Newbie - potential buyer advice please

sparkplug · December 04, 2006, 03:26:48 AM

Hi all,

I've been using a hot smoker for some years now and have played around with the idea of cold smoking for a while.

Doing the research I've been really impressed with the design and simplicity of the BS but there's one question that's just eluded me even searching through this forum...

Minimum temperature: I understand that ambient temperature will influence this but I just can't find out if the BS original or BS digital will drop down low enough to do 'proper' cold smoking due to the heating element being too close to the food. I really want to achieve something like ambient temp +3-5 degrees Celsius.

The leaflet from Bradley UK hints at a modification which can be done which separates the heating element from the food cabinet. I can't find it on here (although I'm sure it's here somewhere :P )

My concern is that if I do this mod, I won't be able to use it as a hot smoker and I may be better off buying the smoke generator and making my own cabinet.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance 8)

Malc · December 04, 2006, 04:58:51 AM

See this link: http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?p=42#post42
This seems to be what most do. There are some pics of the set-up.

Malc

manxman · December 04, 2006, 06:31:17 AM

Hi sparkplug and welcome to the forum,

Bradley smoker makes an ideal hot and cold smoker, the cold smoking set up I use is:

http://www.foodsmoker.co.uk/equipment/bradleycold.htm

This will keep the temperature to within a couple of degrees C of ambient.

I have done all sorts of cold smoking from cheese through to herring, garlic, salt for example on the Bradley, when you want to hot smoke you just dispense with the box and tumple dryer hose and set it up as per the Bradley instruction manual.

The original model perhaps lends itself better to cold smoking although there is a workaround for cold smoking with the digital model on one of the threads here.

So yes, the BS can be used for hot and cold smoking without a problem. :)

sparkplug · December 04, 2006, 08:00:22 AM

Thank you both for your prompt and clear replies.

These look like simple and neat solutions and I'm sure I could make a variation on the theme very easily.

A final couple of questions if I may - does it take long to 'unconvert' back to the hot smoking set up? Is it really just four bolts as it appears?

Thanks again

manxman · December 04, 2006, 01:31:25 PM

QuoteA final couple of questions if I may - does it take long to 'unconvert' back to the hot smoking set up? Is it really just four bolts as it appears?

Using the cardboard box method I posted there aren't even any bolts.

When cold smoking the smoke generator sits on the ground with the heater plate, which sticks out from one side, placed into an appropriate sized hole cut into the side of the cardboard box, which is pushed up against the smoke generator as per the picture in my post.

Above the heater plate a hole is cut into the top of the cardboard box to match the size of the tumble dryer hose exactly to reduce smoke leakage, I also use a damp cloth around this join to further reduce leakage.

The other end of the tumble dryer hose sits in the circular hole in the side of the bradley smoker cabinet, which sits on a bench/table of some sort. I fixed the hose itself to the piece of plastic piping which came with the hose for "through wall" fixing, this seal is further enhanced by a piece of draft excluder fitted around the whole circumference of the pipe.

So basically when cold smoking everthing is just push fit, no bolts or anything. To set the BS up for cold smoking maybe takes a couple of minutes longer than setting up for hot smoking, to convert from cold smoking to hot smoking is simply a matter of pulling out the tumble dryer hose at both ends, removing the cardboard box, lifting and fitting the smoke generator to the side of the cabinet (matter of hanging it on two hooks) and attaching the power lead between the generator and cabinet which is not used when cold smoking and away you go.

So to "unconvert" again takes less than two minutes using the "cardboard box" method.

Setting yourself up initially to cold smoke using a cardboard box, some piping and tumble dryer hose takes about an hour....... the whole thing is really easy. 8)

Gizmo · December 04, 2006, 10:41:28 PM

I have also used the box method with great results and change over time with airconditioning duct tape is about 5 minutes. With the digital, you have to have a longer small cord as it is required to operate the smoke generator. Parts available from Radio Shack in the states.

sparkplug · December 05, 2006, 12:24:30 AM

;D The final doubt removed - thank you manxman.

Well, that's it - I'm off to trawl the net to see what the best deal is and will be ordering today - very excited now. I've got a ham and some bacon brining and curing in anticipation :) Next stop the cheese shop for my first cold smoke attempt

manxman · December 05, 2006, 01:21:39 AM

Good luck sparkplug, let us know how you get on. :)

iceman · December 06, 2006, 03:05:29 PM

Have fun sparkplug and don't forget this. When using a cardboard box for cold smoking you get to stand around the smoker with a really big mug of cold beer. Just in case of fire you know ;) Honest honey I'm on fire watch, could ya please fetch another cold one for me :D

sparkplug · December 07, 2006, 01:51:24 AM

;D I see where you get your name from Iceman - a nice cold beer sounds just the thing!

My smoker arrives today. I've already bought the tumble drier hose and it's going to be agony waiting until I get back from work to start seasoning it. I was thinking of leaving the hose inside the smoker while I do the initial seasoning. I don't know if it will do any good, but I figure it can't do any harm.

First proper smoke will be tomorrow and I think I'll start with a side of dry-cured bacon. Or maybe a hot smoked chicken. Decisions, decisions. ;)

sparkplug · December 07, 2006, 03:17:51 AM

It's arrived!

The guys at work have been looking at me funny as I've strapped it to the back of my motorbike :o

Can't wait to get it home...

iceman · December 07, 2006, 08:48:57 AM

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) Have fun sparkplug!!!

manxman · December 07, 2006, 10:39:46 AM

Quoteguys at work have been looking at me funny as I've strapped it to the back of my motorbike

Bet that's a first, got any pictures!! ;D ;D ;D

Wildcat · December 07, 2006, 04:37:15 PM

I second Iceman on the pictures and also after it is set up.

sparkplug · December 08, 2006, 02:20:46 AM

Ok here goes - as requested a couple of pics on the bike...

For those who haven't been keeping abreast of the weather in the UK - it has been really very windy. Houses in London were badly damaged by the storms which turned into a tornado. Given those conditions I was a bit concerned that the BS would cause me problems on two wheels but thankfully my journey is short and the wind had died down at just the right time for me so it was no problem at all.

Having seen how simple the whole thing was to set up I now feel embarassed to have asked the questions I did. I'd just never seen one of these 'in the flesh'. What a fabulously simple design! I decided to season my cold smoking tumble drier tube by using it as a chimney from the top vent on the BS so that the outer didn't get coated in smoke as it would have done if I'd placed it inside as I was originally going to.

No pics of the smoker set up as I've not done anything interesting with it or in it - it's just a seasoned BS original. I'm sure you've all seen those before!