First smoke

seagravedriver · June 15, 2009, 10:04:26 PM

OK, got it fixed up, and I have a whopping 10 bucks into it ;D I do not know what I am doing, but I seem to be acquiring friends faster than a guy with a pick up on moving day. I would like to smoke tomorrow, I know it is late, but for a first timer, what is easy to start out with. I would like to do beef of some vintage. Can you do steaks in this thing? A roast? Pulled pork seems like a good one as well. I have a bunch of hickory
bisquettes and would like to put them to work.

I will be digging through the recipies like crazy over the next few weeks. Looks like I got a lot of learning to do here!

3rensho · June 15, 2009, 10:42:35 PM

Hi, for a first go I'd give a pork butt a try. They are pretty forgiving.

seagravedriver · June 15, 2009, 10:50:09 PM

Danke! Here we go in the am :o

Habanero Smoker · June 16, 2009, 01:30:19 AM

All of the foods you mentioned can be either fully cooked or prepared in the smoker. Pulled pork is a good choice, but takes a long time. If you can't defer gratification, the steaks, chicken or roasts (beef or pork) will reward you quicker. :)

For steaks you just want to cold smoke them for 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. Keep the temperature of the steaks and the Bradley smoker as low by detaching the generator. Or use ice in the bottom of the Bradley Tower to help keep the tower temperature down. The streaks should go directly from the fridge to the smoker. When the cold smoke is finished place steaks in plastic resealable bags, and return it to the fridge immediately to rest overnight, until time to prepare the meal the next day.
Cold Smoke Setup

Easy to start with are chicken wraps; whole chicken or chicken parts.
Chicken Recipes

Here is a recipe for Top Loin:
Smoked Top Loin

Caneyscud · June 16, 2009, 05:49:31 AM

Chicken or fish fillets would be fastest to the table. Fastest Beef that would be barbecue would be chuck roast - just because of size. A "normal" sized chuck 3-4 pounder will take 6+ hours (probably 2 hours per pound) to be pull apart. If you get a well marbled one and cook it real low - say 200 to 205 to an IT of 185, it might be fall apart or it may be a slicer before it starts getting dry. To counteract dryness, I usually mop or spritz. To take it a little faster, set cabinet temp to 225 to 250 smoke for 3 or 4 hours then boat (put in a foil pan, covered and sealed with foil for additional time) to an IT of 205 or so. When putting in the pan also add some liquid - beer (preferrably stout), or whiskey, or Dale's and W' sauce, or cola of some type, or apple juice (real popular for some reason), etc.... I don't do steak in the Bradley, so can't help you there.

Wildcat · June 16, 2009, 09:27:48 AM

These guys have you going the right direction. Habs method of doing steaks is the only way I would recommend doing them by using the Bradley. I tried it and it does work, but I personally like to hot grill steaks over chunk hard wood (mesquete, oak, hickory, walnut, or pecan) and sometimes combination chunk wood and charcoal. Wife really likes the charcoal flavor.

seagravedriver · June 17, 2009, 11:48:38 AM

Not going well. Seems the sensor is not behaving, and after it puts 2 or three bisquettes through, it kicks out 10 in a row. Getting to be an expensive and frustrating first smoke. I guess I have to mess with the switch a bit, and see what happens. Apparently just tightening it will change the adjustment. This is not a real good start, but the day is young :-\ ;D

Habanero Smoker · June 17, 2009, 02:17:33 PM

Have you checked the advance button to make sure that is not getting stuck. That is a common problem as you Bradley gets older. When it gets stuck it will continue to advance the bisquettes. If it is stuck use a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the button and pull it out, or if you have a good set of finger nails that works better.

For long term solution try cleaning the edges of the button (alchol works great, but may remove the lettering), or glue a small knob on the button (I use the head of a push tack), or Iceman took his button out, filed the hole to make it slightly larger the reinstalled the button as a fix.

westexasmoker · June 17, 2009, 03:23:51 PM

My old unit deceided to start advancing puck after puck....pulled the cover off the SG and found one of the screws had come out of the sensor, it was laying in the bottom, put it back in and solved the problem!

C

seagravedriver · June 17, 2009, 04:03:14 PM

Trying to grow fingernails, that is not working, used the needle nose, and the switch looks good there. So, I unscrewed the motor a bit, pushed it forward about 1mm, and we are good to go. Bradley folk are good on the phone, they said it is most likely an adjustment, not the switch. They were right. The slight movement of the motor was enough to get it working right, I just hated to see so many pucks in the water$$$$ :P. So, we are at 248 degrees since noon Pacific time. This is a first with me, so I thank you for your patience and advice.

Bradley (Head Office) · June 17, 2009, 04:53:47 PM

Quote from: seagravedriver on June 17, 2009, 04:03:14 PM
Trying to grow fingernails, that is not working, used the needle nose, and the switch looks good there. So, I unscrewed the motor a bit, pushed it forward about 1mm, and we are good to go. Bradley folk are good on the phone, they said it is most likely an adjustment, not the switch. They were right. The slight movement of the motor was enough to get it working right, I just hated to see so many pucks in the water$$$$ :P. So, we are at 248 degrees since noon Pacific time. This is a first with me, so I thank you for your patience and advice.

Seagravediver

Give me a call at the office 1-800-665-4188
I will send you a 12 pack on us for your troubles.

Brian

KyNola · June 17, 2009, 05:39:49 PM

Now that is EXACTLY what I'm talking about!!!! Brian, you guys just rock! How cool is that boys and girls?!

KyNola

Smokin Soon · June 17, 2009, 05:49:47 PM

Just my opinion, that's why some Businesses will survive this economic downturn. Great personal customer service. It is appreciated.

seagravedriver · June 17, 2009, 06:14:44 PM

Wow! ;D Thank you Brian! I will soon, but right now I am busy laying in front of the smoker sniffing. I am on shift tomorrow for 24 hours, but I will get around to it after that. Thanks again!

P.S. This kind of service info deserves to get passed on, and it will.

Regards, Craig

Wildcat · June 17, 2009, 06:34:57 PM

Quote from: Smokin Soon on June 17, 2009, 05:49:47 PM
Just my opinion, that's why some Businesses will survive this economic downturn. Great personal customer service. It is appreciated.

Even without the downturn, businesses like these will always be the front runners. ;)