OxygenAndy the newbie... Here we go. First Experience w/ Elec. Smoking

[oxygenandy]

State Law Enforcement based in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Smoked on Wood for years and looking forward to the Bradley.
I was skeptical but now that I see all the fantastic results online, No Worries.

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum.

Lots of great people here more than willing to help out. If you haven't found the recipe site yet just click on the smoker in the bottom of my post. Tons of great stuff there from all the fine folks here on the site.

Mike

[oxygenandy]

Well I just found out that I have to pre-heat without a doubt. Cool meat brings the temp down...basic physics but I just wasn't thinking. Anyway...Ribs and Tenderloins are looking good!

[oxygenandy]

Thanks for the welcome Moderator Mike. I appreciate the recipes.

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks for the welcome Moderator Mike. I appreciate the recipes.

Not a moderator... just a fellow smoker.  :D

I usually pre-heat the tower to about 260 degrees, that way by the time you get things loaded it will recover quicker. In addition if you allow your meat to come to room temp while your unit is pre-heating will help. You also want to pre-heat the smoke generator, this way when the first puck is advanced it will burn more complete.

Keep us posted on your smoke!  ;)

Good luck

Mike

[Gizmo]

Welcome to the forum O'andy.
With the state as your territory, you must be on the road a lot.  No doubt a daily endless supply of fresh critters to smoke up.   ;D  ;)
Sorry Andy, couldn't resist.

In addition to what Mike stated, I keep the temperature set point at high until the box recovers.  Don't know if it really makes a difference for sure with keeping the heating element from cycling off with a lower set point eventhough the box has a long way to go to recover.  Always seemed like it did when I first started and changed back in the early days, just never went back to verify. 

When you get going, post up some pictures to help us enjoy your experiences even more.

Gizmo

[HawkeyeSmokes]

Welcome aboard Andy. Mike gave ya some good advice about preheating as it helps a lot once you put the meat in the smoker.
For those ribs, I would suggest following the advice from 10.5 I've been doing that with mine and they come out great. And make sure to allow plenty of time. I've had ribs take about 6 hours when cooking spares. Here's a link to his tutorial.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=581

[NePaSmoKer]

Welcome Oandy

I dont need to say much more because its already being said.

Enjoy

nepas

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum oxygenandy!

[deb415611]

Welcome oxygenandy!

[La Quinta]

Welcome OxyAndy...sounds like a new smokin designer drug!!!  :D  :D  :D

Everybody goes through the learning curve....please ask questions... ;D

[Smokin Soon]

Welcome Andy! Quite a few of us here have had stick burners in the past and have found the Bradley a cleaner more constant smoke, besides it being so dang easy. Do some reading here and on the recipe sight
and you are good to go. Plenty of help here, so don't be shy!

[Caneyscud]

Welcome Andy!  Using a Bradley is lots easier than a stickburner, and there are differences.  Don't know how big of a stickburner you were using, but a well-made heavy duty stickburner has a lot of steel, that holds a lot of heat so you don't get quite the temp variances that you may experience with your Bradley.  The Bradley just doesn't have that mass of steel to help moderate.  Peeking into a Bradley isn't something you should do much.  When opening the door, the hot air escapes, and with the lack of a hot mass of steel, the Bradley has to rely on the heating element to get the temp back up.  By doing so, the unmodded Bradley does seem to set up some major temp zone differences - i.e. the bottom rack will cook a lot faster than the other racks because of the proximity to the heating element, if you peek a lot.  That's why many have a remote reading thermometer.  And why some have modded with fans.  And why many rotate racks.  Oh, and you won't get a smoke ring.   And as you found out preheating to above your desired cooking temperature is a good way to keep that element from having to come on for a long time at first. 

[OU812]

Welcome to the fun, don't no if you herd or not but with an electric smoker you only need 3 to 4 hr of smoke the rest of the time is just cooking and never close your vent. Most smoke with it half open or more, I never close mine more than half way. Also keep the water pan full unless your doing jerky or cheese.

[beefmann]

andy,

welcome to the forum and the fun begins