Cold Weather Smoking

[Smokesmore]

As some of you may know I'm from Fargo, ND (Yes, we beat out Juneau, Alaska for worst weather).  Obviously I know it's going to be difficult using my BDS 4 rack in -30 degrees fahrenheit. What I did notice this last weekend when we had a heat wave (30+ degrees) my Bradley struggled to maintain 225 degrees.  It took a good hour to get there and when it finally did it would fluctuate 209-225.  I'm pretty confident that if I went any higher it wouldn't have been able to do it.  Anyone else ever experience this? The BDS is a new machine for me so any feedback will help.

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[Saber 4]

Wind seems to effect cabinet temps more than outside temps so try to keep it out of the wind, you can use boiling water in your water bowl during the smoke time and replace with a 9x13 cake pan full of boiling water after the smoke is done. Others use foil covered bricks that are heated up and placed in the cabinet to help with heat retention. Also if you don't have one get a remote type probe thermometer so you don't have to open the cabinet that often. Others with more experience will be along to offer their advice, go with what works for your situation best.

[tskeeter]

Smokes, the temperature fluctuation that you experienced is pretty normal.  Bradley smokers, when fully heated, usually will operate in a range that is about 20F +/- your temperature set point.  That is pretty common among these types of appliances, including your home oven.  And the fluctuations aren't a problem with what you are smoking unless you are smoking a temperature sensitive product, such as sausages or fish.

In respect to the long preheat time and that your Bradley appeared to struggle to reach  and maintain 225F, I'm not surprised.  The Bradley is designed as a long duration, low temperature smoker.  The heating element only puts out 500 watts, or the equivalent of about five 100 watt light bulbs.  You can easily smoke at low temperatures.  And the Bradley excels at the low temp thing.  But cooking can be a challenge when the ambient temperature is low or it is windy.  (Wind seems to really just suck the heat out of your Bradley.)  And putting large amounts of cold meat into your smoker can cause long heat recovery times.

Forum members have developed several techniques to address the Bradley's limited heating capacity.  The most basic is to smoke in your smoker, and do the cooking phase of your food preparation in your oven.  Works well.  Especially if you are working with large amounts of meat.  If you have a problem with windy conditions, as I do, it helps to shelter your smoker from the wind.  I have put together a "smoker house" that gets my smoker out of the garage, shelters it from the elements, and keeps all my smoking supplies at my finger tips.  Others have constructed insulation wraps and the like to reduce heat loss in cold weather.  It also helps to let the product you are smoking warm up for an hour or so before putting it in the smoker.  That way your smoker doesn't have to contend with a 35 degree piece of meat that just came out of the refrigerator.  Using boiling water, or close to boiling water in your puck bowl helps, too.  Cold water absorbs a lot of the heat that the heating element is putting out, so lighten the heating load by using hot water.  A couple of foil wrapped bricks tucked into the bottom of your smoker will absorb heat while your smoker is preheating and release the heat to whatever you are smoking, helping it come up to the cooked temperature faster.  The brick heat sinks also stabilize the temperature and help with heat recovery when you need to open the smoker door.  Some forum members use the puck burner to augment the heating capacity of the heating element.  They keep the puck burner operating after they have completed the smoking phase of their cook.  The puck burner adds about 25% to the heat generating capacity of the stock smoker.

So, all is not lost.  You can use your Bradley throughout the cold ND winter.  (I lived in Grand Forks for a few years, so I understand what kind of cold weather and wind you get.)  Many folks in cold parts of AK and Canada swear by their Bradleys.  Just takes a few techniques to get the most out of your Bradley that you can.   

[Smokesmore]

Excellent, tskeeter. Thanks for the info as it is very helpful.

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[TedEbear]

Don't forget the dual element mod, with two 500W elements in the chamber and a PID controller to handle the power and temp fluctuations.  Doing this to a new Bradley will void the warranty but those of use who have done it will never go back. 

[drano]

Vell, ven Sven an Ole do da smokin, don't ya know,  ;D

I'm a few hour's drive down I-29 from you, and normally don't smoke in the winter. 
But I'd recommend a storage shed to keep the wind off, as recommended above.  My smoker lives in a plastic shed like available from Menards, etc. 
If it needs more help, either do the dual heat element mod, or the 900 watt finned heater mod.  Then you'll need a PID to control that higher power.  I've got the Auber plug-n-play.  But it won't function until the temp sensor gets to about 30 deg, so I use an electric space heater to warm up the smoker until the PID likes the temp. 
And hot water in the bowl, leaving the puck burner on, etc, that were mentioned above, help.

[tailfeathers]

Vell, ven Sven an Ole do da smokin, don't ya know,  ;D

I'm a few hour's drive down I-29 from you, and normally don't smoke in the winter. 
But I'd recommend a storage shed to keep the wind off, as recommended above.  My smoker lives in a plastic shed like available from Menards, etc. 
If it needs more help, either do the dual heat element mod, or the 900 watt finned heater mod.  Then you'll need a PID to control that higher power.  I've got the Auber plug-n-play.  But it won't function until the temp sensor gets to about 30 deg, so I use an electric space heater to warm up the smoker until the PID likes the temp. 
And hot water in the bowl, leaving the puck burner on, etc, that were mentioned above, help.

Drano-I have a single probe Auber pid that I use in single digit or even slightly below zero temps. I just hold the probe in my hand to get the element to kick in.


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[tailfeathers]

Oh and the 900 watt finned element


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[drano]

tailfeathers,
waaay too simple.
I"ll have to give that a try next time.

[tailfeathers]

Doesn't take long for the 900 watt element combined with the puck burner on the SG to raise the temp in the cabinet to 15-20F, then you can put the probe in and the pid will control the element from there.


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[devo]

Even better if you take a cup of hot water out with you and drop the tip into it till your ready to close the door and go back inside where its warm. I have even used my PIC lighter for a few seconds to heat the probe up but I gave up smoking cigarettes. What ever it takes.