Thinking about purchasing a smoker...

[Tex S]

Over the weekend I have been researching electric smokers for smoking sausage, cheese, and meats. I like the Bradley design, especially the wood puck design, as I'm trying to get as close to "set it and forget it" as I can.

Over the years I have had many wood burning smokers, but I found out last weekend that they just aren't real good for sausage making. The evenness of the heat just isn't there and creates too many problems. Couple this with a busy schedule (not enough time to tend a fire all day) and you have a perfect candidate for a new electric smoker.

I do have a few questions, though. I hope y'all can help me.

1) Is the Bradley Digital Smoker's electronic system extremely inaccurate? Would I be better off buying an Original smoker and adding a PID?

2) What PID is working the best for y'all? I like the Auber WSD1200GPH, but the Cyber Q looks really cool too. I'm a tech geek.

3) Will the above mentioned PID's control the length of time the element for burning pucks is activated, or do they just control the main element?

4) I live in North Texas. Temps can easily get into the 30's with substantial wind. Will my unit need to be modded with an extra element to get it to heat properly and quickly? I do most of my smoking in the winter time.

5) What are the hot spots like in these smokers? Will a circulation fan mod help? Is it necessary?

6) Can I cold smoke with the unit "as is", or will I need to purchase an accessory?

I want to make the cooking process as hands off as possible. I will still keep my wood burning smokers for drinking beer and cooking, but I need something more precise for my sausage making. I also really like the idea of electric so I can smoke things with a small time investment. It seems like an electric smoker will make it possible for me to have smoked food during the week... not just on the weekends when I have 8 hours to tend to a fire.

Any input would be greatly appreciated... I want to place an order this week. I'd like to keep total costs under $500. If it goes any higher than that, I will consider purchasing a Cookshack smoker.

[Gafala]

Here are my answers others will have theres.

2) What PID is working the best for y'all? Auber for me.

3) Will the above mentioned PID's control the length of time the element for burning pucks is activated, or do they just control the main element? They control the temp only, pucks still controlled by Bradley electronics.

4) I live in North Texas. Temps can easily get into the 30's with substantial wind. Will my unit need to be modded with an extra element to get it to heat properly and quickly? I do most of my smoking in the winter time.

I added a 900w unit to mine and I wouldn't go back.

5) What are the hot spots like in these smokers? Will a circulation fan mod help? Is it necessary?

No fan on mine works great.

6) Can I cold smoke with the unit "as is", or will I need to purchase an accessory?

You can cold smoke with out the cold smoke accessory, to do cheese you need to add ice to your pan to keep temps down or make a cold smoke box some have done that, me I bought the cold smoke accessory.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Tex S;

Welcome to the forum.

If you get a temperatue controller that is built to control a wood/charcoal burner; it will be hard to keep the cost under $500. The Cyber Q does have it's advantages over the Auber, but you will need to purchase BBQ Guru's Raptor which will add an additional $110. It is not going to be as accurate as the Auber, but accurate enough to turn out a good product for each cook. Depending on what wood/charcoal burners you have, you may be able to control those with the Cyber Q, after purchasing the appropriate adapter and fan.

[dave01]

I have the 6 rack digital with the Auber PID and a 900watt element, the unit works great but if I was buying new I would get the Original. What ever unit you get you need to keep it out of the wind

[TedEbear]

3) Will the above mentioned PID's control the length of time the element for burning pucks is activated, or do they just control the main element? They control the temp only, pucks still controlled by Bradley electronics.

According to the Auber website, the dual probe model WSD-1200GPH can also control the smoke generator. 

"The synchronized AC output can be used to turn on and off the smoker generator with the program step(s)."

Anyway, if someone is going to add a PID controller they should get the OBS since the features of the digital will be bypassed by the PID and the higher cost of the unit would be wasted.  On the other hand (she had a wart), the 6-rack model is only available in digital.  If someone wants the larger unit they would have to buy that model.

[tskeeter]

Tex S, other folks have addressed most of your questions.  So I'm going to talk about the wind issue.  I, too, live in an area that is windy.  I quickly learned that the Bradley doesn't like wind.  It seems like a stiff breeze just sucks the heat and smoke right out of your smoker.  So, with a Bradley you'd want to make sure your smoker is in a place sheltered from the wind.  Or do something to protect the vent from the direct effects of the wind.  I'm thinking that a vent cap would help. 

I have my smoker installed in a plastic shed, but parts of what I did to vent my smoker could be applied to a free standing smoker.  First, I found an adapter/connector ring and cap at Home Deport.  I cut most of the tabs off the adapter, then slid the remaining tabs through the openings on my vent, and reached inside the smoker and crimped the tabs against the walls of the vent assembly, to lock the adapter in place.  This left the adapter standing two or three inches above the top of the smoker.  (Note that this approach means your vent is wide open all the time.  If you wanted to keep your vent damper operational, you could use an adapter that is screwed to the top of your smoker.)  For a vent cap, I think you'd have the best results with the version I'm currently using (I tried a couple different ones).  I'm using a round vent cap with louvered openings.  I believe that it comes with insect screen on the inside.  If you don't find a version with insect screen, I think adding insect screen would be worth while.  I use the insect screen as a rain drop catcher. to keep rain from blowing into the vent cap and running down the vent pipe into the smoker.  In your case, I think insect screen in combination with the vent cap would help reduce the vacuum created by the wind.   

[beefmann]

1) cant say ,,, do not  own a  digital  bradley

2) for me it is the  auber custom with  pid and two  timers 1 timer for the  puck burner and the  other  set for  over all duration of cook

3) if you buy the  timer with  relay built in  yes

4) as for winds and  cooler temps you can always add in a  900 watt element along  with a fan, another good  choice is  place it in a  cabinet ( think  tool  shed )  that will help  cut down on  winds and also help  insulate to a point

5) the normal hot spots are up along the back where the  heater is located... yes a fan  will  help

6) yes you  can cold smoke with  out an  adapter.. here  is  where it  gets a  bit  interesting ,.. on  warmer  days... 70 F  the  box will easily be over 125 f .. so one soulition  is  to  put  ice in the  bottom of the  smoker to help  with the  temps


hope this  helps along with the  others

[Tex S]

I have to admit, all of the negative reviews on Amazon are very concerning.

I think if I get this unit I will need to upgrade the heating element. Where can I find some info on an element mod?

[beefmann]

here is my heater mod

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17329.msg209917#msg209917

and pid temp controller and timer for smoke generator

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=30684.0

[tskeeter]

I have to admit, all of the negative reviews on Amazon are very concerning.

I think if I get this unit I will need to upgrade the heating element. Where can I find some info on an element mod?

Tex S, bear in mind that posted reviews are not a good cross section of all Bradley purchasers.  People are much more likely to complain if they are not satisfied than they are to say they are completely satisfied with a product.

The way I look at the reviews is to look at the ratio of good reviews (4 and 5) to poor reviews (1 or 2).  If there are 5,000 good reviews and 32 poor reviews, to me it looks like a pretty good product. 

Then I look at the poor reviews to see what people are unhappy with.  It is surprising how many times the reviewer isn't at all unhappy with the product, but with shipping damage or some other issue completely unrelated to the product itself.  Or the reviewer is unhappy because they didn't understand what they were buying.  An example would be the person who bought a cast iron dutch oven.  Washed it, and left it in the drain rack to dry.  Then complained because it rusted.  It's uncoated cast iron!  Cast iron rusts!  What are you complaining about?  So, I look for a general theme to the complaints.  Then I figure out whether that type of complaint is a show stopper for me.  More than once, I have found that looking at the reviews has provided me with the solution to one or more of the common complaints.

[renoman]

I have to admit, all of the negative reviews on Amazon are very concerning.

I think if I get this unit I will need to upgrade the heating element. Where can I find some info on an element mod?

Tex S, bear in mind that posted reviews are not a good cross section of all Bradley purchasers.  People are much more likely to complain if they are not satisfied than they are to say they are completely satisfied with a product.

The way I look at the reviews is to look at the ratio of good reviews (4 and 5) to poor reviews (1 or 2).  If there are 5,000 good reviews and 32 poor reviews, to me it looks like a pretty good product. 

Then I look at the poor reviews to see what people are unhappy with.  It is surprising how many times the reviewer isn't at all unhappy with the product, but with shipping damage or some other issue completely unrelated to the product itself.  Or the reviewer is unhappy because they didn't understand what they were buying.  An example would be the person who bought a cast iron dutch oven.  Washed it, and left it in the drain rack to dry.  Then complained because it rusted.  It's uncoated cast iron!  Cast iron rusts!  What are you complaining about?  So, I look for a general theme to the complaints.  Then I figure out whether that type of complaint is a show stopper for me.  More than once, I have found that looking at the reviews has provided me with the solution to one or more of the common complaints.

I somewhat disagree with this being that Amazon sends you an email and asks you what you think of your purchase. So you are not getting only people who are pi$$ed off at their Bradley. I rate everything I buy on Amazon good or bad.

[beefmann]

i have read some of the  poor ratings on amazon , most of which was during the time of bradley  having Element  failures and that has  been  handled by there  suppliers, Also there was  one  issue of a  person talking about a brisket tasting like  shoe leather, not  sure how to take this one,, if it is  tough then in my  opinion it was  over cooked which is lack of  experience with  the  bradley.

My point being is with  anything new there is a  learning curve,,, and it  will take many  uses to  start getting  use to the new unit unless you  have  experience with a  like  item.. in this  case i  mean a  hand  mixer compared to a hand  mixer...  or a  small crock  pot compared to a  large  crock  pot.

[tskeeter]

I have to admit, all of the negative reviews on Amazon are very concerning.

I think if I get this unit I will need to upgrade the heating element. Where can I find some info on an element mod?

Tex S, bear in mind that posted reviews are not a good cross section of all Bradley purchasers.  People are much more likely to complain if they are not satisfied than they are to say they are completely satisfied with a product.

The way I look at the reviews is to look at the ratio of good reviews (4 and 5) to poor reviews (1 or 2).  If there are 5,000 good reviews and 32 poor reviews, to me it looks like a pretty good product. 

Then I look at the poor reviews to see what people are unhappy with.  It is surprising how many times the reviewer isn't at all unhappy with the product, but with shipping damage or some other issue completely unrelated to the product itself.  Or the reviewer is unhappy because they didn't understand what they were buying.  An example would be the person who bought a cast iron dutch oven.  Washed it, and left it in the drain rack to dry.  Then complained because it rusted.  It's uncoated cast iron!  Cast iron rusts!  What are you complaining about?  So, I look for a general theme to the complaints.  Then I figure out whether that type of complaint is a show stopper for me.  More than once, I have found that looking at the reviews has provided me with the solution to one or more of the common complaints.

I somewhat disagree with this being that Amazon sends you an email and asks you what you think of your purchase. So you are not getting only people who are pi$$ed off at their Bradley. I rate everything I buy on Amazon good or bad.

Geez, they don't love me.  I didn't know that Amazon actively solicites reviews because they have never asked what I think. 

[renoman]

I have to admit, all of the negative reviews on Amazon are very concerning.

I think if I get this unit I will need to upgrade the heating element. Where can I find some info on an element mod?

Tex S, bear in mind that posted reviews are not a good cross section of all Bradley purchasers.  People are much more likely to complain if they are not satisfied than they are to say they are completely satisfied with a product.

The way I look at the reviews is to look at the ratio of good reviews (4 and 5) to poor reviews (1 or 2).  If there are 5,000 good reviews and 32 poor reviews, to me it looks like a pretty good product. 

Then I look at the poor reviews to see what people are unhappy with.  It is surprising how many times the reviewer isn't at all unhappy with the product, but with shipping damage or some other issue completely unrelated to the product itself.  Or the reviewer is unhappy because they didn't understand what they were buying.  An example would be the person who bought a cast iron dutch oven.  Washed it, and left it in the drain rack to dry.  Then complained because it rusted.  It's uncoated cast iron!  Cast iron rusts!  What are you complaining about?  So, I look for a general theme to the complaints.  Then I figure out whether that type of complaint is a show stopper for me.  More than once, I have found that looking at the reviews has provided me with the solution to one or more of the common complaints.

I somewhat disagree with this being that Amazon sends you an email and asks you what you think of your purchase. So you are not getting only people who are pi$$ed off at their Bradley. I rate everything I buy on Amazon good or bad.

Geez, they don't love me.  I didn't know that Amazon actively solicites reviews because they have never asked what I think.

Well they must NOT love you because I get a email for rating products with everything I buy. Next one I get I will screen shot.

[renoman]

I get one of these after every purchase.