Wood Discs and Longer than 8 Hours

RobertBarnett · August 17, 2005, 04:42:38 AM

I have recently ordered a BS smoker and I am looking forwards to getting it. I have had water smokers in the past and find they a pain to use, just too much hands on time.

I see that you can load the BS Smoker with enough wood to last 8 hours. My question is is there any reason why say 4 hours in to the smoking I coulded add enough additional to smoke for a total of 10 hours (for say a brisket)?

Thanks,

Robert

bighoof · August 17, 2005, 04:59:01 AM

You could add till you ran out chips.[:D]

nsxbill · August 17, 2005, 05:00:04 AM

Think about that first. Typically the meat will not absorb much smoke after 140°F. Most of us smoke for a max of 4 hours only, and then just let the low and slow cooking bring the meat to internal temp desired. Chicken and fowl, I use a max of 2 hours only.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

Oldman · August 17, 2005, 05:53:04 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Chicken and fowl, I use a max of 2 hours only.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Agree.

Olds

Habanero Smoker · August 17, 2005, 11:28:19 AM

I agree with Bill. Four hours for cuts like brisket, butt etc; two hours for chicken, and less for fish.

Just like your water smoker; you add a certain amount of wood chips (bisquettes for the Bradley) at the beginning, then let what ever heat source (charcoal, gas or electric) finish cooking your product.

MallardWacker · August 17, 2005, 02:18:06 PM

Rob,

You will find the basic thought process among the most of the folks here is that 4hrs is just about good anything. Like Olds "The Stud Miester" said about fowl, 2 hours is my preference also. Everyone now is going to say "There goes Mallard about that Mesquite again", well here it comes, use mesquite sparingly. It's not what you think, you will find out (all together now) "It's the [}:)]Devil's wood".

Welcome and bring it on.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

manxman · August 17, 2005, 03:47:16 PM

The only thing I smoke for more than 4 hours is cold smoked cheese.

Most people just seem to do it for a couple of hours but I prefer(and some references suggest)up to 5 hours. I use the latter and it is great, much better in my view than that smoked for 2 hours.

However I have never tried it at 4 hours so the difference between 4 and 5 hours may be minimal!

Manxman.

Gordon · August 17, 2005, 06:57:14 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by manxman
 The only thing I smoke for more than 4 hours is cold smoked cheese.

Most people just seem to do it for a couple of hours but I prefer(and some references suggest)up to 5 hours. I use the latter and it is great, much better in my view than that smoked for 2 hours.

However I have never tried it at 4 hours so the difference between 4 and 5 hours may be minimal!

Manxman.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Holy smokes!...so to speak. Are you using huge blocks? I pre cut mine to the cracker size so I don't have to later, and two hours with hickory produces a strong smoke taste. (freakin delicous, I might add). At five hours with hickory, I would have cheese flavored smoke.

I used special blend before, and it turned out well. I use the cheese when making beef/chicken quesadillas, and it turns out better with hickory.

for me

I also smoked the mozareller cheese with hickory and made pasta with some chicken and hickory smoked moz. Wife said it tastes like a restaurant meal.

Gordo

What a piece of work is man!

Phone Guy · August 17, 2005, 07:21:36 PM

Robert, As you can see you are asking the right folks about your BS. Bill and the others here are a great source for information and they are the experts. I'll bet there isn't anyone with more experience using a Bradley then the folks here. Remember that the Bradley is also a cooker so you don't have to have the smoke going for the full cook. A brisket will take 10 or more hours but 4 hours of smoke is probably all its going to take, the rest of the time is the slow cooking. If a person prefered to smoke the whole time, just add more bisquettes as needed.

RobertBarnett · August 18, 2005, 02:07:48 AM

Thanks so much for the info. I will make a note and try you smoking times. It actually makes sense and I now suspect that cookbooks I have been reading and collecting don't mean full on smoke for 10 hours either.

I just wish my smoker would arrive. Next week is what I am guessing.

Robert

Oldman · August 18, 2005, 08:46:42 AM

RobertBarnett,

May I suggest you purchase 3 Bubba pucks. They are stack on top of your wood pucks in the unit. They will allow you to burn all of your wood pucks.

You can get them from Chez... call him rather than order them through the web site and save a few bucks.

Olds

manxman · August 18, 2005, 11:56:55 AM

Hi Olds,

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Holy smokes!...so to speak. Are you using huge blocks?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The blocks are about 12oz in weight, rectangular in shape and about 1.5 inches thick.[:D]

Only used oak and apple so far, leave for 24-48 hours in the fridge post smoke before eating. I have tried doing bigger blocks but even the 5 hour smoke did not seem enough!![}:)]

Read an interesting article the other day about an Austrian cheese where they actually smoke the milk then make the cheese from smoked milk! But how many people make home-made cheese!![;)]

Manxman.

Chez Bubba · August 19, 2005, 02:08:32 AM

Robert,

A lot too has to do with how much food you're cooking. If I do a 5# butt for Anne & me, it's 4 hrs smoke, 6-7 hours total cook. If I do four 8# butts for a party, it's 8 hrs smoke, 12-16 hours total cook.

That's the beauty of the Bradley, you can adjust the amount of smoke to your tastes.

Kirk

ps, In answer to your original question, yes, you can load as many as you want once the smoker is up & running a while. As others have stated, I believe your facing the law of diminishing returns though. If you feel the need to apply smoke for the entire cook time of everything you do, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE buy your bisquettes from us![:D][:D][:D]

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

JJC · August 21, 2005, 01:10:51 PM

Welcome to the Forum, Robert. Not much to add to the august group of experts who have weighed in here (it is still August, isn't it?)

I occasionally go to 5 hours on a single large piece of meat (brisket, pork loin) but 4 hr is my usual max, 2hr for chicken and cheese, and 40 min for smoked shrimp and scallops.

I like mesquite (sorry, Duck-man), but I agree completely with him that the BS produces such a concentrated smoke that the bitter/acrid flavors in mesquite can predominate pretty easily. When I use mesquite in the BS, I cut the usual smokle time in half (2hr for a brisket, 1 hr for chicken) and the flavor is really good without being overpowering.

John
Newton MA

JJC · August 21, 2005, 01:14:39 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by manxman
 The only thing I smoke for more than 4 hours is cold smoked cheese.

Most people just seem to do it for a couple of hours but I prefer(and some references suggest)up to 5 hours. I use the latter and it is great, much better in my view than that smoked for 2 hours.

However I have never tried it at 4 hours so the difference between 4 and 5 hours may be minimal!

Manxman.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Paul,

Wondering what types of cheese you are smoking for 5 hr? Does a harder cheese require more smoke time? I've been using young gouda, edam, and mild cheddars with 2 hr of apple or oak, letting it sit tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3+ days, and the flavor is pretty strong (but not dominating). I think I'll try both the 2hr and 4hr smoke time with my next batch of cheese.

John
Newton MA