. I do think there is a bit of flakiness to the rheostat. I will test that out, today possibly.
The wind died down yesterday afternoon, but I was going to ask if it might be worth adding a little chimney to the top of it. It was not 10 degrees out. In fact, it was in the 60s F.
I finally pulled the chicken when it was 160 internal temp and I finished it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
It was pretty good. Nice and juicy. The skin was rubber, but I expected that. In fact, this brand of chicken is terrible with rubber skin and tough meat anyway. The meat was nice and tender. Did I mention juicy? The smoke was mild (I used Apple). I think I might use something with a bit more bite next time.
We'll be off to Sam's Club tonight to see if I can dig something good out of the meat department. I'd love to do a brisket. Then again, I only have Maple and Apple bisquettes right now. Would Maple be too mild for a brisket? I know it has a lot to do with personal taste but... Any opinions?
Thanks again everyone for all of the suggestions and support. More to come! For sure. And pictures next time.
Sams club is where i buy all my meat.The baby back ribs are very meatie. ;D.Good luck and have fun. ;)
The OBS and DBS are advertised as being able to heat up to as high as 320F. Is this during a heat wave only? Before I buy one I want to know they'll operate up to at least 225F in cooler weather (like at 32F or so).
My original got to 260 in about 28 to 30 degree weather...still had a little of the slider left, so I could have probably got 280 or better that day.
Quote from: Ted on February 21, 2007, 07:21:41 AM
We'll be off to Sam's Club tonight to see if I can dig something good out of the meat department. I'd love to do a brisket. Then again, I only have Maple and Apple bisquettes right now. Would Maple be too mild for a brisket? I know it has a lot to do with personal taste but... Any opinions?
Maple and Apple combo is great on brisket. Maple and pecan does well also.
Quote from: Silverlock on February 21, 2007, 11:12:56 AM
The OBS and DBS are advertised as being able to heat up to as high as 320F. Is this during a heat wave only? Before I buy one I want to know they'll operate up to at least 225F in cooler weather (like at 32F or so).
My Stainless Original will go well over 230F at 32F outside temp. Can't say for colder temps as we rarely get under 32 here in Florida. When it does I stay inside. ;D ;D
32 DEGREES O u poor lil thing.LOL try -25 in chicago. ;D.My 2 smokers got thru that no problem.had them going to whole time .They didnt miss a beat.Cool huh. ;).32 y i .When its 50 down there do u ware a jacket too.hahahahehhehe lol .Ok im done and jealious for sure.My 2 new waverunners just sitting in the garage what a waste.RAT OUT. ;D
Ted;
If you pull the bird from the BS and the internal meat temperature was 160°F (which for me is done), then the cabinet temperature must have been in the 200°F temperature range most of the time; as your probe thermometer indicated.
Quote from: icerat4 on February 21, 2007, 01:33:36 PM
.32 y i .When its 50 down there do u ware a jacket too.hahahahehhehe lol .Ok im done and jealious for sure.My 2 new waverunners just sitting in the garage what a waste.RAT OUT. ;D
;D ;D If the wind is up at 50 I sure do! 8) ;D
Speaking of wave runners, there is a big search on for a young man that took one out yesterday into the mouth of one of the local rivers and has not been heard from since. The river empties into one of the bays and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
QuoteI also ocasionally eat uncured, rare pork and chicken (I ain't got patience sometimes) and haven't gotten sick.
Whilst trichinella infection isn't that common nowdays in the developed world, for anyone tempted to eat undercooked pork it may be worth having a look at the link below.... not for the squemish!!
http://ucdnema.ucdavis.edu/imagemap/nemmap/ent156html/nemas/trichinellaspiralis
Initially it doesn't actually make you "sick" as such, generally not for the first few weeks anyway!!
Interesting post Manx. Thanks
Sorry to be late in adding my 2 cents. May I suggest placing your smoker in a dark area (no smoke) and with the door open move your slider to the right. If the element does not get bright red then there is something wrong. If goes bright red, but when you to the far right the red dies out then there is something wrong. Call Bradley...they have a great warrenty~~!
GREAT idea Olds! I just wheeled it into the garage last night. Plenty dark in there.
I need to also put in my thermometer and see how high I can get it. I see some people get their BS to 300 degrees. I had my slider almost all the way to the right and it was around 200.
Ted,
Sometimes moving the slider all the way to the right has a problem; some have backed off a bit and things really heat up. Not sure about your situation.
Welcome to the forum.
Arcs_n_Sparks
Quote from: Arcs_n_Sparks on February 23, 2007, 07:36:13 PM
Ted,
Sometimes moving the slider all the way to the right has a problem; some have backed off a bit and things really heat up. Not sure about your situation.
Welcome to the forum.
Arcs_n_Sparks
That's just what I did. Although, when I was testing in the garage, I noticed that the power cable from the smoke generator to the tower was not ALL the way in the socket.
I got up earlier this morning and I have a nice butt going now. After about an hour and a half and a probe thermometer reposition, I am getting what I think is an accurate temperature of the cabinet. It is staying rock solid on 201 degrees. I did myself a favor and bought one of those $50 metal carts from Sam's. I am still a little convinced that the cold cement slab was at least part of the problem.
Anyway, the butt is well on the way. I used a slight variation of the recipe from "nsxbill" here:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=114
I'll post my variations once I taste it. :)
Thanks everyone!
I received the Original Smoker as a gift. I am passionately into charcuterie, and was very happy to have this machine to work with. I have used it a couple of times now, and am very disappointed so far. Hot smoking is still just a dream - I can't get the smoker above 175 degrees, and that's with the slider all the way over. I have read several posts about this problem - isn't this something that should have been fixed? The data for the smoker indicates the maximum temperature is controllable up to 320 degrees - not possible on the one I have. I'm ready to send it back for a refund. Very unhappy situation.
BubbaMaestro,
You should easily get the BS to 250-275; many have gone higher. I'd call Bradley regarding warranty work.
Arcs_n_Sparks
I agree. I sometimes I find it diffucult to keep mine below 220. Just as it is with all machines, sometime you run across an imperfect unit. I am sure Bradley will take care of it. Also, welcome to the forum.
I have a slicer i cant even pick up. Old cast iron deli slicer with a 15" blade, dang thing weighs 100 pnds, i blow a butt gasket trying to move it. :o
nepas
BubbaMaestro;
Welcome to the forum.
Besides a possible mechanical problem with the BS, many things have an effect on the cabinet temperature. That can include ambient temperature, wind, size of the load, the type of meat(s) you are trying to smoke/cook; opening the door, and/or the vent opened too wide. Also the location and/or the type of thermometer you are using to monitor the temperature may be giving you a false reading. If you are just using the door thermometer, that may not be accurate.
If it is not a mechanical problem, if post more details about the problem you are having others may be able to provide some solutions; such as, can it only get to 175°F under all conditions?; can the temperature get higher when it is empty?; what size load are you trying to smoke/cook?; what are you using to monitor the temperature?; etc.
What ever the problem, I hope you get it resolved soon.
QuoteSometimes moving the slider all the way to the right has a problem; some have backed off a bit and things really heat up.
I have a piece of duck tape stuck on mine as a reminder not to push the slider too far to the right, also on occasions I get someone else to keep an eye on the smoker if I am busy and it is of help to them.
HS has hit the nail on the head with his reply BubbaMaestro, following his suggestions and comments may help resolve your issue. At least if it doesn't you know you have a faulty unit. Welcome to the forum.