Electronic Big bradley almost burned my house down under my porch! Warning!

Wildcat · July 03, 2008, 05:32:56 AM

Yes, there have been other posts in the past regarding fire hazzards. I smoke overnight myself with no issues, but never under the roof.

Olds, Habs - I think this may be a good topic for the Recipe Site along with either in the proper food handling section or the section that deals with smoker break-in.

Gator · July 03, 2008, 12:23:43 PM

Hi Wahoo

Sorry to hear about you smoker, glad you're ok.

This is what happened to me one day in 2007 towing by boat to go fishing!

Gator

Habanero Smoker · July 03, 2008, 02:24:50 PM

Quote from: Wildcat on July 03, 2008, 05:32:56 AM
Yes, there have been other posts in the past regarding fire hazzards. I smoke overnight myself with no issues, but never under the roof.

Olds, Habs - I think this may be a good topic for the Recipe Site along with either in the proper food handling section or the section that deals with smoker break-in.

That is information that should be readily available and easy to locate. Maybe as part of a Most Frequently Asked page located in the New Bradley Owners. The reason I hesitate to include it as a full article is that it is rare and usually caused by user error.

Consiglieri · July 03, 2008, 03:16:23 PM

I'm glad that everything turned out okay and that damage was limited, Wahoo.

Can you shed any light on the v-pan issue?

Wildcat · July 03, 2008, 04:05:19 PM

Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 03, 2008, 02:24:50 PM
Quote from: Wildcat on July 03, 2008, 05:32:56 AM
Yes, there have been other posts in the past regarding fire hazzards. I smoke overnight myself with no issues, but never under the roof.

Olds, Habs - I think this may be a good topic for the Recipe Site along with either in the proper food handling section or the section that deals with smoker break-in.

That is information that should be readily available and easy to locate. Maybe as part of a Most Frequently Asked page located in the New Bradley Owners. The reason I hesitate to include it as a full article is that it is rare and usually caused by user error.

I agree, it is rare and usually caused by user error and there is no need to cause a panic, or cause anyone to think there is a problem with the BS when there is not. I figured a short user safety information paragraph say in the New Bradley Owners section on the Recipe Cite would be perfect. It would be terrible to lose a member, or have a member lose their home, to a fire that is so easily prevented. It was just a thought.

westexasmoker · July 03, 2008, 04:20:28 PM

I think thats a good plan to add it to the site...And yep its not the smokers fault its the user....speaking from experince, if ya'll remember I fell asleep and we hit 375 in the smoker which killed it as it was designed to with the fuse. I also remember one time sticking my water bowl on top of the V tray instead of below, thank goodness I was done smoking at that point. Not trying to give anybody a hard time, its like any other tool you have to respect what it can/could do if you don't pay attention to it.

C

chrispy · July 03, 2008, 04:30:20 PM

WOW!!!

Good heads up... I guess it is best to keep an eye on it!!!!

West Coast Sausage Maker · July 03, 2008, 06:49:03 PM

How was the pork shoulder? did it still turn out?

West Coast Kansan · July 03, 2008, 10:13:58 PM

Pretty scary, Water in the bowl is not just to cook with... O got me into the bigger goo pans with some of his posts. Plenty of water to let the spent pucks float away preventing stacking.

As posted above. Dumping, not just adding water is a part of the process.

Glad this turned out well. - everything considered.

wahoo · July 07, 2008, 10:20:49 PM

What are the warnings from Bradley about this particular subject? one of the reasons I chose a Bradley in the first place was not to sit by a traditional smoker all night long, the Bradley was awesome in the sense that i could smoke that turkey while we all slept,for that span of 7 to 8 hours. Now given a turkey is not gonna produce the grease of a brisket or a pork shoulder or Butt. I don't believe this was total user error. I just think we get a sense that this smoker will be safe for the time it is unattended. Ive also noted that if a piece of meat clogs the drain that could possibly cause a fire. Being able to discuss and post these things before someone gets hurt is probably our biggest advantage to this whole accident. I Loved my Bradley and still think it is a great product, so to note and warn by Bradley will be awesome in preventing a future accident that could possibly prevent loss of life. i had built a 4 ft. cabinet and Corian counter top for the Bradley which made it stand very tall for ease of use. never did i think it would be too tall that a fire of flames would touch the ceiling of my porch.

Thanks again for all your concerns guys

Wahoo

Habanero Smoker · July 08, 2008, 02:38:06 AM

Whahoo;

I glad that the fire was not as serious as it could have turned out. You make some good points. If you haven't done so already, you should write Bradley. In the past they have made design modification based on customer feed back.

I'm working on a FAQ section for the recipe site where such a warning will be listed.

wahoo · July 14, 2008, 08:43:08 AM

Hey Guys,
good news, I recieved a call from Brian Nelson of Bradley Smokers this morning and found out that the "smoking gods" took mercy on this careless smokey joe! I just want to Thank them once again for going out of their way in replacing my smoker when they didn't have too. This second chance is gonna keep me well aware of my water bowl. Thanks for all ya'lls support and we will just have to keep awareness up on these smokers and how they can catch fire when not properly watched.

Wahooooooooo!!! :

FLBentRider · July 14, 2008, 09:04:16 AM

That's great news. Bradley comes through again.

Chez Bubba · July 14, 2008, 08:21:16 PM

Quote from: wahoo on July 07, 2008, 10:20:49 PM
What are the warnings from Bradley about this particular subject? one of the reasons I chose a Bradley in the first place was not to sit by a traditional smoker all night long, the Bradley was awesome in the sense that i could smoke that turkey while we all slept,for that span of 7 to 8 hours. Now given a turkey is not gonna produce the grease of a brisket or a pork shoulder or Butt. I don't believe this was total user error. I just think we get a sense that this smoker will be safe for the time it is unattended. Ive also noted that if a piece of meat clogs the drain that could possibly cause a fire. Being able to discuss and post these things before someone gets hurt is probably our biggest advantage to this whole accident. I Loved my Bradley and still think it is a great product, so to note and warn by Bradley will be awesome in preventing a future accident that could possibly prevent loss of life. i had built a 4 ft. cabinet and Corian counter top for the Bradley which made it stand very tall for ease of use. never did i think it would be too tall that a fire of flames would touch the ceiling of my porch.

Thanks again for all your concerns guys

Wahoo

Wahoo,

I can't speak for the absolute present as I've been out of the "biz" for over a year, but the User Manual used to strictly state to not leave your smoker unattended for any amount of time. Bradley's attorneys, IMO, are fully aware of the risk potential.

Seasoned smoker vets like myself have shared information on the board regarding our personal use of the smokers, regardless of the manufacturers' directions. People share ideas & experiences freely, none of which is either monitored, refuted or condoned by Bradley. We're posting stuff that assumes a certain familiarity with the smoker, not writing a legal contract. It's a public forum, for all you know, I'm some psycho who gets his rocks off hoping you burn down your house! (Just for the record, I'm not, you can ask virtually anybody with 500+ posts here.) :)

That being said, I'm happy you've discovered the reason we were ever dealers in the first place. Bradley stands behind their product to a fault. They could have easily cited the manual and your infringements thereof. They didn't. Tells me they want a customer, not just a sale.

Enjoy your new smoker and don't be a stranger, we look forward to your experiences.

Kirk

Habanero Smoker · July 15, 2008, 02:45:52 AM

Hi Kirk;

Good to see you posting. I've been going through the manual while getting information about the FAQ section for th recipe site. Overall the Bradley is a safe product, but like all appliances that cook food there is always the protential for fire.

It does state a couple of times "while in use do not leave unattended", also there are other precautions such as "empty drip bowl every 2 -3 hours, and refill with fresh water".

In the FAQ's I'm trying to address the potential hazard, and would like to use this as part of the write up.

Seasoned smoker vets like myself have shared information on the board regarding our personal use of the smokers, regardless of the manufacturers' directions. People share ideas & experiences freely, none of which is either monitored, refuted or condoned by Bradley. We're posting stuff that assumes a certain familiarity with the smoker, not writing a legal contract. It's a public forum, for all you know, I'm some psycho who gets his rocks off hoping you burn down your house! (Just for the record, I'm not, you can ask virtually anybody with 500+ posts here.)
And of course, your earlier statement about the "Fire Starter Loggs";D