talk me into the OBS, please

[jb1020]

been doing a lot of shopping and researching lately on smokers.   i keep coming back to the OBS.  i recently moved and the wife wouldnt let me pack the old $60 brinkman from home depot.  no biggie.  i really loved that smoker, would soak the wood over night, kind of a hassle but i enjoyed it.  it wasnt the easiest to use, not being able to get to the lower rack and feedin coal and wood thru the tiny door that get hot as he!!.  but it cooked great, needed more attention than the OBS, but thats part of smoking i enjoy.   

my reason for not wanting the OBS

1.  its electric.  ive never wanted an electric, i dont see how it can compare to the coal and wet wood combo (had the fire dept called on me once, haha)

2.  its a little pricey.  i can spend $300, but thats pricey no doubt

3.  doesnt look like you do the cooking yourself.  kind of a "set it and forget it" type of cooker.

4.  read these reviews http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_45487_750006001_750000000_750006000_750-6-1

reasons for wanting it

1.  i think i would use it a lot more than the coal burning model.

2.  would not have to leave work to check on it and come back smelling like a smoker, haha

3.  all the food can be easily accessed.


your thoughts please.....



resons for wanting it

[car54]

Welcome jb1020,

The OBS with a pid is the best way to go. I have had my for about 5 years and it has done me good. This forum is excellent with people sincerely willing to help you. The Bradley Smoker has excellent service if something goes wrong.

You know that you want it so just get it!

Brad

[KyNola]

JB,
First of all, welcome to the forum.  I have owned the Brinkman smoker and every other type of smoker known to man.  Should you choose a Bradley and use it a couple of times, you will wonder why in the world you waited so long.  The smoke that the Bradley produces is such a cleaner purer smoke that you will be amazed at the flavor.  I don't think there is anything I can say to make you choose the Bradley but I can tell you that I am really really pleased with mine plus you get a great bunch of new friends around the world who are more than willing to help you with the learning curve.

KyNola    

[KyNola]

Hey JB,
One more thing, I just went out and read those reviews on BassPro from your original post.  The guys who complained about the Bradley did not take the time to learn how to use it properly.  If the reviewer who couldn't get the temp inside the box above 200 at an outside temp of 95 degrees, I guarantee you he either didn't have the vent open causing moisture to condensate in the box knocking the heat down or the heating element was not working.  The guy who smoked for 5 hours using only 5 disks and had smoke the entire time....I guarantee you that was the bitterest food he has ever tasted.

We are all here ready to help you with the learning curve.  I couldn't drive a car the first time I got behind the wheel but I learned because someone taught me.  We're here to do the same for you.

KyNola 

[Caneyscud]

Welcome jb1020

I haven't been a Bradley smoker for long - only 2 food producing smokes so far, but I have produced barbecue a number of different ways over the years, holes in the ground, masonry pits, big ugly drums, bullets, gas grills, off-sets, vertical offsets, big trailer mounted rigs, and a trailer mounted rotissierie.  It's all about control of heat and smoke.  The Bradley lets you control both easier, better, and more effectively than almost all the rest without electronics.  I like to say I can control the heat on a beast of a rig, but in reality it varies quite a bit - Thankfully with the normal products, brisket, butts, ribs that variability is not really much of a problem for good 'Q, but it sure does make you pull your hair out when under a time restraint.  The Bradley units may not be the fastest, but by golly they allow you to produce a very quality product - just not like completely like a stickburner or charcoal unit.  No smoke ring on the brisket. 

1.  As a practicing stickburner and lumper, I did not think I would want an electric either - but I got over that.  If you like the tinkering with the wood and staying up all night with the brisket, you won't like this as much.  Any way you look at it the Bradley units put out a great smoked product - and even many products any of the other rigs cannot.  Ever make lox in a Bandera - can't be done.  Same as with cheese.  Some smoking processes such as cheese, lox, fish, sausages, salamis, etc....need a lower temperature and a more controlled temperature than most all those other rigs can't produce.  I've never quite totally understood the wet wood thing though.  Wet wood kills your fire/coals, brings down your temperature, produces steam that you don't always want and produces for a time incomplete combustion that some say gives a harsh taste to the 'Q.
2.  Yes a bit "pricey", but what is your sleep time worth?  I can make some great 'Q in my Bandera, but it sure can eat up the wood compared to a Bradley.  What is the cost of buying the lump or the wood or the time finding, harvesting, cutting, drying, etc... that wood.  I really like all that, but I'm getting to be 53 and won't always be able to do that. 
3.  It can be set and forget, but I still like tinkering.  Besides set and forget is a big draw.  See No. 2 above.  What is your sleep time worth, or time with the kids, or whatever.  There is a reason the KCBS does not allow them in a competition.  They saw, electrics can make great 'Q, so they decided that skill in working a stick or charcoal burner was important to their program and made it a large but unseen portion of their scoring. 
4.  BPS ratings!  Look at many of the other ratings and you will find the same variability.  There are some guys on there that will argue that a white whachamajig is better than a red whachamajig at catching big fish.  Well how is that ever proven.  Most of the negatives are over the cost of the pucks or because they want the unit to do something that it wasn't designed to do, or they did not read the instructions or this forum.  Yes pucks cost money, but so don't charcoal and wood.  I just smoked a brisket, some country style ribs and some rib tips using 18 pucks - 6 hours of smoke.  At approximately .50 per that's $9.00.  Using one of the bigger rigs, I'd have used most of a $12 bag of lump oak, and probably a significant portion of a $4 bag of flavoring wood.  Where is the savings?

I thing most would say buy a OBS and add in a PID.  I bought a DBS and wish I would have read this forum before, as I probably would have gone that route as I will probably go the PID route to control temps better with sausages I plan to make as well as cheese and lox.  With that being said, if all you plan to do are briskets, butts, yardbird, fatties, Atomic Dragon Balls, ABT's, Poppers, Sheekins, or ribs, you probably don't need the more accurate and precise control of the PID. 

My .02 worth

Shakespeare
May your dinner be a poem

[Smoking Duck]

JB,

If you want great tasting smoked foods with a lot less hassle, then this is for you.  If you want to work harder for your smoked foods, then the Bradley is not for you.  Those folks on Bass Pro never took the time to read how the Bradley works......hardly what I'd call an informed consumer.

Does the Bradley have some kinks in it?  Sure, but like any machine, it may have its quirks.  If it does, Bradley stands behind their products 100%.  Read all you can here and see what people think of Bradley Customer Service......in a word, awesome.

Me, I'm harder than hell on my Bradley's.....I have 2 and neither one of them has had nary a problem.  I think I probably do more smokes through mine than the average member on this forum as well. 

Don't get me wrong......I like stickburners as well...I would venture a guess that there are a ton of folks on here who do as well.  But, if I'm cooking for my family or a small gathering, I'll take the Bradley every time......the food tastes as good, it is much simpler to do and you can actually sleep through the night.  But, if you read through here and still need to be "talked into it" then you're probably not going to be buying one.  It all depends on how much you want to work at smoking and whether or not you want the set it and forget it method.  I guess it comes down to one thing:  do you really care how you get to your smoking destination?  Whether it's by fossil fuel or electric, does it really matter if the food tastes great?

Me, I just want good quality smoked food and I love that the Bradley also affords me an easy opportunity to do cold smoking as well.  Of course, we hope you join us.......the feeling around here is the more the merrier........ To me it's a no-brainer decision.....the price tag alone was worth the ability to smoke some pork butts and STILL sleep through the night  ;D

SD

[jb1020]

thanks for the advice.  i really do appreciate it.  ive basically narrowed down my seach tot he OBS (though I cant find it on display anywhere around here, just in the box)  or the big green egg?  anyone here have any experience with it? 

really at this point the only downside to me about the OBS is that i cant grill on it.  i have a gas grill im gettin a little tired of, but nothing is wrong with i so its hard to trash it.

[Caneyscud]

Man, that is like comparing night to day or apples to oranges - they ain't the same machine - so the decision goes back to purpose.  If you want a grill - the OBS is definitely not on the list of candidates.  One of the few things that I haven't cooked on is a BGE.  But I have had some awesome food off of BGE's before though.  The people that have them really rave about them and for good reason - good food with not as much tending.  The come highly recommended.  I pass a display of BGE's and another one of Primo's pretty often.  They just sit there, smiling at me, enticing me with their siren's song - just barely audible, but loud enough to make an impression.  I just find it hard to shell out that much money on something that has limited capacity.  If all I did was comps and backyard cooking I might get one.  But I'd still have to have a smoker for the low temp smoking of sausage, cheese, and lox that I want to do AND something big to do events with.  You can low temp smoke in the BGE, but you'd have to get a smoke generator of some sort and pipe the smoke into the BGE.  But then you could do the same thing with a garbage can or cardboard box.  Unless you have no desire to ever do some finesse smoking, I'd see you buying the BGE and then a smoker also!!  Good luck with your decision - you'll be happy with whatever you get - and you will be producing some excellent 'Q before long.

Shakespeare
May your dinners be like a poem

[Consiglieri]

thanks for the advice.  i really do appreciate it.  ive basically narrowed down my seach tot he OBS (though I cant find it on display anywhere around here, just in the box)  or the big green egg?  anyone here have any experience with it? 

really at this point the only downside to me about the OBS is that i cant grill on it.  i have a gas grill im gettin a little tired of, but nothing is wrong with i so its hard to trash it.

Sounds to me like you have a perfect opportunity to get 2 new toys.   :)

I have a friend who has the Egg; after he saw how easy the Bradley works he was questioning his decision.  I have the digital 6 rack.  Isn't as precise as the OBS with a PID, but even with the temp swings, you get a great result. 

Good luck with your decision. 

[drano]

Welcome to the forum. 
If you want great smoked/slow cooked BBQ meat (ribs, briskit, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, etc) w/ not much babysitting, get the Bradley.
I don't have an egg, so can't comment, but from what I understand, it will do normal charcoal grilling and can also smoke.  But I'd guess babysitting it is required to keep a good temp. 
With my PID'd OBS, I can set it and ignore it.  I stay home while smoking, but I don't have to check on it every 30 min or hour to ensure the temp is correct. 
If you want great Q, get the Bradley!
drano

[jeff_smoke]

Hi JB,
    I'm a new owner (1 month OBS). You wanted to be talked into, so....
Just check out my latest thread about mesquite steak.
OMG - tonight I'm afflicted with happy belly syndrome.
    Cold smoke a steak with a couple mesquite biscuittes and
then grill it. I rubbed on a little garlic salt before grilling.
Eeeegads ! Big time yummers. I jest notward; I'm typing and dipping
my finger into the leftover juice and slurping it up.   ;D

[jeff_smoke]

Here's some more convincin...
I had given my brother and his wife and my parents both smoked chickens
two nights ago. This morning my brother responded by email below...
==================
Jeff and Florence,

I can't tell you.... well yes I can actually.... how good that smoked chicken was. It sat on the stove after you brought it over to cool off before I was to put it in the fridge before going to bed.

Well the aroma got to me and I had to try some that night -- at 10:00 pm! I couldn't believe how good it was. It was all I could do to go to bed with just a nibble.

Thanks so much.

[IKnowWood]

Can you cold smoke in a Egg?  Or Salmon, cheese, nuts, and Jerky? Or 32 lbs of Butt.

[smokeitall]

Just get the smoker...if you don't like it I will gladly take it off your hands....There is only one thing better than a Bradley, two Bradleys.. ;D ;D ;D

[Smokin Soon]

Ya know, most of us here have gone through offsets, bullet smokers and the like before we went to Bradley. You could spend much more and do a lot less! Jump in!  ::)