Noobie here undecided

[al_sfbay]

Hi All,
I am a rank amateur in the smoking world, although pretty comfortable in the grilling world.  I have been looking at Bradleys, the  BTDS76JB and the  BTDS76S.  Can someone please tell me the difference?  Also being the noobie that I am, what is a PID?  Sorry for being so uninformed.

[3rensho]

Hello and welcome.  What part of SF Bay area are you in.  My old stompin' grounds.  Regarding the smokers I'd say the B is black finished and the S is shiny stainless steel.  A PID (Proportional Integrating Differentiating) is a fancy temperature controller.  Look at the WIki entry for details of the algorithm.  Well worth having in my book.

[Grouperman941]

Hello and welcome.  What part of SF Bay area are you in.  My old stompin' grounds.  Regarding the smokers I'd say the B is black finished and the S is shiny stainless steel.  A PID (Proportional Integrating Differentiating) is a fancy temperature controller.  Look at the WIki entry for details of the algorithm.  Well worth having in my book.

I think JB is Jim Beam.

[tskeeter]

Al, a PID is a  Proportional Integral Derivative controller. It's a device that many forum members use for a couple of reasons.  One is to reduce the range of the temperature swings that are normal for a Bradley (set point +/- 20F or so).  The other is to provide a controller that can handle nonstandard heating element configurations that draw more power than the Bradley was designed for.

When the cabinet temp of a Bradley reaches the low set point the heating element turns on until the sensor in the back wall of the cabinet senses that the temperature that you have set on the controls has been reached.  At that point, the heating element turns off, but it is still red hot.  The hot, and cooling, element continues to release heat into the cabinet after it has shut off, so the cabinet temperature continues to increase for a while and the temp will exceed the temp you set on the controls.  This isn't usually an issue for ribs, brisket, pork shoulder,etc.  But, some temperature sensitive products, such as sausage or fish, do not tolerate the temperature overrun well.

The way a PID works, is that, rather than the continuous on/continuous off type of operation of a Bradley, the PID senses the temperature, and as the temperature gets close to the set point, the PID cycles the heating element on and off in short cycles so you creep up on the temperature you set.  And the lower set point of a PID, that triggers the heating element to turn on, is much closer to the temperature that you set than what is set in a Bradley.  This usually allows the PID to controll the temperature at 1-2F +/- your set point.

As far as I know, the difference between the 76JB (Jim Beam) and the 76S is the Jim Beam graphics.  But, it is possible that there are functional differences.  Maybe someone who is more up the the specs of the various smoker models will be able to confirm my impression, or explain the differences.

     

[Saber 4]

Just looked on the Bradley website and the jb is the Jim Beam Model but the silver one shows a model ending in P not S so not sure about that one, however the main point is the difference is probably cosmetic as in a Jim Beam Sticker instead of a Bradley sticker on the door. At least that's what it has looked like in the store. If someone has the JB and I'm incorrect please correct me.

[al_sfbay]

thanks all for making me feel welcome as well as explaining the PID in depth.  As for the Jim Beam, I too thought it was identical but that seemed a bit crazy to me, thats why I asked. 
Any other cons, besides temp swings that anyone want to share?

[Grouperman941]

thanks all for making me feel welcome as well as explaining the PID in depth.  As for the Jim Beam, I too thought it was identical but that seemed a bit crazy to me, thats why I asked. 
Any other cons, besides temp swings that anyone want to share?

I don't think the temp swings are as much of a con as many others do for most foods. The Bradley works great as is, and a little better with a PID.

For me, the only con is capacity. I would like to cook a lot more than I can fit. I could always buy a second Bradley though. :-)

When I was shopping, I chose the OBS (611) with the idea that I could save the $100 or so over the digital and put it toward a PID in the future if I wanted.

[Habanero Smoker]

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not aware of a BTDS76S model, there is a BTDS76P. If you got that from a retailer and not the Bradley site, it may be a misprint.

You can download the owner's manual or go to the Bradley website to compare.

[al_sfbay]

My Bad,
it is a BTDS76P, not a BTDS76S. 

[Saber 4]

thanks all for making me feel welcome as well as explaining the PID in depth.  As for the Jim Beam, I too thought it was identical but that seemed a bit crazy to me, thats why I asked. 
Any other cons, besides temp swings that anyone want to share?

I don't see the temp swings as a con either, throw a probe in your kitchen oven and you'll be surprised at how much swing it has, to me it's just part of learning the capabilities of my equipment.

[beefmann]

welcome aboard, the others have gave great information

[dman4505]

Welcome to the show
You can't go wrong with either model
Only con I have is that it doesn't clean itself, ha ha ha
Just kidding, Bradley offers a great product with top notch customer service.
But the icing on the cake is this site, you get to associate with great people some of which become good friends

Don 

[ragweed]

Welcome to the forum from Nebraska.

[Smokin Sparky]

Welcome from Southwest Idaho.   ;D

Blake

[pokermeister]

al, welcome to the forum. I have a NOBS (BS611) that is unmodified. I might suggest that you use your bradley a few times before adding any mods, just to get a feel for the smoker. Just my 2 cents.