Bradley Smoker modifications...

[CentDoss89]

Ok so soon I am to be a proud new owner of a new Bradley Digital Smoker....or maybe I won't?  After reading review after review and thread and post after another the world is so split that it makes it exhausting and daunting to figure out fact, fiction, myth or just plain BS!

SO what I am asking for is for anyone and EVERYONE who have had or currently still has a Bradley modified or not to chime in and help put as many to rest as possible.

First off I have come to realize the single element is just insufficient to tackle a full load of meat. So I would like to add second element, upgrade wiring to heavy gauge, install probably an Auber PID with a fixed/permanent temp probe. Even thought about doing the dual to have a fixed probe and then a clip just to have real time of smoke in front and back of cabinet.

I've seen the article about doing the dual elements and a lot of other things my thing is nothing is out there thats been within the last year or so....how do they like it? Would they have done anything different?

Please impart youralls wisdom onto me so I may be as successful with this or another electric similar smoker?

 

[NDKoze]

My suggestion is to forget about the Bradley and all the upgrades to improve on its deficiencies and get a Smokin-It.

Say good bye to wood pucks and cheap thin metal smokers and go with a 20 year smoker.

I originally looked at Bradley, MES, and others and am so glad I did not go that route.

I think you will be hard pressed to find many here if any that would even consider a Bradley after using a Smokin-It smoker.

Good luck on your research.

 

[SconnieQ]

My suggestion is to forget about the Bradley and all the upgrades to improve on its deficiencies and get a Smokin-It.

Say good bye to wood pucks and cheap thin metal smokers and go with a 20 year smoker.

I originally looked at Bradley, MES, and others and am so glad I did not go that route.

I think you will be hard pressed to find many here if any that would even consider a Bradley after using a Smokin-It smoker.

Good luck on your research.

+1 on Gregg's comment! If it's not too late, you should seriously consider a Smokin-it instead of a Bradley. No special pucks required. Use regular wood. Solidly built. All stainless steel, and I mean ALL.

Fact is, no one on this forum is "biased". Because the SI really is such a great product. I know the first electric smoker I saw was a Masterbuilt, and fortunately it prompted me to research electric smokers online, and stumbled across Smokin-it, and this forum. Whew! So lucky I dodged a bullet and didn't buy something else.

 

[swthorpe]

+2!  When I was doing my research on electric smokers, I was troubled by the horror stories of other smokers failing within a few smokes.  When I took a look at smoking-it, I found nothing but positive reviews, which sealed the deal for me.  Go with the SI and you will be pleased!

 

[SuperDave]

CentDoss, first off, welcome to our site.  Second, realize that you have joined a brand specific site for the Smokin-It brand smoker.  All your advice here will likely be biased toward our brand.  They are at or near the top of the line smoker. 

 

[Pork Belly]

I borrowed a friends Bradley for nearly a year. I now have a Smokin-It #3.

After several months of hard use I nearly killed that Bradley it look bad, so bad I felt guilty when I returned it.

I was saved from buying a Bradley by another friend that showed me his SI #2. I loved the heavy duty construction and ability to burn chips, chunks not pucks. I knew the #2 would be too small and went with a #3, it is perfect.

My #3 has processed far more than I did in that Bradley in the same amount of time and looks no worse for all that use. additionally if you do the math on those Bradley Pucks it costs you $20.00 to smoke 16 hours, each puck is only good for 20 minutes.

My SI cost nearly $200 (including shipping) more than a Bradley. After ten 16 hour smokes the additional cost of the SI was overcome by the savings on wood. After 30 16 hour smokes the unit has paid fr itself just in wood savings.

You can burn any piece of wood, it is built like an industrial unit and it runs on pennies. Seriously not a hard choice.

 

[DivotMaker]

Glad to have you with us, CD!  As I said, you'd get lots of opinions here! 

Before I got my SI #1, I was almost about to pull the trigger on a Bradley.  I had seem them, for years, at the "big box" stores, and thought the puck system was really cool!  Then, my research led me to the cost of the pucks....yikes!  And then further, I started reading all the fire horror stories!  Even saw the pictures.  Seems the Bradley has an issue with catching on fire when the puck delivery system clogs, or fails, and the pucks combust.  Also, I couldn't get past the fact it looks like a dorm fridge with a smoke box/puck system attached.  Too much plastic and rubber for me.

I, literally, stumbled across the SI about 2 1/2 years ago, and thought "wow!  A smoker made of all stainless steel!  No plastic or rubber gaskets!"  I knew it was more than I would pay for a Bradley, but bit the bullet and took the chance.  At the time, our "little" forum had a whole 156 members, and I think we had about 900 total posts!  I joined, and found nothing but positive feedback on the SI!  So, I ordered.  It was everything I had hoped for, and more.  I now own a 1, 2 and 3!  I love them all, but really like the #3.  The #2 is the one in my profile pic - customized in Razorback red.  It saw action this weekend on some pork tenderloins!  These things are built like tanks, and are actually the only brand of electric smoker (in this class, which Bradley and MES are not) that is NSF Certified.  That may not mean much to you, but it means a great deal to commercial buyers.  That says a lot about the quality of these smokers, over the competition.

You touched on a very important point, in your original post:  modifications.  If you need to immediately modify any smoker to get good results out of the gate, something's wrong.  Add another element?  Really?  The SI elements are sized properly, so you don't need to add another.  Add a PID controller?  I love them, but they are absolutely NOT required to make great Q!  The stock controller on the SI, although not digital, gets the job done very nicely - and reliably! 

About the only "mod" that a bunch of us have done to the SI is to add the Auber PID and a permanent probe.  Of course, this can be moved to another smoker, should you ever upgrade size.  To me, this combination takes a great smoker and makes it darn near perfect. 

My advice is to get the biggest you can afford; you won't regret it!  Stay as far away from Bradleys, or MESs as you can.  They are big box junk, and will not last you.  A good friend of mine went the MES route last year (just couldn't convince to spend a little extra for a smoker that would actually last).  It's already dead, and I guarantee she didn't smoke a 1/4 of what I have in the last year.  You get what you pay for, and quality/durability costs more.

Good luck with your decision, and let us know how else we can help!

 

[old sarge]

CentDoss89 - Let me chime in here for a moment or two. Long before there was this forum, I was very active on another site promoting the SI line of smokers. I did so after buying one for a gift and getting familiar with it.  Flawless in operation, and as solid a piece of cooking equipment as you will ever encounter, it is not only money well spent, but an investment. All stainless inside and out and insulated with high temperature spun glass insulation, it holds heat exceedingly well. Customer service is second to none; when you call SI, you speak to the owner and not a customer service representative who may not even like smoked meat. Additionally, if you check out the accessories and replacement parts, they are priced lower than those offered by another maker of all stainless smokers.

The wood chunks that the SI uses can be commercially purchased or pruned from a neighbors tree (free).  No buying of high priced pucks that are never fully consumed but dumped into a water tray after 20 minutes or so as another is moved in. Just good pure smoke. True, the SI lacks fancy looks, but looks do not produce good food.  Quality of design and dependable operation day in and day out is what counts.

While you mention wanting to add a second heating element to a Bradley, the heating element is generally sized (wattage wise) for the capacity of the smoker. That is a properly designed and engineered smoker. SI is properly designed and engineered.  My advice is to buy a smoker that is going to work properly out of the box without having to add and additional heating element or anything else.  Again SI nails it.

As mentioned above, this is a site devoted to the SI smokers. You have obviously been to other sites and seen the comments on the Bradley, both pro and con. Here you will see 99% pro and maybe 1% sour apples (some folks expect digital accuracy from an analog controller). Many folks buy the Auber in order to tightly control the temperature swings.  Others maybe just for the peace of mind.  And then there are those who are so impressed with the unit as is that they forgo the digital all together except to get a good thermometer for cooking to an internal temperature. 

There you have it in a large nutshell. 

Dave

 

[DivotMaker]

Well-said, as usual, Dave!  Just so you know, CD, Dave happens to own one of the most expensive of the commercial-grade electric smokers, that he had before discovering the SI.  Yes, the SI is more expensive than the Bradley, but you absolutely will not find better value in the "big 3" of electrics (Smokin-It, Smokin Tex, and Cookshack).  Check out their pricing, size and features, and you'll see what I mean.  The Bradleys and MES smokers are in a much different class.

 

[SuperDave]

  You get what you pay for, and quality/durability costs more.

Tony, to be fair, I'll have to caveat your statement a little.  My sole smoker, up until last year, was a $60 Great Smoky Mountain smoker from Wal Mart.  It has produced great food for over a 15 years and is still in my rotation and I have no doubt that it will last another decade or more.  The construction quality isn't even in the same zip code as the SI so that ought to say how long these units will last.  For me, the big reduction in baby sitting the smoker to feed it wood and the Auber programming is what makes the SI worth the price of admission.

 

[DivotMaker]

Good point, Dave.  I was only comparing to the ones I mentioned, not the countless other smokers out there.

 

[bradmanning]

Does anyone have the step by step instructions on how to add a second heating element and PID?  The link that most forums go to seems to have been shut down.  I love my Bradley smoker except for the temp issues and want to try upgrading vs. buying a new smoker.  But I have no clue how to do this upgrade.  Thanks for the help

 

[NDKoze]

Hello Brad,

This is a brand specific (Smokin-It) forum, so there aren't going to be a lot of people with Bradley experience. I think you may be better off trying the Bradley forum (I assume they have one) or some of the many generic (non-manufacturer specific forums) smoker forums out there.

Good luck in your project.

 

[DivotMaker]

Does anyone have the step by step instructions on how to add a second heating element and PID?  The link that most forums go to seems to have been shut down.  I love my Bradley smoker except for the temp issues and want to try upgrading vs. buying a new smoker.  But I have no clue how to do this upgrade.  Thanks for the help

Gregg is correct, Brad.  This is the Smokin-It manufacturer's forum.  Posting direct links to competitive smokers is not allowed.  Check Bradley, or SMF (big Bradley section over there, since their smokers need so many mods to work right).  When you finally give up on trying to make it work right, and step up to a SI, we're sure here for ya!

 

[SconnieQ]

Does anyone have the step by step instructions on how to add a second heating element and PID?  The link that most forums go to seems to have been shut down.  I love my Bradley smoker except for the temp issues and want to try upgrading vs. buying a new smoker.  But I have no clue how to do this upgrade.  Thanks for the help

Welcome Brad. Ditto to what Gregg and Tony said. When you get tired of "pucks" and want to start smoking with real wood chunks of your choosing, and want to upgrade to the quality of Smokin-it, we're here for you! ;D Until then, good luck with your mods...may we meet again when you are ready.

 

[old sarge]

Brad,  first things first:  Welcome!
If you google bradley forums, I am sure you will find quite a bit of information on those smokers from other users.  I hope it helps. Surely there must be someone who has replaced or added a burner.  As for the PID, contact Auber.  I do wish you luck in your upgrading endeavors.
Now a word from our sponsor:  When the time comes to take control of your smoking adventures, get a unit from Smokin-it.  Rock solid simplicity and dependability.  It is the best upgrade you can make. Dave

 

[bradmanning]

Thanks everyone.  Sorry, I saw the subject of the thread and thought I would try here.  Will try on Bradley.  Honestly, I feel like I've gone from a newbie bbq'er to an amateur and have outgrown the Bradley.  Feeling a little guilty about pitching the Bradley without trying an upgrade.

But I am seriously considering buying a 3D or 4D...or a Green Mountain Jim Bowie pellet smoker.  Would love some opinions and advice on that decision.

 

[NDKoze]

I second Old Sarge's welcome! You have found one of the best smoker forums (manufacturer specific or otherwise) out there.

I have outgrown several entry-level electric and propane smokers and am very happy with my #3 that I have now had for 3 years. I am envious of those that have the #4Ds as that would be a dream smoker for me. Unfortunately, it is out of my budget (for now).

Either the 3D or the 4D are great choices. It just depends on how much meat you want to smoke at a time.

For most residential smokers the 3D is a great choice. You can smoke 4 Boston Butts at the same time, two full packer briskets at the same time, and many whole chickens/quarters.

If you smoke a lot of large batch sausage, snack sticks, or jerky (25+ pounds), you may want to consider the 4D. I smoke six to eight 25 pound batches of snack sticks every year and I really wished I had a 4D for the extra height between the sticks and the element.

If you have the room and it is in your budget and you do not need to travel with it often, I would get a 4D. But like I said earlier, the 3D is more than adequate for most amateur residential smokers.

Maybe tell us a little more about what you like to smoke and how much at any given time and that will help us give a better recommnendation.

 

[SconnieQ]

Thanks everyone.  Sorry, I saw the subject of the thread and thought I would try here.  Will try on Bradley.  Honestly, I feel like I've gone from a newbie bbq'er to an amateur and have outgrown the Bradley.  Feeling a little guilty about pitching the Bradley without trying an upgrade.

But I am seriously considering buying a 3D or 4D...or a Green Mountain Jim Bowie pellet smoker.  Would love some opinions and advice on that decision.

You can sell the Bradley, and put that money, along with the money you were going to spend on an element and PID, and put it toward a 3D. Sounds to me like you've got doubts about your long-term future with the Bradley, and an SI 3D will catapult you into the smoking stratosphere. The 3D is a spacious unit. I would buy a 3D, and use that for a while. If you feel you need more space, by another 3D (or even a 2D for that matter). Two 3Ds are still less expensive than a 4D, and it would give you more options for smoking different meats at the same time (using different times/temps), or just using one at a time when you don't need the extra space of the second. And you don't have to buy those special pucks (or pellets) anymore. You can buy wood chunks from wherever you want. You can tailor your wood species to your smoke, using any wood or combination of wood you would like. Limited only by your imagination. Hope to have you with us on a permanent basis!