Hot Smoking---raising temp

[pokher_ace]

Having used the Bradley smoker a few times now, (I have experience with a med. offset) certainly preformed very well, considering you don't need to monitor a fire.

What I found is that the water/steam limits the temperature range and open/closing the damper helps to control the temp within the range. 

Has anyone tried another liquid..or anything else..versus water. On cold days (below freezing), I can not get the heat to where I would like it. My thought is removing the steam will increase the temperature but the drippings will produce a undesirable smoke (happened). 

My goal would be to raise the temperature to say 285 with something other than water in the drip pan in cold weather and not have the drippings burn.

[Caneyscud]

Welcome Pokher

Yes, in a normal smoker with a water bowl, the idea is (very arguable and debatable) to moderate and stabilize the CT - the arguable and debatable part is whether or not the moisture in the cabinet also helps make the meat moister.  For the Bradley, the main reason (well at least one of the main reasons - along with the previous) the water bowl is in the Bradley is to extinguish the pucks as they are pushed off the smoke generator.  So in theory, the water or some other non-flammable liquid should be there or you are at a greater risk of fire.  I would suppose that some sort of higher boiling point liquid could be put in the pan, to somehow limit the humidity it gives off and not give some off flavor or toxicity.  Maybe salty water - but that would only add 3 - 5 degrees.  Maybe a cheap grade of cooking oil - should extinguish the pucks without burning, but would be wary of splashing onto the element - I'm not gonna try it.  The Bradley seems to designed for low and slow - with low and slow being 225 to 250 deg F.  Some of the guys in the colder, netherworld parts of the world should come on and give you tips for cold weather smoking and maintaining temperature.  My question is the 285 deg.  That is in the high range of the normal low and slow, moist and tender barbecue producing range.

And yes the vent does moderate the temp. some and most have found that having it at least 1/2 open and more often greater allows the temp. to be higher in the cabinet.  Plus the humidity has to escape or it finds its way into the inner workings of the SG and messes up things.  

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum pokher_ace!

You didn't mention the target temp, If it's 285, that's a little high for low and slow.

I not close the vent, that will retain moisture and keep the temps down.

[sherlock]

My water keeps freezing in our frigid winters down here in Florida, so I use anti-freeze instead of water. Only problem is that everything turns a strange shade of green.  ;D ;D ;D

Seriously, down here the only problem we ever have trying to maintain low temps. for cold smoking. Raising the temp is never a problem.

[Gregory]

In my old water bullet electric smoker I never used water.  I filled the water pan with sterile playground sand and covered it with foil to catch the drippings.  Some drips overflowed down to the burner but it didn't seem to hurt the flavor.  In that machine the wood often burnt down to charcoal and white ash.

In the Bradley you might try using a foil wrapped brick as a heat sink and placing a deep foil pan on the bottom rack to catch drippings and keep them off the smoldering pucks.  In the water bowl you could place a very small amount of water or sand or nothing at all.

One important note on the sand if you choose to use it:  Only use sterile playground sand, and give it one empty heat cycle to drive out any unpleasant flavors.  No other type of sand is safe, they all give off nasty vapors that will at least ruin food and may be toxic.

Of course you could just buy the cold smoke adapter and use it for hot smoking, that way the water bowl and burnt bisquettes are separated from the smoke house.  Just use a brick as a heat sink.

Greg

[NePaSmoKer]

With Caney on this. Just water in the pan nothing else. Even the sand dont sound very good to me. I do use a foiled brick.

smoking chex mix


nepas

[do52lo]

I've smoked in sub zero a few times but not at that high a temp. What you could do is simply get your smoke done then use your kitchen oven for the finish if you can't get the 285. Or start your meat in the oven first to start to warm it up. I also find the biggest problem is not so much the outside temp (with in reason, I never tried at minus 30 F ) as much as the wind. Some folks use a large cardboard box over the unit be carefull not too close though.  I like the brick idea to maintain heat too. Good luck