BS Heater question.

[Osibisa]

Hi.

As anybody out there noticed if the Heating Lamp in the BS just turns "On and Off" to regulate temperature or does it actually turn "Brighter for hotter and not so bright for cooler"?
i.e. Is the temperature of the "Lamp" controlled?[?]

Peter.

[Lasse]

I have noticed that it gets brighter when pushing it to the right and dimmer when pushed to the left.
So I think that the slider does not control/regulate the temperature.

I see that many on the forum use regulators that shuts the power on/off at the preset temp.
I don't remember any names right now but I hit the searc button and came up with Raptor and "The BBQ GURU" that will maintain a steady set temp inside the Bradley.
This post has some more info on the BBQ Guru:
http://bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=197&SearchTerms=control,temp
and this link is to the homepage to the BBQ Guru:
http://www.thebbqguru.com/

I am thinking of getting some controler myself. It seems easier.


/Lasse

[Osibisa]

Many thanks Lasse. I took a look at the link and sure enough it's a along the same lines that I am thinking however the device I am trying to put together would be digital readout and programmable differential allowing more easy and accurate control of temperatures etc.

[nsxbill]

Osibisa

The Procom4 and the Raptor would fit your goal for digital readout plus a whole lot more.  I imagine one could use a P.I.D. Controller(Proportional-Integral-Derivative) to control the temp in the cabinet, and I suspect the Procom4 uses something like that along with a thermocouple and Solid State Relay (SSR).

Here is picture of PID


Here is picture of SSR


I have all the stuff to use one to control a home espresso machine that I was going to use, but upgraded to a commercial machine instead.  Just too complicated for me.  

The Procom4 is the fancy BBQ Guru controller for use with the Raptor.

<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>

[HCT]

Okay, here is a lame question. Why with the BS being the best would one have to go spend another $250 for a 'Guru' to maintain the temps. Seems a little strange. Shouldn't the BS take care of this. Just a question from a newbee.

[bsolomon]

Pretty much a matter of personal taste as to how much "work" you perceive in maintaining the temperature.  The BS uses a rheostat, but not a thermostat.  In other words, you can set it for a certain relative amount of time the heating element is on, but it is not controlled by the temperature obtained in the cabinet.  Many BS users will find that there is a particualr spot where the slider will hold a desired temperature reliably within a couple of degrees.  Others find wider flucuations.  In addition, as the food heats up towards the end of the cooking process, there is less heat required from the heater to maintain a temperature, and as a result, the temperature will start to rise.

In short, do you need anything more than the temperature slider to make great smoked foods with your BS - absolutely not.  But if you want more precision with less guessing and a system that virtually eliminates the need for any monitoring at all, then the Raptor/BBQ Guru or Procomm might be for you.

[whitetailfan]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Osibisa</i>
<br />
As anybody out there noticed if the Heating Lamp in the BS just turns "On and Off" to regulate temperature or does it actually turn "Brighter for hotter and not so bright for cooler"?
i.e. Is the temperature of the "Lamp" controlled?[?]

Peter.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Peter it is the latter.  As far as I know the temp control slide works just like a dimmer switch.  When the slide is cranked, the bulb is pumping out full power and less so as the temp is set lower.  It does not surge "all on and all off" unless you have a power interupting device add-on like the raptor/guru.


<font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green">
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

[nsxbill]

You don't need a Procom4, nor do you need a Competitor controller.  I cooked for some time without them.  I just like to have the control to walk away and know my temps will be maintained without hassling with the slider all the time. You quoted the right price(approx on the Competitor)  Double that for the Procom4.  

The system is not for everyone.  The Bradley does a fine job on its own.  I like leaving the house after starting my smoke and know that for the 4-5 hours I am gone, the temps are controlled automatically.  It has a range of 200 yards for monitoring temp.  I can go into the garage, go up to the pool, wherever, as I am only on 1/3 acre, and can see and adjust temps remotely.  If inside, it transmits through walls.

I can program to shut down automatically if gone a long time.   I can set alarm to rimind me to change out the water after 4 hrs.  It isn't for everyone, but I am glad to have one, and appreciate the capability everytime I use it.

I plan on buying a big charcoal smoker, and with a fan control will also control very large pit too.  

Anyway, that's why I like it.

Bill

<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>