Heat question

bozer · July 11, 2009, 10:27:20 AM

Hey all

I'm making 10.5's ribs recipe again today. One thing I was wondering, would it make sense to have the Bradley heat up without any smoke to say 200 degrees, then turn the smoke generator on?

I'm trying to get up to 260 degrees right now to prepare for the ribs, and its takings a long time and I figure its kind of wasting smoke pucks.

Wouldn't it make more sense to get it hot, then turn the generator on? Its just billowing smoke right now at 140 degrees and I don't have the ribs in at all (not until I hit 260)

pensrock · July 11, 2009, 10:33:31 AM

I would turn both on but not put any pucks in the tube till I was about ready to begin smoking. You want you puck burner hot to help get the first puck going. I preheat my puck burner as long as I preheat the smoker.

Ka Honu · July 11, 2009, 10:37:50 AM

Turn on both heating elements but don't put a bisquette on the burner until both are preheated. I usually push the bisquette advance only one time when I turn everything on and find it all preheated nicely when I put the meat in the box and the first bisquette hits the burner (40 minutes later).

bozer · July 11, 2009, 10:38:14 AM

Makes sense. Unfortuantely I didn't think of doing that until now and I've wasted a ton of pucks. Oh well, next time.

pensrock · July 11, 2009, 10:46:58 AM

QuoteUnfortuantely I didn't think of doing that until now and I've wasted a ton of pucks. Oh well, next time.

Thats how you learn.

I've made my share of mistakes. :D

bozer · July 11, 2009, 10:54:24 AM

BTW --

Do I put the ribs on top rack or bottom?

I've got two racks in there now, using the top and one under that.

An hour and a half in I'm going to rotate them and change the water. Make sense?

pensrock · July 11, 2009, 11:02:58 AM

I would use the two middle racks and rotate them top to bottom and back to front every hour or so, hour and a half will be fine. You probably do not need to change the water for a good three hours. When you do change it put hot water in the bowl so it does not take the heat away from the tower. I normally do not change mine till I'm done smoking, normally 3-4 hours. After the smoking the food is just cooking anyway and the water bowl will catch any drippings that may fall from the meat.

bozer · July 11, 2009, 11:06:06 AM

Thanks for your help!

I'm debating throwing two hot dogs in there right now to see what happens. Smoked hotdogs... hmmm

pensrock · July 11, 2009, 11:09:03 AM

As far as I'm concerned, nothing is off limits when smoking. ;D