Newbie questions (all been asked before I guess)!

[mbird]

Hi All

Sorry if these have been asked a thousand times already, but I've only just got my Bradley Smoker this weekend, and have had varying degrees of success with my first few experiments!

1. How do you cold-smoke. Even with the oven element off, the temperature still approches 150F just from the burner plate. Do you have to keep opening the door to keep the temp down?

2. What is a Pig Butt in UK jargon (is it a whole Gammon) cos it sounds delicious!

3. I make my own sausages. If I want to Hot Smoke them, do I still need to add a curing agent, even if I make sure the internal temp of the sausages reaches 170F.

4. What does a PID actually do? I've read a lot about them in this forum, but I still can't figure out what they are for?

5. Would you recommend a digital meat probe? I guess this is stuck in the meat prior to smoking with the wires coming out through the vent so you don't have to keep opening the door? Is my guess right?

Any help would be much appreciated, as I am a complete novice to the black art of smoking!!!!

Cheers

Mark ???

[manxman]

Hi mbird and welcome to the forum.

Answers to your questions as far as I can:

1. see this site for what is the best cold smoking method IMHO.

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

2. "Butt" is actually the US term for a cut of pork from the shoulder, confused me up until recently when I looked it up on the internet as to me on this side of the pond butt equated to the rear end!!

3.My understanding is yes but I am only just exploring sausage making myself (got a sauage filler for Christmas!) so other more experenced users will chime in here I am sure.

4. Bottom line with PID is that it gives more/better control over temperature, a lot of people here on the forum have modified their OBS's but then again a lot haven't. Certainly not essential IMO, for example I have used my BS for in excess of 2 years now, done lots of smoking and have never felt the need to have one..... one of those things that is down to personnal choice methinks. Having said that, I would go for a PID addition rather than a DBS if it came down to it. ;D

5. Yes, I would recommend a digital meat probe as measuring the internal meat temp is vitally important in this type of set up. (cooking "low and slow".) And yes, most people do run the wire through the vent although some do use the door, again IMO the vent is best as the vent must always be kept at least partially open at all times.

Sure other people will ad their 2 pence/cents worth but hopefully this has given you some food for thought, don't worry about asking a load of questions.... we all had to start somewhere.

Have fun.  ;D ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

I can only add that in the U.S. the shoulder is generally cut into two pieces. The butt is the upper part of the shoulder where the blade is, the lower part of the shoulder is called the picnic cut which is generally sold with the skin still intact.

[Wildcat]

Welcome to the forum.  The PID is not required, but it takes the guess work out of what your box temp is IMO.  I do not have one, but if it takes me much longer to get used to the slider control on my unit, I am going to ask someone on this forum for some help in getting one set up.  I may do so anyway as a matter of convience.  If Bradley would sell their smokers equiped with a PID, I think they would have the perfect smoker.

[mbird]

Guys, thanks for your help:

Manxman: The cold-smoking link you posted is excellent. Why didn't I think of that! Other members may also like to know the site you posted the link to is also offering a FREE curing and smoking course by email starting this month. I've signed up to see if it will dispell any of the mystery (cold smoked salmon is something I really want to master as my kids love it, but my first attemp was a disaster!)

Habenero: Thanks for the info on the butt. I've ordered an 8lb boned out shoulder from my local farmshop for the weekend, and I'm going to give it a go with your Pulled Pork & sauce recipe I found at Old's Place.

Wildcat: So am I right in guessing the PID takes over the temperatur control by turning the oven element on and off, basically overiding the slider? Sounds like a good idea if I can't suss out the finer control on the slidy thingy!!

Thanks for all your help, it's nice for a beginner to have some experience to learn from!

Cheers

Mark ;D

[manxman]

Other members may also like to know the site you posted the link to is also offering a FREE curing and smoking course by email starting this month. I've signed up

Hi Mark,

Yes, a few of us have signed up for this course already including some of the experienced guys here on the forum from the other side of the pond so hopefully there will be plenty of people having an input.   ;D

[LilSmoker]

Hi mbird and welcome, i'm also from u.k., since joining here i have now done lots of pulled pork, it's absolutely awesome!.
Anyway just thought i'd mention, if you're ordering a butt/shoulder, you might want to leave the bone in?, i have done pulled pork from a boned and rolled shoulder, it was very nice, but after that i bought shoulders that were not boned or rolled, and still had the fat on, and some still had skin/rind on, and i have to say these unpreped cuts were far superior in flavour and texture.

The bone will not be a problem, as when it's done the meat will come away from the bone very easy, i always ask my butcher to keep a couple of these shoulders back for me every few weeks.

Anyway good luck with the new toy, and the pork!  ;)............LilSmoker

[Wildcat]

Wildcat: So am I right in guessing the PID takes over the temperatur control by turning the oven element on and off, basically overiding the slider? Sounds like a good idea if I can't suss out the finer control on the slidy thingy!!

Thanks for all your help, it's nice for a beginner to have some experience to learn from!

Cheers

Mark ;D

Hi Mark,

I try to help, but I am rather new the the Bradley as well.  I do have a little experience with wood smoking though and I try to pass on what I have learned first hand and from this forum.  Only a part of what I type is from first hand knowledge.

With reference to the PID, I only know what I have read on this forum.  If I understand it correctly, it controls the heating element by controling how much heat output there is.  I think it keeps the heat on all the time, just controls how hot it is - kind of like a dimmer switch for lights.  I also believe it does this digitally.  I am sure the members that are knowledgeable will correct me if I am wrong.

[mbird]

Thanks LilSmoker, I've changed my order to the farm to leave the bone in!