First time jitters and a great looking pork butt

[Dr. Spice]

My Bradley arrived Wednesday and in a wonderful mix of serendipity, there's a great grocery store down the street that's going out of business and has everything 20% off... including some beautiful big ole pork butts. Now, being a Southern girl all displaced up here in Northern Virginia where people really don't understand the intricacies of pulled pork, I am excited beyond all belief at the prospect of real, honest pulled pork whenever I want it....

SO this weekend has been blocked out as the inauguration. Needless to say, I've read all sorts of stuff on here bout what to rub, should I brine, should I mop, how long to smoke, what to smoke with.... but I still have a few "first timer" questions.

1) do I have to season the Bradley? Like fire it up and get it hot for a while? Should I wipe down the inside with some vinegar to clean it before I use it?

2) how do y'all clean the racks? Do you clean the inside after every use?

3) can I leave this thing going overnight? What if it's cold outside? Will that drop the temp inside?

4) would roses and champagne help make a good first impression?  :D

Thanks y'all!

Oh and I promise I'll take pictures!

[KyNola]

Welcome Dr. Spice. Yes you need to season your Bradley.  Look in the manual.  It will tell you how.  The racks can be thrown in your dishwasher.  The only things you want to clean after each use are the racks, V-tray, water bowl and drip tray.  Also, clean around the door seal and around the top of the vent.  Don't wipe down the interior walls.  You want them to get black.  You can use it over night but there are cautions you need to take.  Make certain the water bowl is completely full of water before you retire for the night.  Drop in the outside air temp won't necessarily adversely effect the internal temp of the Bradley.  Wind is your biggest enemy.

Knock it out of the park Girl!  If you need help, we're here for ya.

[jiggerjams]

I find spraying the racks with a PAM like spray helps with the after clean up immensely. Yes you will want to preheat the Bradley before you put your butt in there at least I do when I put my butt in there.  ;D

[Dr. Spice]

Does one ever get over the 12 year old instinct to giggle at talking about butts all the time? "gonna brine that butt" "man that sure was a sticky butt" "look at that great butt" "man, my butt is smokin!"   ;D

[KyNola]

Dr. Spice, I hope you have a great butt to show us. ;)

[jiggerjams]

That there butt sure has a nice bark

[GusRobin]

Dr Spice,
As was said, make sure you change the water when you  go to bed if you are doing an overnighter. It is best to try and time the smoke to be completed prior to going to bed. One of the biggest potential problem on a overnighter is grease build up. If you can, get a throw away aluminum pan and use that in place of the water bowl (I think it is 9 x13, measure the pan that is under the water bowl). It will hold more water and dilute the grease.
Also check the "v" tray before going to bed. Make sure that the hole is not getting clogged with drippings and the "channel" at the bottom of the tray does not have a lot of build up. Check that the meat is not touching the walls. Follow those and you should be in great shape.
Don't panic if the temp of the meat seems to be rising fast. It will stall at around 160 for a few hours. Don't panic at this point either. It will eventually start climbing again.
Looking forward to your butt pictures.

[Shasta bob]

Welcome Dr. Spice

[beefmann]

welcome to the forum

1) wash the smoker and racks first then  to season the bradley smoker ( a nice wipe down with soap and water will do fine no long scrubbing )

2) I  place mine in a tub of soapy water over night then clean

3) i regularly do over night smoker ( 2 to 3 hours of smoke and 10 to 21 hour cook, elapsed time  12 to 24 hour others will be longer )

outside temps 30 and below can not  advise not affected by that low of a temp and run a cook temp of 215 to 225 and varies with load. 10 lbs vs 30 lb

4) roses and champagne would be great  with the first smoke dinner, do not forget a nice salad and veggies,

hope this helps and enjoy

p.s dont be afraid to ask questions  lots of people to help

Beef

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Dr. Spice;

Welcome to the forum.

The below links my provide some assistance in getting up and running.

Bradley FAQ's

Some other useful information:

Recipes

[La Quinta]

Doc...nice to have another girl on with me and Deb....don't let these guys give you any crap!!! Actually...they are all very gentile guys...Nice men who all love the smoke!!!

[Jim O]

Welcome aboard Doc!

Regarding cleaning etc. After I smoke,I put the racks,frog mats,v tray ,bottom tray,and bowl into the dishwasher,after removing the larger "drips",and run it thru' a cycle. I then wipe off the door gasket.

I also use my air compressor to blow out the SG and wipe/scrape off the slide.

Works for me !

Jim O

[smoker pete]

Welcome to the forum Dr Spice

[Ka Honu]

... all very gentile ...

Gentle perhaps, but not necessarily gentile.

[OldHickory]

Welcome Dr. Spice.  Southern roots run deep, and somehow when it comes to smoke cooking, pork is always involved.  That first pork Sammie is going to taste great.  You already have good advise from the folks here on the forum.  Good luck on your first smoke.