Q re storage of the DBS

[heinz]

I guess it would apply to all Bradley's so maybe the post is in the wrong corner :-)

Anyhoo... Now that I've made pallatable food a few times, and today is pork day, I want to do what I can to give the Bradley its best chance at longevity.

I currently store the Bradley clean, vent full open and door closed. It's inside my Gazebo/now Smokehouse so not in the elements. I have a Bradley cover but have not used it since the smoker is inside.

This morning when I went to start it up the door seal was doing its job well, which initiated this post. I.e. until the seal starts to break it was 'tight'.

So the questions is, should I be doing anything different between smokes? Does the door seal need anything applied to it? Should the door be closed or partially open during idle times? Etc., etc.

Thanks in advance - Heinz

[asa]

Heinz -
I don't understand what is wrong with your door seal, but for what it's worth, I've learned from others on the forum to wipe the door seal with a damp cloth after each smoke and to remove the vent by unscrewing it from the top so that it can be washed thoroughly and residue can be removed from it and its setting on the BS top after every other smoke or when it starts to look sticky. Otherwise I clean all removables in the dishwasher, vacuum the inside bottom and heating element with a dustbuster-like portable vacuum, and wipe any particles of food from the inside, trying not to disturb the black coating that has built up. If you can be more specific about your door seal problem, you'll probably get more help on that. And my BS sits on the front porch, well-protected from the elements, and I always keep the cover on it when not using it.

Art

[heinz]

Sorry Art, didn't mean it to come accross as a problem. I should have been more precise, I.e. it is nice and snug and I want to keep it that way.

Thanks for the memory-jog re dustbuster. That thought had escaped me :-)

Heinz

[Habanero Smoker]

I store my out in the elements with the door closed and the cover on. In time your seal will warp some, and there may be some minor leakage, but that is small compare to the overall performance. Even though you have yours under a gazebo, you may want to keep the cover on to discourage wasps form wanting to build nest in the generator or cabinet. Unless you have it screened.

As mentioned above, after each smoke clean the seal. I only remove the vent adjuster only if it gets to the point it is some what difficult to move.

[manxman]

I agree with the other posters on this subject, the only thing I would add is that I leave the door open on my BS  for a day or two post smoke to let the cabinet dry out, prior to closing the door and putting the cover on. Sometimes it is quite damp inside depending on what I have been using it for.

I keep the BS in the garage between smokes.