I've had my OBS for about 1 1 /2 years now and have just recently noticed that my pucks are no longer burning all the way through. The used pucks in the pan used to look black all the way through, but now they appear to have about 1/4 to 1/3 of the wood not burned at all. Is there something wrong with the timer in the smoke generator? Is there an adjustment that can be made?
I've noticed the same problem but not consistently. Have no idea about the cause. I keep the puck burner clean but that does not seem to help.
Tom
Hello, you could start by checking on the burner of your smoke generator to see if there is a kind of residue and if yes try to removing it or preheat it a bit longer that's what i did and it worked for me.
Sometimes caused by excess moisture in the pucks, having your vent closed to far.
nepas
I've seen that the harder woods ( Hickory, Oak) dont burn as fast as the softer woods (Pecon, Apple)
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on May 23, 2009, 10:51:38 AM
Sometimes caused by excess moisture in the pucks, having your vent closed to far.
nepas
I have found that excess moisture on a few of the pucks can cause this as well.
I have seen the set temperature of the cabinet have an effect on how through the pucks burn. Since the puck burner is set low enough make the wood smolder instead of flame and the cabinet temperature aids in that process, colder cabinet temperatures seem to leave more of the pucks unburned. I have especially noticed this when cold smoking compared to hot smoking. The hardness and moisture of the wood, as mentioned, has an effect as well. I preheat for a minimum of 30 minutes (cabinet temperature to 260 deg) with the puck burner on.
I'm with giz on that one, I get the meat on the counter when I fire up the smoker but not the smoke gen. 30 minutes later the smoke gen goes on. I have the water bowl full from the beginning. Get the smoke rollin and make it happen. The bisquettes seem to fire off better in a cabinet that's up to temp.
SS, you might have misread my post. I have the smoke gen and oven heater on right from the start.
Giz, did you mean puck burner on with no pucks?
Absolutly yes, no pucks during the preheat, although I have been known to leave a bubba on the burner from the previous smoke. When that happens, I always have to remember that they will be hot and cannot be picked up by bare fingers. :o
Quote from: Gizmo on May 26, 2009, 09:12:52 PM
Absolutly yes, no pucks during the preheat, although I have been known to leave a bubba on the burner from the previous smoke. When that happens, I always have to remember that they will be hot and cannot be picked up by bare fingers. :o
Yeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too :D
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on May 27, 2009, 04:11:03 AM
Quote from: Gizmo on May 26, 2009, 09:12:52 PM
Absolutly yes, no pucks during the preheat, although I have been known to leave a bubba on the burner from the previous smoke. When that happens, I always have to remember that they will be hot and cannot be picked up by bare fingers. :o
Yeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too :D
nepas
I see I'm in good company :D
Done that also, but only once (so far). Now my pre-heat routine is turn switches on, load water, unload pucks. The slight heat reminds me if the puck burner is on or not.
As for a puck during re-heat. I will load one on the burner as a pre-smoke waste, as typically the first 5 to 10 minutes of the 20 minute cycle usually gives no smoke, or if any, its not significantly enough. I have however puck one on for 40 minutes, and that worked. But that would mean more for-thought than I usually have when getting setup.
QuoteYeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too
Done that too. It does kinda smart.
Quote from: 3rensho on May 27, 2009, 06:19:30 AM
QuoteYeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too
Done that too. It does kinda smart.
Good to see I'm not alone on that dumb a** move. Now I have put another step in my start up roughteen.
#1 Remove the Bubba pucks
#2 Remove the product from the frig, place on the drying rack
#3 Fill water pan with Hot water, put in tower
#4 Fire up the cooking tower, set temp to product being cooked
#5 Load up the puck tube with flavor of choice top with Bubba pucks
#6 When the tower is up to temp load the product, insert the temp probes
#7 Adjust the damper to the type of product being smoked
#8 Start the smoke generator (do not advance any pucks)
#9 When smoke time is done empty the water pan, refill with Hot water
#10 Get the prep table ready for the finished product
[/color]
Quote from: OU812 on May 27, 2009, 07:38:05 AM
Quote from: 3rensho on May 27, 2009, 06:19:30 AM
QuoteYeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too
Done that too. It does kinda smart.
Good to see I'm not alone on that dumb a** move. Now I have put another step in my start up roughteen.
#1 Remove the Bubba pucks
#2 Remove the product from the frig, place on the drying rack
#3 Fill water pan with Hot water, put in tower
#4 Fire up the cooking tower, set temp to product being cooked
#5 Load up the puck tube with flavor of choice top with Bubba pucks
#6 When the tower is up to temp load the product, insert the temp probes
#7 Adjust the damper to the type of product being smoked
#8 Start the smoke generator (do not advance any pucks)
#9 When smoke time is done empty the water pan, refill with Hot water
#10 Get the prep table ready for the finished product
[/color]
I would suggest changing the order by making step number 8 step number 5
10.5 I agree with your logic but the reason I do it this way is to let the puck burner heat up for 40 min (one puck drops when I turn it on and 40 min later its on the burner) and to let the product surface dry a little. I started doing it this way when doing summer sausage and just kept doing it with every thing.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Quote from: OU812 on May 27, 2009, 09:50:38 AM
10.5 I agree with your logic but the reason I do it this way is to let the puck burner heat up for 40 min (one puck drops when I turn it on and 40 min later its on the burner) and to let the product surface dry a little. I started doing it this way when doing summer sausage and just kept doing it with every thing.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
I do the same think except I advance the puck to one spot before the burner. I find that 20 minutes is plenty of time to preheat the element and ensure that the first puck is fully consummed.
Moving #8 up starts the puck burner to warm up. The burner is not warm till the generator (that heats the burner) is on. by heating it up, the smoke is starting when the product is loaded.
But you logic is to dry the eat some before smoke gets rolling (40 to 50 minutes after loading)? Would have figured that reduces smoke penetration. hmm. Anyone else with research on this?
Quote from: deb415611 on May 27, 2009, 04:23:16 AM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on May 27, 2009, 04:11:03 AM
Quote from: Gizmo on May 26, 2009, 09:12:52 PM
Absolutly yes, no pucks during the preheat, although I have been known to leave a bubba on the burner from the previous smoke. When that happens, I always have to remember that they will be hot and cannot be picked up by bare fingers. :o
Yeah that kinda hurts huh Giz, I have done that too :D
nepas
I see I'm in good company :D
I haven't done that fun thing yet! Maybe I'll try it next time, if there is ever a next time. So much rain the last few months, not much chance to use the Bradley - and it is raining now, and expected to rain into the weekend. I tell you what I have done though that was fun, picked up the CT probe with my bare hands to move it! Guess I wasn't paying attention to the readout! I needed those racing stripes on my fingers!
I seared my finger and thumb so bad that it didn't blister.
oh... and i had to go into the woods and find my bubba puck.
It's not that they are hot....it just doesn't take long to look at them ;D ;D :o
Funny; I just did the bubba puck mistake today. Those things stay hot for a long time too. This post jumped out at me because I noticed the incompletely burned pucks for the first time last week. I've always seen them black on both sides, but this time one side looked almost like a new biscuit. I doubt that it has anything to do with preheating, the temp setting of the unit, or the weather though...at least not in my case. Reason I'm saying that is that I bought my unit in the winter and it never did that. I could see the first puck having the problem if I didn't preheat, but that doesn't explain that all of them would be less than fully consumed.
I'll check mine after my chickens are done today. My burner is kind of black and crudded up at this point. I'm betting more on that or moisture in the biscuits being the reason. I'll clean and see what happens.
Quote from: jeff_smoke on May 31, 2009, 11:32:06 AM
Funny; I just did the bubba puck mistake today. Those things stay hot for a long time too. This post jumped out at me because I noticed the incompletely burned pucks for the first time last week. I've always seen them black on both sides, but this time one side looked almost like a new biscuit. I doubt that it has anything to do with preheating, the temp setting of the unit, or the weather though...at least not in my case. Reason I'm saying that is that I bought my unit in the winter and it never did that. I could see the first puck having the problem if I didn't preheat, but that doesn't explain that all of them would be less than fully consumed.
I'll check mine after my chickens are done today. My burner is kind of black and crudded up at this point. I'm betting more on that or moisture in the biscuits being the reason. I'll clean and see what happens.
Jeff;
Is that happening to all types of bisquettes? The reason I ask is that I find it only happens to me when I use the JB bisquettes.
Quote from: jeff_smoke on May 31, 2009, 11:32:06 AM
I doubt that it has anything to do with preheating, the temp setting of the unit, or the weather though...at least not in my case. Reason I'm saying that is that I bought my unit in the winter and it never did that. I could see the first puck having the problem if I didn't preheat, but that doesn't explain that all of them would be less than fully consumed.
Actually the winter time may have contributed to the pucks burning completly. With the temp outside being cold, your heater has to be on longer and hotter to keep the same box temp at the sensor. With the heater being hotter to maintain temps, the puck and puck burner will experience more heat and therefore burn more fully.
Jeff;
Is that happening to all types of bisquettes? The reason I ask is that I find it only happens to me when I use the JB bisquettes.
[/quote]
Sorry Habenaro, I don't know what JB bisquettes are. I can't remember which ones I used three smokes ago. I have to check the ones from yesterday's smoke, but it's 4:45am right now, so I'll have to wait on that.
Gizmo,
what you say might be true, but I thought the bisquette heating was a 20 minute, time-based thing rather than temperature/sensor controlled. It would seem we would have heard lots of other folks reporting that phenomena by now.
JB are Jim Beam.
The bisquette heating is 20 minutes. The oven heater however fluctuates greatly to maintain the box temp and I have defiantly noticed a difference in the amount of burn on bisquettes with hot smokes as compared to bisquettes with a cold smoke. This is the primary reason I state that the oven temp can affect the quality of the burn as the briquette burner is just hot enough to smolder the wood and not ignite it.
Hi Jeff;
I responded yesterday, but it was at a time, so it looks like my post didn't go through.
I smoke during the winter months with temperatures in the low 20's and never had a problem with bisquettes not burning completely. I've never check the bisquettes after a cold smoke, so maybe the burner plate needs assistance from the heating element to burn completely; as Gizmo has mentioned. The JB bisquettes still won't fully burn when I am hot smoking, and I have always preheated the cabinet and the generator at the same time.
Here are some other issues that may effect the bisquettes from burning completely.
Bisquettes do not burn completely. (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=773&postcount=16)
Thanks guys.
I'm about to smoke another turkey breast with ribs...the ones that are pre-brined. I might never cook a whole turkey again because I don't like dark meat anyway and these come out fantastic.
But, regarding bisquettes; my issue is almost surely that I had some crud on the burner plate such that the bisquettes would not have been sitting flat on the plate. I cleaned it and I'll check it again after tonight's smoke, but I'm pretty sure that's all it was. I used the Jim Beam's before but don't remember them not being completely burned through.
About cleaning though....how do I remove that grill that protects the heating element so that I can clean the element ? It's pretty black, so maybe I'm not getting all the heat I should be? Or does that not matter? In any case, I also want to clean the catchpan below the element. How do I get to all that?
I'm not sure if cleaning will improve performance, but it is an easy to remove the element. To remove the heating element you will need a #2 philip's screw driver and a small adjustable wrench or pliers. If you have a grill, then it sounds like you still have the quartz (glass element), and not the metal.
There are two screws on each side of the element that attached the shield and hold the element in place (while you remove parts, observe how they are put together). Remove all screws on both side, being careful not to loose the washers.
The shield will come off, and the front half of the porcelain holder will come off, and the grill will fall out; because it is held in place by the porcelain holder. Grab the element in the middle and carefully pull it out a few inches. You can clean it while it is still attache; or:
You can now remove the element. If you are going to remove the element, take your adjustable wrench or pliers and unscrew the nuts that attach the wires to the element. Note that the left end has two wires running to that connector.
To reassemble just reverse the steps, but when you reseat the element in the porcelain holder, maker sure the wires are pushed back through the wall and not crimped up. The porcelain holders will only line up one way.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on June 03, 2009, 03:01:32 PM
If you have a grill, then it sounds like you still have the quartz (glass element), and not the metal.
Habanero,
I'm confused about your comment. My unit is about five months old. Why would I "still have the quartz (glass element)" ? Did I buy an outdated unit with some inferior heating element?
Hi Jeff
Habs is correct in how you disassemble the heat element for cleaning Just be very careful when putting the screws back in DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN Snug is all they need.
As for the Quartz tube your smoker would have to be real old to have one of them in it.
It was not an inferior element they just did not stand up to being moved around to much ( they were a glass tube)
Brian
Quote from: Bradley (Head Office) on June 03, 2009, 05:30:28 PM
Hi Jeff
Habs is correct in how you disassemble the heat element for cleaning Just be very careful when putting the screws back in DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN Snug is all they need.
As for the Quartz tube your smoker would have to be real old to have one of them in it.
It was not an inferior element they just did not stand up to being moved around to much ( they were a glass tube)
Brian
How old is real old?
QuoteHow old is real old?
I don't remember the exact date we changed to the metal heat element but is was in 2004 or early 2005
So any smoker made in 2006 to present will have the metal one.
Brian
is there an easy way to tell the difference?
i purchased mine in early 05
That was going to be my next question too.
If I have some ancient unit that was sitting on a shelf for years, I'm guessing that there are other components which may have been upgraded or fixed since then.
To me, my element looks like a tube. Perhaps someone can post photos of both?
The change had to have been in late 2004 or early 2005. I purchase mine in August of 2004 and I had the quartz element until I recently purchased an all metal one.
It is easy to tell the difference, the quartz element looks like a fluorescent bulb. The all metal is just a metal rod.
Jeff;
The reason I thought you still had the quartz element is because I thought Bradley stopped installing the protective grill when they started using the all metal element. There is no reason that I can think of to put the grill back on. When I replaced my quartz element with the metal one, I left the grill off.
I still have my quartz element, I'll post a picture this afternoon.
Thanks Habanero,
good morning....another early bird.
I have always thought my element was a bulb...that's what it looks like.
Can you give me some idea of what the diameter of the metal rod element is?
The element in my unit is maybe a 1/2" in diameter. I'd like to get the actual manufacturing date determined, so I'm guessing that the serial # will give that info. Where can I find that? I will have issues if I've purchased a four or five year old unit for the reason noted above...that other upgrades in addition to the inferior bulb could have been made since then.
Hi Jeff
The Metal & Glass heat elements are the same diameter, The glass tubes are white in color (when new) also when they are heated up you can see the heat coil inside it.
The metal rod just glows red
Habs is going to post a picture later
Your serial number should be on the back of your smoker tower, if it is not there anymore did you register your smoker?
Brian
Hi Brian,
I definately registered the smoker. If the elements are the same diameter
then I would think it would be the metal one, although I always thought it was glass. It's black now, so hard to tell.
But, if the metal one does not have a protective "grate" over it, then I guess it would be the glass one then. I'll try to clean some crud off and see. I'll also get my serial # which I assume I shouldn't post publicly?
Hi Jeff
We have never stopped putting the protective grate in the smokers so both metal and glass will have it
you can PM your serial number or your shipping info and i can have it looked up for you.
Brian
Here is a photo of the older glass element. I thought it was quarts, but it is just a metal coil, encased in glass. The element in the photo is over 4.5 years old, and was still working well.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Formatted/Bradley%20Additional%20Element/BradleyGlassElement.jpg)
Sorry to confuse you, but as Brian stated they are both the same dimensions. I have already replace my glass element with the all metal one.
Brian;
Just curious. Is there any reason for the guard? I took mine off when I installed my new element.
Hi Habs
The guard is there to stop anything from directly touching the heat element.
I thought it was also to direct heat upwards and to try to deflect it away from the water bowl to help prevent boil out of water and combustion of any liquid build up in the bowl.
Quote from: Bradley (Head Office) on June 04, 2009, 06:20:20 PM
Hi Habs
The guard is there to stop anything from directly touching the heat element.
Thanks. I thought it was there just to protect the element when it was made of glass.
Gizmo;
I'm not referring to the reflector, but the grill (guard) the covers the element.
Thanks for noting that for me Habs. I should have looked before posting. I had completely forgotten about those few stands of wire that make up the guard. :)
Thanks Habanero for the photo.
That looks like mine, but I don't know what the metal one looks like, so I couldn't say for sure. I'll get my serial# today and send it out. I'll also check the burned pucks of my last smoke, but I'm pretty sure the recent ones that didn't burn completely were a result of the crud buildup on the heating plate. It was a pretty thick lump of burned on fat or something.
Quote from: Bradley (Head Office) on June 04, 2009, 04:37:20 AM
Hi Jeff
The Metal & Glass heat elements are the same diameter, The glass tubes are white in color (when new) also when they are heated up you can see the heat coil inside it.
The metal rod just glows red
Habs is going to post a picture later
Your serial number should be on the back of your smoker tower, if it is not there anymore did you register your smoker?
Brian
Brian,
I just PM'd you my serial #.
-- Jeff
My pucks very seldom burn all the way through. Seems like the earlier pucks in the batch burn black on both sides and reduce in diameter. The later pucks are black on one side only. Sometimes the black penetrates halfway through the puck, sometimes only 1/3 of the way leaving 2/3 of the puck wasted in the pan. I keep my puck burner scraped clean... so that's not the problem.
I share the opinion that others have expressed that tower temp affects puck burning. Most of my smoking is at lower temps for fish. What we really need is a selectable time for the puck advance... maybe 20, 30, 40 minutes. 'Course that wouldn't sell as many pucks... maybe that's why the feature hasn't been implemented.
- pnw-smoker
Quote from: pnw-smoker on June 06, 2009, 09:18:25 AM
My pucks very seldom burn all the way through. Seems like the earlier pucks in the batch burn black on both sides and reduce in diameter. The later pucks are black on one side only. Sometimes the black penetrates halfway through the puck, sometimes only 1/3 of the way leaving 2/3 of the puck wasted in the pan. I keep my puck burner scraped clean... so that's not the problem.
I share the opinion that others have expressed that tower temp affects puck burning. Most of my smoking is at lower temps for fish. What we really need is a selectable time for the puck advance... maybe 20, 30, 40 minutes. 'Course that wouldn't sell as many pucks... maybe that's why the feature hasn't been implemented.
- pnw-smoker
I have found that keeping your pucks in the garage can make them have a small amount of dampness and they swell slightly.
nepas
Hi Jeff
I sent you a PM
From the serial number you gave me your smoker was made in April of 2008
Your smoker will have the metal heat element in it.
Here is what the elements look like together
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/1smokie43/Heat%20Elements/IMG_0004.jpg)
Both Glass and Metal Elements
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/1smokie43/Heat%20Elements/MetalHeatElement.jpg)
This is the Metal element heated up
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/1smokie43/Heat%20Elements/GlassHeatElement.jpg)
This is the glass element heated up
The glass element will glow almost right away when turned on.
The Metal one will take a few minutes to glow
Brian
Brian
Are the galss ones avail through Y&P or just from Bradley.
nepas
Hi Nepas
We stopped making the glass ones in 2004 they were just to fragile when they are hot
Brian
Quote from: Bradley (Head Office) on June 06, 2009, 09:37:35 AM
Hi Jeff
I sent you a PM
From the serial number you gave me your smoker was made in April of 2008
Your smoker will have the metal heat element in it.
Brian
Hi Brian,
I'm doing my first overnight smoke of a pork butt, so I was only able to get a quick look at the element without letting too much heat escape. The element looks solid red and doesn't have the rings associated with the glass element, so it appears I have the metal one as I should. When I get done with the smoke, I'll check more carefully for the non-tapered edge where the element connects to the fixture. That seems to be the best method of identification, the taper or non-tapered edge of the fixture.
It concerns me that you didn't find my serial# registered. I'm pretty darn sure I registered my smoker. Do they come with a mail in card because I think that's how I registered.
Odd that it's taken me so long to get around to smoking a butt as this was one of the primary reasons I purchased the OBS since it could do an overnight smoke without all of the constant stoking.
The butt is at an internal temp of 170 right now. I was planning on removing at 190. That sound like a good target? Just curious if others have a preference.
Thanks.
Hi Jeff
I take my pork butts to 190 and then FTC for about 2 hrs
Brian
Thanks Brian,
sorry; I didn't see your note til after I was done. I did finish it up at 190,
but didn't FTC this time around. I just had it wrapped in foil for a little while as the extended family showed up ready to eat.
I got raves on the butt though. It almost fell apart on the cutting board; it was so tender. I cooked a 9.5 lb boston butt mostly between 180 to 200 degrees and let it run hotter in the last hour to get it done on time. Cooking time was about 20 hours. Started yesterday at 5pm and done at 1pm for lunch today. Smoked with 4 hours and 40 minutes of hickory. Used rub and mopped about every three hours except while snoozing. Really darned good pork butt.