Newbie: just bought a BSS, and think I stole it!! PID parts inbound!

Mawgie · July 15, 2008, 06:07:47 PM

Folks-

Short time lurker, and I have been struggling with a Masterbuilt for years, turning out mostly poorly cooked foods.

After rooting around here and turning out some more crap on the Masterbuilt, I decided on a new OBS, plus a home built PID, then went to Gander Mountain last night. I stumbled across a brand new, leftover BSS, on final clearance. After all discounts, I had it in the truck for $203.00 !!

I just ordered all the parts from Auber Instruments to build a PID, a la Raye Minor, and am all excited!! I am not much of an electrician, but am a fairly edvanced woodworker, and also plan to build a custom cart for the BSS that will do this Forum proud.

Pics and a thousand questions to follow!

Did I do good for $203 on a new BSS?

Regards - Mawgie ;D

westexasmoker · July 15, 2008, 06:15:11 PM

Welcome to the forum Mawgie!

This guys know thier stuff, I think ya got a heck of a deal, and building the pid is not as scary as it seems, shoot I built mine with the help of these fine folk, and it works perfect! As far as your take home price on an BSS looks good to me. We're here for help.....well the others are,, almost sounds spooky...Give it a smoke or two, and you'll just say WOW!!! Congrats, your gonna love it, I do have to tell you to use mesquite.....thats my job! ;D Keep us posted!

C

Mawgie · July 15, 2008, 06:26:49 PM

C-

Thanks for the welcome. I am not quite dumb enough to mess with a Texan devoted to mesquite on my first day as a member, but I gotta tell you, I love cherry. Many of my furniture projects have been made from cherry wood, and thus, I have converted a lot of cherry wood scraps to smoke in that lousy Masterbuilt I saved a hundred bucks on the day I should have bought a Bradley in the first place.

In the spirit of experimentation, I bought cherry, hickory, apple, and YUP, mesquite pucks to get started with! Thanks again for the welcome.

I am a real pig, so hopefully I will progress rapidly.

Regards-Mawgie

La Quinta · July 15, 2008, 06:34:42 PM

Hey Mawgie!! Welcome...and don't listen to WTS...(well not ALL the time)!!! You got a sweet deal dude!!! Enjoy it...try stuff you have already made...that you were not quite happy with...and let us know!! :)

Tons of Bradley smoking knowledge on here...learn a lot and have fun!!

Mawgie · July 15, 2008, 06:45:28 PM

WTS = Wild Texan Smoker ?

FLBentRider · July 15, 2008, 06:49:24 PM

W E L C O M E Mawgie

I _used_ to have a brinkman - more trouble that it was worth, and not built very well.

You are gonna love the food that comes out of the Bradley!

La Quinta · July 15, 2008, 06:55:31 PM

Westexasmoker mesquite man = WTS...he'll talk you into smokin corn flakes with mesquite!! Cherry is nice...haven't used it that much tho...what do you smoke with it?

car54 · July 15, 2008, 06:59:36 PM

Welcome Mawgie,

I like your attitude! I would say that you received a good deal on the smoker and to try to make a pid only because you are a woodworking is fine with me. I am a supervisor in an architectural woodworking business that does yachts, casinos, office buildings and homes. You have skills that you don't even know you have.

You can do it, Brad

KyNola · July 15, 2008, 07:36:09 PM

Welcome Mawgie,

If you find you're not happy with the Bradley you bought for $203.00, please remember I am the first person to offer to buy it from you for your purchase price. ;D You are going to love it. Welcome to the family. The folks on this forum are so smart and more than willing to help you. Well, everyone but WTS, he has this fixation on the devil's wood. :D Other than that one little flaw, he's really good.

Let us know about your first project on your Bradley.

KyNola

West Coast Kansan · July 15, 2008, 09:44:05 PM

Yes, nice price and welcome. Looking forward to your posts and pics.

chrispy · July 16, 2008, 09:21:13 AM

Welcome,

I guess you did get a Beautiful price!!!!

I would like to see pictures when you build the cart, I am contemplating my own cart design as I type!!

Good Luck!

Chrispy

Oldman · July 16, 2008, 05:55:42 PM

Greetings and welcome to the group.
However, at $203.00 that is not great it is stealing so remember we will keeping an eye one you~~! Ha ha ha!
Olds

Mr Walleye · July 16, 2008, 05:59:59 PM

Quote from: Oldman on July 16, 2008, 05:55:42 PM
Greetings and welcome to the group.
However, at $203.00 that is not great it is stealing so remember we will keeping an eye one you~~! Ha ha ha!
Olds

That's exactly what I was just going to post Olds! :D

Welcome to the forum Mawgie! You got a heck of a deal! ;)

Mike

Bytes · August 03, 2008, 06:00:20 PM

Where is the glossary posted? I get that OBS is Original Bradley Smoker, but BSS? Bradley Stainless Steel? HELP. And PID? And I'm sure there are more...

>:(

So does anybody else pick a smoker partly based on whether it appears it will fall over if you rest your hand on the door when it's open? (The Masterbuilt will at least when empty).

If price were not an object, would an OBS still be too much equipment for someone who has never ever smoked anything in her life and prefers ribs very very well done (though steak barely warm though burnt on the outside, but I know that's not going to be a smoking function).

FLBentRider · August 03, 2008, 06:24:01 PM

W E L C O M E to the Forum Bytes!

Quote from: Bytes on August 03, 2008, 06:00:20 PM
Where is the glossary posted? I get that OBS is Original Bradley Smoker, but BSS? Bradley Stainless Steel? HELP. And PID? And I'm sure there are more...

>:(

So does anybody else pick a smoker partly based on whether it appears it will fall over if you rest your hand on the door when it's open? (The Masterbuilt will at least when empty).

If price were not an object, would an OBS still be too much equipment for someone who has never ever smoked anything in her life and prefers ribs very very well done (though steak barely warm though burnt on the outside, but I know that's not going to be a smoking function).

We are working on the FAQ, BSS is the Bradley Stainless Steel. A PID is an aftermarket or user-built device that allows much more precise temperature control of the Bradley (or any) electric smoker. It is by no means a necessary item to produce great food in a bradley, but it does make it easier, especially for sausage smoking applications.

Is the OBS too much equipment ? That depends. If you enjoy smoked food, no. If you are trying to decide if you like smoked food, maybe. That said, I bought mine primarily to make jerky, and once I learned what I could do (almost all via this Forum) - Holy Cow, we have made some downright great food - Pulled pork, Beef brisket, and homemade Bacon, Canadian Bacon and Pastrami, Smoked Turkey, Turkey legs, Smoked Almonds, etc, etc, etc....

It is by no means fast food. Good BBQ (Pork or Beef) takes 16-28 hours of cook time. I too enjoy a steak "Pittsburg". But a steak is a tender cut of meat and can be enjoyed after a short cook time on high heat. A Pork butt (Pork Shoulder or Boston Butt) is not a tender cut and has alot of connective tissue. Cooking this cut to "doneness" will not break down the connective tissue into gelatin (the tuff that makes pulled pork and slow-cooked ribs so lip-smackin' good). A "low and slow" cook of 16-20 hours @ 200F will result in probably the best pulled pork you've ever eaten. A Beef brisket is the same way. Pork Ribs done this way are awesome (they don't take as long).

And you can put some smoke on that Steak before you throw it on that Rocket-Hot Grill.