Chez Bubba --problems

[Oldman]

Ok this is the deal. Smoker running way too hot to cook sauage. I've turn off the heat in the box. Open the door 3 times now for several minutes each. Close door--heat off in box. Within 20 minutes just using the smoke generator I'm back at 200 F plus in the box. This is just way to hot to do polish sauage; all of the fat would be cooked out! Yuck!!! Outside air is 69.4 F. Down by the generator on the front side of this box you cannot even touch the outside of the box. It is way too hot. I even unpluged the cord that powers the heat in the box.

Now understand I've been cooking polish sauage since I was a kid with my Grandfather. 175-180 F max. Now I understand that room temp will have an effect on the overall begining cooking temp. However, that is ok with a ham, but not with sauage in 26-28mm hanks. Yes the hanks will expain when filled. Never the less this thing is climbing as I type this without the heat on. Cold smoke? I will have to pipe this through a 22 cubic foot refrig to do that.

Could this unit be defective and running too hot on the chips? Then again, when I ckeck the bowel it looks like there is still 25% of volume of the burn chip left.

Next if I close off the top then the unit back breaths smoke through the generator. Plus this smoker leaks at the door.

Suggestions please?
Olds

[Fuzzybear]

Olds:

I wish I could help [xx(]- I've not had any problems with mine other than the temp control knob falling off - I think this is best left to Kirk or you calling the factory - I understand the factory responds very well under warranty...

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

[Oldman]

Follow up...now several hours later the gauge is still reading 205 F! However I put three (3) temp probes into the exit at the top of the box and all three are saying 160 F. Which for my needs will work just fine.

However, again this is with the heat off in the box!

Edit just talked with Bradley...new temp gauge in the mail... BTW They told me that the watts from the smoker unit is 125.  At this point all is good and the smell of the smoke is sweet and not bitter. It is very light gray in color and not green.
Olds

[Cold Smoke]

Hopefully you've got your problem solved. I know I had to get a replacement thermometer when I first got my unit. Let us know how your first batch works out. I hear a bowl of ice in the smoker will also help keep your temp down. I also have leakage happening when I keep the damper closed which I tend to do fairly regularly- my ambient temp right now is not close to 70 so lately I'm trying to increase the inside temperature.

Good luck!

Cold Smoke

[Chez Bubba]

Olds,

I would trust the reading on your probes way beyond that thing in the door. For everything excellent about the Bradley, that IMO, is it's achilles heel. You don't have to drop them down through the top vent only. The door seal will form around them & be pretty tight, might see a wisp escape every now & then, but no biggy.

I almost always leave my top vent at least 1/4 open to let the moisture escape. Only exception is when it's REALLY cold & I'm just beginning the process. After the smoker warms up a bit, I start opening it up. The moisture has gotta go somewhere. If you're trying to keep the temp down, it should be wide open.

70 degrees may seem pretty mild (heck, to us up here, that's swimmin' weather!) but if there's not a cloud in the sky, that metal will absorb a good amount of heat. Set it out some day, unplugged, and see what the inner temp is after an hour or two. I'll bet you'll be surprised.

25% volume on the burnt bisquette is about right. That's why if you smoke a shoulder or something for 10 hours, you're gonna need to empty & refill the bowl about half way.

Smoke will come back through the generator if you close the top vent all the way. It's gotta go somewhere. It will even come back through the generator when the top vent is open & the wind swirls a bit. I haven't seen any evidence that this is detrimental.

Regarding the leakage, it's not a good thing as that liquid that comes out will also find it's way in between the box & the front face plate that houses your temp control board. It's an electronic rheostat that will eventually get fed up with that kind of treatment & decide it doesn't want to play anymore.

I have to ask some of the basics, just because, well they've really happened. Is your "V-Shaped" drip pan installed as a "V", not an "A"? Is your meat so packed onto the trays that it touching the sides of the smoker? Are you filling your water bowl to only half full?

Well, I've rambled long enough. Just trying to get you closer to a smoking post with one of these [8D] or these [:p] and not one of these [:(]. Hang in there.[:)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

[Oldman]

<b><i>Regarding the leakage, it's not a good thing as that liquid that comes out will also find it's way in between the box & the front face plate that houses your temp control board. It's an electronic rheostat that will eventually get fed up with that kind of treatment & decide it doesn't want to play anymore.
</i></b>

Below are the pictures of the two leaks. Please advise.
Thanks
Olds

[Oldman]

Chez Bubba,

If the picture are not back up yet they  should be back up within an hour of this posting. ...some dude was running some corrupt / questionable perl scrips. It should be back up within the hour. Some people just never figure it out during their life. Cheating , hacking and stealing seems to be the norm today. Anyway that dude's account is now poofed...
Olds

[Chez Bubba]

Olds,

The good news is that you don't have a leakage issue.

The possibly bad news (depends on your interpretation) is the smoker will leak small amounts of smoke through the door seal. That's why I advocate wiping clean the face of the smoker & the door seal after each use. Also, the door seal will kind of "supple" with use & seal a bit more.

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

[MallardWacker]

Olds,

What I seen in your pics looks just like mine.  The seal is about 99.9% effective.  The fluid leakage that some people talk about is that "I" beleive it is from leaving the vent closed to far. Someone mentioned in a post somewhere that they open their vent to where the smoke stops coming out around the smoke generator.  This little thing helped me out.  Since I have statred doing that the fluid problem quit. Bubba is right.  




SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[Oldman]

I have it set just so the smoke is not back drafting through the generator. Next what is funny is no matter how hard I push on the door in effort to stop those little leaks I can't~~~go figure.

Thanks for all of the info.
Olds

[MallardWacker]

My upper left hand corner of the door is like that, a very small leak where the corner is made with the seal.  No problem here.


SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...