Why 20 minutes?

[apmbrady]

What is the reasoning for the puck advancement to be set at 20 minutes?

[Toker]

The company say that is to make sure that the smoke stays better this way. Passed 20 minutes, the taste becomes bitter.

[TMB]

Sounds crazy I know but I get a better smoke out of pucks at 20mins then I do with an A-Maze-N tube BUT $$$ a lot to run a 4 hr smoke vs pellets

[Habanero Smoker]

Sounds crazy I know but I get a better smoke out of pucks at 20mins then I do with an A-Maze-N tube BUT $$$ a lot to run a 4 hr smoke vs pellets

It doesn't seem crazy to me. The Bradley does produce a "cleaner" smoke than burning pellets, or wood that is burning over charcoals. The Bradley burns the bisquettes at a constant 550°F - 555°F, while in order to get pellets or wood in your charcoal cooker to burn/smoke you need a much higher temperature. Burning wood at higher temperatures releases more chemical compound that includes those chemical that are more bitter in taste, and less in flavor.

My feeling is that it is not the 20 minutes that makes the difference, but the temperature the Bradley smolders the bisquettes.

[apmbrady]

that makes sense - what about the effect the steam would have on the temperature When a hot Puck drops. The smoke is not necessarily consistent as one drops the other needs to start to burn

[Habanero Smoker]

Moisture buildup can create problems with obtaining higher cooking temperatures, but the amount of steam produced when the bisquette drops into the water is very insignificant compared to the water evaporating from the meats you have loaded in the smoker, and the steam produced throughout the smoke from the water in your water pan.

You are correct in that the rate of smoke is not consistent. As one drops off the burner, and after the other is pushed on it - it take a little time to get up to temperature. But that is not what I said in my post. I stated that the temperature that it smolders at is consistent. The heat from the burner, plus the heat from the nearby element(s); maintains a burn rate that is below a temperature where most of the undesirable compounds are usually created.

[apmbrady]

sounds really good.

Does the puck smouldering affect the temperature when another lights.

I tried for the first time last week my new smoker - took a lot of effort to maintain temperature - granted I live in Alberta and it was a fairly windy day.

[Habanero Smoker]

I don't believe the smoldering has  much of any impact on the temperature, but the bisquette burner definitely has an impact on the temperature. The burner I believe is rated at 125 watts. Most of us just load the amount of bisquettes we need during the smoke, and leave the burner on during the whole cook, for the additional heat. Thereby you are cooking with 625 watts instead of just 500 watts.

Wind is definitely an enemy of heat. Try to block the top and side vent (on the generator) from wind entering, but don't block the side vent on the generator to the point there is no air flow. Some have built a small cabinet to house their smoker. Other things that are helpful are to preheat the smoker at least 25°F higher than you plan to cook at. This will help temperature recovery from lost heat when you open the door to load the meat. During the cook, try to only open the door when it is necessary, such as refilling the water bowl, rotating racks etc. Let the food sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours prior to loading it in the smoker. Another thing that may help is adding a foiled brick next to the water bowl. The brick acts as a heat sink, and helps with heat recovery, after the door has been closed. After using your smoker, for awhile, you may want to consider adding an additional element, or replacing the original element with a 900 watt fin element. More information on these techniques can be found searching the forum, or asking members specific questions on what you want more information on.