PID Question from Rookie

[Big Frank]

Got the 4 rack digital from Santa. I have read a lot about PID's. Do I really need one and if so where is the best place to get it from.  Do I go with the dual probe or not. I will be usually smoking ribs, chicken, salmon and occasional briskets. Are they difficult to install?  Sorry for all the newbie questions!

[beefmann]

welcome aboard, Do not worry about the questions,,,as for  the pid There are dual probe ones already built through auber as well as others available... with some programming.. to get to know your smoker.. other then that there plug and play...

this should be the unit that would be the easiest to use gives you the smoker temp and meat temp

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=151

be sure you  do the auto tune and only have to do this once

[mikecorn.1]

I have a 4 rack digital. I got the PID when I installed a second element. Only cause I started to do sausage and snack sticks.
You really don't need it. Unless you need tight temps.


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[tskeeter]

Frank, many long time Bradley users suggest that you use your stock smoker a bit before deciding if you want to invest in a PID.  From your list, only the salmon may benefit from tighter temperature control than the 20 degree or so +/- the set point that your stock smoker provides.

Many of the folks who hang out here use a PID for one of two reasons.  They need the tight temperature control a PID provides because they are smoking temperature sensitive items such as fish or sausage.  Or, because they have modified their smoker with additional heating elements, or non-stock heating elements, to reduce temperature recovery times or reduce preheat times when smoking outdoors in very cold climates.  (The controls in a Bradley aren't designed to handle the 900 watt and 1,000 watt heating elements that some folks have put in their smokers.  So, they use a PID that will handle the electrical load as the temperature controller, rather than the built in temperature controls.)  On the other hand, the low cost, low tech approach to improving temperature recovery times is to add a heat sink or two to your smoker.  The heat sinks I use every once in a while are simply foil wrapped bricks.  They provide a lot of thermal mass that helps stabilize the temperature in your smoker and help the temperature recover quickly when you open the door.

The brick thing works so well that I used some bricks I had warmed up in the oven to help keep stuffing that I had prepared for a work pot luck lunch at safe temperatures for over four hours.  Some newpaper in the bottom of a cooler.  Heated bricks.  Pans of hot stuffing, fresh out of the oven.  Cover the pans with a bath towel.  At serving time, the pans were still so warm you needed pot holders to handle them.

By the way, if you are trying to cold smoke during warm weather, some frozen bricks would help keep the temperature in your smoker cabinet down.  Some folks use pans of ice.  I think frozen bricks are less hassle to handle.   

[GusRobin]

As tskeeter said, play with it a bit and see if you like it as is. That said, you didn't say if you have the 4 rack digital or obs. I have the obs and I like the PID for the timing aspect. I also have the 2nd element installed. If you are installing the second element, you need to have some type of controller.
If you get a PID, most folks use Auber PIDs. Some buy the plug and play, others have bought the one you hook up yourself. Either case, I recommend you not get the wall mounted probe. It limits flexibility. Get the "dangling" probe.

[KyNola]

Got the 4 rack digital from Santa.

Frank, I have the digital 4 rack just like you.  I have a brand new Auber dual probe PID.  It's still in the box as I have not needed it because I have not gotten into sausage making yet.  When I do I will utilize the Auber or some other device for tighter temp controls.

I would highly recommend you learn to use your new smoker "as is" before you make the decision.

[Silvergrizz]

I am a newbie, only had my Bradley digital for 3 months, but I just love the Auber dual pid. First off, I am in eastern Canada, and it does get cold here. I bought the Auber primarily for cold smoking. I plan on smoking a lot of salmon and cheese. I discovered that if it is too cold, you lose the benefits of cold smoking. Temps need to be around 70 o 80 to maximize benefit. Cheese I cold smoked leaked color. I just finished a 3 day triple smoke on my first batch of bacon that would have been impossible without pid control.  Bacon stayed in smoker for 55 hours, average ambient temp 15F, pid maintained a constant 80F without issue. You have o deed what you want to smoke, as others have said, basic unit is fantastic, unless you need precise control for salmon, or northern Canadian winters.

Grizz

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