Is the OBS for me?

[bozer]

Hey folks, new here

I've been debating getting a smoker for a while. I have a Ducane gas grill, which works great for things like steaks or rotisserie cooking, but I'll never be able to get ribs or pulled pork how I want it.

I'm just not sure how complicated this is going to be. I see things like PID, and I wonder why I need that, and why isn't it just included with this smoker.

Here is ideally what I'd like to do. Get up early on a Saturday, put some ribs in the smoker and spend the rest of my day drinking beer until its ready. Is it hard to use?

What I don't want is something like the Weber, where I have to light coals and all that.

[OU812]

First off Welcome to the fun

As far as the "set it and forget it" the Bradley is the one for you.

The PID is not really needed for anything but some stuff like sausage or fish, I have done all of the above with out one and had no problems.

I do have a PID on mine now but its not for the temp control as much as for the added heating element.

[Wildcat]

The Bradley is very complex.  Usually takes a long time and many beers to smoke a butt.  ;D 

Seriously, it is very simple.  Fill the feed tube with the correct amount of wood pucks for the time you want to apply smoke, plug it in and add the meat.  Does require some monitoring, but very little and not very often. You can smoke easily without any electronics other than a temperature probe, and you can do so even without the probe if need be. 

For greater ease and to minimize temperature fluctuations, I added a PID, a Maverick ET-73 meat and cabinet monitor, another meat monitor, and a couple of Bubba Pucks.  The Bubba's will save you some money in wood pucks in the long run.

[jha1223]

Think about the all the extras in car terminology ...


A mustang is a lot of fun stock.  They are fun driving cars and if you get a GT, you got a lot of power.  Now, a stock one is 315 HP.  My buddy has one fully blown at 650 HP.  He's got all the gadgets and doesn't mind tweaking his every weekend.  Does that mean that I don't get as much enjoyment out of mine as he does? Most likley not. I'm not a tweaker (right now anyway :P ).  He is. 

You can just do the basics and have great food. Or, it could turn in to a hobby that you fidget with often.  Either way, the Bradley is a great choice.

[Caneyscud]

Welcome to the forum bozer.

Bingo, as already said, the Bradley will be your best friend.  Tell your wife, friends how hard you will have to work to smoke them the bestest smoked meal they will have had.  But then you sit back, watch the game and consume beverages.  You can be a hero without the pain.  

The Bradley is nothing but a tool, that you can get with options, depending on how much precise control you want.  The only other thing other than an Original Bradley that would be needed to produce great smoked meats is a remote reading thermometer such as the different Mavericks.  Using just those two tools, you can consistently make just about any smoked anything most might want to - ribs, dino bones, brisket, pork shoulders, clods, fatties, ABT's, Moinkballs, Shrooms, chuckies, fish, etc.....  Going to a Digital, or adding a PID or both, just gives you more control over the temperature.  That may just be bling, it might cause you to be more confident, or it may just be needed due to doing Salmon or some sausages.  Cold smoking (less than 100 deg) lox, cheese, etc.... does quite often require a cold smoke unit, that could be nothing more than a cardboard box and some flexible aluminum duct.  A PID is not included, because it is just not a needed necessary requirement for producing the smoked meats that most consumers will produce.  

It's the best option short of spending $1,000's for one of the ones like a BBQ joint might use!

[bozer]

You guys are getting me excited. I just wish the stainless steel one was the same price (My other grill is SS). It's hard for me to justify that price difference to the wife.

So this PID device thing a majing... I won't really need that for ribs or for pulled pork? I'm in NYC btw, and theres not much BBQ'ing going on out here (just grilling).

Is the PID thing cheap?

[OU812]

You wont need the PID for cooking anything as long as you have a reliable thermometer inside the smoking chamber and adjust your temp as the product cooks. then if you want or can justify you can get a PID later as the addiction sets in. The ready built ones are about $130.00 plus shiping.

[bozer]

Ok getting close---

So I'm thinking of ordering from amazon. Anything else I need to get while I'm ordering? Can you recommend the right thermometer (Seems odd it doesn't come with a thermometer?)

The thing I like about this smoker is it reminds me of my Keurig one cup coffe making machine.

[Caneyscud]

Just checked this morning for another post and for inclusion on my Father's Day/53rd B'day/30th Anniversary Wish List.   The Programmable one for the Bradley is $149.95 plus shipping (probably around $12 to $16).

[Caneyscud]

Ok getting close---

So I'm thinking of ordering from amazon. Anything else I need to get while I'm ordering? Can you recommend the right thermometer (Seems odd it doesn't come with a thermometer?)

The thing I like about this smoker is it reminds me of my Keurig one cup coffe making machine.

It comes with a thermometer on the door, but as most others on any smoker, their use is dubious unless you really know your smoker and know what it does when the door says 250 deg and you meat is on the second shelf.  As a newbie, no way you would know that!  So a dual probe thermometer such as a Maverick ET73 or the ET72 would be what most would recommend.  That way one probe can monitor cabinet temp, while the other is stuck in the meat and monitors IT.  or you can stick both in different pieces of meat and monitor both meat IT's.  The Mavericks seem to be relatively problem free, and have a better wireless range than most.  A nice toy, err.... tool to have would be an instant read thermometer for those times you have 25 chicken thighs and want to be sure they are each up to temp.  The Thermapen is the one I would recommend - kinda pricey, but really, really quick - like a second or two.  That quickness counts when you have the door open and loosing heat. 

[bozer]

http://www.ikitchen.com/maresmth.html

Ok you mean that? Pretty cool!

So what do you stick a thermometer in your meat, then go in the house and only need to watch that thing?

[KyNola]

Bozer,
I've beeen running a BDS 4 rack for over 2 years.  I don't have a PID.  Have considered it for salmon and sausages.  You can definitely produce great food without one.  Invest in a good dual proble thermometer.  Many here use the Maverick ET-73.  Works great and has a remote receiver where you can sit in the house and see the temp of your meat and the internal temperature of the smoker cabinet.  You should also get some Bubba pucks.  These are aluminum disks milled to the same size as the wood pucks.  They are placed as the last items in the tower that holds the pucks to drive the last wood puck on to the burner plate.  I use 3 of them.  Some use 2 and then place one more wood puck on top of the bubba pucks.  

Enjoy!  Look forward to you being part of our group here.
KyNola

[OU812]

The Bradley does come with a thermometer but its in the wrong location and not as accurate as the Maverick ET 73. The nice thing about the 73 is you have one probe for the meat and one for the cabnet. Just put the cabnet prob under the meat but try to put the cable so no grease drips on it. The probes DONT like it when the cable gets wet.

Ok Caneyscud beat me to it but I'll post anyway

[NePaSmoKer]

Forget the ET's
Get a Thermapen Bubba Pucks and a PID and your set.

nepas

[bozer]

So here is what I need to buy right now:

OBS
Maverick
Some different types of wood? (does the OBS come with this?)
Not sure about bubba pucks, do I really need those right away?

Can I get this all on Amazon?