1st smoke

[Silvergrizz]

I wanted to try something simple so I purchased a 4lb grain fed chicken and used Pachanga's Cinnamon Spice Chicken recipe. Started at 6pm with Bradley preheated to 200F. Starting meat temp was 51F. Vent wide open. temp started to rise quite steadily  until 9PM and then stalled around 140. I started raising temp at 10PM to 220, then 270, then 320, closing top vent at 11:30PM Used apple smoke for first 3 hours. Finally hit 161 at 12:05 am and removed from smoker, covered and rested for another 20 minutes. I couldn't wait any longer, I had to try it. It was awesome, wife had already gone to be, so she did not try until the next day. When I arrived home from work, I asked if she had tried the chicken, and how was it. She kinda curled up her face and yes, and it kinda reminded her of her grandmothers moccasins. I knew I was in big trouble. I ate the rest of the chicken, she wasn't having any of that. Undaunted, I went to Costco and purchased a 10lb pork loin the next day. I cut in in 3 pieces, 2 roasts and 4 chops. I hopefully have attached a couple of pictures of the chicken and will start a new thread on the pork loin.

[mikecorn.1]

Nice first smoke!  Don't close the vent on the Bradley. You want to let as much moisture as you can out and also you don't want any smoke backing up into the smoke generator. 
Read this Black Rain

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[Silvergrizz]

I had stopped the smoke after 3 hours, but left the smoker on thinking it would provide a little extra heat. The temp only started to rise after I closed the vent. Outside ambient temp was around 40f, so that was adding to the issue of getting the temp higher. Interesting read on the black rain all the same.

[mikecorn.1]

Before I added a second element I also would leave the smoke generator on for extra heat.


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[KyNola]

The biggest problem I see with your chicken was that you preheated the Bradley to only 200 degrees then opened the door(all of your heat escaped) and placed a cold chicken in it which acted as a heat sink.  You need to preheat the Bradley as high as you can get it, place the chicken in it and set the heat for 250.

As Mike mentioned, leave the smoke generator on for an added heat source.  You're going to get a different opinion on the vent but as for me, I never close my vent entirely.

[beefmann]

great job... looks very good

[Smoker John]

Very nice for a first smoke, I leave my smoke generator for a little extra heat. I agree with KyNola and heat mine up very hot due to the heat loss when adding food. I have my vent mostly closed when I pre-heat and open it up when I place my food in.

[Silvergrizz]

Good to know, I will keep this in mind for my next effort. Weather is getting colder here, but it is my intention to use this all winter if possible. I have always BBQ'd year round, hoping for the same with this.

[TedEbear]

Weather is getting colder here, but it is my intention to use this all winter if possible. I have always BBQ'd year round, hoping for the same with this.

You might consider adding some insulation for the really cold weather.  Check out these ideas:

Smoker Blanket

New Space Age Bradley Prototype

[Habanero Smoker]

I had stopped the smoke after 3 hours, but left the smoker on thinking it would provide a little extra heat. The temp only started to rise after I closed the vent. Outside ambient temp was around 40f, so that was adding to the issue of getting the temp higher. Interesting read on the black rain all the same.

You shouldn't close the vent completely. That will cause smoke residue and moisture to back up into your generator, and as pointed out cause black rain. After the chicken has released most of it moisture from the skin, you can start closing the vent to improve your temperature, but you should leave it open at least 1/4, and if you see smoke still backing out of the generator, or the temperature started to drop, then set the vent it to 1/2 opening.

When your wife referred to it as reminding her of her mother's moccasins, was she referring to the skin or taste. If it was the skin, most of us will take the chicken out of the smoker at some stage, and finish it in a hot oven or on a grill. When I can, I generally will remove the chicken or turkey after applying smoke and finish it in the oven. That will improve the texture of the skin.

[tskeeter]

Griz, I've done a couple of 9 pound turkey breasts over the past couple of weekends.  Here on the eastern slopes of the Sierras it gets down right windy, so I've learned how to compensate for changing temps and high winds. 

My secret is three smoking bricks wrapped in foil.  Preheat the smoker to 250 for an hour.  Preheat the bricks to 400 degrees in the oven for an hour.  The turkey has been about 45 degrees when it went in the smoker.  It had been on the kitchen counter for an hour or so, but was still cold.  Then added the hot bricks.  The bricks did a nice job of compensating for the thermal load of cold bird and I didn't have problems with getting up to temp with the afternoon winds like I have had in the past.

I work in a business that has a metal fab shop.  I figured out that if I got some blocks of scrap stainless to use for heat sinks, I could do away with wrapping bricks in foil and just throw the heat sinks in the dishwasher to clean them after use.   

[Silvergrizz]

"Smoking bricks" what size are they? I assume they are some kind of fire brick? Not much room around the bowl, but I certainly like the concept. Pictures?

[KyNola]

They don't have to be fire bricks.  Any brick, like the ones you may have lining your flower bed will work just fine.  Wrap 'em in foil and place in the bottom of the tower.  I know some folks will put them in their house oven and heat up 'em on high for a while and then transfer them to the tower to help retain heat in the Bradley tower.