Time to Temp

[IPreferAle]

Just a general question.  How long should it take to come up to temperature?  ie 300 degrees F with an outdoor temp of 80 degrees F with nothing in the smoker and no biscuits in the smoke generator.  The reason I ask is that on the 24th of June I loaded up the smoker with 3 racks of Babyback pork ribs, a 3.5 lb chicken and ~9 pounds of pork shoulder.  The outside temperature as ~70 degrees F.  After 6 hours at full power I had difficulty maintaining 225 degrees F.  In fact, it was hovering around 190 degrees F.  I have had this smoker for several years and I have had to always turn the rheostat down to maintain 225 degrees F, except in the dead of winter when it needed a blanket.  Today I plugged it in with nothing it, as stated above, and it took slightly less than 30 minutes to reach ~307 degrees F. verified by two seperate thermometers.  At 10 minutes it reached slightly less than 200 degrees F and at 20 minutes it was ~ 250 degrees.  I don't consider that too bad in my book.  Just wondering what everyone else is getting.

[Habanero Smoker]

You are fortunate if you are getting up to 300ºF with it empty. There should be a safety cut off switch, that will engage and cut power to your heating element, when the temperature reaches that high. I have never gotten over 275ºF.

If this is the first time you've had this problem, is this the first time you loaded the Bradley so full? The more meat (especially poultry) you place in it, the longer it will take to reach your target cooking/smoking temperatures. The times and temps you give seem about average performance for the Bradley.

[Oldman]

My  unit is as hot or hotter than yours when empty. However, consider the load you placed into the unit and the size of the heating element.  Your unit is doing just great.

Olds

[IPreferAle]

Thats what I thought, just needed some validation.  I have had my OBS just as full other times but this time I had the freedom time to monitor it.  Everything turned out just as it always has, terrific.  My smoker is quite old and has been able to reach way above the stated temperatures, but it just works.  It does show a some ware and tare, cracked plastic parts, and dried out seals and such but it its still kicking.  Perfect for what we use it for.

[Oldman]

It does show a some ware and tare, cracked plastic parts, and dried out seals and such but it its still kicking.  Perfect for what we use it for.

Chez has replacement parts if you need. Just call him.

Olds