The Original Bradley Smoker - An In Depth Look By a New User

[@JNM11787]

11 years later this is still a very helpful video...thanks!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

Thank you.

[@jacoblylewalker]

Dude thanks for this video. I am still amazed that the actual brands themselves don't have this sort of thing on their own websites. Very helpful in my decision process!

[@traveler1198]

Old video, still works. Thank ya sir

[@Bjesterz]

The part about needed 2 extra pucks literally answered all my questions.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

you are welcome. I'm surprised too...it definitely would have helped me decide. companies have been slow to grasp the benefits youtube can provide for something just like this. it took me about 1-2 hours of work with editing. I thought this product was so great that an in depth video might help people who had questions. the "puck" thing was hard to understand before i actually got the unit. a product worth the hype. my pulled pork is incredible now!!

[@068694]

Nice informative video.The Bradley used as a cold smoker in it's original form is a tricky matter, as the chamber gets too hot, more for you in Florida than myself in cold UK.The heat source needs to be isolated from the chamber by the means of a homemade adapter.The most successful, it seems being the use of a cardboard box and a piece of tumbler tubing.All the information you need is on the Bradley Forum.Bradley have informed me that an adapter is being made and will soon be available.

[@seine6]

I have a Bradley smoker for 3 ys now & i love it. My fave to smoke is baby back ribs using the hickory or mesquite brisquettes to smoke them for 6-7 hrs. If u start around 6 am they are ready to eat by 1:00p. I have also smoked whole chickens, sausages & briskets. I just make up my own dry rub as I go. I use to live in TX and know what good smoked BBQ is all about and this smoker produces smoked meats that are pretty darn close. I can't recommend it enough. Great vid btw, thx!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

easiest thing you could get. the real pain in the ass of smoking is being able to regulate the cooking temperature over a long period of time. a standard wood fire burns hot at the beginning and then lower as it cools...hard to get right. this thing keeps it at a constant temp & it takes all the guesswork and temperature problems out of it. you cannot go wrong with this smoker. best thing ever for smoking

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

Still using it 3 years later...an awesome product!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

i was so anxious to get it i drove 90 miles each way on a sunday to bass pro shops to get one. i wanted to see and feel it before i bought one. i have since found a local dealer. you can get them a bit cheaper on ebay or amazon but then you have to ship it and pray it makes it in one piece. awesome smoker.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

excellent...thanks for the comment. the learning curve is very easy on the bradley and the results will exceed your expectations...delicious pork for sure. as for the amp, i read where they just came out with the spider 4, so u may want to check that out before buying the 3 as i'm sure they have improved the design. good luck with both!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

about $.20 to $.35 each. you will use 3 per hour so it's inexpensive to use. The smoke flavoring is AWESOME! Pucks are made from shredded wood of whatever tree the wood is from so it is actual wood. The smoke unit heats them to a smouldering temp so the smoke is perfect and not "burned". In fact, using a wood burning smoker gives a less tasty smoke. Most people say my ribs and shredded pork are the best they have tasted. Can't recommend this product enough.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

i drive to a bass pro shops and bought one direct. it was around $299 if i remember correctly. you will need the wood pucks too. they cost around $.20 to $.25 each and you burn 3 per hour (i use 12 for a 4 hour smoke and then let the smoker run 2 more hours with no pucks). first time you eat the ribs it produces you will consider it a bargain, i promise!

[@a2sidedcoin]

I think this was a PERFECT review. I'm 32, in the market for my first smoker and I came across this one.. Was wondering if this would fit my needs, or go to something else.. you covered everything I wanted to know about this smoker, including what to do during rain. Thank you! I also, happen to be a musician, and will also be buying a Line 6 SPIDER III, but I think I'm going with the 75w 2x12 version. I have a POD, but again, your great review convinced me this is the amp for me! CHEERS!

[@Matttzzzzz]

i've smoked on a gas smoker before and this just seems more efficient and accurate at maintaining both the temp and smoke in the chamber

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

i agree 100%. i'm all about finding the easiest way to a stellar result...the bradley smoker is just the ticket.

[@AnotherAmateur]

Very nice. I use a Cookshack electric smoker oven that has not let me down, yet. Excellent temperature control lets amateurs turn out great tasting smoked meats. Hope you'll take a look sometime. Great demonstration video you have here!

[@KorbenDallas]

Here's a little tip, you don't need to let your ribs sit out for an hour before putting them in the smoker. Colder ribs will absorb more smoke, so straight from the fridge to the smoker, and adjust your cooking time a little bit longer.

[@cenah2]

thanks alot because I am buying one from the internet as a birthday present and I want it to be the easiest it can be because I want my family to be able to use it even when I'm not home

[@sgbradley]

Six hours minimum for chicken & eight hours for ribs @ 180 degs. My name should say it all & yes I'm a Bradley.

[@Holdenski]

8 hours for ribs??? You need to learn how to smoke properly, Bradley!!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

thanks. it is a really great smoker. my ribs and pulled pork are the envy of all my buddies now.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

hehe...yep. Smoke flavored food is one of lifes great pleasures (like guitar). I'm into it and this product definitely does a good job. I research stuff like crazy before I buy something and the youtube videos on this product don't really tell you much. Thought I would post my experience and that might help someone that was thinking of buying one of these.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

thank you. it really is a great product. the real deal if you want to do true smoke bbq. i did a 4 lb pork butt on my second smoke...WOW!! Used the oak discs. Best tasting pulled pork ever, and I've had a LOT of pulled pork in my lifetime. totally easy and it shredded right apart with 2 forks just like a food network episode. all the hype is true, this thing works and is super easy to use.

[@Ataripitbull]

I just ordered up a new Bradley smoker today, can't wait to try it on the wild Boar ribs I just hunted !!!

[@ding2thedong751]

Yasssss I just purchased myself one . Good content cheers

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@jacoblylewalker]

Ahh I miss good BBQ. I am from TX but stuck in MN where the best you can get is mediocre at best. I located one of these bad boy's and I'm on my way to pick it up tonight. We might have to do some recipe swapping later.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

as for pucks, there have been a few places that have done their own pucks for this thing, they just can't be cost competitive against the bradley ones. if they ever went away, there are enough of these that someone would step in to fill the need.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

great, thank you. you will love it...almost too easy. I did a pork butt the second smoke and it was just incredible...tender and delicious. i have not tried any cold smoking yet...i hope to do some cured meats and cheeses when the weather cools down (i'm in sw florida and it's still 90+ every day.) enjoy and please post your results.

[@borgasmeantime3166]

If you put a tray full of ice on the bottom or bottom 2 shelves depending on how cool you want it, you can lower the ambient temperature to get a colder smoke in hot weather. Also making a caramel out of the left over water filtered through a coffee filter makes for some amazing smoked caramel sauce.

[@chops411]

Thank You for taking the time to make this video. It was really helpful.

[@cenah2]

thanks alot. Where did you get your smoker from by the way the internet or a store because I was looking at the prices and it seems to be quite a pocket burner

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

thanks. have not tried the cold smoke yet...it is now getting cooler in florida (82 degrees yesterday afternoon) so i will try it soon. I appreciate the tip about the cardboard setup i will check the forum and give it a shot.

[@sofiadragon1979]

Damn yeah I'm definitely getting it then.

[@drnguyenkim1544]

Such good video very professional

[@068694]

I wouldn't attempt a cold smoke without an adapter. Ideally a cold smoke should be done about 10-29c (50-85c)The night i had a disaster the ambient temperature was 12c, my smoker reached 40c. Bradley in their advertising state "Designed for reliable COLD smoking the Bradley smoker gives you perfect results each and every time" Makes you wonder if they were cold smoking in the Artic"" Hope all goes well, happy smoking.

[@georgebinion2335]

I'm looking for a smoker to smoke summer sausage, will this unit smoke at 150°? Thx

[@mechdiff]

Great review, I'm thinking of getting the Bradley but the thing I don't like is using their wood. Is it reasonable?

[@sumayahamdan7942]

new again!

[@Matttzzzzz]

great video ....helped my decision to finally get one Thanks

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

it's about $.25 per puck so for 4 hours of smoke you will spend $3. not too bad, but more expensive than free. for me the ease and convenience makes it the best $3 I spend that day and the meat comes out perfectly smoke flavored.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

awesome. oak works GREAT with pork.

[@j0hnb0y1000]

Brilliant. Thanks from UK, I have decided to get this one :)

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

Yes, many times. This is so much better.

[@sofiadragon1979]

You just guerenteed that I'm going to get one of these thank you very much.

[@mountainsstreams2133]

Great vid & yum!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

thats sammie. he is a terrier mutt from the pound...awesome dog. a regular comedy show, this dog.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

cool...have u smoked yet...what's your impressions of it?

[@keystonekid]

This is a great video. I'm doing some research on small affordable smokers. I cant afford the $4000 one like my uncle. Man he made some great dry rub food. But I want to show everyone up with something small and cheap.

[@cenah2]

how much difficulty do you think this would be to use if this would be my first smoker to buy

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

super easy. you learn it with the first smoke and then it's easy. look at the bradley smoker forum for great answers to questions.

[@cenah2]

did you get your from the internet or a website

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

it is slow to warm...about an 30 mins to an hour, and once u put the meat in the temp will drop a bit. i always try and have the meat out of the fridge for at least an hour to help temp-wise. just plan ahead to get it ready. this is not like a grill where u are preparing food to be ready in 15 mins...hours of cooking time are expected. u don't really want high temps for bbq, 250 at most so i have never tried to 320.

[@VisualRealia]

Excellent information. Thank you!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

incorrect...this smoker is awesome and works great.

[@1-Six-dee]

How did it hold up over time? And have heard a lot of heating issues with these u have issues?

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

It died. I didn’t use it for several years and when I plugged it in a couple months ago it no longer powered up. Both the smoking and heating elements were dead. I managed to find a nearly new digital Bradley for $150 and purchased that, so I’m still using Bradley products. I couldn’t pass up the deal for the price. I would not have paid full price for another one. I would have gone for a different brand.

[@1-Six-dee]

@@FloridaChuckBlack how long did it last? And did u have a cover for it or was it out in the weather?

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

Last time I used it was 2013. It was inside my garage. Never left it outside. Used it maybe 10-15 times total.

[@Ericec4126]

Have you ever used a charcoal smoker? If you have which has a better taste?

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

@extremehunter1996 great...you wll love it, this thing smokes awesome.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

@seine6 thank you...love this smoker!

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

@extremehunter1996 thanks it's an awesome smoker

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

they were awesome. pork butts are even better. i do believe they have a propane version. the company has an official site. just google bradley smoker.

[@andresc1220]

Just got one and am totally new to all things smoking. I have a few questions: -Do I have to "season" the smoker each time prior to using it, or is that only one time after i get it out of the box? -Once I press the "advance briquette" one time, do I have to keep pressing it every 20 minutes, or should it auto feed them? Thanks!!

[@ammerudgrenda]

After a few uses, the smoker is considered "seasoned". The seasoning happens by itself over time. "advance briquette"...one time only.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

i've never tried brisket but for a 7 lb pork butt it would be 6-7 hours.

[@TheSnakepete]

my question is this: since the original Bradley does not have the digital temp. control, how do we keep this unit at a set temperature ?? for example I want it to stay at 180 deg. for 3 hours. thnx

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

it will work fine, but you will only be able to put 4 racks of ribs in there. Assume a half rack each person and u can only feed 8. really depends how many folks. pork butts feed LOTS of folks and u can get get 2 per shelf. that may be a better bet. i get 3 lb butts and each one after cooking and pulling will feed 10 people easy if you do pork sandwiches.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

no...you have to use the premade pucks. they are about $.25 cents each.

[@cenah2]

also what dog do you have

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

i usually range from 225 - 250.

[@fatmanvidz]

you couldn't fit one rack of ribs onto one rack in the cooker?

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

@hendosia have not tried that.

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

thanks...makin me hungry talking like that!!

[@ronaldsmusicfactory]

250 is a better temp

[@FloridaChuckBlack]

@MrTrainrick it is great and turns out the best pork ever.

[@kngsunny]

this thing is hard to clean

[@PoeLemic]

You don't need to clean it. If so, just put aluminum foil in it.

[@brendanwood78]

how about investing in a free video editor so your viewers don't need Dramamine? Otherwise...spot on

[@roberttraughber2837]

A in depth look? ... showed very little on how to use it from start to finish.