New to smoking with questions

[Fooser2006]

Hello all and thank you in advance for answering my questions!!  I recently purchased a Bradley 4 rack digital smoker.  I have never cooked this way before so it is new to me.  We recently smoked ribs, pork butt, try-tip, potatoes etc., i guess you can say I am trying a lot of stuff.  Anyways, I noticed that the temp reading on the digital box was having a very hard time getting up to temp (at one point attempting to reach 280deg) and as well it seemed to take forever recovering when the door was open.  I live in northern california and the outside temp was about 50deg.  I have more things to ask about but would like to take care of one thing at a time.

Thanks All

[Shasta bob]

Fooser, wherew in northern Cali you from? I was raised in Crescent City.

[JZ]

I am sure others with more experience will come along to help out - but I am wondering what you are trying to smoke at 280*.

The Bradley is a smoker and it's primary function is to smoke stuff and smoking is usually done at lower temperatures.  It can also be used for cooking, but at lower temps and that means longer cook times. If you want something smoked plus cooked fast then smoke it first and then transfer it to your oven, BBQ or other high temp cooking device to cook it. If you're not in a hurry then leave it in the Bradley and just wait until the meat gets to the right internal temp (IT).

The smoker is only running a 500w heating element so the more often you open the door the longer it will take to cook the food. You can also leave the smoke generator (SG) on without pucks in it. The SG is 125W and will help with the heat recovery.

[Fooser2006]

Shasta- I am from and live in Santa Cruz, ca. 

JZ- You are totally right, as I have used the smoker I am learning about how to cook with it and realizing that it is a slow process.  I am used to working with a grill which is much faster for the most part.  I smoked a chicken the other day and had watched a video and 280 was the temp that person had worked with.  I realized it was a bit high for what I was wanting to do but as well if the unit claims to have the ability to go to 320 I am the type of person that wants to see it do that and how it performs  :)  I also like to "hop up" hobby purchases which is why I am curious about adding an element, PID, or fan and the benefits to those.

THanks and I look forward to learning more!!

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Fooser;

Welcome to the forum.

Many things can slow down the recovery time. The weather is one factor, ambient temperature and especially the wind. So do the best you can to block the smoker from the wind. The size of your load and they type of food(s) your are cooking, will also have an effect. The larger the load the more time it will take for the smoker to recover, especially at the early stages of cooking. You vent setting is also important, foods that give off a lot of moisture; such as chicken with skin you will want to keep your vent at least 3/4 open; especially during the early stages of cooking. Opening the door to frequently can add a lot of additional cooking time. Some place a brick in the smoker to help with temperature recovery after the door has been opened.

More ideas can be found here:
FAQ's

[4given]

Welcome! You will find a wealth of knowledge here!  :)

[ghost9mm]

Ask all the questions you need to ask, there are lot's of great people on this forum that will help you anyway they can, and on this forum there are no stupid questions, everyone here has gone through or is going through a learning curve, and welcome to a really great forum...enjoy..