I live in Toronto,Canada and wanted to know if anyone knew who sold the Bradley products such as heating elements and accessories. I am looking to do the heating element mod by adding another 500 watt element to the OBS.
Smokey
You can order them from Bryan at Yard and Pool although right now our dollar kinda sucks the hide one. You could check with WestCoast Sausage. He's from BC and sells Bradley Products. I've bought pucks from him in the past and they are a good price when buying a number of boxes. Anyway, here is his email address. I would send him an email and see if he has elements.
[email protected]Mike
You can order them directly from Bradley which is in Canada.
Brad
Thanks Mr Walleye , I have the smoker on full power and it is just creeping up on 100 deg on the door temperature gauge. I will have to finish them off in the oven in an aluminum container covered and install the temp probe in the meat to see when it is done. At least the meat is smoked, i have missed the flavour for many months as i finished off the smoked storage supplies months ago. I will have to increase the storage quantity for next year. :P
Smokey
100 degrees....
How long has it been at that temp?
Is the main heating element glowing red?
Do you have the temp slider all the way to the right?
What are you smoking and how big is your load?
The door thermometer is noted for not being that accurate. Inaddition it can be influenced by the meat temp if it's close by. You should be using a thermometer like the Maverick ET73. It has 2 probes, one for the smoker and one for the meat.
Mike
It is slowly creeping up over 100 deg now after 2 hours. I have six chicken quarters and 4 sausages with a tray of about a pound of ground beef. the temperature is around 40 deg with a 38 km/hr wind so it is just too cold outside for this rig. Even when i pretreated the smoker it did not get much higher than 150 deg with just water in the bowl, i require a additional heater element to compensate for the cold temps that we experience in Toronto.
Smoked the chicken and sausages and ground beef for hamburgers. It was just too cold out today with the high winds and low temps. Here are a few pics of tomorrows victims
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss233/SmokeytheBear62/P4040010-Copy.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss233/SmokeytheBear62/P4040011-Copy.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss233/SmokeytheBear62/P4040012-Copy.jpg)
Quote from: Smokey the Bear. on April 04, 2009, 03:07:33 PM
It is slowly creeping up over 100 deg now after 2 hours. I have six chicken quarters and 4 sausages with a tray of about a pound of ground beef. the temperature is around 40 deg with a 38 km/hr wind so it is just too cold outside for this rig. Even when i pretreated the smoker it did not get much higher than 150 deg with just water in the bowl, i require a additional heater element to compensate for the cold temps that we experience in Toronto.
Since you are in Canada, I have to ask are your temperatures readings in Fahrenheit or Celsius?
They are in Farenheit.
Here are the photos of the chicken and sausages.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss233/SmokeytheBear62/P4040013.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss233/SmokeytheBear62/P4040014.jpg)
Lookin' good. Nice to have some confirmed company in the Toronto area. It will be nice to compare notes.
I have a terrible time finding Bradley related stuff in our neck of the woods. I bought a pack of Apple pucks yesterday from the Cdn Tire at Eglinton and Pharmacy there but they're usually light on anything but hickory.
I hear what you're saying about temperature. Yesterday would have been a brutal day. The wind was wild.
I've got a Turkey Breast going in today for lunches next week and I'm making Chili this afternoon so I may toss in the ground beef and pork for a half hour to an hour to see how Smoked Chili works out. It will be a first.
Carter
Yeah when i went to crappy tire yesterday all that was left was mesquite. Thats just what i was lookin for luckily enough.I also live on the border of east york and scarborough. I am just west of Vic Park. I just put my pork shoulder in with the ribs. I am glad to see that the temps are risin much faster than yesterday, the sun on the smoker will also help plus there is virtually no wind compared to yesterday.
Once the ribs are done i am going to smoke some beans as a side dish while the pork shoulder is still cookin.
Geez we're close. I'm at Vic Park and St. Clair. Just west of Vic Park. Woodbine Gardens. We're on Plaxton Drive.
Im on Donora Drive. Much better luck today, just 30 minutes into smoking and she is up to about 140 degrees F. I am now a happy man. ;D
Your street is the route i take to short cut to St Clair. Small world we are about 1/2 km away from each other.Now i know who is buying up my supplies from Canadian Tire. ;)
That's about a 10-15 minute walk. Small world eh?
Good luck with your smoke. Looking forward to comparing notes.
It's funny, when I was in the Tire yesterday, I noticed the Bradley was gone. I was happy to see it was sold. Now I know who it was sold to. I'm always a little concerned about them replacing their puck inventory because they keep such a weak supply - and they always seem to be pushing the cheaper/crappier smokers and the wood chips. If there's more than one of us buying, that should be good incentive for them to keep their inventory up.
Carter
Well next time you go into Canadian Tire complain to the store manager and I will as well. I will even get my wife to call into the manager and complain as well. As you know the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good luck on your smoking today and remember to keep well hydrated during the long process. ;)
Have you considered doing the modifications to the smoker such as adding another element or using a PID. I am going to call about getting another heater element since i really wanted to be able to smoke on most days not only the days such as today. I could have really used the temp upgrade yesterday.
Sounds like a plan. There's a little brown hydration bottle with my name on it right now actually. Maybe even a couple.
Speak to you in the future I'm sure. Time to enjoy the day.
Carter
Smokey
Habs and myself are just working on the write up for the additional heater mod. Once it's complete it will be posted on the recipe site. We should be done with it fairly soon, just going over shopping lists, tools requires, and a few other final details.
Mike
Excellent, it has been 3 hours since i started smoking and the temps on the smoker are about 230 deg F. Much better results today for sure, but an additional heater element is a plus any way you look at it. I will be watching for the write-up. Thanks.
Smokey,
I didn't notice a reply to the question if the heating element was glowing red?
Your temperatures could have been just from the smoke generator.
If the heating element is not glowing red, check you power connections. Unplug and replug several times to ensure there is a good tight connection.
If the heating element is glowing red, remove the v-tray with the rest of the unit empty and see how quickly the box temperature raises up to over 250 deg. If it raises quickly, try opening the vent slots in the V-tray.
Hi All
Decided to reply on this thread because of the "Toronto" discussion. I have a two-day-new OBS and live in Mississauga (right next door to Toronto for those out of town).
Seasoned for a couple hours yesterday, in the wind, in a partially door-down garage, and did Ribs today in the much nicer weather.
They were just 'ok', lots to learn and read through on this forum.
Couple of quick questions - perhaps off topic given the heater element discussion.
1) didn't notice to afterwards that my "bowl" had gone dry. Is this common ? Is this a problem (other than the mess of the burned pucks)
2) I had to have the heat fairly high to get holding 210 F on the door gauge. Then after 4.25 hours the ribs were barely done (with instant-read) but somewhat dry. Specific pointers or if there is a good thread to read, please point me to it.
3) How often do you open the door during your smoking of something like ribs. I only peeked once during, at about the 2hr mark.
The experiment was edible, and will only lead to more... :)
sdg
Quote from: sdg on April 05, 2009, 04:57:20 PM
Hi All
Decided to reply on this thread because of the "Toronto" discussion. I have a two-day-new OBS and live in Mississauga (right next door to Toronto for those out of town).
Seasoned for a couple hours yesterday, in the wind, in a partially door-down garage, and did Ribs today in the much nicer weather.
They were just 'ok', lots to learn and read through on this forum.
Couple of quick questions - perhaps off topic given the heater element discussion.
1) didn't notice to afterwards that my "bowl" had gone dry. Is this common ? Is this a problem (other than the mess of the burned pucks)
2) I had to have the heat fairly high to get holding 210 F on the door gauge. Then after 4.25 hours the ribs were barely done (with instant-read) but somewhat dry. Specific pointers or if there is a good thread to read, please point me to it.
3) How often do you open the door during your smoking of something like ribs. I only peeked once during, at about the 2hr mark.
The experiment was edible, and will only lead to more... :)
sdg
Hi SDG and welcome to the forum.
I'll try to answer your questions...
1) You do want to keep water in your water bowl. The pucks get extinguished when they drop into it. You also have to remember the V-pan drips any grease dropping off the meat into this bowl as well. You don't want the grease dripping onto hot live coals as this can cause a fire. When I do a long smoke such as a butt I will typically apply 4 hours of smoke, once the smoke portion of the cook is complete I will empty the water bowl and refill it with hot water. This next bowl of water will typically last the rest of the cook because the grease will form a thin layer on the top of the water in the bowl which slows down the evaporation.
2) The door thermometer is not that accurate. Most of the members here use a thermometer like the Maverick ET73. It's a dual probe thermometer (one for your meat and one for reading the tower temp) and has a remote that can be used at a distance to monitor you temps.
3) As few times as possible. "If your lookin' ya ain't cookin'"! ;D
Everybody's definition of "tender" ribs is slightly different. I like mine pretty tender.
I usually cut each rack of back ribs in half and remove the membrane the night before. Next I give them a rub with olive oil, then hit them with the rub, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge till the next day. The next day I usually spray my racks with Pam and put the ribs on bone side down. I usually apply smoke for 3 hours at 220 degrees, then let them go 1 more hour without smoke at 220 degrees (total of 4 hours). Next I put the ribs in a tin foil roster pan with a shot of apple juice and cover with foil. I throw them back into the smoker at 220 degrees for 3 more hours (this part can be done in the oven as well). Next I take them out of the foil and fire them on the grill just long enough to sauce them. Next.... fill your face!
Like I said everybody's idea of tender is different. You may also want to rotate racks, top to bottom and front to back, once during the half way through the first 4 hours and also once halfway through the 3 hours in the foil. The lower rack in the cabinet may cook a little faster.
Mike
To answer your question Gizmo, yes the main heater was glowing red. In order to get the temperatures (on sunday and Saturday ) i had the heater control on max for the whole time. I cooked the pork shoulder for a total of 9 hours, it tasted great as i was pulling it. Tonight i will bag it and freeze the portions in ziploc bags for tasty lunches. I also made a great barbecue sauce and the beans turned out great as well. I was surprised but my wife actually had a sample of everything,she loved the beans so much we had them for dinner with toast.
Hi SDG,
Welcome to the forum. Nice to see another Toronto/GTA member.
I've had my OBS since April 2007 and love it. This forum site is really what makes the Bradley shine.
Ribs are trickey, but I keep this thread saved in my favourites for just such an occassion.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6529.0;topicseen.
I think it's a must read for Bradley Ribs.
Carter
Hey GTA guys,
Lumpy here from Kitchener!
I'm waiting for Mr. walleye to come out with his tutorial about modifying the Bradley to add an additional heater, or even bump it up.
I also have found that the current element is slow and underpowered for our cold climates, especially if you fill it with room temperature meat.
In waiting........
Lumpy
Quote from: lumpy on April 06, 2009, 09:46:39 AM
Hey GTA guys,
Lumpy here from Kitchener!
I'm waiting for Mr. walleye to come out with his tutorial about modifying the Bradley to add an additional heater, or even bump it up.
I also have found that the current element is slow and underpowered for our cold climates, especially if you fill it with room temperature meat.
In waiting........
Lumpy
The tutorial will be posted soon. I haven't done my mod yet. The couple of appliance repair places I've tried were unwilling to sell me high temperature wire, and connectors. Maybe they are concerned about liability. There are a few more places, so I should be able to purchase some locally.
Hi Lump.
Just a short drive down the 401. Both my brother and I went to Laurier actually so are very familiar with the area.
Maker a Laker.
Carter
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on April 06, 2009, 02:31:03 PM
Quote from: lumpy on April 06, 2009, 09:46:39 AM
Hey GTA guys,
Lumpy here from Kitchener!
I'm waiting for Mr. walleye to come out with his tutorial about modifying the Bradley to add an additional heater, or even bump it up.
I also have found that the current element is slow and underpowered for our cold climates, especially if you fill it with room temperature meat.
In waiting........
Lumpy
The tutorial will be posted soon. I haven't done my mod yet. The couple of appliance repair places I've tried were unwilling to sell me high temperature wire, and connectors. Maybe they are concerned about liability. There are a few more places, so I should be able to purchase some locally.
Hab, most electric supply houses should be able to supply hi temp wire, or if you have any old quartz light fixtures you can steal the wire out of them if they are junk, also you might try here as they sell a lot of appliance parts johnstonesupply.com (http://johnstonesupply.com)
Carnie;
Thanks for the leads and information. I wish I still had my old quartz light fixture.
I still haven't exhausted all the possible places in my area. I'm also thinking as a last resort, I will go to a salvage yard, and ask the owner if I can take apart an electric stove or oven to get the wire. But just in case I bookmarked the link you provided.
John Stone Supply (http://www.johnstonesupply.com/corp/OnlineCatalog/tabid/1785/Default.aspx)
Go for a drive and see if anyone is throwing out an old stove, go to an electronics surplus store.
Quote from: Smokey the Bear. on April 09, 2009, 03:07:44 AM
Go for a drive and see if anyone is throwing out an old stove, go to an electronics surplus store.
Thanks for the ideas, I'll be driving around Monday. So far I haven't had much luck with electronic surplus stores. But there is a John Stone Supple about 60 miles from me, and it is also near a Popeye's, so I may kill two birds with one stone.
Habs
A couple of other places in the USA is Graingers and McMaster-Carr.
Mike
Mike;
Thanks. There is also a Grainger's about that same distance, in that city also has a Popeye's. :)
Habs
I also see Aliied Kenco (http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/89_367) sells High Temp wire and High Temp Ring Connectors as well.
Mike
Quote from: Mr Walleye on April 12, 2009, 01:29:31 PM
Habs
I also see Aliied Kenco (http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/89_367) sells High Temp wire and High Temp Ring Connectors as well.
Mike
Mike;
Thanks for that post. That may be a better way for me to go. I need to order some other supplies, so I will include that in my order. The Grainger site makes it confusing on how to order their wire.