temp problem

[auggie70]

I just bought a very lightly used (only used twice after the initial setup)Bradley 4 rack digital smoker.  This is my first time using it I have everything set up correctly "checked and triple checked....lol" I have the oven temp set at 120°.  After left closed for 2 hours the temp inside says it was 158°.  I have a grill thermometer inside on the top rack it's reading a little over 150° with temp still set at 120°

Does anyone know what is wrong with it and how go about fixing?

Thank you,

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi auggie70;

Welcome to the forum.

Can you add some additional information. Are you using Fahrenheit, or Celsius. Was there any food in the cabinet, or were you doing a test run? Was the smoke generator on?

From what you posted, there seems to be nothing wrong with your unit. An overshoot in temperature is common for the digital Bradley, as well as the temperature dropping below your set temperature. It is very similar to the swings in temperatures most kitchen ovens have. If you are using Fahrenheit, then you should see lower swings in temperatures, when you use higher cooking temperatures.

If you want tighter controls, then you would need to purchase a third party temperature controller. Most forum members that are using a third party controller are purchasing Auber PID's. Tighter temperature control in not really necessary, though helpful when making sausage, jerky, and a few other items that require more attention when smoking/cooking.

The below link may provide some useful information.
Bradley Smoker FAQ's

[tskeeter]

Auggie, another thing you might do is confirm that your grill thermometer is accurate.  While Hab's comments relative to the variations in temperature that are common to Bradleys are right on the mark, a 40 degree overshoot is higher than I have seen reported by other forum members.  That leads me to wonder if you're seeing a combination of overshoot and a thermometer that is reading a bit high.

Another thought.  Did you have the vent on the top of your smoker open or closed?  If your vent was closed, I'm wondering if it is possible to see the overshoot register higher than is commonly reported (which is a swing of about 10 - 20 degrees +/- the set point).

Note that the variation in temperature experienced is not a problem with most of the things you will smoke.  However, some items, specifically cheese, sausage and fish suffer if certain temperature levels are exceeded (for example, about 100F for many cheeses).