Burning 2 Bisquettes at same time

veggieman · March 23, 2004, 08:56:50 PM

Just opened BS and went through seasoning. Temp came right up like promised smoke through vent all looked fine. After about an hour took a peek to see if all was working right. I had 1 Bisquette in the water bowl that had done its thing like the book said. However for bisquette 2 it is a pile of ash and still on burner and bisquette 3 that is waiting to go on next is burnt up and bisquette 4 is starting to burn the edge. The process does not seem to push bisquette all the way on the burner so there is still about 1/4 inch of it not on the burner and touching the other bisquette. Mine has about a 1/4 inch gap between the burner and chute from where the next one should advance. Now I have a nice round burnt mark on the chute where bisquette #2 should be when first starting. I used hickory if that makes a difference. I called customer service and like always everyone is at a trade show. If any advise please feel free. Thanks

Smokie · March 23, 2004, 09:28:07 PM

Veggie

I had the same problem with mine when I first got it. I pushed the advance button three times letting the generator go through its cycle each time i pushed it and then the problem went away and have not had a problem since. as for the gap between the burner and the chute that is normal.

If that does not help call the factory im sure they will send you out a new generator.

hope this helps.

Chez Bubba · March 23, 2004, 11:49:30 PM

Veggieman,

How many total bisquettes did you load?

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

veggieman · March 24, 2004, 02:29:43 AM

bubba,
i loaded a total of six bisquettes in the smoker and pushed the advance button until one was on the burner. then i shut the door and turned on the heat

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Chez Bubba
 Veggieman,

How many total bisquettes did you load?

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Chez Bubba · March 24, 2004, 02:54:49 AM

OK, here is how the process should work. I'll refer to the bisquettes by number and their position by letter. Position A is in the tube, B is first onto the tray, C is second & D is on the burner plate.

Six bisquettes are loaded. Push the advance button once and #1 should move to B. Push the button again (after it has completed it's cycle) and #1 goes to C and #2 goes to B. Push it a 3rd time and #1 should be to D, #2 to C, and #3 to B.

20 minutes later, #1 should automatically be in the water bowl. At this cycle, after 1hr 20min, there is nothing left to push #5 & #6 any further. Due to their contact with #4, they will eventually combust. That's why we sell the advancing pucks.

However, if your generator just isn't feeding right, there's only about two remedies. Either you have stacked the bisquettes cockeyed & that's jamming the feeder or you have a bad generator.

If it's the latter, no worries, Bradley is very good about standing behind their product & will replace it toot sweet.

Hope this helps,

Kirk

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

veggieman · March 24, 2004, 03:16:06 AM

bubba,
thanks a lot for the help. i will be trying it again soon

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Chez Bubba
 OK, here is how the process should work. I'll refer to the bisquettes by number and their position by letter. Position A is in the tube, B is first onto the tray, C is second & D is on the burner plate.

Six bisquettes are loaded. Push the advance button once and #1 should move to B. Push the button again (after it has completed it's cycle) and #1 goes to C and #2 goes to B. Push it a 3rd time and #1 should be to D, #2 to C, and #3 to B.

20 minutes later, #1 should automatically be in the water bowl. At this cycle, after 1hr 20min, there is nothing left to push #5 & #6 any further. Due to their contact with #4, they will eventually combust. That's why we sell the advancing pucks.

However, if your generator just isn't feeding right, there's only about two remedies. Either you have stacked the bisquettes cockeyed & that's jamming the feeder or you have a bad generator.

If it's the latter, no worries, Bradley is very good about standing behind their product & will replace it toot sweet.

Hope this helps,

Kirk

h ttp://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

kcbeave · November 05, 2004, 02:15:42 AM

I have the same thing. The puck on the burner starts the next puck burning and when they are advanced the 1st puck goes in the water but every puck after the 1st ends up being pushed only halfway off the burners. Only the 1st puck burns for 20 minutes, each one after that burns for 40 minutes instead of 20.
I contacted Bradley and they say this is how it is supposed to work

Chez Bubba · November 05, 2004, 02:25:41 AM

KC,

That is NOT how they're supposed to work! Either you spoke to someone you shouldn't have (not qualified) or you didn't explain your problem to their understanding.

I would try calling again and if that doesn't work, call me & I will call them for you.

BTW, how is The Sunshine Band these days?[;)][}:)][:D]

Kirk

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

psdubl07 · November 10, 2004, 06:03:04 PM

I have had the same problem where the next puck in line begins to smolder on the leading edge. What happens is by the time it is on the burner plate for 20 minutes, it's too small to be pushed into the catch pan and ends up smoldering for 40 minutes. This doesn't happen with every puck, but it happens each time I smoke something.

Kirk, I took this up with Cassandra (via email) and after going back and forth she explicitly told me this is OK and how it is supposed to work. I told her I disagreed because all Bradley's marketing is based on the advantage of their bisquettes in controlling temp/flavor etc... because of how they are extinguished after 20 minutes. She wasn't able to provide me w/ any other solutions and assured me it was OK.

It seems almost impossible to keep the leading edge of the next puck in line from smoldering before it's on the burner plate. (Sounds like this happens to everyone? I would really enjoy hearing from anyone who doesn't experience this.)
But possibly the puck not quite being pushed into the pan could be solved by the advancer pushing another 1/8 inch or something. Then again, the next puck in line would be that much closer, if not on, the burner plate.

I still disagree w/ Cassandra and feel the product is somewhat misrepresented. That being said, most everything I have smoked has turned out really nice. I just wonder if it would be even that much better w/out the occasional 40 minute pucks. [?]

EDIT: The reason I would love to hear from people if their "next puck in line" doesn't start to smolder on the leading edge before being advanced to the burner plate is because if this is the case, it sounds like I have a defective generator. Cassandra never brought up sending me a replacement as a solution, but assured me this is how it should work.

BigRed · November 10, 2004, 10:00:32 PM

Paul and to all concerned,

Maybe I am missing something but over a 4 hour period of smoking (four hours being the top end of the smoking cycle most of us use for smoking beef or pork) does it really make any difference if the puck in back starts to smoke a little early? In addition, most of the time we are going to cook something for several hours longer than the 4 hour smoke cycle so does it make a difference if the last puck stays in place? Help, what am I missing?

My real quesiton is, when after a smoke/cook project when I take out the bowl to clean it, my pucks still hold the shape of a puck.They are black but should they be powder when they fall into the water?

BigRED

xcowell · November 10, 2004, 10:05:13 PM

Could it be that Bisquette flavors have different burning rates ? I use hickory,without problem.

Oldman · November 11, 2004, 01:12:22 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">EDIT: The reason I would love to hear from people if their "next puck in line" doesn't start to smolder on the leading edge before being advanced to the burner plate is because if this is the case, it sounds like I have a defective generator. Cassandra never brought up sending me a replacement as a solution, but assured me this is how it should work<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ok mine places a new puck on to burn every 20 minutes. Old one goes into the water. HOWEVER, the new puck does have a slight burn on the edge that is closes to the burner. No doubt in my mind is is normal.

I have feeling that this Cassandra has missed understood you completely. A 40 minute burn is not acceptable. I use Oak.

Perhaps Chez can help Cassandra understand.
Olds

psdubl07 · November 11, 2004, 04:39:57 PM

BigRed, the problem is a puck burning for 40 minutes. The root of the problem is that it has begun to smolder before it's on the burner plate, thus, it's too small to be pushed from the burner plate after its 20 min cycle. It doesn't get pushed into the pan until another cycle has finished which means the puck has been smoldering for 40 minutes (actually more since it started smoldering before it was on the burner plate).
Bradley's claimed advantage from the site:
"The Bradley Smoker is a unique smoke house, sold complete with its accompanying smoke generator, in which flavor bisquettes are burned for 20 minutes each so that the temperature does not fluctuate, thus eliminating the high temperature gases, acids and resins that can distort the flavor of smoked food."

xcowell, I have no idea if the pucks have diff burn rates, but this has happened w/ every kind I've used, Hickory, Maple, and Apple.

DoW, if I pasted the email convo in, you could tell she is not misunderstanding me, but telling me explicitly that a 40 minute burn time is OK. Honestly I was a little shocked since this is the complete opposite of their claimed advantage.

Chez Bubba · November 12, 2004, 01:01:16 AM

Not saying this is the answer, but I've never had the problem you describe. However, I don't know for a fact that each & every bisquette dropped into the water bowl after 20 minutes. I do know each & every bisquette advanced after 20 minutes.

I also know that contact with the bisquette on the burner plate can cause the next one to begin smoldering, that's partly why we dreamed up the Bubba Pucks.

If you know the position status of each bisquette during your smoke, could it be that opening the door that often increases the amount of oxygen to a point that allows the bisquettes to burn faster than designed? I hardly ever open the door, just to refresh the water pan during a long smoke or show off to the newbies.[:D]

Kirk

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

MallardWacker · November 12, 2004, 06:03:41 PM

Please you all, don't take this wrong. I'm with BigRed on this. I have never needed to to have my pucks burn exactly. I have no problem with the fact that the next puck starts to burn. I also don't use BubbaPucks and all my pucks burn execpt for the last 1/3 of the one in the generator (in a 12hr smoke). My results are just too good to even worry about it. The burning temp is so low that if one stays on a little long, I may be wrong here, but I don't think it matters. Unless the pucks are just not advancing, then I would not be worried. But, hay I am open for a new thought on this.

I am missing something here???

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

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