New to forum but not to smoking

[Everyday]

Hi All.

I've been looking at the Bradley electrics for some time now.  I'm curious if they're deep enough for a full rack of ribs though.  I do a lot of ribs and if I have to cut them into half racks that would seriously hinder how many could be done at one time.  Just wondering how others are handling this.

Also trying to decide between the original and the digital.  I like the 6 rack but I don't like some of the negative info I've been seeing about the temperature and reliability issues.

Thoughts?

[Hopefull Romantic]

Hey there Everyday and welcome to the forum.

I personally have the 6 rack digital and I love it. I am not sure that the one rack would hold a full rack since I have not tried that yet but soon I hope.

As with regard to the temperature, there will be some variation with the temps every now and then. Most of the members here use an additional temp probe (mostly the Maverick ET 73 dual wireless thermometer)which would gives a better reading about the internal temp of the smoker. It provides a reading for your meat's IT. In order to have better control over temp variations (about 1 or 2 degrees) some would recommend that you get a PID. It also automatizes temp ramping if you do lots of fish or sausages. I have ordered one and should receive Saturday but all that have it, rave about it. Some memvers would recommend if you buy the PID you can get the OBS.

HR

[Caneyscud]

Sometimes the shorter spareribs fit on a rack if not here is some pics of how to accomplish the same thing.  http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=11025.0

2 or 3 racks of baby backs can be put on a rack if not too long - if not cut them and do as similar to the above pics.

A couple racks of St Louis ribs (trimmed spareribs) can fit on a rack.  

And of course you can use rib racks to increase the load.

Temperature problems?  What do you consider a temperature problem?  The swing?  You don't question your electric oven - but go check it out - bet it has some pretty big swings!  Takes awhile to heat up?  Go check out a gas oven - they take a while also!  Slow heat recover?  The Bradley is designed to cook a moderate amount of meat LOW-N-SLOW and something you can put on your back deck, easily transport, be pleasing to the eye and VERY easy to operate.  It does all that very well!  Inaccurate thermometer - same type of thermometer than on many other smokers - you adjust to it or buy remote thermometers and/or instant reads.  Granted, the Bradley has some temp swings when you first put your meat in (most smokers do - the big massive steel ones don't have as much because of the heat absorbed by the steel), but if you don't like that, then add a PID.  Even the big boys have temp swings, and some control their smokers with some sort of PID/fan set up to help maintain their set temp.  

Reliability?  There is an electronic and mechanical part of the Bradley that other smokers don't.  And that stuff is trying to operate in a pretty hostile environment - heat, smoke, salt, meat juices, condensation, sawdust and wood particles, tar, creosote, etc.... while being outside in the elements.  It does a pretty good job of all that also.  It is not maintenance-free.  Just remember, that for every "problem" that gets posted, there is likely  a very large number of smokers that don't have a problem.  For instance, my digital has worked like a charm since day one!  And if there is a problem, either some one here on the forum has a solution, or Bradley monitors the forum and can offer a solution, or just call Bradley - their Customer Service is superfluous and almost without peer.

Original or Digital - Depends on what you are going to do with it?  You have to decide.  One's not "better" than the other - just different.  The Original saves a lot of money and has put out lots and lots of great barbecue.  The Digital costs more but also puts out lots and lots of great barbecue.  The digital definitely has more bling and is somewhat more self-sufficient and with more electronic "control" over temp/time/smoke.  But then you could get the same or even better with an Original and a PID.  However , unless you have the desire for that "control" or need it because of smoking certain things, it is not even needed.  Normal smokes of ribs, butts, roast, brisket, chicken, fish, turkey don't "need" more control than what is found in the Original.  The digital does have a stainless interior while the original doesn't.  The digital has a different door hinge construction that seems more trouble free.  The digital doesn't have any electronic stuff in the base.  

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum Everyday!

I can fit a rack of baby backs on a Bradley rack.

Spare ribs, not so much. However, you can fit about 80% on one, and invert another set of racks over the other, and use 1 rack for the "ends". I have squeezed almost six racks of spare ribs into a 4 rack smoker.

You can find our recipe and FAQ site by clicking on the ribs at the bottom of this post.

[Everyday]

Which PID did you order?  I'm still a bit confused as to why I would need one though.

[ArnieM]

Welcome Everyday.  I have the original (OBS) 4 rack unit.  I did 3 racks of full size (cheap) spareribs last weekend (my first ribs) on 3 shelves with the ribs cut in half.  See the pic. 

I've seen posts recommending the OBS along with a PID rather than laying out the extra money for a digital.  However, I can't speak from experience (yet)  :D

[Everyday]

Thanks for the info.

The other thing I was wondering is, how much do you have to move the racks up and down in the smoker while smoking?  It would seem to me that the heat would be much more direct on the bottom than the top.

[Hopefull Romantic]

Checkout this site:

www.auberins.com

I believe they have two types; a wall mount and the type that has wired probed and it goes into the smoker through the vent. I am not saying you really need one but if you decided to go with the OBS, then most of the members here would tell you to go ahead and buy the PID.

According to one theory, the sensor that runs between the smoke generator and the tower is attached to the back of the tower and pretty close to where the heating element in the tower is on the inside. So sometimes the readout on the SG may give a higher reading on the temp than it really is inside. The PID would read the actual temp inside the tower and adjust it according to your preassigned program.

HR

[FLBentRider]

I rotate racks every hour or two with ribs.

Every four hours with pork butt and other large cuts.

[ArnieM]

The other thing I was wondering is, how much do you have to move the racks up and down in the smoker while smoking?  It would seem to me that the heat would be much more direct on the bottom than the top.

I rotated my three racks bottom to top twice during smoking/cooking.  But try not to open the door too many times.  The temp drops like a rock.  Boy, I wish these things had a glass door on the front; probably couldn't see through it after some smoking though.

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Everyday and welcome to the forum.

I do ribs quite a bit. I usually do cut the racks in half and put 1 & 1/2 racks on each Bradley rack for a total of 4 Bradley racks. This is what works for me.

As far as a PID goes, if you are just doing ribs, butts etc the temp fluctuations really don't affect anything. If you are going to do things like sausage and fish you may want more temp accuracy and this is where the PID shines. A PID will typically hold your temps within 1 or 2 degrees of the set temp. Most members here use the Auber Plug & Play PID, although a number have built their own including myself. Here is a link to the Plug & Play PID from Aube. This one is the programable unit but I believe they also offer one that is not.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=72

Mike

[Caneyscud]

Thanks for the info.

The other thing I was wondering is, how much do you have to move the racks up and down in the smoker while smoking?  It would seem to me that the heat would be much more direct on the bottom than the top.

It is, and you can rotate the racks once or as often as you like, if you want to.  But every time you do, you lose lots of heat.  I don't like losing that heat, so usually I just take out the bottom stuff first as it gets done.  Most of the time, I don't even have anything on the bottom rack.

[OU812]

Welcome to the fun

I have to agree with what the others have said and I have the 6 rack, slightly modified

I belive HR has ordered the plug and play programable PID from Auber Instruments

The PID is a temperature controller that will help hold your temp to within +/-1 F

[squirtthecat]

Welcome!

I took the cheap route and got a temperature controller for mine.  Should be in the mail today.  It's strictly on-off based on a tight temperature range.   Not smart & programmable like the PIDs.    I am more concerned with the the temperature getting out of hand during an overnight smoke.  So I can set this to max out at 220 degrees, and it just cuts the power to the tower until the temps backs down a bit.

[muzzletim]

Welcome!! It is all part of the fun learning!!!