looking to buy a smoker

Joel · September 17, 2005, 06:42:24 AM

I am in the process of comparing smokers. I am going to buy one but I want to hear from owners of the bradley smokers why this one is better than say the cookshack.These are the two I am comparing. Is the SS one worth the extra money? Or do you suggest the orignal one?Why does the bradley have to use a pan of water and the cookshack does not? If anyone can give me any info I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks Joel

Im sorry I did not meen to cause a smokers battle I just wanted Bradley owners oppinions of why they chose the Bradley. I guess it's true people will fight over there smokers.
Thanks Again Joel

nsxbill · September 17, 2005, 06:54:32 AM

I have two SS bradleys...I like them. The pan of water is there for the spent pucks to drop into after smoking. The BS does a superior job..easily controllable, and I have been smoking for years. It does everything I want, and no option to buy a Cook Shack for me.

If you do decide on Bradley..check out //www.chezbubba.com You get a lifetime discount on bisquettes if you buy there. They have some scratch and dents if you want to save some money. Your choice on the finish. I like the SS models. They match my grill, tables and carts on the patio. The SS is pretty cheap, but to me, still looks better than generic Black smoker.

I won't bad mouth Cookshack. I know little about it. I do know the Bradley, and bought a second one for larger smoked batches at my home.

Bill

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

Habanero Smoker · September 17, 2005, 11:19:51 AM

Bill has given you some good advise. I just want to add the water pan also has a function of catching the fat drippings, and the water prevents the possibility of the fat from igniting. There is no difference in the performance of the original and the SS; I have the original. It would be a matter of one's taste and budget, of which model you would want to purchase.

I am not that familiar with Cookshack. What I like about the Bradley is the briquette feeder, that allows you to more accurately apply the amount of smoke you want. A lot of people get scared off when they see that it cost $1.00 per hour to operate the Bradley. That is based on the cost of each briquette; but it is rare that you would apply more then 4 hours of smoke, and finishing cooking the last 2-8 hours without smoke. The Bradley uses 3 briquettes per hour.

I do know that the Bradley has a vent, which Cookshack does not. The vent aids in adjusting the temperature, but also allows moisture to escape. This improves the texture of the skin on smoke poultry, and I would believe it would be more beneficial when making jerky and other dehydrated foods.

Bill is also right on with his suggestion to purchase from www.chezbubba.com . He provides great service, uses the Bradley, has them in stock, and sells all replacement parts.

MallardWacker · September 17, 2005, 02:18:38 PM

Joel,

Please have fun no matter what smoker you get, life is way to short and too many good times are to had.

Oldman · September 17, 2005, 02:36:43 PM

Here is a quote from the cookshack's own posting boards. See this Thread:

posted September 12, 2005 06:07 AM Link no longer working.It's direct address is: http://forum.cookshack.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003921

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Mistakes: "I wasn't home to crack the door evey hour like I normally try to do when cooking a smoker full of meat (to release excess moisture and prevent the ugly gray spot,"...)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Now I don't know what your background in smokin' is, but believe me opening a door every hour is not what slow smoking foods is about.
1. It lets out the smoke.
2. It kills the box temperture.
3. Ties you to your smoker by the hour.

In the old days when I had a fire chamber in the ground 8-12 feet away from the smoke chamber I understand always having to be on top of it. However, no one buys an electric smoker--at least no one in his right mind--so they have to baby sit it. Someone justify this to me if I'm wrong here.

Temperature swings. Now the Bradley is controlled by a rheostat. While I have not--at least as of yet--a few of the member's here have added Precision PID Microcontroller Digital Temperature Controllers that will give you a +/- 1-2 degree swing in the box.

See THIS THREAD for an example of one. The main reason I have not added one is I really don't seem to have a big swing in my box. The reason I don't have much a problem in this area is I understand that ambient temperature plays a big part in this factor.

I smoke my meats up to 4 hours outside. At that point when I clean out the water bowl I bring the unit inside my garage. This helps in leveling the changing factors of clouds passing by, wind picking up, the heat of the day getting hotter or cooler as the day move on. Once my box is stable I seldom check on it more that once every 3-4 hours.

Now contrast this to this thread, again from cookshack's own posting boards.
Bad Luck so far with my Cookshack 50 This link now no longer works. Its direct address is: http://forum.cookshack.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003911

Here is a quote from one of the posters that thread: <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I Posted a article sometime back on temp swings on ovens.
Our appliance repair man told me that in a conventional home oven that there may be a fluctuation of 50 degrees..This is common unless you have one of the more digital ovens with sensors.

The units that we are using are Basic.

I have found that when they recommend settings of 225 degrees...Leave it and forget it.
I have had no trouble with ribs and butts.

Dave <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Now setting a box at 225F with a swing up to 275F is not slow smoking. It is more like baking. Now this may be ok if all you want to do is pulled pork where you must add some kind of sauce to it.

However, it does-not-get-er-done if you want to:
1. Smoke Cheese
2. Smoke Bacon
3. Double Smoke A Ham
3. Smoke Fish
4. Smoke Turkey Breast
5. Smoke Brisket
6. Smoke Sauage

I could go on... but I believe I've made my point.

Last point: Flavor control. In the Bradley you can place one Oak puck, then one Apple puck, then one Maple. The point here is there is no guess work when you want to control the type of smoke output and flavoring.

Do note that like everything else things break. The Bradley is no exception. However, during the warranty period they stand behind this unit like a rock. Their customer service is second to none. Generator go poof--two days later they have air frieghted a new one to your door.

What I have posted here to you are facts. Not my option. The final direction you take is solely based upon your findings.

BTW we have members here that take a open part of this community that do not have a Bradley. They express themselves and what they like about their unit. Just try that on a CookShack forum and see just how fast your posting gets deleted. Do it a couple of times and you go poof.

I wish you good luck in your desision making process~~!

Olds

Oldman · September 17, 2005, 02:47:39 PM

Dang Duckman you type faster than me... You must have gotten all of last year's bird shot out of your tail... [:D]

Joel,
One other factor to consider. I created a prototype circulation fan for the Bradley unit. Chez has it in the works for production. I do know that those who have purchased a smoker from him will recieve a discount on the fan unit over those that have not. The fan unit helps greatly in balancing the box temp from bottom to top. With a "only" 2 degree swing from the bottom to top of the box when empty.

You might want to check out this thread--page 2 to get an idea of what this fans does.

Page 2

As I posted you will have to look at all factors.

Olds

JJC · September 18, 2005, 03:16:37 AM

Welcome to the Forum, Joel. I don't have anything special to add to the important advantyages of the BS compared to the Cookshack, and I also highly Chez Bubba for your purchase.

What I do want to add is an interesting opinion: my smoking "guru" is a fellow who owns an outdoor store and does a lot of smokin'. About 112-15 years ago he got me into smokin' with a Lil Chief and later a Meco smoker. He recently bought a Cookshack and a few months later I bought the BS. We've compared notes, looked at each others smokers, and cross-tasted wach others smoked food. Mind you, this guy is my hero and has been smokin' all kinds of foods for 30+ years. He told me he is jealous of my BS and wishes he hadn't bought the Cookshack. As soon as he can justify it, he's going to buy a BS.

'nuff said . . .

John
Newton MA

Oldman · September 18, 2005, 03:43:12 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">it seems that after they post they never come back. Just a-wondr'n-her, could this be the competitors doing this? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">What I suggest is you copy the address down and save it in a word doc. Then you can always find out for sure. As I state below I've never seen a posting deleted this site that was about something not working correctly. Next, it takes some real knowledge to hack out a posting board. Ya it can be done and is done, but those hacks are for taking down complete sites. I've never seen one or heard of one that grants admin rights. I will ask my web-master and a very sharp gaming group that I know if they have heard of such.

I will leave up the links so others will know that links from this site are blocked. I bet our postings are not hot linked blocked.
Olds

Oldman · September 18, 2005, 11:40:51 PM

Duck Man you are correct. However, when I posted the original links they worked. What they are doing now is they using a .htaccess file to stop linking from this site to theirs is all.

How a .htaccess file works in blocking is it is a discriminator. Only those on the "allowed list" may link to that site. What the .htaccess file is used for normally is to stop hot-linking of images.

I have edited my earlier posting and the cookshack threads now show.

I now have screen shots but I see no need in posting them.

I feel kind of sorry for Joel. He only asked an honest question and now has all of this to wade through.

Olds

Johnson · September 19, 2005, 05:04:20 AM

I to am interested in getting a smoker and the Bradley is on the short list. I have been to the cookshack forum and I must say they seem very happy with their smokers. I have even found some post from some former Bradley now Cookshack owners there. They don't seem to trash talk other smokers the way you guys are doing it here in this thread. I think you guys "Protest to Loudly". Someone seems to have added spaces instead of semi-colons to the ulrs that you say don't work as that is the only difference in the web address. I have never run across a ulr that allows spaces. Could you guys have just typed them in wrong?

My only concern until now with the Bradley was the higher cost per smoke because of the pucks. It kind of reminds me of my ink jet printer. The printer is cheaper but they stick it to me on the refills.

I think I will be happy with the end result from either smoker.

John

Oldman · September 19, 2005, 12:31:52 PM

Johnson,
First greetings.

Next: <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">They don't seem to trash talk other smokers the way you guys are doing it here in this thread<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If making pointed observations based on facts (quoting a thread) is trash talking then I'm guilty. I will admit that blocking a link I posted does rub me the wrong way. <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I have even found some post from some former Bradley now Cookshack owners there. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Well you have just found a former Cookshack owner--twice removed! I sold the first one and gave the last one away. (Model 009 and 50) <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Someone seems to have added spaces instead of semi-colons to the ulrs that you say don't work as that is the only difference in the web address. I have never run across a ulr that allows spaces. Could you guys have just typed them in wrong?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">No. I don't type in URLs of posting I copy/ paste them. When you look at the properties of the link it looks like there is a space added. I just open up my post and took a screen shot of it. You will see that in edit mode that space is not there. I'm not the smartest person around when it comes to HTML CSS etc. but I know enough to check a link before I post it.

In this test of a posting I copy/ paste the URL and it will not work as it is blocked! Test
http://forum.cookshack.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003936

Now some may find this interesting. When I take the Test link from above and copy paste it into a posting on the recipe site or the KoV site it works, but it does not work here and that is not a glitch. This site is blocked and it just happened. Anyone who wants can take that address and test it on the recipe site as a link and you will find that it works.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
My only concern until now with the Bradley was the higher cost per smoke because of the pucks. It kind of reminds me of my ink jet printer. The printer is cheaper but they stick it to me on the refills.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">The difference is in the refinment of the Bradley unit. As Duckman said it gives you the same amount of smoke in the beginning as in the end. This allows for a control I never got from a CookShack unit. For some of us this is important.

Now getting back to the ".htaccess" file. If you will notice there is a dot before it. This is really not a file but an extention. There are many things you can do with this extention. From blocking hot-linking to re-direct, to loop back, to ErrorDocuments--there is so much more that can be done with this extention I will not get into it.

However, in all fairness that might be I'm wrong in this matter I've edited out the parts about CookShack...even though I know the links worked at first.

Good luck in your choice of smokers.
Olds

Gordon · September 19, 2005, 02:31:23 PM

like a jungle in here with all of these plants...

What a piece of work is man!

Johnson · September 19, 2005, 09:22:59 PM

Oldman

I have inserted a link Cookshack here using the prompt format and the same link using copy and paste http://forum.cookshack.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001364;p=1#000011 Now I am not and expert but I notice that the links are identical in this posting but when I preview this message the first link is missing 2 semi-colons while the second link stays the same. I would expect to get different results when clinking on the links as they are not the same any longer. Are you saying that when I inserted the link that cookshack is removing the semi-colons from the link I paste on this site? I am not an expert so I may be missing something.

The link I posted is from a thread on the cookshack forum discussing buying a smoker Bradley vs Cookshack. They actually have a link to this thread in one of the post as a place to get help in making a decision. This thread is not very flattering to the Cookshack and it was a Cookshack Administrator that provided the link. Does not sound like they are trying to keep people from reading bad press on their products.

I had to register with this site to post which is a normal practice but by registering I was able to access the "Feedback and Help" forum which is blocked for non members. I found a lot of good information there that will help me make my decision. Why is that forum blocked to non members? I found a lot of post about problems with the smoke generator and plenty of help from Bradley owners on how to resolve the problems. I believe that both of these smokers will give good results and that the Bradley smoke generator is a big plus but it is also its greatest weakness. The Bradley may very well produce a better smoke but it seems to have more things to go wrong mechanically and does require more maintenance. This is a tough decision.

Thanks for listening

John

Gordon · September 19, 2005, 10:16:54 PM

Good heavens Mallard! You sure are not liked on those CookShak boards!

The two problems I have seen that consumers can have with the Bradley is the 1)cost of wood, and 2)moving parts. Both of which I can understand.

What a piece of work is man!

Oldman · September 20, 2005, 12:43:25 AM

John

Ok let's see if I can explain this.
The link you posted I believe is blocked. How it is blocked I'm not going to take the time to figure out.

Go here to This Post and you will see that the CookShack's link works as a link. At least for the moment. They also work on two other sites. However, they do not work here. They did originally.

Next, if the open url address was blocked then cookshack's boards would not work. I don't know how make this any clearer.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">This thread is not very flattering to the Cookshack<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">When I was a boy I learned how to make Polish sausage from my Grandfather.

1- you bone out the meat
2- you grind the meat
3- you add ground spices to the meat
4- you boil the whole spices with the bones
5- you mix im the stock without overly working the fat.
6- you wait 12 hours
7- you clean and check your hanks
8- you stuff your hanks.
9- you smoke the sausage

When I used the cookshack due to its not allowing moisture to leave I ruin my sausage. When I wrote and asked about it all I got was a blow off... that I did not know what I was doing.. it was my fault as I did not know how to smoke foods...

At the age of 55 and up to a couple years ago I did at least 200 if not 300 pounds per year and have done so for years, so with their insult it did not take me long to give away the last unit I got from them. Trust me if this is not flattering to the Cookshack I could care less.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Bradley smoke generator is a big plus but it is also its greatest weakness.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I agree to a point. Then again I have to look at how many units are out there. The only time you hear about a generator is when it breaks.

As far as your other question(s) go you will have to address Admin here. I have no control over this site.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Good heavens Mallard! You sure are not liked on those CookShak boards!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If that is the case I'm sure they hate the *ell out of me.

Olds

EDIT: John I hope you understand that this thread got started as a simple what is better. As such I feel this topic has moved to far off course and as such I will not reply to this thread again. If you still have questions you are welcome to E-mail me.

In closing allow me to add that I believe we are all food smokers under the sun. My tiff with cookshack is not directed to any cookshack owner.

I was going to post this offer on the cookshack site but after that one thread got pulled that I started I knew this offer would be pulled by cookshack. However seening how this thread is link on that site I can offer it here to the cookshack owners.

The members here came together and collect much information concerning the dos and donts as well as recipes that we have proven over the years. I put this is in a downloadable format. As such it is offered to all who smoke food. See this posting to download it. And Enjoy!