New Bradley Smoker.........Bad 1st Attempt........I am pissed!!!

[raf315810]

Well my worst fears came to light today.  I have ( 3 ) small racks of baby back ribs and ( 6 ) pieces of boneless ribs in my brand new bradley smoker with hickory pucks.  The temp will only getup to 200 degrees and no further.  I let the smoker pre-heat now for over 1 1/2.   I have been reading on here what could be the problem and I am getting more and more pissed at the Bradley Company.  I do have an extension cord plugged into the main unit without a direct plug in.  Why would that even matter?  The red heater inside is glowing red.  I have unplugged and re-plugged several times now.  I have not checked the fuse, but if the unit is running and getting hot the fuse should not be the problem.  Right?     Not sure  what else to do.  I have the unit inside my shed with little wind affecting the smoker.  It is only about 50 degrees outside, but that shouldn't matter, right?   Any other suggestions?   I guess I will let the smoke continue for about ( 3 ) hours then take the meat out and cook in my oven for another couple hours.  But I am pissed.  Not sure who to call since I did buy this item on e-bay.  Does anyone have a Bradley Smoker hotline number I can let my frustrations out on?   Or should I wait till a warmer day and give the smoker another shot?     

[GusRobin]

Yes the extension can make a difference. Don't know the exact technical term but you get a power drop across the extension and it depends upon the gauge of the cord. Many electrical tools (power washers, etc) will also tell you to limit the use of extension cords for this reason. In addition if you have a lot of items plugged into the same circuit then the power to the Bradley will also be less.
With all that said lets look at some simple fixes:
1) Is your vent open?
2) is it at 200 with the meat in? If so where are you taking the temp? If you are using the door thermometer than the meat is probably seeing higher temps.
I cook ribs at 225 and they take about 6 hours.

Others may offer other suggestions.

[TedEbear]

Not sure how to to cook in my oven or at what temp.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.

After the smoking stage you can put everything in your oven with the same results as a smoker at the same temp.  I would set it at 220*F.  250*F might dry out the ribs. 

You know about the 3-2-1 method of cooking ribs, right?  3 hours bare with smoke, 2 hours sealed in foil with maybe 1/2 - 2/3 cup of apple juice and then 1 final hour back on the rack, out of the foil.  That's for spare ribs - you may have to adjust the time downward a bit for smaller baby backs.  Check for the meat pulling back slightly from the tip of the bone to see that they're getting done.

[muebe]

Raf welcome to the forum..

There is a reason that Bradley states not to use an extension cord with the smoker. Using a undersized and or too long of an extension cord will reduce the amps available to the smoker. This will cause the heating element to be underpowered. You must use a large gauge extension cord that can provide enough amps to the smoker.

Also the door gauge(original) and temp sensor(digital) are located in the upper part of the cabinet. The hottest part of the cabinet will be located at the lowest rack just below the meat. That is where you need to get your reading from. Even though you are getting a 200F degree reading the area just below the lowest rack could be 250F or even higher. Ribs should be done at 225F when using the 3-2-1 method but that is just a guide.

The Bradley can also be affected by the amount of the load of meat and the temperature of the meat going into the smoker. To help with heat loss try not to overload the smoker. A huge load of meat will rob the cabinet of heat and can also block the heat rising from the bottom causing the lower rack to overlook and the upper racks to undercook. Spacing is important also. Make sure there are some gaps on the racks between the meat to allow the heat to properly rise. And when first placing the meat in the cabinet make sure it is pre-heated and the meat is close to room temp. You can also add hot water to the water bowl to help with temp recovery.


Make sure to leave the door closed and not peek at it constantly. Doing so can drop the cabinet temp and prolong the cook time. Remember if your looking you ain't cooking ;)

[Quarlow]

HI Raf, think of it like this. The electric stove in your kitchen has a direct line straight to it from the fuse panel. You want to check where you plug in to and that there is nothing else running on. I use a good 12 guage  cord that is only 15 feet long. I also have to plug my computer in somewhere else while I run the smoker. Electricity is like water. You can get more water threw a 1 inch hose than you can a 1/2 inch hose. Same goes for your cord. also don't pay much attention to the door thermo. Get a probe thermometer and hang it from a couple of paperclips attached to the lowest rack you have food on. That will give you the best indication as to what your food is recieving.

[dman4505]

Hi Raf
Welcome and how did the ribs turn out?
You've gotten some pretty good tips on what might be your issue hope everything work out.
Also I'm pretty sure Brian from the home office pops in here every so often he might be able to assist you further.
Don't give up on the Bradley just yet, in my opinion it's a fine product and the customer service is top of the line.

Don

[raf315810]

Thanks all for the help.  The ribs weren't the best, but not the worst either.  I am going to try again for sure and try a direct plug-in.  I think I will try a trial run first and just let the smoker heat up before I go out and spend $100 on meat.  If it doesn't heat up then I know I have problems and I will attempt other solutions.  I will keep everyone posted.  I was ready to throw the Bradley Smoker in the river on Sunday!!!

[Kahunas]

Thanks all for the help.  The ribs weren't the best, but not the worst either.  I am going to try again for sure and try a direct plug-in.  I think I will try a trial run first and just let the smoker heat up before I go out and spend $100 on meat.  If it doesn't heat up then I know I have problems and I will attempt other solutions.  I will keep everyone posted.  I was ready to throw the Bradley Smoker in the river on Sunday!!!

I have a river near my house so if you want, send it to me and I will throw it in for you......honest.......really........I will......

It takes some getting used to when you go to a Bradley I found. Think of it as a mini fridge with a 500 watt light bulb in it. Sort of a big easy bake oven with smoke. HAHA

I loaded mine to the hilt the first time with a turkey and butts. Took forever and never really got up to temp so since I had bought it used, I modified it with a PID, a 900 watt heater and put in a fan to help mix the air up. Very happy with it now. Recovers from the cold meat going in within 15 minutes. Hang in there, you will come to love it.

[Wildcat]

Thanks all for the help.  The ribs weren't the best, but not the worst either.  I am going to try again for sure and try a direct plug-in.  I think I will try a trial run first and just let the smoker heat up before I go out and spend $100 on meat.  If it doesn't heat up then I know I have problems and I will attempt other solutions.  I will keep everyone posted.  I was ready to throw the Bradley Smoker in the river on Sunday!!!

It takes some getting used to when you go to a Bradley I found. Think of it as a mini fridge with a 500 watt light bulb in it. Sort of a big easy bake oven with smoke.

Bingo!

[dman4505]

Thanks all for the help.  The ribs weren't the best, but not the worst either.  I am going to try again for sure and try a direct plug-in.  I think I will try a trial run first and just let the smoker heat up before I go out and spend $100 on meat.  If it doesn't heat up then I know I have problems and I will attempt other solutions.  I will keep everyone posted.  I was ready to throw the Bradley Smoker in the river on Sunday!!!

Glad to hear you're not using her as an anchor. The Bradley's like a good woman, ya stroke her just right and great things happen. Ya don't and she can be a bitch to deal with.
And as Kahunas said, I have a river near me I'll toss her for ya "honest, you can trust me"

Don

[3rensho]

Could also order the 220v version and I²R becomes less of an issue.