How the Wood burns

Sheriff · January 21, 2004, 09:55:29 PM

I am like several others, trying to decided which smoker to buy. I like the Stainless Bradley home unit. I have two questions. How does the wood burn in the BS does the arm it set on get hot or does it burn from the heating element in back of the smoker? Also, is there a problem of having to rotate your food because the burner or element is in the back of the unit? This is my first time to log on I have read this forum for several days now and it seem like everyone is very helpful. I won't push my luck with now with further questions. Thanks

Sheriff

Chez Bubba · January 21, 2004, 11:17:55 PM

Dear Mr. Lawman Sir,

The bisquettes don't truly burn, they smolder. Yes, technically, they are on fire, but not in the flaming kind of way. The arm has room for three bisquettes, two of which are "waiting" and the third is on a hotplate. Every 20 minutes a new bisquette will be pushed in, forcing the ashen third one into the water pan.

Rotating your food, in my experience, is not neccessary <b>IF</b> you're cooking for your family and a few guests. If you're going to cook say 2 chickens or 1 pork butt & put it in the middle of the rack in the middle of the smoker, no problem. The heat will pretty much convect evenly. The back may be a slight bit more cooked, but it's not charred versus half cooked.

If you're showin' off & plop 40-50 pounds of meat into the smoker, taking up every bit of rack space, then yes, I would suggest an occasional rotation, both front-to-back & top-to-bottom. What we do to avoid the top to bottom rotation is place the longer cooking items (roasts, butts, chickens) on the bottom racks and the faster cooking items (ribs, sausage, shrimp) on the top racks. I then only do a front-to-back rotation once, halfway through the cooking time of the fastest cooking item.

Now, could you reveal your jurisdiction so that one day, if I happen to be caught speeding, you might be able to re-pay the favor?[:D][:D]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com

Sheriff · January 22, 2004, 08:31:19 PM

Kirk, Thanks for the reply.. You can go easy on that Mr. and Sir. I'm just the Sheriff in Collin County, Texas just on the North side of Dallas....Wanting to talk a little BBQ.. Now, if you put three Bisq. in the Bradley will the last one push off in the bowl, or do you need the Disk that you sell or someone sells to make that happen? Can you hang racks of ribs from the top or do you have to lay them on the racks? I have never seen anything in print from Bradley but from others they show pics and sell special rib hooks. Thanks..I hope you understand the first parts is in jest...Thanks

Terry

Sheriff

Chez Bubba · January 24, 2004, 12:40:28 AM

Terry,

If you put 3 bisquettes in the hopper, let's call them A, B & C: The first cycling will push A to position 1. In the 2nd cycling, B will push a to position 2. The third cylcling will have C pushing both A & B, with A landing on the burner plate. You will now get 20 minutes of smoke out of A.

The reason we came up with the advancing bisquettes is that at this point B & C will never get to the burner plate as there is nothing to push them along. A will never get pushed into the water pan either, resulting in it starting B to smolder & eventually, B will start C to smolder. This results in a big mess of ash piled on the feeder unit instead of in the water bowl where it should be.

Take this scenario: I want to cook a butt for 12 hours but only want to apply 4 hours of smoke. If I add 12 bisquettes, I'l get my 4 hours and the mess. If I add 2 more bisquettes to make up for the spacing issue, I'll get 40 more minutes of smoke & the mess. Hence the advancing biquettes.

I suppose if you really wanted to find a way to hang the ribs, you could devise a way to do so. The common way with the Bradley is to lay them on the racks. Since they are low-profile like sausages, jerky & chicken breasts a lot of people order an extra rack set. By inverting the second set over your original racks, you can double the capacity of the smoker.

Doing so will increase your cook time slightly & play into the aforementioned scenario of rotation, but you can feed a whole lot of people.

BTW, jest assumed, I assume you knew same. My best friend is a dick on the force here. I have fun saying that, but it's true! For his bachelor party, instead of a coat-check room, we had a gun-check room.[;)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com

Sheriff · January 24, 2004, 01:09:38 AM

Kirk, Thanks for the reply, that pretty well covers all that I have questions about. You have been very helpful. Tell the gang hello..FYI I am 15 miles from SomkinTex home office Plano, Texas, I email them a question approx. 6 days ago and have received no reply as of this time?? I will be purchasing a Bradley Shortly. Thanks..

Sheriff

Chez Bubba · January 24, 2004, 03:52:39 PM

Which is exactly why you should order it from us.[:)] We actually use what we sell & are happy to talk about it.

We can ship it to you for about $35 and you won't have to pay sales tax. Plus, we include a 60-pack sampler and offer a 10% lifetime discount on bisquettes.

We stock all the woods, accessories & parts & will ship the same or next day of your order.

http://www.chezbubba.com

Kummok · February 07, 2004, 05:57:58 PM

Dang....hadn't noticed this thread earlier[xx(] Don't know if you're still lurking out there Sheriff.....Kummok here, recently retired FF/PO. You just got some great BS smoking 101 from Chez....in fact, I'm gonna remember this thread and refer all the "what are the advancing chips for" questions from now on. I don't see any reason why SS "hanging hooks" couldn't be used from the top most rack, although if I was using the quartz tube for heat, I'd want to consider inverting meat at least once or twice during process. In fact now that I mention it, this might be a great way to make squaw candy!! Be sure to let us know here on the forum how your initial BS purchase/smoking experience comes out.........[8D]

Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

Fuzzybear · February 07, 2004, 11:51:34 PM

Sheriff: Order from Chez Bubba....his delivery time is a phenom!

Feel free to read and laugh at my post "Newbie" in the Original Bradley forum....I'm still waiting for delivery for a measley $10.

Good luck wherever you choose to purchase from....

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Sheriff · February 08, 2004, 05:07:12 AM

Fuzzybear and Kummok,
Test, Test I have replied to both of you twice, but it appears it will not show it posted.. Sorry I will try later..and they were very good..

Sheriff

Fuzzybear · February 09, 2004, 01:32:31 AM

Alrighty...we'll await the "reposting!"

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Sheriff · February 09, 2004, 03:28:14 PM

Kummok and Fuzzybear,

Sorry for delay had a little problem with home computer.. Kummok, Help this Texas boy out.. I don't understand the statement, "although if I were using the quartz blub for heat I'd would want to consider inverting the meat at least once or twice during the process", and for the life of me I cannot figure out what "squaw meat" might be.
Also, looking forward to retirement some day.. just been in this business 34 yrs. Sheriff since 1985 maybe in 8 or 9 yrs when I'm 62 I will give retirement a serious look. (Some say I am already there) Thanks.

Fuzzybear,
I am just like you, I have to check all the prices out to make sure I am getting the lowest price. Well, last Monday Westcoast Store had the lowest price I found of $488.99 for the BS SS, cover, 48 pack of wood and cookbook free shipping and no tax.. I ordered Monday, called Thursday to see about getting my UPS tracking number. The Mgr. advised they ship on Friday and I should get a email with the tracking number Friday. Well, it's Monday I hope to get the email today.. I read your Newbie posting ( maybe to late) I feel bad now because the Chez... has been so good to all of us about answering all our questions. You know, I may have learned what it means to get the Lowest and Best price. Well, I have to say Westcoast Store has been very good about talking to me on the phone and giving me a response. I feel better now that I have confessed some of my sins.. Thanks

Sheriff

Fuzzybear · February 10, 2004, 03:04:33 PM

Hey Sheriff...don't feel bad...I'm learning the hard way too!

I just called my supplier out in Kansas - had to leave a message...nobody picked up...I still don't have a tracking number and I'm up to 16 days - just got my credit card statement and they've had my money since 1/25...

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Sheriff · February 10, 2004, 10:10:58 PM

Fuzzybear,

Got my UPS tracking # today. Should be at my house 2-11-04. Mine is lookin better, can't wait..

Sheriff

Fuzzybear · February 10, 2004, 10:41:26 PM

Finally got a tracking number - now the official delivery is somewhere between: 2/13 and 2/17..

What's going in yours first Sheriff?

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Sheriff · February 11, 2004, 05:05:43 AM

Fuzzybear,

No, talk to them today and UPS showes it will be here tomorrow afternoon. Maybe baby backs or a roll or two of breakfast sausage, or maybe some thick boneless country style ribs....

Sheriff