new to the smokers world

[bctman]

Hi, new to this so get ready for a whack of questions lol, first one for u, which smoke flavor is going to be best with a red wine marinate? Marinating a couple of sirloin roasts, will be my second attempt at smoking a roast

[Edward176]

Hello bctman and welcome to the Forum. I copy and Pasted an insert from "Olds Place" on bisquettes. Maybe this will help.


One of the more exciting aspects of smoking is learning how to match different "flavors" of smoke to different types of foods. While other smokers use different wood chunks and chips, Bradley uses a proprietary technology to manufacture "bisquettes." Each bisquette advances through the Bradley Smoke Generator and burns for 20 minutes before being extinguished. This system yields a tremendous amount of flexibility and allows for both consistency and the ability to experiment.

Bradley Flavor Bisquettes are available in 9 different flavors, or types of wood. While there is no one right type of wood for any particular type of food, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Lighter, sweeter smoke flavor:

    Cherry
    Apple
    Alder

The above flavors lend themselves to delicately flavored foods. They work well with fish and poultry and can also be used with wild game meat. Alder is best known for its use with smoked salmon.


Mid-range, moderate smoke flavor:

    Maple
    Pecan
    Oak
    Special Blend

The above flavors seem to be good all-purpose flavors, working equally well for poultry, pork, and beef. Many people seem to favor maple and pecan and will use them for just about everything they smoke because of the slightly sweeter flavor than hickory. Some people are equally passionate about oak. Special blend is sometimes called "hotdog wood" in that it is made up of all of the other types of wood (except mesquite). Some people seem to like special blend for its overall neutral character that works well with everything, and other people think it is too non-descript, and therefore prefer a specific flavor for a specific food.


Stronger, heavier smoke flavor:

    Hickory
    Mesquite

The above flavors lend themselves to more strongly flavored foods, especially pork and beef. Hickory is a favorite of many people and statistically one of the best sellers. Some people claim good results with mesquite, but use caution with this flavor – the Bradley makes a very concentrated smoke which seems to get even more pronounced when using mesquite, so apply this flavor carefully if you elect to use it. One thing to keep in mind about mesquite is that many people think it is synonymous with BBQ, but the reality is most of its popularity comes from grilling because it burns very hot. Since heat is not the main objective of a bisquette, you may find the mesquite flavor overpowering and better left for the grill.

[bctman]

Thank you for the reply, it did help, the first smoked meat attempt was with mesquite. Had the roast in the smoker for about 5.5 hours with an ambient temp of about -7c, could not get the smoker above 100 degrees. I ran the smoke for the entire time, used 13 pucks in total, including the initial burn. Ended up taking the roast into the house to cook it, flavor was nice but roast being a rump cut was tuff, tonight I marinate and tomorrow smoke about 6 lbs of top sirloin and will try hickory for this one. Tank you again for olds place post, it will be a well used guide for my future.

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm unsure as to what model smoker you have. Turn on the smoker and open it. Check to see if the element is beginning to glow red. If not there is no power getting to the smoker. Generally if you can't get above 125°F or so the heating element is not working, and the only heat is from the bisquette burner. Usually this is a quick fix for a new smoker. Make sure all your power cords are securely connected. Even if they look secure, unplug them and reattach them a few times. Especially the power cord that goes between the smoker and generator.

You can test to see if there is any problems with the smoker cabinet itself. Using a desktop power cord (NEMA 5-15P to IEC C13). Plug one end into the back of the smoker, and the other end to a wall socket. If the element glows, then you have a problem in the generator. If it doesn't glow the problem is in the smoker.

[bctman]

Thanks habanero, I did some trouble shooting with things after dinner that night and was able to get my Bradley original up to temp in a very short time once I had moved it into the garage for storage, I believe it was the cord from the generator to the smoker that was not completely plugged in. I have just moved it out doors again and it is in the process of preheating for my roast smoke today.

[cherrybergher]

Welcome to the forum,

My favourites are the fruit woods, but I've only smoked chicken and pork products to date.  Good luck on the roasts, feel free to comment any time.  This is a great community

[Habanero Smoker]

Glad to see you up and running again.

[bctman]

Good morning all, the roasts turned out great, I preferred the first one but the crowd voted last nights in as the better of the 2! Both were great and had nice flavor. Ended up going with maple for 4 hours and finishing with cherry for the last 3 hours!