heater problems

[[email protected]]

Hello, I'm new to this form. So if I don't do something correct..... please understand. My question is: I have had a 6 rack digital smoker for about 4 or 5 years now. I have never been able to get the temp up to the setting unless its 80 degrees outside. I have contacted Bradley before, they didn't seem concerned about it stating for me to remember I'm putting in cold meat. I disagree, it won't make temp even empty. I have tried wiping the probe off, no luck. Any thoughts?  Don

[bears fan]

what temp are you trying to get it to?

[Quarlow]

OK lets start with the basics. Is the heating element getting hot enough. It should glow red when hot, it won't be bright red but red just the same. If it is not getting red then try to plug the cord from the cabinet straight into a wall outlet and see if it gets red. If it does then plug it all in like it is supposed to be and try again and see what the difference is.
One thing to look at is power supply, if you are plugged into an outlet that has other things running on it you will not get enough juice threw to the smoker. Try to eliminate everything but the smoker from that circuit and if you are using an extension cord use a heavy one (12ga is best). Try those things and see what happens and let us know. If it doesn't help we can look at other things.
 As Bear mentioned you will only get at best 300f out of these, so if you are trying to get hotter than that it won't do it. You may be interested in adding a second heat element. It is a fairly simple mod that quite a few guys have done and I am considering also.

[beefmann]

you may also want to consider a 900 watt finned heater  mod.

here is the  link

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17329.0

more then enough heat to do 40 lbs of brisket at  once, though it took  some 20 hours to cook

[[email protected]]

I'm trying to get to 250F, I would think this unit should work from the get-go. I shouldn't have to make modifications to it, correct?

[[email protected]]

I give this tests a try, thanks for your help.

[classicrockgriller]

How are you measuring the heat the Bradley is putting out?

[[email protected]]

I've used the read out on the smoke generator and have used a smoker thermometer. I'm starting to think I've had a bad heater from the start.

[Bradley (Head Office)]

I'm trying to get to 250F, I would think this unit should work from the get-go. I shouldn't have to make modifications to it, correct?

Hi DM

What temperature is it getting up to? and when it gets up to that temperature is the heat element shutting off or cycling on and off then?

Brian

[Quarlow]

I can say from what I did on the weekend is that the wind as we know is the enemy of the Bradleys. On Saturday I smoked some salmon and had no problem getting 230f out of it. There was no wind and the temp outside was cool but not cold. Sunday I did my CBB and it was breezy, it was about the same temp outside but I cold not get the temp over 180f till the wind died and the sun peaked threw the clouds. I am definetly going to build my Bradley townhouse soon so I can smoke threw the year. I wish I could set it up in the shop but I don't think my landlord would like me putting a chimney through the deck or the stucco walls.
P.s. I really love the Auber PID. I love it more everytime I use it. Thanks again Mike.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

This might give you a basis for comparison.  My six rack sits in a shaded, sheltered spot on the back patio, so wind and sun are not issues.  On a warm summer day (mid 90's), with nothing in it except a couple of foil covered bricks, about the hottest I can get it is 250 °F after a good preheat with the SG turned on.   Once anything to absorb that heat is added it can't get back - with two racks of ribs added it takes about 3 hours to make it back to the 230-240 °F range.  The six-rack cabinet is sizable and the main burner is rated at 500 watts, about half the power of your average hair drier.

[[email protected]]

 I have never seen the heater glow, I'll set the temp at 250F for ribs and if I'm lucky it will reach maybe 200F after 4 hrs of smoking.
I have a 6 rack digital, just figure maybe the wing would have a huge effect or something, so I've tried setting up wind screen, etc. Over the last 3-4 years that I've owned it I've accepted this was the way it was designed until I talked several friends and my brother-in-law into purchasing a unit. They didn't have this problem, so my brother-in-law suggested I inquire on the form. He stated it's a great web site and he's learned allot from it.
I must say I've only reconnected to the internet at home recently (I live in a rural town where the internet is quite slow and spendy so I disconnected it after my children left for college)
I have created many fantastic recipes for ribs and have just learned to work around this heater problem, but would definitely love to be able to get to temperature and maintain it. Right not I have to finish them on a grill.
  One more thing, if the outside temp is like 30F or colder, I have to wrap towels around the smoke generator or the plunger/ram will kick out into an error mode.
  Your thoughts?  Don

[Quarlow]

You know I am going to try on the weekend to plug my 4 rack OBS into an outlet right next to my power panel for the house and see how the element performs. Where I use it now is as far away from the power source as can be. I will let you know what the outcome is.

[[email protected]]

  (Heater Problems) I tried my 6 rack digital smoker again this weekend (couldn't get it up to temp since new). Set it for 5 hours at 250 degrees with a half hour preheat and I let the 3 racks of ribs warm to almost room temp prior to placing in the smoker. It never did reach temp, the element had a slight glow to it, but couldn't do the job. If there is any improvements to the design, Bradley could start here. Nothing worse than purchasing a product that won't do the job expected.
  I am a firm believer in the Bradley Smoker, even though I have talked many people into also purchasing one, I now do have reservations about bragging a Bradley up again. When I spoke to Bradley about it the first year I owned it, the gentlemen at Bradley stated "that's the way it is. Couldn't possibility be anything wrong", he wouldn't even engage in that conversation. I felt like he couldn't hang up fast enough. Also, I asked the gentleman "Why when you purchase a box of biskets, all the recipe cards are either one or two?" Can't they randomly have different cards? I don't need them all the same.
        Signed,
   Slightly disappointed customer.

I would love to have someone from Bradley reply by email.

[classicrockgriller]

Have you by any chance check to see what else is being used on the electrical circuit that the Bradley is plugged into?

Or by any chance do you have it plugged into an extention cord.

If you element is glowing a dull red, it sounds like it is being starved of electricity it needs.