Wood Compsumption? 4 Rack vs 6 Rack

spaceboy · September 08, 2009, 10:16:49 AM

First off....

New to the forums..... hello to everone here..... Been reading some posts - cant wait to get one of these and get cooking!

As for my questions....

Ready to buy.... cant decide that size.

I have made the decision to do the digital. Even though I have read the temp gauge does have some issues - I still think its a wise decicion. I will also be ordering a Maverick Remote Wireless Smoker Thermometer.

I have just starting smoking and have done a ribs and a couple briskets. My bradley will mainly be used for smoking food for 2 people. Not having seen one in perosn, I cant get a good handle on how much a 4 rack can hold. Is it big enough to do a party for 10/15 people when needed?

Also, what is the wood compsumption difference between the two units? Obviously a 6 rack is going to use more, but its it a lot more or little more? For those with the knowledge, lets use 250 degrees for 5 hours as a starting point.

Just trying to get an idea as to if 6 racks is overkill for me. Im a guy and bigger is always better, but this might be the one time when its not.

Looking forward to your answers and learning more!

FLBentRider · September 08, 2009, 10:28:11 AM

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

The Smoke Generator is the same for the 4 and 6 rack. 3 bisquettes per hour

The heating element is the same too.

As far as capacity goes, it depends on what you are cooking and how hearty the appetites are.

For pulled pork (pork butt aka pork shoulder aka boston butt), they run about 6-8 pounds each, so you can get ~32 lbs of raw pork in a 4 rack. Figure 50% loss due to cooking, that leaves you with ~16 lbs of pulled pork. That should feed your crowd with leftovers, unless they (all) eat like me... ;D

For ribs, I can get 1 rack of baby backs per Bradley rack, but if you have extra racks you can invert one over the other to get 8 racks into a 4 rack smoker.

Having already stated that the heating elements are the same, putting ~48 lbs of pork in a six rack smoker would work, but it would take a LONG time, probably 36 hours to cook. Same goes for 16 racks of baby backs.

I have an OBS - 4 rack.

KyNola · September 08, 2009, 10:30:11 AM

Spaceboy,
Welcome to the forum. I too have the BDS 4 rack. It will serve your purpose very well. Wood consumption should be precisely the same for a 4 rack as the 6 rack. Wood is typically not used the entire time of the smoking/cooking process. It is not the heat source.

Come join the fun!

KyNola

westexasmoker · September 08, 2009, 11:01:12 AM

Welcome to the forum spaceboy!

Ky and FL have got you steered in the right direction. I run an OBS 4 rack and could'nt be happier. As far as quanity goes I've done 40 lbs of brisket in mine with no problem, although temp recovery takes a bit which would be same if running a 6 rack model (if not worse because of 20 lbs more meat). Anyway either way you go, you'll be quite pleased! If you think you'll need the capacity of the 6 at some point, go that route! Good luck and keep us posted!

C

mikecorn.1 · September 08, 2009, 12:34:36 PM

Wood consuption is going to be the same.

spaceboy · September 08, 2009, 01:08:34 PM

thanks all for the input.... all said and done.... looks like a 4 rack may do me just fine.

Good point about the temp recovery - didnt even think about that.

Seems a bit odd that the 4/6 consume the same amount. Figured it would ba a little different.

Still have a little more to learn about before making my decision but this helps a great deal.

Thanks again to everyone!

OU812 · September 08, 2009, 02:53:56 PM

Welcome to the fun of smoking

As stated b4 the wood is not the heat source it just smolders on a small hot plate and once the smoker is full of smoke they are working the same the heat is a 500 watt element in the back of the smoker so all the heat is electric.

I have the 6 rack and 4 hr (12 biskets) of smoke works for a brisket or butt the rest of the time is just cooking just like in your oven.

Hopefull Romantic · September 08, 2009, 03:13:23 PM

Hi there space boy and welcome to the forum.

As long as you have decided to go go with the BDS, nothing else count but how Long each Bradley brisquette burns. On an average, each puck Burns in 20 minutes regardless BDS 4 or 6 . So it would not make a differences, The question that you shou ask yourself is how much meat I want to smoke. IT TAKES more MEAT in the 6 rake than it does in th the four.

WECOME TO THE FORUME.

HR

HawkeyeSmokes · September 08, 2009, 04:39:34 PM

Welcome to the forum spaceboy. Everyone has given you lots of good advice. About all I can add is that I bought the DBS 6 and think it was overkill for me. Most of the time I only smoke for 2 and have yet to use more than 4 racks even when smoking for more people. I think the 4 rack would preheat quicker and recover heat faster than the 6 rack as they both use the same heating element. But if I ever get around to making some sausage, then the 6 rack would be real nice.

OU812 · September 10, 2009, 06:24:55 AM

Quote from: HawkeyeSmokes on September 08, 2009, 04:39:34 PM
But if I ever get around to making some sausage, then the 6 rack would be real nice.

The height was the selling point for me on the 6 rack as I like to make sausage and with the 6 rack it keeps the sausage farther away from the heating element
and when I do snack stick its nice to be able to have 12 racks to hold them all

Just throwing that out there.