Post by: n_mathews13 on August 27, 2017, 04:07:27 PM
Post by: kselkhunter on August 27, 2017, 04:14:03 PM
Post by: Oh Mah on August 27, 2017, 05:28:01 PM
Post by: NRA4LIFE on August 27, 2017, 05:31:30 PM
Post by: WA1232 on August 27, 2017, 05:40:20 PM
Post by: JDHasty on August 27, 2017, 06:52:10 PM
http://www.horizonbbqsmokers.com/backyard-smokers-1/
Post by: Ddouble on August 27, 2017, 06:58:03 PM
Post by: 7mmfan on August 27, 2017, 07:55:57 PM
I have 2 smokers. A home made one out of an old fridge for doing mass quantities of stuff. It's not a set it and forget it, and takes a bit of fiddling to get the temperature right. My other is a 40" Masterbuilt, and I love it. Set the temp. and walk away. Very easy to use. I would highly suggest this unit.
Just got the Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite, very happy with it. I had a Bradley before that and was happy with it as well, but the capacity on the Masterbuilt is way better.
Post by: Sakko300wsm on August 27, 2017, 08:03:24 PM
Post by: browney5er on August 27, 2017, 08:31:30 PM
Post by: Twispriver on August 27, 2017, 09:09:50 PM
Post by: PlateauNDN on August 27, 2017, 09:15:39 PM
I was given an Oklahoma Joe's charcoal/wood smoker as a gift this summer and I am very happy with it - it requires your attention but to me that's part of the fun of it. I did four pork butts, three split chickens and three salmon on it a couple of weeks ago for a party we hosted and everything turned out great.
That a good review. I almost bought one, had it loaded on the cart and changed my mind. Sounds like I should've bought it. :tup:
Post by: Magnum_Willys on August 27, 2017, 09:31:01 PM
Post by: GameHunter1959 on August 27, 2017, 09:34:17 PM
I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
Post by: Doublelunger on August 27, 2017, 09:36:41 PM
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/
Post by: hollymaster on August 27, 2017, 11:05:37 PM
Going on 5 or 6 years with the 4 rack digital for me.I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
Post by: Blacklab on August 28, 2017, 01:18:33 AM
I have a Masterbuilt and love it. never really used anything else though so I dont know what I could be missing out on. I use this forum Quite a bit when I'm looking for anything smoking related. Might help you make a decision and it will def help you after you make a decision.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/
Great site! With awesome recipes and ideas :tup:
Post by: kselkhunter on August 28, 2017, 07:11:02 AM
I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
I have the 6 rack. Have had it for about 10 years now. Love it. At Thanksgiving I can fit a duck and a turkey in it.
Post by: 92xj on August 28, 2017, 07:45:21 AM
Post by: quadrafire on August 28, 2017, 08:34:43 AM
Post by: wiremonkey on August 28, 2017, 08:55:41 AM
Post by: lamrith on August 28, 2017, 11:31:20 AM
Post by: JohnD on August 28, 2017, 11:53:40 AM
https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/dal/6198009200.html
sorry, couldn't resist.
Post by: DoubleJ on August 28, 2017, 12:53:07 PM
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XJGEGY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Happy with it except I need to cut full racks of ribs in half before putting them in there. 4 shelves and each can fit a rack if cut in half. It works for me, especially for the price but, with a higher budget, I would have gotten bigger
Post by: carvermoe on August 28, 2017, 05:12:17 PM
Post by: Alchase on August 29, 2017, 09:46:53 AM
I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
I have the 6 rack. Have had it for about 10 years now. Love it. At Thanksgiving I can fit a duck and a turkey in it.
I also have the Bradley six rack digital for 8 years, love it!
takes all the guessing out of BBQ.
I also have a 4 rack non-digital as well I have had for 16 years still going strong.
Post by: C-Money on August 29, 2017, 10:05:56 AM
https://www.charbroil.com/propane-gas-smoker
Post by: JDHasty on August 29, 2017, 10:54:43 AM
I was given an Oklahoma Joe's charcoal/wood smoker as a gift this summer and I am very happy with it - it requires your attention but to me that's part of the fun of it. I did four pork butts, three split chickens and three salmon on it a couple of weeks ago for a party we hosted and everything turned out great.
Once you have it figured out they can be left on their own - my old New Brunfels Black Diamond that has been extensively modified will run at 225-250 for six hours before needing the charcoal basket filled back up. The heavier units like the Oklahoma Joe work pretty well right out of the box, it's just a matter of learning how to use an offset smoker.
Post by: n_mathews13 on September 01, 2017, 11:15:39 AM
I was given an Oklahoma Joe's charcoal/wood smoker as a gift this summer and I am very happy with it - it requires your attention but to me that's part of the fun of it. I did four pork butts, three split chickens and three salmon on it a couple of weeks ago for a party we hosted and everything turned out great.
Like this one?
Post by: Twispriver on September 01, 2017, 02:31:54 PM
Post by: GameHunter1959 on September 06, 2017, 10:57:46 PM
Going on 5 or 6 years with the 4 rack digital for me.I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
The 4 rack is a great unit, if you can get the digital box to stay alive. The issue with the 6 rack, is the heat element. Most guys will purchase a second heat element to help get the unit to full temp. This weekend I used my 6 rack in 95 degree weather, no wind, etc. I was trying to achieve an internal cabinet temp of 280 degrees for a 6 lb. Beef Brisket. I turned the oven temp to maximum temp (375 degrees), and could not get the unit to surpass an internal cabinet temp. of 223 degrees. Weather, heat, moisture, etc. play a HUGE factor when using the 6 rack in the Pacific Northwest. Cook times are all over the place. I spent 26 hours smoking a 22 lb. Turkey last year. It came out wonderful; however the original cook/smoke time was suppose to be about 1/3 of what it actually ended up taking.
You have to have a ton of patience when using the Bradley 6 rack. I strongly suggest purchasing a 4 rack. The additional space is valuable when smoking batches of jerky, but that's about it. 4 rack is way less of an headache.
Most the folks in the Bradley website forum are NOT HAPPY with their 6 racks. In truth; the unit is a poor design. They thought they could take the same components used off the 4 rack and stick them into a larger unit (6 rack) and make it work. No such thing as "set it and forget it". I'm selling my 6 rack on Craigslist and buying a Master Built or a Bradley 4 Rack. The 6 rack has great value when doing mass amounts of jerky, which requires multiple racks. But you have to constantly rotate the racks, or the jerky will come out uneven and cooked. It should NOT be cooked.
Post by: biggfish on September 07, 2017, 12:34:26 AM
Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk
Post by: Alchase on September 07, 2017, 09:57:03 AM
Going on 5 or 6 years with the 4 rack digital for me.I like my Bradley. Set it and forget it.
Do you have a 4 or 6 rack. I have the 6 rack and have had nothing but problems. I am on my third unit since 2014.
The 4 rack is a great unit, if you can get the digital box to stay alive. The issue with the 6 rack, is the heat element. Most guys will purchase a second heat element to help get the unit to full temp. This weekend I used my 6 rack in 95 degree weather, no wind, etc. I was trying to achieve an internal cabinet temp of 280 degrees for a 6 lb. Beef Brisket. I turned the oven temp to maximum temp (375 degrees), and could not get the unit to surpass an internal cabinet temp. of 223 degrees. Weather, heat, moisture, etc. play a HUGE factor when using the 6 rack in the Pacific Northwest. Cook times are all over the place. I spent 26 hours smoking a 22 lb. Turkey last year. It came out wonderful; however the original cook/smoke time was suppose to be about 1/3 of what it actually ended up taking.
You have to have a ton of patience when using the Bradley 6 rack. I strongly suggest purchasing a 4 rack. The additional space is valuable when smoking batches of jerky, but that's about it. 4 rack is way less of an headache.
Most the folks in the Bradley website forum are NOT HAPPY with their 6 racks. In truth; the unit is a poor design. They thought they could take the same components used off the 4 rack and stick them into a larger unit (6 rack) and make it work. No such thing as "set it and forget it". I'm selling my 6 rack on Craigslist and buying a Master Built or a Bradley 4 Rack. The 6 rack has great value when doing mass amounts of jerky, which requires multiple racks. But you have to constantly rotate the racks, or the jerky will come out uneven and cooked. It should NOT be cooked.
I have had no issues with either my four rack (non-digital) or my six rack digital getting up to temp, turkey, briskets, ribs, all do fine.
I use the four rack most often for meats and birds.
I use my 6 rack mostly for cold smoke, fish, cheese, etc... I have the smoke generator separated from the cabinet by about 4 feet of hose.
Post by: kselkhunter on September 07, 2017, 10:10:29 AM
The only issue I've had was I stupidly left my other smoker out in the rain one time (forgot to move it back into the garage), so need to replace the electronics. That's a brainfart user error on my part though. :bash: So I'm down to one 6-rack smoker until my replacement electronics arrive.
Post by: Blacktail Sniper on September 07, 2017, 10:55:25 AM
Seems to hold a pretty average heat range of 225 - 250 on the low end. One downside I discovered right out the gate was the design of the chip tray. With the large open slits in it, it was almost impossible to not get through a smoke without a fire and the heat jumping up.
Even worse with pellets, they just wanted to fall through. I got around that by using a cheap Goodwill purchased skillet and some statnless steel bolts through the bottom as legs to hold it above the fire.
The other is a smaller electric, Landman brand, 3 rack I recently picked up. Seems to be able to keep down in the 100 degree range fairly easily. Did a batch of pork ribs using the the 3-2-1 method and happy how they turned out.
The only issue I have found so far was the door latch, it is pretty cheesy and required some attention to get consistent latching, but this was by no means a top of the line model either.
Next on my list is an offset charcoal/stick burner.
They are all basically a thin metal box or tube, the thinner ones usually being the lower end or off brand models. Some seal and hold heat & smoke better than others, so some require a little additional work on your part to add additional sealer and/or insulation to boost efficiency.
Like any topic with different methods, you will find many opinions and if you look on any of the dedicated bbq/smoking forums, you will quickly see that each style has its cheerleaders and its arch enemies.
It is a fun hobby that can produce alot of great meals. There pretty much isn't any thing you can do in an oven that can't be done in a smoker or on a grill.
If you have close neighbors, it won't take many smoke sessions before you start meeting "by chance" and the conversation usually go quickly to something along the lines of "Hey Neighbor, what were you cooking? We were smelling it all day/night and it sure smelled good!!!" :chuckle:
Post by: Alchase on September 07, 2017, 06:03:16 PM
Wether you use a smoke house, old refrigerator, a little chief, or a plastic tarp thrown over a tripod, the objective is to smoke up some tasty food.
Yes, I have use all of those mentioned above to produce great smoke.
The only difference between those and all of our new fangled smokers is convenience.
Heat control, remote thermometers are fantastic for this, and being able to either set how much smoke you want or being able to refill chips or pucks preferably without having to open the door.
I have that ability with my Bradley Smokers, and I still catch myself doing a big piece of stupid and opening the door.
Whichever smoker you buy, learn to control the heat and you have already ahead.
Post by: NRA4LIFE on September 07, 2017, 06:48:20 PM
Post by: Blacklab on September 08, 2017, 05:29:22 AM
Seriously I think we are all over thinking this thread.
Wether you use a smoke house, old refrigerator, a little chief, or a plastic tarp thrown over a tripod, the objective is to smoke up some tasty food.
Yes, I have use all of those mentioned above to produce great smoke.
The only difference between those and all of our new fangled smokers is convenience.
Heat control, remote thermometers are fantastic for this, and being able to either set how much smoke you want or being able to refill chips or pucks preferably without having to open the door.
I have that ability with my Bradley Smokers, and I still catch myself doing a big piece of stupid and opening the door.
Whichever smoker you buy, learn to control the heat and you have already ahead.
:yeah: :tup:
It really is that simple. Anything you put can put in a oven you can smoke, just takes longer. :twocents: ;)
Post by: spddmn6 on September 08, 2017, 08:43:47 AM
I have two (so far), one is the Masterbuilt propane model with 6 racks. Lots of room and pretty flexible on rack placement.
Seems to hold a pretty average heat range of 225 - 250 on the low end. One downside I discovered right out the gate was the design of the chip tray. With the large open slits in it, it was almost impossible to not get through a smoke without a fire and the heat jumping up.
Even worse with pellets, they just wanted to fall through. I got around that by using a cheap Goodwill purchased skillet and some statnless steel bolts through the bottom as legs to hold it above the fire.
The other is a smaller electric, Landman brand, 3 rack I recently picked up. Seems to be able to keep down in the 100 degree range fairly easily. Did a batch of pork ribs using the the 3-2-1 method and happy how they turned out.
The only issue I have found so far was the door latch, it is pretty cheesy and required some attention to get consistent latching, but this was by no means a top of the line model either.
Next on my list is an offset charcoal/stick burner.
They are all basically a thin metal box or tube, the thinner ones usually being the lower end or off brand models. Some seal and hold heat & smoke better than others, so some require a little additional work on your part to add additional sealer and/or insulation to boost efficiency.
Like any topic with different methods, you will find many opinions and if you look on any of the dedicated bbq/smoking forums, you will quickly see that each style has its cheerleaders and its arch enemies.
It is a fun hobby that can produce alot of great meals. There pretty much isn't any thing you can do in an oven that can't be done in a smoker or on a grill.
If you have close neighbors, it won't take many smoke sessions before you start meeting "by chance" and the conversation usually go quickly to something along the lines of "Hey Neighbor, what were you cooking? We were smelling it all day/night and it sure smelled good!!!" :chuckle:
I just recently stumbled across bbqgaskets.com, after installing a gasket on my Traeger the temperatures are now staying more consistent inside and the smoke stopped leaking through the doors like I see in your pictures.
Post by: spddmn6 on September 08, 2017, 08:53:48 AM
Post by: floatinghat on September 09, 2017, 10:38:47 AM
Post by: Alchase on September 10, 2017, 02:06:36 PM
love my kamado
For you Komodo and Big Green Egg smokers, there is a considerable price difference from the Big Green Eggs to others like the Komodo. Is the price worth it for the BGE?
I love the way those things cook up large pieces of meat like prime rib, and roasts, and I have been thinking of adding one to my smoking arsenal, LOL
Post by: Ddouble on September 10, 2017, 09:31:41 PM
The warranty on the BGE is amazing I have 2 and have 3 other close friends with them.love my kamado
For you Komodo and Big Green Egg smokers, there is a considerable price difference from the Big Green Eggs to others like the Komodo. Is the price worth it for the BGE?
I love the way those things cook up large pieces of meat like prime rib, and roasts, and I have been thinking of adding one to my smoking arsenal, LOL
Post by: haugenna on September 10, 2017, 09:36:33 PM
GMG with amazen smoke box.
3-2-1 method. Cook at 225 for 3 hours, foil for 2 and I can never let the ribs sit on for the entire final hour.
Post by: NRA4LIFE on September 10, 2017, 09:55:12 PM
Alchase,
I love my BGE, it is awesome. However, it was a gift from my wife. (OK, we paid for it) But I still love it. I think they are worth it.
NRA
Post by: C-Money on September 11, 2017, 07:51:01 AM
Post by: Blacklab on September 13, 2017, 04:41:45 PM
Post by: GameHunter1959 on September 16, 2017, 08:37:08 AM
Smoked a turkey. Was a tad dry, has excellent flavor. Dont notice its a little dry with gravy. Was on a fire, and that prevented me from pulling the bird on time...First pic is 4 hours in, second pic is finished.
Brine well will help eliminate the dryness, but I prefer to inject throughout the process. The only issue with injecting is that it takes a few minutes each time you open the smoker door; hence you lose a lot of your heat and it can take awhile for your unit to heat back up to the correct temperature (pending the type of unit your using).
Post by: C-Money on September 18, 2017, 11:06:57 AM
Post by: Alchase on September 18, 2017, 02:59:00 PM
Post by: n_mathews13 on October 09, 2017, 09:37:21 AM
Post by: lamrith on October 09, 2017, 03:06:48 PM
Post by: C-Money on October 09, 2017, 03:25:19 PM
These seem cheap. Are they worth it for a beginner?
Thats what I use. Works really good for me. Propane lasts a long time. Have made some excellent meals on ours!!
Post by: n_mathews13 on December 26, 2018, 09:54:31 PM
Post by: Mossyoak on December 26, 2018, 11:15:30 PM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on December 27, 2018, 07:19:21 AM
Post by: n_mathews13 on December 27, 2018, 08:53:54 AM
Post by: KFhunter on December 27, 2018, 09:07:06 AM
Now I'm on the hunt for a meat probe reader. Any suggestions?
I had this one I got cheap off Amazon lightening deal. It went bad, one probe read higher than the other probe and I could never remember which probe read high, so I tied a knot in the probe wire. Eventually the whole unit went bad and I tossed it.
(https://buythermopro.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/61Iz6mnUMzL._SL1000_-600x600.jpg)
I got a new thermopro, same kind of deal amazon lightening deal
(https://buythermopro.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ThermoPro-TP-17-Dual-Probe-Thermometer-600x600.jpeg)
It looks like the one in the picture, but it's got the newer style probes like the one below here. It's not wireless but so far it seems to be working good.
It was cheap enough that if it fails NBD
Post by: Fireb@ll on December 27, 2018, 10:40:29 AM
Answering the latest question regarding thermometers, I have an older version of the Maverick ET-732 Redi-Check. It has been reliable and trouble free for over 5 years. I have had to replace thermal probes but the sending unit and receiver work fine. I installed probes in both the smoker and grill through silicone grommets and leave them there. When I grill/smoke I hook up the sending unit and the meat probe and take the receiver back in the house.
Regarding the original question about smokers, I have owned the Bradley 4 rack (pre-digital), a 7-in-1 from Cabelas, and a Char Broil propane vertical. A previous response mentioned something along the lines of "its not rocket science: build smoke, manage heat." I absolutely agree, that is all there is to it and I have gotten great food out all three smokers and my Weber Kettle set up to smoke.
The points of departure occur when discussing effort, time, and consistency. The Bradley was by far the easiest to use, took the least amount of my time to check on and maintain, and provide consistent results that were repeatable time and time again. I gave it to a buddy when I moved overseas because it was 110V and I was going to 220V Europe.
Both the 7-in-1, the Weber Kettle, and the propane Char Broil have made great tasting food, but they take considerable effort to manage and the process varies wildly based on atmospheric conditions.
I have sealed the Char Broil with a gasket and was going to use a light weight vermiculite concrete to insulate the door and walls, but am moving again so will be gifting this one to another buddy. A couple moving blankets draped over it have served well in the past. Although it is very difficult to maintain low temps (180-220) with any consistency with the propane burner. Turning down the flame usually results in it getting blown out.
When I retire and finally settle in one house, I will build a smokehouse. Until then I'll get by with whatever I scrounge where I am. If I stay in the U.S. this move, I'll go back to the Bradley. It worked great, was easy to use, and provided consistent results.
Post by: C-Money on December 27, 2018, 10:53:15 AM
Post by: Night goat on January 03, 2019, 12:58:38 PM
Only downside is chips are a little spend
But as mentioned, set and forget.
Kinda nice being able to slap something together after work and Go to bed, and have it done by morning to eat it for dinner
Bradley also has an off set fire box kit so you can do a true cold smoke like a old world butcher would have for doing bacon and cheeses and sausages and stuff
Ive found that most smokers only give you the option to slow cook with smoke, where as you can do a true cold smoke for curing stuff without any heat.... If its 40 deg outside, your food can smoke at 40 deg, or you can crank it all the way up to almost 300 if needed.... Bradleys give you a huge range of temperatures
They offer 2 sizes and standard or digital and programable
Post by: Dtray332 on January 03, 2019, 01:53:54 PM
Post by: KFhunter on January 03, 2019, 04:27:20 PM
Post by: GameHunter1959 on June 10, 2020, 05:39:42 PM
Post by: Alchase on June 10, 2020, 06:36:44 PM
I am on the Bradley forums fairly regularly, I don't recall hearing of those type issues. Not saying they do not have their issues, but mine have been flawless.
My Non-digital 4-rack (my fish smoker) is now 15 years old and still going strong. My Digital unit is six years old, I use it for everything, but fish, :rolleyes:.
I would be fuming mad if mine malfunctioned like you described that sucks.
Post by: GameHunter1959 on June 11, 2020, 05:26:24 AM
Weird, I have two Bradleys, and have nothing but praise for them.
I am on the Bradley forums fairly regularly, I don't recall hearing of those type issues. Not saying they do not have their issues, but mine have been flawless.
My Non-digital 4-rack (my fish smoker) is now 15 years old and still going strong. My Digital unit is six years old, I use it for everything, but fish, :rolleyes:.
I would be fuming mad if mine malfunctioned like you described that sucks.
After speaking with their Engineers, they openly admitted that the digital 4 rack is a virtually flawless unit compared to the digital 6 rack. They admitted they have a design issue with the 6 rack, which they are working on improving. They told me that probably 80% of their service issues are related to the 6 rack. The issue with the 6 rack is the larger interior space. 1 heating element does not generate enough heat; especially during windy or cold conditions. Because the heating element struggles to reach or maintain internal temps, the user will max out the temp setting in an attempt to raise and maintain their desired temp. This puts too much stress on the heating element and eventually it will 1) Overheat, catch fire, and burn up your smoker. 2) Malfunction and need to be replaced. As a result; Bradley recommends installing a second heating element to be installed towards the top of the smoker to balance and sustain temps, and reduce stressing heating element #1. People like the 6 rack because of larger size To smoke more meat using the same amount of wood pucks. I highly recommend the 4 rack and would stay away from the 6 rack. If I wasn’t so invested in my 6 rack I’d go buy a 4 rack. Id also mention the 6 rack is a high maintenance unit. Because of the internal temp issues the meat needs to be rotated every 15-30 minutes or it will smoke and cook unevenly. The closer the meat is to the heating element the harder it is to achieve consistency throughout the meat.
Post by: weatherbow21 on June 11, 2020, 06:37:15 AM
I need to be able to start really low so it needs to be electric. I have a traeger and a big home made smoker thats mostly just for cold smoking. The traeger spikes way to often up above 200 even on smoke, I've ruined several batches of hot dogs and pepperoni sticks due to this, and a few in my home made smoker.
Often times I don't even need or want smoke, just need super consistent heat, no warmer than 150 to start (ideally the 130 range). It does not need to go much above 200, if I do something like a brisket I'll just use my traeger.
Has anyone had any experience with a higher end unit like the Waltons PK100?
Post by: HikerHunter on June 11, 2020, 09:23:24 AM
Post by: HikerHunter on June 11, 2020, 09:24:38 AM
Weird, I have two Bradleys, and have nothing but praise for them.
I am on the Bradley forums fairly regularly, I don't recall hearing of those type issues. Not saying they do not have their issues, but mine have been flawless.
My Non-digital 4-rack (my fish smoker) is now 15 years old and still going strong. My Digital unit is six years old, I use it for everything, but fish, :rolleyes:.
I would be fuming mad if mine malfunctioned like you described that sucks.
A fish smoker and an everything else smoker is a genius idea! Now I'm regretting getting rid of my old smoker...
Post by: IFunk on June 11, 2020, 10:00:04 AM
Post by: HAGEMANIAC on June 11, 2020, 10:05:15 AM
https://www.kamadojoe.com/
Post by: ctwiggs1 on June 11, 2020, 10:32:42 AM
the MB doesn't like sunshine, the control panel film peeled off so I don't know what buttons are what, good thing I have the remote.:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
@KFHunter, I learned that hard lesson as well. Irritated the crap outta me.
Still smokes fine though.