New Smoker

[REMMER1551]

Hello All,

Just bought my 4 rack digital smoker and have done the seasoning but have a few questions as I try smoking the first time.

1. How long should it take to hit 220?  I read somewhere 30 - 45 minutes but just over an hour and only at 120.....is this normal?

2. When warming do you have to put on the bisquettes? It started to burn them although the meat is not in there yet.

3. When a recipe says cook for 3 hours - do you smoke the whole time?

I am sure I will have more questions but this is a good starting point....any help is greatly appreciated.

Confused New Smoker

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. Your questions can cover a lot of area. It is better to ask more specific questions than a general one that you stated in question number one.


1. How long should it take to hit 220?  I read somewhere 30 - 45 minutes but just over an hour and only at 120.....is this normal?
A lot can depend on other factors, such as abient temperature, wind, vent openings, how much food is in the smoker, and what type of food it is etc. If your smoker is in direct sunlight it will heat up faster.

2. When warming do you have to put on the bisquettes? It started to burn them although the meat is not in there yet.
No. You can load the bisquettes at any time. I generally will turn on the generator so that the bisquette burner is helping to heat the cabinet. After loading the smoker with food, I will then load the bisquettes and push the advance button three times.


3. When a recipe says cook for 3 hours - do you smoke the whole time?
Generally you do not apply smoke during the full cook time. Smoke times depends on the type of meat you have, and it's mass. Larger cuts such as butts and brisket can take 4 hours of smoke, while chicken and pork loin require less; such as 2 hours. The smoke flavor is subjective, so you may want to vary the amount of smoke, until it is to your liken. Always start with the minimum suggested, then if you want more flavor you can add more smoke the next time.

[REMMER1551]

Thank you for the welcome - appreciate that and more importantly for your help with answers.

Ok maybe best to focus on the heat up one....

Been on for over two hours and hit 150 finally....it is 23 plus humidity here so a nice day with a small breeze.  Damper is a bit open as I read somewhere.  No direct sun at this point.

I did read somewhere about bricks inside. Does that work? Or is something wrong with my smoker?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Habanero Smoker]

Bradley customer service will be open today. You should give them a call.

That is extremely slow - if your smoker is empty. First check to make sure the generator is set for Fahrenheit. Open the door and check to make sure the heating element is glowing red. It should be red; except for about one-inch on each end. If the element is not glowing, check the power cord that goes from the generator to the smoke cabinet. Unplug it and plug it back in several times - when they are new, sometimes it may take a few times for it to properly connect.

Are you doing a test run, or do you have food in the smoker. If so, what food, and how much food do you have in the smoker? If you have food in the smoker, open your damper to at least half open; maybe 3/4 open. If too much moisture is trapped inside the smoker, it will actually keep the temperature down. Also with such a small damper opening, smoke and debris can back into the generator.

Sometimes the temperature sensor inside the cabinet can be inaccurate when there is food near the sensor. Make sure there is at least a couple of inches clearance between food items and the sensor. You may want to get a remote thermometer like the Maverick E73, or other brand. Place that probe on the lower rack, and see if that reading matches the Bradley's reading.

The bricks are good for heat recovery, not for improving the smoker's overall performance. They help the temperature get back to your set temperature faster (or the temperature the smoker was currently at), before the door being opened.

[REMMER1551]

Bradley customer service will be open today. You should give them a call.

That is extremely slow - if your smoker is empty. First check to make sure the generator is set for Fahrenheit. Open the door and check to make sure the heating element is glowing red. It should be red; except for about one-inch on each end. If the element is not glowing, check the power cord that goes from the generator to the smoke cabinet. Unplug it and plug it back in several times - when they are new, sometimes it may take a few times for it to properly connect.

Are you doing a test run, or do you have food in the smoker. If so, what food, and how much food do you have in the smoker? If you have food in the smoker, open your damper to at least half open; maybe 3/4 open. If too much moisture is trapped inside the smoker, it will actually keep the temperature down. Also with such a small damper opening, smoke and debris can back into the generator.

Sometimes the temperature sensor inside the cabinet can be inaccurate when there is food near the sensor. Make sure there is at least a couple of inches clearance between food items and the sensor. You may want to get a remote thermometer like the Maverick E73, or other brand. Place that probe on the lower rack, and see if that reading matches the Bradley's reading.

The bricks are good for heat recovery, not for improving the smoker's overall performance. They help the temperature get back to your set temperature faster (or the temperature the smoker was currently at), before the door being opened.

Thank you for everything and all the advice!

I did fix the problem as their was a loose wire but figured that out.

So upcoming weekend I will be smoking!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Habanero Smoker]

Good to hear you are up and running again.