Thinking of buying a 6 rack digital smoker - have some questions first

[Regulator7]

Morning all,

I'm thinking of getting the 108P (6 rack digital) smoker and have a few questions.  First, I have never used an electric smoker so my knowledge is limited to what I have read on this forum.  I have been smoking with charcoal and wood for over 20 years now. I currently have a Brinkmann Smoke 'N Pit King that is heavily modified.  I still love it, but the constant attention it requires is getting old. So here are my questions about the 108P

1.  I have seen a lot of posts about people replacing/modifying the heating elements.  Is that because of issues with the standard element or just the desire to make the unit better?
2.  I see that some folks have had problems with the puck loader. Have those issues been fixed by Bradley yet?
3.  How well does the unit hold temps below 190 degrees?
4.  How much of an impact have people seen when smoking in cool weather (below 50 degrees) or windy conditions?

Thanks,

Jim K.
AKA Regulator 7

[NePaSmoKer]

Morning all,

I'm thinking of getting the 108P (6 rack digital) smoker and have a few questions.  First, I have never used an electric smoker so my knowledge is limited to what I have read on this forum.  I have been smoking with charcoal and wood for over 20 years now. I currently have a Brinkmann Smoke 'N Pit King that is heavily modified.  I still love it, but the constant attention it requires is getting old. So here are my questions about the 108P

1.  I have seen a lot of posts about people replacing/modifying the heating elements.  Is that because of issues with the standard element or just the desire to make the unit better?
2.  I see that some folks have had problems with the puck loader. Have those issues been fixed by Bradley yet?
3.  How well does the unit hold temps below 190 degrees?
4.  How much of an impact have people seen when smoking in cool weather (below 50 degrees) or windy conditions?

Thanks,

Jim K.
AKA Regulator 7

I have a 6 rack and use it more than the average Bradley user.

1. There was a bad batch of heaters which i believe has been resolved.
2. Feeder problems, most the time a loose connector or wood caught in the arm. Not a major issue as i have had no feeder issues.
3. Temps below 190 are better held with a PID. I have sausage smokes from 80 to 175 with no issues.
4  I used my 6 rack in the garage back in NE PA with -11 temps and had no issues. However i did have to warm the PID temp probe with my hand (which the PID is not a Bradley sold item) Wind and cold temps will have an affect on the smoker if used outside unprotected from the cold.

PID Controller link.
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=72

[Regulator7]

NePaSmoker,

Thanks for the input.  I knew the smoker would be affected by weather, I was wondering how much of an affect it has.  Do you think it is more or less affected than say a wood vertical smoker?

[wipf9994]

I have a 6 rack bradley smoker and the element seems a bit small as far as wattage goes. i replaced it with a 900w element and put in a $12 dollar fan from home depot. works great now. I also have it in my garage underneath a window with a fan in the window to pull out the smoke.

[josbocc]

Regulator,

What NePas said.  He pretty much nailed it.  I too am forced to smoke in a cold climate (64 miles south of Montreal), and at times have felt that a higher wattage element might help me achieve higher temps.  My current solution is to do my smoke time outdoors (or in the garage if available), then once the smoking aspect is done, I'll pull the whole unit inside to help it achieve the higher temps.

My DBS6 is about 5 years old, and I recently had a puck feeding problem.  I was getting two pucks to feed at every 20 minute interval, thereby wasting every other puck.  My solution was a new microswitch (there's a post in here somewhere on how to install), and I think that the total cost with shipping was about $11.  Unit works great now.

Definitely recommend a PID with any of the units.  Temp regulation stays within a degree or two, whereas my digital unit on its own would have temperature swings of up to 18 degrees.  The PID also gives you multiple settings for times and temperatures, letting you make even the most complex smoke easy.

Best of Luck,
Jeff

[theLDP]

Buy the OBS and get a PID.  I pretty much wasted the money on the digital.  The extra money spent on the digital should have went to a PID instead.  Now I have both. wasting about $150.

[theLDP]

OOPS.  Saw this was for 6 rack.  I have a four.  This was intended for the four rack.