Looking at one

[dirt4racn]

Hello all,

Looking at getting one of these products. I do have some questions.

What is the coldest temp you can create smoke at? My main purpose for this product will be for smoking/making venison sausage. I would like to smoke the meat at 100 degrees for around 8 hours and then turn it up and cook it for addtl time needed. Will this smoker do that? Also can I hang the meat from S hooks from the racks and smoke/cook that way? Or do some of you use a wooden dowel instead of the rack? I would like to around 40 rings of sausage is a 4 rack bid enough if I hang them or should I go with a 6 rack?

Thank you all for any help I can get.

dirt4racn

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi dirt4racn;
Welcome to the forum.

The answers to your questions are mostly yes, depending on environmental influences. I live in New York, and keeping the cabinet below 100°F is possible even in 80°F weather.

The best way to cold smoke with the Bradley is to use the cold smoke set up. The below site shows you how to do it. With the digital you will need an additional cord. Those with the digital will explain that better. A search on this site will also turn up how others have set up their smokers for cold smoking. Even with the digital you still will want to get a digital probe to monitor the cabinet temperature. Many use the Maverick ET-73 remote probe. It has a probe for both meat and cabin temperature, and a wireless remote display.
http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm

Ambient temperatures and direct sunlight on to the cabinet will influence the cabinet temperature of the smoker. So if you live in a warm climate, smoke during the cooler parts of the day and always keep the smoker in the shade. Adding ice inside the cabinet, will also help keep the cabinet temperature down.

You can either hang your sausage from hooks attached to an inverted tray, or use dowels. I'm not sure about being able to get 40 rings in the smoker at the same time. When I make rings, I can get two per tray. You can double the capacity of your smoker by getting additional trays, and inverting one tray over the other. The six rack will give you additional room if you need it. I use to hang the sausage, and I could hang about 10 pounds in the cabinet. Now I just lay them on the trays.

[brderj]

I'd give some good advice but it would sound stupid compared to what was written above...those are great truthful answers, I would definitely recommend getting one.

[Wildcat]

Welcome to the forum.  I have not done sausage, but Habs is one of the experts here and you can take his advice to the bank.

[Oldman]

This is an image of what Hab was talking about. Bassman smoked these.



These are beef stick by jaeger.

[dirt4racn]

Thank you all for the replies. Much appreciated.

Hab. Why did you go from hanging to laying in the trays? It is good to hear that you can get the smoke control that low. I was worried about being able to smoke the meat at 100 degrees. I just smoked my sausage at around 100 degrees for 10 hours and than cooked it the rest of the way. Are you saying that this will do that? Smoke at around 100 degrees for 10+ hours than turn cook burner and cook?

I just did some venison rings on a grill/smoker set-up and it worked but isn't intended for this. Lot of screwing around.

Was thinking I could hang the rings (1 1/2 pound horseshoe rings) and get them hanging from 2 racks or so. The 4 rack might cut it too close to the bottom of the smoker I was thinking.

Also does the meat closer to the element get done faster? And do you have to rotate the meat? Or is it even throughout the smokehouse?

Sorry for all the questions but it is a major investment for me and I want to make sure it will do what I want it to do. If I do get one I look forward to ribs and such. But right now I am mainly looking for something to do my venison in.

Would you compare the digital to a Ronco item? LOL! Set it and forget it?

Thank you all for the help!!!!!

[Habanero Smoker]

There are many who are more experienced in making sausage. Jaeger is one that I would consider an expert. I started using trays because I could fit more sausage in the cabinet. I was surprised that this does not mark the sausage as much as I thought it would. Also it makes rotating the sausage easier. As you stated the lower racks, and also the food towards the back will cook faster, do to the higher temperatures in those areas. So you need to rotate the sausage. For trays, rotate the trays from top to bottom, and front to back. When I am hanging them I rotate from front to back.

Neither smoker is set it and forget it; but they make smoking a lot more easier. It is so much easier that you will find it more practical to smoke more often, because it takes a lot less effort. The digital will automatically shut off after 9 hours and 40 minutes, so you will need to reset the clock as some point. As stated above, there is a need to rotate the racks. Rotation of the racks depends on the method you use to dry, smoke and cook your sausage. I dry, smoke and cook my sausage differently then you. I now air dry at room temperature, then place into a preheated smoker and apply two hours of smoke at 140°F; rotate the racks; increase heat to 180°F (rotate again when internal temperature hits around 148°F-150°F) and continue to cook until a temperature of 155°F. Even with the digital, you should occasionally monitor the temperature.

[dirt4racn]

Hab,
Thanks for the replies.

Have you or anyone tried using something like a small battery operated fan to circulate the heat a little more?

Also being in New York your climate is similar to mine here in WI. Have you ever had it that you couldn't get the smoker warm enough? Say a nice Super Bowl party when it's about 0 degrees out. Will it still heat enough to cook? Given that the smoker would be outside.

Thanks again. About ready to pull the trigger and buy one.

[Habanero Smoker]

I haven't used an external fan to circulate the heat, but I am planning on installing an internal circulation fan.

As for cold weather I have had my smoker for about 3.5 years, and during those years the winters have been pretty mild in the area I live. I have smoked in temperatures as low as 24°F. It takes longer for the cabinet to get up to around 200°F, which is the temperature I generally smoke/cook at. I do take certain precautions, such as making sure the smoker is protected from the wind, preheat the smoker as high as I can get it, smoking lighter loads, using a brick inside the cabinet to help the cabinet recover from any heat lost while loading, and placing the cabinet in direct sunlight when ever I can. There are members from Alaska that have reported their smoker works adequately in much colder temperatures. Also there are members who have built a cabinet to enclose their smoker, which helps it retain heat, and better protects it from the elements.

[iceman]

I've smoked with the OBS in 0 F weather up here in Knik Alaska and kept the tower just at 200 with a brick in it. Took a long time to recover when the door got opened but did get back to temp. I had to keep the vent at 1/4 open. I did make a high temp blanket for it finally and that really made a differance. The colder it gets outside the further in advance you preheat. No biggy but you have to remember to plan ahead. Don't forget to keep the generator inside until you fire up the smoker so you don't strip the advance motor gears.
Have fun.

[dirt4racn]

Thanks Hab and Iceman. I am thinking by the weekend I will have one on order ;)

[HCT]

Welcome dirt4racn, this little box is simply amazing. Enjoy.