Control Survey

Osibisa · June 22, 2005, 12:02:16 PM

Hi.
I am working on a project at the moment to build an automatic controller for the BS. Ideally the unit would be non invasive to the BS. One of the main problems I have is that I work every day and I do not have time to fit a "smoke" in when I get home except at weekends. I do realise there are other controllers on the market but none of them seem to do the job completely. I would therefore appreciate feedback on what features you would like to see on such a controller. Below are some examples I can think of.

Cabinet temperature.
Food temperature.
Smoking timer.
Delayed Start and Stop cooking timer.
Air ventilation control.
Remote viewing of parameters.
Remote control of parameters.
Possibly control of above via Internet.

Many thanks in advance. Peter

manxman · June 22, 2005, 02:27:45 PM

Hi Osibisa,

I am in the same position as you in that I work all day and I usually end up smoking at weekends or if I am really keen stay up late/get up in the early hours! (not a frequent occurence!)

I can't think of any particularly useful features other than those you have mentioned, however one limiting factor as to how useful any automatic controller is, is the need to empty and replenish the water bowl which typically seems to be around the 4 hour mark.

Whether it is feasible to use a bigger water bowl to accomodate a larger volume of water to allow for the increased time and evaporation I don't know?

I do know extinguishing used pucks is important not only from a smoking standpoint but a safety standpoint too. Perhaps this aspect also needs some input from forum members?

Good luck!!

Manxman.

psdubl07 · June 22, 2005, 06:02:25 PM

- Automatically cleans the smoker when finished.
- Opens my beer for me.
- Picks winning lottery numbers.

I'm sure there's more, but I'll get back to you with those....
[}:)][:p]

Chez Bubba · June 23, 2005, 03:08:07 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by manxman
 I do know extinguishing used pucks is important not only from a smoking standpoint but a safety standpoint too. Perhaps this aspect also needs some input from forum members?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Not only does it extinguish the pucks, it collects most of the dripping fat. Too much fat buildup, or an overflow of pure fat, can cause a fire. The Bradley's an extremely easy-to-use smoker but it's not idiot-proof.

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

Lasse · June 23, 2005, 06:01:36 AM

Hi Peter,

Came to think of one possible problem, maybe.

When you leave for work in the morning you have to place the meat in the Bradley and smoke it either at once and then leave it until you get home or smoke it later during the day but in both cases the meat will be staying in the Bradley unsupervised for several hours and this might be a problem.

/Lasse

manxman · June 23, 2005, 09:31:16 AM

Quotemeat will be staying in the Bradley unsupervised for several hours/
QuoteThat's a good point from a bacterial safety point of view, more than a couple of hours just sitting in the BS either side of the cooking/smoking process at less than 140F runs a significant increased risk of bacterial contamination.

Think a timer would have to be used with care.

Manxman.

Habanero Smoker · June 23, 2005, 11:55:18 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Lasse
 Hi Peter,

....... in both cases the meat will be staying in the Bradley unsupervised for several hours and this might be a problem.

/Lasse
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you have a feature, as in the Guru "ramp mode", that will hold the meat at the internal temperature, once it is finished cooking it will be safe. I have never used this feature, but I have seen posts that if you hold the temperature too long the meat will dry out. Also using the "ramp mode" extends the cooking time, so if you are smoking butts and/or brisket; the food might be just getting done when you arrive home.

zeek · June 24, 2005, 05:58:20 AM

I really like the idea but need some way to track the temperature either a paper graph like some of the old temperature gauges or through an Analog to digital board on the computer. I have purchased a Maverick ET73 thermometer which tracks smoker and meat temp. My neighbor records the temperature of the meat and the smoker throughout the process. I did the same thing on my last batch and realized I don't really need to change the temperature gauge during the whole smoke. Thus in some cases may be able to set and go but have the ability to make sure you did not lose power and the meat stayed a good temp through out the process. Let me know if you come up with something. Also, you could use an internet camera and just point it at the Maverick thermometer which shows meat and smoker temp if you are on the computer all day. Just need to train the dog to move the temp gauge, add water and shut off the smoke generator.

manxman · June 24, 2005, 11:53:16 AM

Hi Zeek,

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">need some way to track the temperature either a paper graph like some of the old temperature gauges or through an Analog to digital board on the computer.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is this the sort of thing you have in mind?

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Tiny Loggers Great Versatility Food Smoking
Use Tinytag Plus or Tinytag Instrument data loggers during the smoking process of foodstuffs to ensure that product reaches, and is maintained at, the correct temperature.

For further information view the Food Safety & HACCP Data Loggers at Work sheet (size=371K).<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

See more at:

Using Data Loggers for the Monitoring of Food SmokingAn article on the use of data loggers during the smoking of foodstuffs.
www.geminidataloggers.com/ files/gemini/apps/food/smoking - 5k - Cached - Similar pages

Look for "Food Smoking" in the Application Notes.

It may also be a business opportunity for someone in the U.S, they appear to be looking for outlets!!!

Manxman.