New vs old

[Anthonya]

Hello everyone ☺️

I am very interested in getting into smoking, I currently own a pellet grille but I don't really smoke on it. I have had friends that have Bradley smokers and love them and thought I would like to give them a try so as with anything I purchase the research begins and what I have found had been the struggles on the older models with consistent temperature.  So I would like to know from anybody that has the experience,. What would be better the new p10 vs say a 6 rack with the the heater upgrade?  Consider the cost difference as well.

[Edward176]

Hello Anthonya and welcome to the forum. I can't comment on the P10 as I haven't used it yet. I have the 6 rack digital for 7 1/2 years. I did the duel element upgrade about 5 years ago and went with a PID and haven't regretted the upgrade one bit. I love my smoker and use it weekly. I like the quick recovery with the duel elements and the tight controls with the PID. Sausage is always perfect, and I just did a batch of bacon yesterday which also turned out great. Smoked salmon is a family favourite and that I do every couple of weeks. Smoked a lot of pork shoulders and briskets, too many to count. Wish I got into smoking a lot sooner, but I'm doing my darndest to catch up to what I missed :) 

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Anthonya;

Welcome to the forum. I have the Old Bradley Smoker (OBS), and the P10. It depends on what you want to do with your smoker. If you give us a better idea of what you plan to use the smoker for, we can better answer your question.

A six rack with a heater upgrade, and if you add a PID for temperature control will be around the same cost of a P10. Keep in mind if you make any modifications to your Bradley during the warranty period, it will void the warranty. The P10 heats up fast, and keeps tight temperature; as would a modified  six rack - though on my P10 it generally run hotter than a third party thermometer indicates. So with the P10 there is a learning curve in how it cooks, and I find I need to reduce my cook times. Also the smoke flavor seems to be stronger, so I reduce my smoke times.

If you plan to cold smoke, or even hot smoke; I find that cold smoking is almost impossible, and even hot smoking is somewhat iffy and very dependent on the ambient temperature. If you are looking for something that can barbeque and apply excellent smoke, then the P10 is a good choice. If you plan on doing a lot of cold smoking, or hot smoking, the better choice would be the six rack with an element upgrade and PID.