Microwave / Conventional Oven

[RJR1876]

Dear Smokers,

I have modified my bradley for cold smoke, and now it's too slow to get the temperature upto 160F for hot smoking, especially if I smoke 6 or 7 kilo at once. In fact, it takes more than 6 hours to get the bradley to 180F. So I wonder if I finish cooking the meat in a conventional oven / microwave to bring the internal temperature to 165F, after it have fully smoked? A lot of recipes require no smoke during the cooking phase of the smoking process, so an oven should make no difference right? BTW, how abt changing the heating element of the bradley to a higher rating? have anyone tried this before???

Thanks.

[Habanero Smoker]

I have a Microwave/Convectional Oven, and I would have to say as long as you just use the convectional setting it will be alright. It is the same as finishing it off in an oven. If I were doing this, I would use a small roasting pan, or a pan that has a rack so the fat can drip away from the meat. Set the temperature to about 225F until you reach the desired temperature.

I'm curious about your set up. Did you do a permanent modification?

[asa]

RJR:
I have routinely smoked for 3-4 hours and then finished cooking in the oven - works for me. I don't know how to send you links to my posts, but they've all been in the past 6 weeks or so, one in the past week. Someday I'll try the ftc but for now, that is what I find easiest, especially with a full smoker that takes a long time to heat things up.

Art

[RJR1876]

My modification is permanent in the sense that I used a flexible aluminium hose to connect the smoke generator (in its own stainless steel box) into the bradley. All these joints have been sealed with high temperature gasket and tightened with screw. I am just uncomfortable with dryer hose, and smoke leaking out from all the joints. The problem with this setup is that the heat loss is very high. In fact, the hose itself is warm during hot smoke. With this additional heat plus the originally low rated heater in a bradley, the meat takes hours and hours to cook. My worst experience was during a family dinner, I have to ask every one to be patient for the fantastic smoked chicken breast, even after we had our dessert  :'(


I can post a picture of it if anyone shows me the way.

[TomG]

Increase your cabinet's heating capacity ie:


I think the BS system is dependent on air intake through or around the generator.  Is it possible that you've done such a good job of sealing that there's no or little air flow?  When I cold smoke with my remote setup  the dryer hose stays cool and there is no appreciable smoke leakage except from the vent.

[TomG]

RJ, sorry I read your posting to say that the hose got warm while cold smoking.  Here's what I do to keep my hose cool when using the cabinet in oven mode.

[winemakers]

RJ, sorry I read your posting to say that the hose got warm while cold smoking.  Here's what I do to keep my hose cool when using the cabinet in oven mode.

Tom,

Where did you get your aux heater?  I am considering installing one and I have'nt seen this style yet.

thanks,

mld

[RJR1876]

Dear Tom,

I'm actually thinking of the same thing (blocking the hole) but wonder about the effectiveness if  I use just a simple metal plate without insulation. How good is yours?

Instead of an aux heater, does anyone know where to get a similar heating element as the bradley with a higher wattage?

thanks

[jaeger]

My suggestion would be to adjust your cold smoke set up so that it is not permanent.
When you are hot smoking using the original design, the smoke generator is left on during the entire smoke/cook by many of us here to increase the heat in the box. When the the wood is smoking , the smoker is the hottest. If you want more heat, use the original design.
If you want less heat with your cold smoke set up, try using a larger box that your smoke generator is fitted into and unplug the heat element at the cabinet.
Hope this helps.

[TomG]

MLD(Winemaker)

The aux. is a 120v, 350w Vulcan SS finned heater strip that I picked up on eBay for about $15.  The fit is near perfect and installation relatively easy.  Decided on a heater strip because 3 different tech supporters that I asked to recommend a heating element that would stand up to 1-2 minute pid cycling all suggested the strip. Except for a little GFI problem the mod. works well. Besides the obvious advantage of more and faster heating, it allows me to turn off the generator after cold or warm smoking and seems to correct the intra oven temp differential problem without a fan. At set temp there was only 3-5* differences between front and back and top and bottom.  I rewired the system so that the strip is controlled with the slide rheostat and the BS element has a separate switch and fuse.

[asa]

I wonder if I finish cooking the meat in a conventional oven / microwave to bring the internal temperature to 165F, after it have fully smoked? A lot of recipes require no smoke during the cooking phase of the smoking process, so an oven should make no difference right?

As I've posted here before, I have routinely smoked butts or ribs for 3-4 hours, then put them in a convection oven, covered, to finish cooking. As I promised I would do, I did my last two butts yesterday using the ftc method for the first time in order to compare techniques. I put 'em in Monday night, smoked for 4 hours (along with a rack of spareribs and a small pastrami), and then left them in the BS overnight with the Maverick by the bedside. I got up a couple of times to adjust the temp slightly. Then after about 16 hours in the BS, did the ftc number for about 3 hours. Temp dropped from ~185 to around 165 F during this time. The resulting pulled pork was as good as or better than anything I've done by my previous method. Some differences include the following. The bark was darker and thicker, as one might predict. And the surface meat was a little drier/overcooked, but that I shaved off with the bark and chopped up fine so it was no problem. The Ms. said this was the best batch yet, so there's a strong vote for the superiority of the ftc method. (on the other hand, I'm becoming suspect - she's said that about every batch I've made) The main downside seems to be the need to tend the BS for many more hours, worrying about temp control. That and the loss of the juices as they accumulate in the bottom of the pan in the oven. But the result was certainly excellent. Unfortunately, I changed more than one variable in this experiment, so it is difficult to assess totally the cooking techniques. Another variable that I think made a difference in the taste is that without the pan juices to pour back on, I added twice as much as usual of my Lexington style sauce to the pulled/chopped pork. This gave it a little more of the sauce flavor, which contributes significantly to the flavor difference. Another difference is that previously I've used a lot of boned shoulders, and these were whole butts. Otherwise, the meat was as moist as what I get with it covered in the oven, much to my surprise. That was a concern I won't have the next time. So I just wanted to report that youse guys wuz right and I'm a believer. But both techniques seem to produce excellent results. So I'm thinking that if I want to do a double batch, pulling the first set of butts at 4 hours and putting them in the oven while I smoke the second batch, that might be a good plan. Otherwise, I'll probably try to learn more about controlling my BS and using the ftc technique when I can. Damn, I wish I had a fan in there for circulation! That may need to be another project soon.

Low & slow, etc, etc, . . . . .

[iceman]

Interesting project you did there asa. Thanks for taking the time to post your findings. This kind of thing sure helps many of us out in future smokes. When you did the ftc did you add any juice or other liquid before you wrapped it up?

[asa]

When you did the ftc did you add any juice or other liquid before you wrapped it up?

Iceman -
No I didn't. But now that you mention it, that might have softened the bark some and rehydrated the layer just underneath. But I wanted to see what the extreme would do. And adding that would have lowered the temp, unless I heated it first, and I wanted to get it into the cooler asap. Turned out great as it was. On the other hand, I usuall do splash them with my Lexington-style sauce when I put them in the oven in a covered roasting pan.

It just occurred to me, after playing my single annual round of golf last week, that smoking is a lot like golf - a seemingly infinite number of different shots to try, each one with an infinite number of ways to do it.

So it goes,
     Art