Revisiting An Old Friend... The Smoker.

[Orion]

Hello to the members.

I am in Northern British Columbia and excited to start using a smoker again after a 15 year hiatus.  I used to use a Little Chief to smoke salmon, trout and make venison jerky. I had a successful hunting season and now have the trim from a moose, 2 deer and a black bear. I have been reading this forum for about 2 weeks and decided to invest in a BDS 4 rack, (couldn't locate a 6 and wanted it pronto). My 3 children will be working with me as they love the kitchen and are requesting more of the jerky I used to make.

There is a huge amount of good info and knowledge on this site. I will be referring to it constantly and trying to learn the finer points of this hobby. One thing I have learned here is that it is recommended to spend some time using the smoker before attempting to make sausage. Well, I'm jumping into the sausage pretty quick here and feel confident in doing so.

Reading here has made it clear I need a good temp controller (PID) to be successful and later would be wise to add a fan mod. Hoping to get a little advise as I start this learning curve.

Thanks to you all for all the effort you have put into this site and all the great contributions that you have posted. I sense that this is a really good group of people who are all pulling in the same direction. 

[Quarlow]

Welcome to the forum. You are going to love this place. Any questions just ask.

[Orion]

Thanks Quarlow! Seems like a great bunch of helpful people here. Pensrock is already helping me to get the controller I posted about up and running. Looking fwd to getting familiar with all the in's and out's of smoking quality products and being able to offer some input.

[Quarlow]

Yup there are no bad heads here. Just a big extended family.

[dave01]

Welcome to the forum from sunny Luzon

[dman4505]

welcome
yes everyone here is very helpful
we have an understanding here that there is no such thing as a stupid question
we were all beginners at one point

Don

[Orion]

Thanks for the welcome dave01 and dman4505. Yes, no stupid questions, however is there a limit to the number of questions cause I'll have a few? Just joking.

[Quarlow]

No limits man. There are too many good people here, someone will have the answer or a good idea or great suggestion. And we don't care if the question has been ask  and the answer is somewhere in the infinitium. Just ask, we got ya.

[TedEbear]

however is there a limit to the number of questions cause I'll have a few? Just joking.

I'd answer that but you've already used up your question quota for the month.   ;D

As long as I'm here I'll send you my new user welcome kit that I sometimes post. 

Here are a few links to get you started:

Our Time Tested and Proven Recipes

Frogmats Non-Stick High Temperature Smoker / Jerky Screen 10" x 13"

Maverick Wireless BBQ Thermometer Set - Maverick ET733

Bradley Smoker Bisquette Saver

Bradley Smoker FAQs

There are more but try those out before getting into things like enclosures for storing your Bradley outdoors, mods to your smoker, etc.  I'm sure someone will be along to help you with those if you're interested. I know you already have plans for a Honeywell PID controller.

Take some before/after pics of your efforts and post them if you're so inclined.  People around here like to see pics.

Adding pictures to posts on the Bradley Smoker Forum

[Orion]

Great stuff TB. I just got in with all the ingredients for "Jan's Rub" and mixed it all up. I'm lucky in that all the ingredients are readily available unlike some of our friends overseas who have to have it shipped in. Storing it in a mason jar with lid.

Peeled silver skin and about to season ribs. Then unbox the BDS. Bought 4 bricks and they are currently warming to remove moisture. Then I will wrap them with tin foil. I'm thinking the foil is simply to keep things clean and more hygienic. I'll let you all know how the smoker performs on it's first job. That Madonna song  " Like a Virgin" keeps running through my head!

[Jim O]

Welcome from Wasaga Beach Ont. I may have missed it,but I'm sure you seasoned your smoker prior to using it .

[Orion]

Nice to hear from Ontario Jim O. It is seasoning as I type. Preheated four bricks to 325' F, wrapped in foil and placed inside BSD. Five hickory pucks, preheat burner 20 min. and set oven temp to 170' F.  Came up to temp and overshot it by 15 ' within 20 minutes. Now the oven has cycled off and its undershooting by 12'.

This doesn't come as a surprise as it's all detailed on this site. I can see now the need for the controller if you are doing more sensitive products such as sausage and fish.

I was impressed by the packaging for the BDS, someone thought it out to reduce shipping damage.