My First Smoke...The process so far!!

[Andy]

Ok, I was like a kid at christmas...Literly waiting by the front door looking out yesterday from about 4pm til it showed up at 5:30[:D]...If this was a christmas present...which it is suppose to be...I did not sleep christmas eve if you knwo what I mean..[8D]

Ok, then we get a call from friends...[V]..Dinner?  Are you kidding me I got a smoker to cure!!![:(]...Ok, So I go to friends house for dinner...got to get started early tomorrow since I got Chicken leg 1/4's and country style ribs in the fridge...Had to go to the store even before it was here[:D][:D]

Ok, so here it is so far..tell me if I got errors or if I am on the right track:
10:00 am - Smoker assembled...and the special blend is in...ok, first mistake...turned on the bradley and loaded wood at same time....[:o)]...forgot Kirk's advice right off...let the smoker tray warm up before inserting wood..Crap wasted biskit..Oh, well..special blend anyway....
10:15...we got smoke..[:D]..and my wife wants the outside gas fireplace turned on so she can sit by the gas fire on our back porch and smell the smoke..[:D]..she loves real wood fireplaces...which is not allowed where I live..[:(]..to much polutions...it is 27 degrees outside...perfect smoking weather...should be a high of about 35...great ski weather too..35 inch base..snow board newly waxed..but who can think about boarding with the smoker on the back porch.
11am...get meat on racks....wife is lovign the smell..but goes out for arends....me i got the kids and the smoker..ok, thermo works..[:D]..bradley reads 150...Turkey fryer reads 150...Pyrex thermo reads 150...either all three are wrong..or they all work...[:D][:D][8D][:D][:D]
11:30...at least an hours worth of smoke....cabinet a light walnut brown...add 12 hickory biskits..[:D]..and my two bubba pucks..they start smokin instantly!! Meat added - top shelf..upside down layer of bacon..over 3 ribs..second shelf down...3 more ribs...5 pounds total...bottom 2 shelfs...4 chicken 1/4's..Full heat..temp to 85
11:45...temp to 110....7/8 vent closed...heat on full
12;15...3/4 heat....3/4 vent closed

we be smokin"[8D][8D]

One question....when I am out of bisquits..do I turn teh bisquit heater off?  or leave it on?  

Next step...in three hours..change water....then let it go another 2 or 3 hours.....then..[8D][:D][8D]..we are eating good in the neighborhood!!

[Andy]

12:45...temp in bradley at 175....vent 1/3 open...meat at 119...and now some gunk on the top by the vent...that would be good gunk....[:D]

We are 75 minutes in...and I can't wait to eat!! man does that smell great already....

Oh, forgot to add...following the chez bubba rules...First beer opened at 11;45...second one just opened....One hour cooking....one beer drank...

[Cold Smoke]

Hey Andy, glad to hear I wasn't the only one waiting on the doorstep for the delivery man to show up with the Bradley.[:D][:)]

Answer to your question- you can leave that on or off. I usually just leave it on. No harm done. I also usually get rid of that last burned/ash puck of the burner when I refill/change the water in the bowl. I only got two of the Bubba pucks and that last burned up bisquette just sits there. I usually get an ash storm happening [V]if there's a bit of a breeze when I open that door unless I do that. This last bit of info in case you don't have the 3 pack of Bubba pucks already.

ENJOY!!

Cold Smoke

[Andy]

I added one extra special blend puck wrapped in foil...will that hurt anything?  I figure...after cold smoke comments...that will move the last puck off the burner...will that work?

[Andy]

Ok, chickened out on the foiled wrapped puck...will open cabinet and move it in 1 and a half hours...I am not sure if the bubba puck sitting on the heater is a good thing...or if the foil wrapped puck is a good thing.

Ok, I love this smoking thing...Miami v V Tech is a great game..[8D]..I just opened my third beer..[8D]..and life is good..and I could care less who wins...[8D][8D]

Montana, my wife alma mater...comes on in 15 minutes...so will be using the recall button flipping between the two...

Ok..results...

1:45...smoker temp at 190...heat at 7/8 full...vent at 2/3 closed....seems to be the hotter the meat gets...the hotter the smoker.....Meat at 138....I am guessing...after I rotate in an hour....I will only have about an hour left....may be 1 and a half

the back porch smells great...hope the bears are hibernating..we got one that likes to look in our windows sometimes...or I might have unexpected guests for dinner.   Already saw our resident fox sniffing around....he smells something yummy.

note to self...do not pour catch pan reminents off the back deck...we might get some visitors

[Chez Bubba]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Andy</i>
<br />I added one extra special blend puck wrapped in foil...will that hurt anything?  I figure...after cold smoke comments...that will move the last puck off the burner...will that work?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Yep, that will work just fine.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><br />real wood fireplaces...which is not allowed where I live..<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">What kind of stupid FUBAR bullcrap is that?!![:(!] Especially in Colorado! Politicians really piss me off sometimes![V]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><br />Your opening post<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Dude, take a sedative! You're more excited than a 15-year-old sneaking into his first R-rated movie.[:D]

I will guarantee you this: You're eatin' better than me tonight![;)]

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

[Andy]

Kirk, if you bring out some pucks...I got a place for you to stay at  9500 vertical feet!!  As far as the wood burning fireplace..you have to understand no one here has an a/c...we never get above 75 degrees outside...snows from about Halloween til late april/early may...and we have had snow for over a month on the ground...average 300 inches a year.  So our smog is pretty bad becuase everyone has to heat 6 to 7 months out of the year...But we got 3 13,000 foot peaks outside our windows...great trout fishing..[8D]..no salmon[:(]..but this is gods country

2:30...smoker temp at 190...turning down per half hour a bit...meat at 145...vent still 2/3 closed...man I am ready to feast...Beer 4 just popped..[8D]..my typing is getting better..[8D]..you got to like smokin'!

[Ian]

Andy if you get any more excited I swear your gonna pi$$ your pants, enjoy your new toy BON APPETIT.[:D]

Ian {GO STEELERS}

[Andy]

4 and a half ours of smoking....5 beers...and loving it!!

3:30...switched water...ribs look great...chicken 161 degrees....smoker dropped from 200 to 100 in less then a minute...in less then 5 minutes back to 175...turned puck burner back on for 5 minutes to get more heat outside temp down to 27...and removed bubba pucks....clean hot water in...What the heck to I do with the stuff out of the drip pan???

hey...anyone that is reading this and consider buying one of these things...ok...have not tasted results...but they look damn good...you got to get one of these things...this is easier then taking candy from a baby...and much more fun...and exciting...my house smells like Frisco main street during the bbq festival when 100 groups are cooking bbq.  So far this thing could not be easier...of course...I got about another hour and a half of beer drinking and temp watching before I can eat.  Ok, beer drinking..[8D]..football watching..[8D]..and temp watching..[:D][8D]

Let me say..if smoking is always this easy with the bradley...I cannot understand why everyone does not have one of these things.    The only thing that sucks..actually two thigns that really suck big time....






You got to wait to taste when the smell is killing me to taste this stuff...and how can any legally sane man sit here and type when this house smells awesome.  If I could bottle this smell...it would be the best selling perfume in the world..I know kirk would buy a bottle for his wife..man I cannot wait.

[Andy]

4:30...chicken now 174...almost their..smoker down to 193...bisquit burner off...So I turned it back on for some warmth....outside temp dropping quick....now 23...so need about 6 more degrees!!

ribs should be done..no prong in them..but assuming they are about 160 plus since they are on the top two shelves....and chicken bottom two shelves.  Will check at 5pm...hoping everything is done.

[Chez Bubba]

Can't talk now guys. Chomp, grafugglah, yum, smack, mmmmmm, ahhh, chomp, crunch, mmmmmm.[:p][:p]

Andy

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

[Andy]

Ok, final results...Meat came out at 5pm...smoker was almost 200...smoker almost on high..sunset at 4:30 and it was almost 20 degrees outside.

Ribs were still only 150....5 minutes on the grill..and they were 160 plus...[:D]

Chicken came out 178 plus..

bacon...crispy...

My wife made a salad..[:(]..then she Smoothered it with smoked bacon[:D]..I ate a salad..[:(]..with smoked bacon.[:D]

I had a bottle of jack daniels bbq sauce...did not even open the bottle![:D][:D]..literly...it was that good.[:D]

Ribs were as tender as could be...juicy...great...may be...and only a may be over smoked...but great...Hickory was stong but no over powering....was still great...Next time....3 hours hickory....2 bisquits of apple or maple...or pecan to finish and sweeten a bit...they were better then the local bbq shop....that is for sure....

Chicken....well lets just say my 4 year old ate 3 chicken legs...not small ones...full chicken legs...my wife says it is as good or better then my beer can chicken...which is awesome..[:D][:D].."simply put the chicken was awesome"..[:D]..can't get a better review then that...my son wants me to smoke more chicken tomorrow.[8D]

being my own worse critic...a little over smokey on the ribs and the bacon..but great..I am not sure the chicken could have been better...well..next time I will work on that..[:D]..but when you first results are that good......it will be hard to get better!!

So total cooking time...5 and a half hours...for almost 11 pounds of meat...temp outside never got much above 32..ok..two adults a 2 and a 4 year old..and we are almost out of meat![:D]

Next...well lets just say my wife suggests we go to the store and get a half dozen or so packages of chicken quarters..[:D][8D]

Overal..this smoker could not be easier...so far...[:D]..thanks chez bubba....now that I am out of hickory..I am moving on to pecan and apple for the next smoke of chicken!![:D]

Ok....what sucks about the bradley...well cleaning...I slaved all day over a hot fire...no help...just me[:p][:o)][:p]..and I still got to clean up!![:(]..no respect here for someone that slaved all day over a smokey..[:D]hot..[:D]..fire...[:D]



Ok...took all of 10 minutes..total..[:D][:D][:D]..as my wife said..you slaved over a half dozen cold beers all day[:D][:D]..ok,the truth be known..7 beers, 3 different football games..but who is counting...what a day...watched football..drank beer...did nothing...and still ended up with perfect Q![:D][8D][:D]

Well, back to the slavery of cold beer and football[:D]

[BigSmoker]

Andy,
I'm not sure you really enjoyed your first smoke experience with the Bradley.  It does and will get better as you go.  Hang in there man and try some other stuff and make sure you have some fun O.K.

Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

[Chez Bubba]

I didn't know it was possible to post so many [:D]'s in one post!

Congrats Andy!

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?