Smoker won't get up to temp

[DaveT261]

  Instead of adding a 2nd element, consider a change to a 900 watt finned element as the fins are a more efficient heat transfer system. That is why most heating & cooling systems that are not forced air have fins. A little more expensive initially & I have not heard of any failures with them, however there may have been.
Alan

Do you need a pid to run 900W element?  Also do you have to add additional fuse?  I am a newbie too, I am also thinking about just doing the fan mod.  So many options here I do not quite know what to do.

[Arkitek]

As a newbe I joined the forum to learn to use my new OBS and found out that smoking in the north I would need a little more power. I currently have the Auber Dual Probe PID and the finned 900 watt element on the bench. The 14awg high temp wire and connectors will be here monday. For those of you that have completed this mod are you bypassing the high limit sensor because of the PID control or should I leave it inline for safety? Thank you for the great content on this forum and your assistance with my question.

[Grassman]

I just added the second element and did the quick and easy 3 inch loops off the first element and it works perfect - also use the PID.

[nwc03]

I would beg to differ that their customer service is "excellent."  I just tried calling their customer service and got their answering machine.  Now granted, it's a Sunday morning, but don't a lot of people smoke on the weekend?  A company with excellent customer service would have someone available on the weekend.  I just bought my 4 rack BDS for Christmas and I'm a bummed.  I've got a 7# pork butt in it, with the desired temp set at 220 F, and the highest it would get during the night was 180 F per the temp gage.  If the internal temp of the pork is supposed to reach 190 F, I'm never gping to make it.  I live in SE MN, it's cold here, with a slight breeze, but it's not exceptionally cold!?!  I would say that during the night it may have gotten down around
15 F at the lowest out on my deck where I have the smoker located.  But WTF, isn't this company based in Canada?!?  Did they really engineer a machine that can't operate effectively in the cold?!?  What were there engineers thinking?  Out $400.00 in MN.

Nathan

[TedEbear]

I would beg to differ that their customer service is "excellent."  I just tried calling their customer service and got their answering machine.  Now granted, it's a Sunday morning, but don't a lot of people smoke on the weekend? 

People do a lot of things on the weekends that they normally wouldn't do during the week.  That doesn't mean the business that sells whatever product they're using should be open.  In my experience, very few businesses are open on a Sunday morning unless it's a gas station or a restaurant.

Anyway, on your smoking problem, you can finish it in the oven once the smoking part is through.  Don't foil it if you want a crisp bark to mix in with the rest of it when you pull it.  Put it in the oven at 225 and let it cook to an internal temp of 190-200.

As far as your Bradley, a breeze can cause the temp to be lower.  It sort of sucks the heat right out of the vent but don't be temped to close the vent or it'll just make things worse with condensation and even lower temps.

BTW, welcome aboard.  Lots of great people on here to help you out and we're even here on Sundays.   :)

[buttburner]

you probably already tried this, but make sure you are not using an extension cord and its on its own circuit, if you have to use a ext cord make sure its a heavy duty one

But, I agree. The 500w element is wimpy.

I did the 2nd element mod and now its like a different smoker. Well worth it. Should not have to do it but thats how it is I am afraid...

[KyNola]

nwc03, welcome to the forum.  A couple of things you should know, 1. when you put that cold 7 lb pork butt in your smoker, the heat pretty much escaped from your tower and the 7 lb cold pork butt acts like a 7 lb heat sink, meaning it is sucking up all of the heat and energy the Bradley is producing until the meat comes up to temp. 2.  If you are going by the temp readings from your digital unit alone, you are most likely getting false readings as to the accurate temp inside your tower.  I'm not sure how you can blame any of that on customer service.

Bradley will be back at work bright and early on Monday morning so if you still feel the need to call them they will be there.  Even God rested on the seventh day.

[Realindianajones]

Well I bought a new digital and cured it at 150 degrees yesterday no problem today tried to do ribs and in 5 hours it finall got to 220 and ribs started T room temp. Ribs are spoiled. To stayed at 112 for first 4 hours

[bradmanning]

Does anyone have the step by step instructions on how to add a second heating element and PID?  The link that most forums go to seems to have been shut down.  I love my Bradley smoker except for the temp issues and want to try upgrading vs. buying a new smoker.  But I have no clue how to do this upgrade.  Thanks for the help

[JohnM70]

bradmanning Try these. I did install an 1100W and replaced the wire with 14G oven wire. I do use a PID... I don't think the SG will handle 900 TO 1100w


http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=31078

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=29038

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=32920.msg385349#msg385349

[bradmanning]

Thanks JohnM70.  A lot of great info...