takes 1 hour to get smoker up to temp..

[walleyeking48]

I have the 6 rack digital.   Is this normal?  I have it inside my garage away from the wind and it's 42 degrees in the garage.  I am very green when it comes to smoking.  Ok actually it's my first time and I'm trying to smoke some St Louis ribs for the family after the GOPHERS football game. 

[TedEbear]

That depends.  Do you already have the ribs in the smoker?  If so, then that might be normal due to the cold meat, especially if you have a lot of ribs in there. If you started out with a bowl of cold water in the bottom and it is 42*F in the garage it is going to take a bit longer to reach the setpoint.  You can help things along by putting hot water in the bowl when preheating.  I've been running a modified version of my Bradley (two 500W elements) for so long I forgot how long it took to get up to temp when it was stock.

If you're just preheating it and the cabinet is still empty and it isn't even close to reaching the setpoint then I'd say it might not be normal.  Here are a few quick things to check if that's the case.

1. Do not use it with an extension cord.  I believe it states this in the owner's manual.
2. Keep the vent open, at least halfway or more.
3. Be sure all the plugs are fully seated.  The plugs on a new smoker are tight and it sometimes requires a little extra force to plug them in all the way.  Try unplugging each connector and reseating, with emphasis on pushing them in tight.
4. Is the 500W main element glowing red?  If not, there might be a loose connection inside the smoke generator.  If all the above doesn't solve the heat problem you can check the connections inside the SG.  Remove the perimeter screws on the SG and it opens up like a clamshell. Check each connection in there.  Unplug it from the wall outlet first, of course.   :)

[walleyeking48]

It seems to take that long all the time.   It takes 1 hour to pre heat with nothing in it.  I believe it's under insulated and under powered for anything under 50*.  I've done ribs, turkey, Boston butt.  They all turn out good but it seems that the generator is very touchy.  Now I can't get any smoke even though the element is hot to the touch.  If I have to keep messing with the connections I might as well get a charcoal smoker. I love the idea buts it's getting expensive going through briquettes and meat without getting to eat it since it doesn't work  right.   I guess I'm going to take it back and exchange the generator and hope for better results.   By the way yes the element does glow red.

How can I add another heating element without getting expensive or technical.?

[dave01]

There are 2 popular heating element upgrades here, 1 is the extra 500 watt and the other is the 900 watt that I and many others use. Both will require the use of a PID. Search for Heating element mods in the search area and there is a lot of information

[Habanero Smoker]

Make sure that your bisquette burner is free of built up residue. If it is free of residue, check your connections, and make sure they are tight, that includes the burner connection inside the generator.

Another cause may be that you are not getting enough wattage. Make sure there are no other appliances on that same circuit that are drawing a lot of power. If you are using an extension cord, use the shortage one possible, and make sure it is 14 gauge or larger.

[walleyeking48]

Thank you for all the replies.   I decided to go with a different smoker all together.   I need something reliable if I am going to spend that kind of money.   I checked the usual things ( connections,  wattage,  no extension cord).  I really don't understand why it works great then the next time it doesn't work.  I changed nothing.  Again thank you to all that replied.  And good luck to all of you that have a Bradley.