Oven not reaching target temperature

[plawlor]

I just bought the Bradley 4-rack Digital Smopker yesterday at Canadian Tire. Did the seasoning thing and then attempted some ribs. I wanted to cook at 225F for 3.5 hours. The highest temperature I was able to achieve, according to the digital display, was 189F. I evened cranked the oven temp to the max and was still not able to get above 189F.  However, I'm not sure it was really that high as it took about 9 hours to properly cook the ribs.

Is this what others have experienced? How can I rectify this as I need to get to temps of 225-250F.

Thanks,
Peter

[tskeeter]

Peter, can you tell us more about the conditions when you were cooking the ribs?  Stuff like how many racks of ribs, temperature where the smoker was located, wind, did you preheat the smoker, did you use hot or cold water in the puck bowl, etc.  And, did you have the puck burner running in addition to the heating element?

By the way, an issue that happens with many new digital smokers is that the cord connections between the smoker cabinet and the smoke generator didn't get properly seated when the cord were connected.  Frequently, these cords fit tight, so it feels like they are completely seated, but they aren't.  Worth a double check as this is the easiest fix.

Another note.  When I do baby back ribs, I plan on 4.5 to 5.5 hours.  With St. Louis style ribs, it will take about 6 hours, give or take. 

[plawlor]

I had two half racks of ribs in all 4 racks of the unit - 8 half racks of ribs in all.

The unit was outside and it was a chilly day - about 3C. It was in a sherletred area, so wind should not have been a factor. Yes, the puck burner was running in addition to the oven. I think I likely used cold water in the puck bowl.

I'll double check the cords.

Thanks,
Peter

[tskeeter]

Because the Bradley was designed as a low and slow smoker, it doesn't have a very big heating element, only 500 watts.  625 watts with the puck burner running.  There are some things you can do to compensate.

Since you were smoking outside, I assume you were using an extension cord.  You need a good heavy one.  And, as short as possible.  I use a 25 foot, 12 gauge extension cord.  (I always go bigger is better.)  A short 14 gauge cord should work, though.  A light extension cord, like you'd use for a lamp, won't cut it.

Having other appliances that draw a lot of power, such as garage refrigerators or microwaves, on the same circuit as your smoker can starve your smoker for enough power to do the job.  The safe operating capacity of a 15 amp circuit is 12 amps.  Your smoker is drawing about 5.2 to 5.7 amps.  That doesn't leave a  lot of circuit capacity for other appliances.  It's best to have your smoker on a dedicated, or lightly used, circuit.

When you preheat the smoker, preheat to a higher temp than the temp you want to smoke at.  The idea here is to heat up the smoker, v-tray, etc., so that it has extra heat to release to the meat you are adding to the smoker.  Some folks preheat to about 275F, then reset the smoker to their smoking temp when the meat goes in.

Several forum members keep a foil wrapped brick or two in the bottom of their smoker or on the sides of their v-tray.  The bricks act as heat sinks, collecting heat during the preheat and releasing the heat to the meat, or allowing for faster temperature recovery when you open the smoker door.

Use boiling, or close to boiling, water in your puck bowl.  Water absorbs a lot of BTU's of heat.  Using hot water means the heating element can heat the meat, and not the water.

Make sure your vent is open.  I know it seems counter intuitive, but a closed vent traps the moisture that is being released from the meat.  So the moisture is absorbing heat rather than exhausting from your smoker.  Your smoker temperature can actually go up when the moisture can exhaust from the cabinet.  For the amount of meat you had in the smoker, your vent should be open about half way.  Allowing the moisture to exhaust also prevents the moisture from condensing on the top of your smoker cabinet and dripping back onto your food in the form of "black rain".  "Black rain" doesn't taste good.

Your temp was a bit chilly, and that will have some impact on your temperature and cooking time.  Wind seems to affect Bradleys as much, or more than chilly temperatures.  For some reason, a breeze just seems to suck the heat out of your smoker.  When the conditions get too cold and breezy, or if I'm cooking large amounts of eat (like 30 pounds), I'll sometimes, smoke in the smoker, then move the meat to the oven to finish cooking.  If I'm feeling more patient, I just try to make sure the smoker is well protected from the wind.

Another key is to avoid opening your smoker door any more than necessary.  Every time you open the door, you add 15 minutes or so to your cooking time.  For large cuts of meat, I use a remote thermometer so I can keep track of how the cooking is progressing without opening the smoker.

One last option is to upgrade the heating capacity of your smoker.  Several impatient forum members have modified their smokers to add a second heating element or to change to a higher capacity finned style heating element.  The down side to these modifications is that they void your Bradley warranty, require a bit of rewiring, and that they require an after market temperature controller because the Bradley wiring is not rated for the power drawn by the heating element modifications.  These mods might be worth considering if you are planning to smoke temperature sensitive products, such as fish, cheese, or sausages.  The stock heat control system allows for temperature fluctuations that can range 20F +/- your set point.  This range works perfectly well for most things you will smoke.  A temperature controller, such as a PID, can control the temperature to abut 2F+/- your set point.  But, many forum members are using fully stock smokers and have done so for years and years.

Hope this provides you with some resolution to your challenges.  Bradleys are a great food preparation tool.  But, it does take some practice to learn how they work and how to use them.  And, patience helps, too.   

[plawlor]

Thank you. Those are some good tips which I will try.

I can definitely try the foil wrapped brick plus boiling water in the pan. I'm pretty sure my extension cord was good and was plugged into a circuit without anything else running on it.

I definitely opened the door 3-4 times to re-apply oil/vinegar mix and my BBQ sauce. Do people not do that?  Just apply up-front and leave it?

Thanks,
Peter

[TedEbear]

I definitely opened the door 3-4 times to re-apply oil/vinegar mix and my BBQ sauce. Do people not do that?  Just apply up-front and leave it?

There's an old BBQ saying, "If you're lookin' you're not cookin'."   :)

[tskeeter]

Thank you. Those are some good tips which I will try.

I can definitely try the foil wrapped brick plus boiling water in the pan. I'm pretty sure my extension cord was good and was plugged into a circuit without anything else running on it.

I definitely opened the door 3-4 times to re-apply oil/vinegar mix and my BBQ sauce. Do people not do that?  Just apply up-front and leave it?

Thanks,
Peter

Peter, I don't baste my ribs.  I find they are moist enough to suit me without basting.  For sauce, I'll sauce the ribs when cooking is nearly complete, then return the ribs to the smoker for about 20 minutes to cook some of the water out of the sauce.

It may take some experimentation to find what method works best for your tastes.  If you're basting with oil and vinegar to add some vinegar tang to your ribs, I'd think you could brush on some vinegar when you put the ribs in the smoker and get the flavor you are looking for. 

[Caneyscud]

I grew up with the open pit style of bbq - mopping was a way of life.  I still do whether in a big stickburner or my un-modified digital.  Its what I like - its what I do.  If the cook takes a little longer - so be it.  I've planned for it and Im not going anywhere until its done!  Barbecueing is supposed to be relaxing and fun - not an extreme sport adrenaline ride!  Opening the door has more of an impact before the meat gets up to a reasonably hot temperature.  The Bradley has no heat mass to store heat and when the meat gets up to a reasonably hot temperature - it acts as a heat mass.  ribs not so much though.  Baste, mop - its a good thing, just expect a little longer cook time.   I don't do sauce, but if you do - probably better as previously said at the last.  Burnt sugar to me is not what I want. 

[plawlor]

Thanks for your input everyone. I tried again last night. This time with Atlantic salmon. Prior to starting, I bought a good 30ft, 12 gauge extension cord and re-seated all of the cables firmly. I put two foil wrapped bricks in the base of the unit. And I boiled the water for the drip pan. The air temperature was still a cool 6-7C, but the wind was quite calm.

I set the unit for 220C and it was up to temp at 210 or so within 20 minutes. Much better than the last time. I then cooked for 2.5 hrs at 210-220C, smoking with Hickory for 2 hrs. I opened the door a few times to check my meat thermometer and to put the onions and shrimp in. Each time, I only lost a few degrees and it was back up to temp in minutes.

The result was fantastic! Cooked completely through, but very moist and flavorful. Best salmon I've ever made.  I'm going to try pork loin on the weekend.

Thanks again for your help everyone,
Peter

[TedEbear]

I set the unit for 220C and it was up to temp at 210 or so within 20 minutes. Much better than the last time. I then cooked for 2.5 hrs at 210-220C, smoking with Hickory for 2 hrs.

Glad you got it working like you want it.  However, did you mean 220F instead of 220C?  220C is 428*F and I guarantee you that the Bradley would shut down long before it got that hot.   :)

[tskeeter]

Glad to hear that things went better for you with your salmon smoke.  It won't be long before you'll be getting that smoke house hero award.

[plawlor]

I set the unit for 220C and it was up to temp at 210 or so within 20 minutes. Much better than the last time. I then cooked for 2.5 hrs at 210-220C, smoking with Hickory for 2 hrs.

Glad you got it working like you want it.  However, did you mean 220F instead of 220C?  220C is 428*F and I guarantee you that the Bradley would shut down long before it got that hot.   :)

Oops, yes, that was supposed to be *F and not *C...