New to Forum-Temperature Question

slotz · June 21, 2005, 10:51:36 PM

I am new to the board. I've had a BS for about a year, and I love it. The only problem I have had is the temperature. Is this normal? When I pre-heat, the temp guage will reach only about 250. I have started pre-heating chicken or ribs in the oven before putting them in the smoker. Even then, it sucks the temp down to 150-170 deg. It takes forever to get back up to 200, and if I don't open the door for a few hours, it only cooks at a little over 200. After the proper time, about 4 1/2 hours, the chicken is done just fine. In fact, it's great. The internal temp is just right. Same with ribs. I thought the unit would cook upwards to 250-300 deg if you wish.
Is 200 deg too low to cook safely, and is there a problem with my unit?
Thanks

Chez Bubba · June 22, 2005, 12:04:17 AM

Slotz,

Welcome to the board & relax, you're fine. 200F is perfectly safe to cook at, in fact, that's what I usually strive to keep for short smokes, 200-210. 250-300 means you're roasting, not smokin'. If the food's comin' out good as is, I say have a cold one & smile.[8D]

If you feel the need to get higher temps, I would suggest checking the tightness of screws on the ceramic bulb holders. If they are loose, you may not be getting full power. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THESE!!! They should be finger-tight plus a skosh. If you crank on them, you'll break the ceramic holders. (At least that's what I've been told from some other people![;)])

Kirk

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

jaeger · June 22, 2005, 05:23:01 AM

slotz,
Just one other thing you may want to consider...
the further open your damper is, the lower your cabinet temp will be.
Load sizes and spacing among other things will create various cabinet temps as well.

Oldman · June 22, 2005, 09:16:35 AM

slotz,
Greetings!

Personally I generally smoke foods @190 - 200 F unless I'm doing a baconed wrapped chicken. Then 225 F. Sausage even lower.

I think you might be losing some favor by pre-heating your Bird first in the oven. If you are really worried about the temp drop when you place a bird in the smoker then I suggest that you get a couple of fireplace bricks. Heat them in your oven and then place them in the Bradley unit as you put your chicken in.

Low and slow is the name of the game to great smoked foods.

Olds

Habanero Smoker · June 22, 2005, 11:31:13 AM

What are you using to monitor the cabinet temperature. I generally smoke between 200 - 220 degree F. If you handled the food properly prior to placing it in the smoker, then 200 is safe.

Is this more of a problem when you smoke chicken? The skin of chicken has a lot of moisture. When the moisture is released during the cooking process it will lower you cabinet temperature. The more chicken you are cooking, the harder it will be for the BS to recover back to your set cooking temperature.

I agree with Olds; preheating your meat in an oven prior to smoking will definitely cut down on the ability for the meat to pick up smoke. If you are worried about time and/or safety of smoking at 200 degrees, then it would be better to start the smoking process, then finish off in the oven.

MallardWacker · June 22, 2005, 01:53:04 PM

Slotz,

I have experienced this also. (To me) anyway what is happening when you have nothing it and the vent is closed you keeping that heat penned up. The thermal sensor is in the back above the heating element, along the back side does quite a bit hotter that what reaches the door thermometer. At that point I have seen my light turn off on on due to the fact of the temp. BUT>>>>>When you put food in the smoker and open the vent up I almost never seen this happen. I bet it might happen more often to folks than we might think.

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 · June 22, 2005, 03:06:34 PM

Duck Man
Please re-write your posting... I don't quite follow you... perhaps it is the early morning brandy... I worked last night with the guys [xx(]

Olds

Phone Guy · June 22, 2005, 05:12:40 PM

I've got BB's in at about 200 right now. It's safe.

JJC · June 23, 2005, 04:43:51 AM

200 is definitely safe--I rarely go above 220 with anything.

Duck-Man--not sure what you're getting at, but it sounds like something interesting . . . clarify, por favor??

John
Newton MA

slotz · June 23, 2005, 09:00:50 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I will check the screws on the element. I do have a spare element, but I didn't want to install it unless I do have a problem. I keep my vent closed while pre-heating and cooking. If I'm losing flavor by pre-heating, I sure havn't noticed, but I have taken note to the suggestion. I'm smoking a pork butt (first time) this weekend and I'll report back on results or problems. Any tips on butt's?
Thanks again.

Oldman · June 23, 2005, 09:44:51 PM

Well you <s>would </s>won't like my tip...

I bone my butts out. Sometimes spilt them. Place them into a white cotton T shirt. (the type with arms and a full neck line.) Smoke to 170 degrees. Remove..FTC for a while. Allow to cool.

Best slicing (sandwich) pork in town.

Olds

lvigil · June 23, 2005, 09:52:06 PM

I have the same problem here in New Mexico.... I pre-heat the BS for a least 20-30 mins. I have yet to get a reading over 250 deg. I checked the ceramic bulb holders and they are kind of bent. I have never messed with them. I don't want to move or jiggle them around because they may break. I use a weber remote temp gauge and it also has never reached a temp over 255 deg. How do I fix? and could this be my culprit?[:(] The heating tube diameter is larger than the ceramic holders at each end.

All of my meats are always great and the least I mess with the internals the better. I usually cook ribs and brisket but have wanted to cook some chicken and have not based on the internal temp not staying over 200 deg.

JJC · June 27, 2005, 10:42:26 AM

I think one problem here is the matter of expectations . . . since Bradley says their unit will reach 320F, people expect it to, and if it can't there is the suspicion that something is wrong with the unit. Very few units of Forum users reach even 300F, and the BS has a safety cut-off built in at 320F that I suspect cuts in closer to 300F, if not a bit lower. I know I was worried about that when I first got my BS and couldn't get it to go past 260-280F.

I am going to write Mr. Bradley and suggest they consider reducing the temp range they advertise for the smoker or put in a stronger heating element that can more readily achieve 320F. However, the need for a safety cut-off is critical since you don't want fat dripping down onto the heating element! Personally, I hope Bradley just lowers their advertised max temp since as has been stated over and over again, "low and slow" is better. If I need 280+ temps I can put my food in the oven or on a grill to finish cooking it. There are major safety engineering issues with using higher temps in a unit like the BS and very little to gain from it, IMHO . . .

John
Newton MA

MallardWacker · June 27, 2005, 01:48:25 PM

As we all learned in school "all things are relative". I do agree with you 325 is stretching it, but it might be one of those things that it depends on is where you measure that temp. I could never see my BS cooking at 300 for long peroiods of time. But then again I don't need too.

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 · June 28, 2005, 01:37:20 AM

Well out in the summer sunshine mine will hit 300 F but you got to remember where I live~~! In the open to day it was 89F and in the corner of the front door where the heat is trapped it hit 121 F LOL! Now you all from points North may not believe this, but on a true roadway blacktop at highnoon in August/ September I can really fry an egg~~! I did it as a kid!

Olds