Newbie questions please...

[Stargazer]

Hello,

I am using a differant smoker then a bradley that was given to me atm, love smoking enough to get a new one and definatly narrowed down to a bradley for many reasons.

This leads me to ask a few questions please if anyone can answer.

I cure my own bacons and hams and after curing is done, they need to smoke until internal temp is about 140F. Not a problem however smoke isnt to be added until the last half with the recipes I been using.

The first question, does the BDS have a function to turn off smoke then turn back on? Mind you this isnt a huge deal as the smoker I currently use is a bullet and only constant smokes; but would be pretty neat if you could do this for bacons and hams, being bacons, hams and sausage/brat making is a bit of a hobby for me.

Second question, I would love to get into smoking cheese and have never done this. Is cold smoking the only way for smoking cheese? Which I dont belive the OBS has the capability and must upgrade to BDS for cold smoking.

The third question is, I have a small patio out back to let my smoker reside on at all times. I really have no way of bringing it in, but I definatly would buy a cover to protect it from the elements. However, has anyone had a problem with moisture with the BDS and if so, is there a way to protect the digital components when not in use from moisture?

One last question please. Im partial paralized and find it hard to lean over. Is the footing of the Bradley smokers stable enough to keep elevated and supported on a type of rack? I use to be a welder, can get the angle iron or tubing and rent a welding machine to fix something up. But I rather not go through the trouble if the smoker dosnt appear to beable to be supported on this. Mind you, if this cant be done it will not turn me away from getting a Bradley smoker by any means.

Thanks from Kentucky!

[FLBentRider]

First, W E L C O M E to the forum Stargazer!

The first question, does the BDS have a function to turn off smoke then turn back on?

Yes. The smoke generator can be operated independently of the tower heater.

Second question, I would love to get into smoking cheese and have never done this. Is cold smoking the only way for smoking cheese? Which I dont belive the OBS has the capability and must upgrade to BDS for cold smoking.

You can cold-smoke with either smoker. with the OBS, just don't turn on the tower heater. As long as your Ambient temps support it (mine do not right now, its over 90 in the shade)

The third question is, I have a small patio out back to let my smoker reside on at all times. I really have no way of bringing it in, but I definatly would buy a cover to protect it from the elements. However, has anyone had a problem with moisture with the BDS and if so, is there a way to protect the digital components when not in use from moisture?

The Bradley cover works well. I keep mine on a covered patio, no issues with moisture thus far.

One last question please. Im partial paralized and find it hard to lean over. Is the footing of the Bradley smokers stable enough to keep elevated and supported on a type of rack? I use to be a welder, can get the angle iron or tubing and rent a welding machine to fix something up. But I rather not go through the trouble if the smoker dosnt appear to beable to be supported on this. Mind you, if this cant be done it will not turn me away from getting a Bradley smoker by any means.

This should not be a problem either. Several of our members here have their smokers mounted in the manner you describe.

Again Welcome!

[Smoking Duck]

Welcome, Stargazer.  This is a great forum and you'll be glad you joined.  I concur with everything FLBR has told you.  Just wanted to welcome you.

SD

[pensrock]

Welcome Stargazer.

FLBentRider answered your questions but I would like to add to what he said.

The first question, does the BDS have a function to turn off smoke then turn back on?
FLBentRider: Yes. The smoke generator can be operated independently of the tower heater.

The generator can run independentaly from the tower however it will not cycle as you have described. That being the smoker turning off then back on without anyone pushing buttons. You can manually turn it back on after it shuts off at any time you wish but it will not do it on its own.

Second question, I would love to get into smoking cheese and have never done this. Is cold smoking the only way for smoking cheese? Which I dont belive the OBS has the capability and must upgrade to BDS for cold smoking.
FLBentRider: You can cold-smoke with either smoker. with the OBS, just don't turn on the tower heater. As long as your Ambient temps support it (mine do not right now, its over 90 in the shade)

You can smoke cheese with either as was noted but a lot depends on the outside temperature. Many can only smoke during winter and some cannot do cheese at all depending on your weather. You can make a cold smoke box and seperate the smoke generator from the tower to keep the temperatures lower in the tower where the cheese is located. You can see several ways to do this here on the forums. Even doing this still depends on your outside temperatures, ideally the temperature in the tower should not exceed 80-90 degrees F when doing cheese, unless you want to make smoked cheese soup, right LQ?  ;D

The third question, I have nothing to add. I have a Bradley cover but my smoker is on a covered deck.

Is the footing of the Bradley smokers stable enough to keep elevated and supported on a type of rack?
FLBentRider: This should not be a problem either. Several of our members here have their smokers mounted in the manner you describe.

Many here have the smokers on a table or other rack type of stand.
Here is a pic of the small metal stand I currently use. That's a batch of Kummoks smoked salmon in the smoker, I would highly suggest you try it sometime.
I'm in the process of upgrading to a much nicer setup and will post pics when it is completed.


Once again welcome to the forum.
pensrock

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Stargazer;

Welcome to the forum.

I just want to add if you are getting the 4 shelf unit, but the cover that is made for the 6 shelf unit. The cover for the 4 shelf unit is a little too short (unless Bradley started making them longer again).

[KyNola]

Stargazer,
Welcome to the forum.  I can add nothing more to what my fellow learned friends have already conveyed to you.  Was wondering though, what part of KY are you in as I too am in KY.  Far western KY.

KyNola

[westexasmoker]

Yep I'm with Kynola, justed wanted to say Welcome aboard Stargazer...Lots of good folks and advice here!!

C

[La Quinta]

Welcome Stargazer...I think everyone answered you questions...glad you're here with "da family"!!! :)

As for you Molly McRock...grrrrrrrr.....

[West Coast Sausage Maker]

Did somebody say Bacon ?

welcome Stargazer

[Stargazer]

Thanks for the welcome and help.

To answer some questions here, Im looking at a 4 rack. I figure a 4 rack would be more then enough realistically for smoking pork butts, or hanging bacons or homemade rope sausage.

So the 6 rack cover to protect from the elements would be a safe bet to keep everything protected. Better safe then sorry.

Of all the other smokers I been looking at, none have come close to the Bradley from everything I seen. And the few that do like treagers cost well over a few grand $$$ which is way out of my price range.

I do have one question for pensrock please. First off, thanks for the picture as so I could see the rack in use. Im already working a platform for when I get my Bradley soon. The question out of intrest is, I notice you have what appears to be a 4x4 block of wood in the bottom. What is that for?

The reason Im asking is, reading this fourm before signing up, I noticed alot of the hardcore seasoned smokers here make some pretty nifty modifications which is kind of cool.

For TBS, yeap, I make homemade hams, bacons and bratwurst+rope sausages. After an injury from 18 years welding 'things happen' I was climbing the walls like spiderman trying to find something to do, which lead me into making sausage, which lead into bratwursts, going on to bacons and then hams. "I got a 7lbs pork shoulder cured with maple and brownsugar started as of now for the next 10 days". Doing that I needed a smoker baddly, so someone gave me an old used bullet style. Its good and does the job but I wanted something better to hang my homemade sausages in with a hickory dow rod. Most the smokers in my price range were kind of shoddy built; then I came across the Bradley on amazon com. At first I didnt know what to think, but I couldnt find one con and only many pluses.

This including the brisquet feeding method. The $12,000 modles use the same method with pellets being auto fed. The Bradley really seems to be a well built, well thought out professional smoker for the common man to beable to afford and use. Then seeing this forum only added to the quality of the Bradley name.

Tomorrow I will be pumping out 25lbs of Italian sausage and smoking. With this current bullet style I cant hang them, and the bacon after being cured will just have to live with constant smoke for now instead of adding smoke at the last part. Just means Ill be getting a Bradley 4 rack very soon and be done with it.

As for KyNola, howdy, I lived in Kentucky all my life and now reside in Northern Kentucky, about 30 minutes or so to the river from Ohio.

In time Ill be asking alot of questions just to warn, because this with my meats, and smoking is a hobby I take very seriously.

Thanks all again for the help and warm welcome.