Pit Boss 5 Series or Bradley Digital

[SistaSmoke]

I have been wanting to purchase a smoker for some time now but I am stuck. Can I get some opinions on the Pit Boss 5 Series and the Bradley Smoker

 

[smokinq13]

Bradley smoker is the one that takes the "smoke chip cakes" correct? I personally have a pitboss and love it, its the Austin xl which is a pellet grill so I can do both grilling and smoking on it which temp range is from 150 up to 500.
May I ask what your zip code is? I can help see if you have any smokers on sale in your area. sometimes you can find really really good deals!

 

[pineywoods]

Personally I'd go with the Pit Boss Series 5

 

[Jeff Wright]

Bradley smoker is the one that takes the "smoke chip cakes" correct? I personally have a pitboss and love it, its the Austin xl which is a pellet grill so I can do both grilling and smoking on it which temp range is from 150 up to 500.
May I ask what your zip code is? I can help see if you have any smokers on sale in your area. sometimes you can find really really good deals!

How do you find deals? I am looking in to a Pitboss XL myself.

 

[SistaSmoke]

Walmart.ca has the Pit Boss 5S for $598 CAD right now that's like $70 U.S. dollars lol. @smoking13 yes the Bradley smoker takes the pucks. My postal is M8Z 5G6.

 

[SonnyE]

I used to use a Bradley Smoker Generator for my adapted Brinkman UDS. I cannot endorse Bradley any more.
I was looking for alternatives due to Bradley's exorbitant prices for the Pucks and found

Now I can smoke with Pellets, or dissolved Pellets to make sawdust, in my AMNPS tray.
So, anything but a Bradley.
You may find a Smokin It, or a Sausage Maker smoker within your reach, comparing prices and features.
The biggest reason to consider is fuel availability, over Bradley.

Also, one of my biggest reasons for an AMNPS tray is cold smoking. Bacon, Salmon, Nuts, Cheeses, Spices, etc.
Pellet Smokers are hotter type smokers. So their range runs 150° and upward.
Which turned me back to my tried and true electric for smoking.

YMMV

 

[SistaSmoke]

I used to use a Bradley Smoker Generator for my adapted Brinkman UDS. I cannot endorse Bradley any more.
I was looking for alternatives due to Bradley's exorbitant prices for the Pucks and found

Now I can smoke with Pellets, or dissolved Pellets to make sawdust, in my AMNPS tray.
So, anything but a Bradley.
You may find a Smokin It, or a Sausage Maker smoker within your reach, comparing prices and features.
The biggest reason to consider is fuel availability, over Bradley.

Also, one of my biggest reasons for an AMNPS tray is cold smoking. Bacon, Salmon, Nuts, Cheeses, Spices, etc.
Pellet Smokers are hotter type smokers. So their range runs 150° and upward.
Which turned me back to my tried and true electric for smoking.

YMMV

I plan on making snack sticks, will it affect the whole process if I can't use a lower temperature to dry the sticks. I don't want to cook them to quickly.

 

[SonnyE]

I plan on making snack sticks, will it affect the whole process if I can't use a lower temperature to dry the sticks. I don't want to cook them to quickly.

Not sure. Recipes vary, but often start off around 140° F (60° C). So 150° F might, probably, would work.
How about starting your Snack Sticks in the oven, then moving them to your smoker to finish?
I know Disco uses a pellet grill and makes Snack Sticks, I'll send him a link to this so he can advise.
And if you are interested in Snack Sticks, try his.

We'll help you spend your money and get up and running....

 

[disco]

Not sure. Recipes vary, but often start off around 140° F (60° C). So 150° F might, probably, would work.
How about starting your Snack Sticks in the oven, then moving them to your smoker to finish?
I know Disco uses a pellet grill and makes Snack Sticks, I'll send him a link to this so he can advise.
And if you are interested in Snack Sticks, try his.

We'll help you spend your money and get up and running....

I don't use my pellet grill to do my snack sticks as it doesn't go to a low enough temperature. I use my WSM mini charcoal grill. I really had spotty results trying to use my pellet grill to do any kind of smoked sausage. I find I need to start at 140 F and increase 10 degrees every hour until it gets to 180 F and then go to an internal temperature of 155 F. The pellet smoker just didn't work that well at low temperatures.

I used to have a Bradley and it worked well for me. I actually wish I'd kept it just to do smoked sausage.

 

[SonnyE]

I used to have a Bradley and it worked well for me. I actually wish I'd kept it just to do smoked sausage.

That's true for me smoking Salmon. The Bradley did a good job.
But that was cold smoking in my case.

I presume the Bradley Digital may be this one?
https://www.bradleysmoker.com/product/4-rack-digital-food-smoker/

Probably leaps and bounds ahead of a Pellet Smoker for finite control.
I'm a big proponent of electric for smoking, for the control it offers.
The picture on the Website even shows some kind of a Sausage on the bottom shelf.
(Where everything else is going to drip on it. )

Just remember the cost of the boxes of Pucks.
Mine used 3 per hour. 6 hours of smoking was 18 partially burned pucks.
So a 120 box equaled ~40 hours of smoke.
https://www.homedepot.com/s/bradley%20smoker%20bisquette?NCNI-5

Going back to Pellet vs: Bradley, I think the Bradley is better for control, but will prove to be the more expensive operating choice.

 

[SistaSmoke]

Ugh, my goodness okay I'll figure it out.

 

[SonnyE]

Ugh, my goodness okay I'll figure it out.

I know. You thought this stuff was easy...

Take heart, you found the best place on the web to get confused....
Just jump in.

 

[SistaSmoke]

I'm diving in head first.

 

[SistaSmoke]

I'll make it work somehow, think I'm gonna settle with the Boss I like the size and the pellet selection, I seen the had peach pellets. I'm thinking of making Jerk Sausage and adding some peaches into the mix then smoking them with peach pellets, heavenly

 

[SonnyE]

I'll make it work somehow, think I'm gonna settle with the Boss I like the size and the pellet selection, I seen the had peach pellets. I'm thinking of making Jerk Sausage and adding some peaches into the mix then smoking them with peach pellets, heavenly

That sounds Peachy!

There are ways to use the Pit Boss with supplemental heat for lower temperatures.
Just use a hot plate for temp's too low that make it cranky. Just don't forget to remove it before you fire that muther up!

You will also want a remote BBQ thermometer. WiFi types have a longer range than Bluetooth types. But the Bluetooth types have more 'wow' factor.
Where do you find Peach Pellets???? Oh, I see Lumberjack has them.

Have fun!

 

[Inscrutable]

Late to the party, but FWIW ...

I had a Bradley that I lost in Hurricane Florence. I liked it a lot, loved the convenience compared to my BGE, and didn’t mind the puck cost ... liked being able to use spacer rings to smoke intermittently. My chief complaint is that I had trouble maintaining higher temps at various times.

After much deliberation on pellets, am replacing it with an MES ... Masterbuilt 130P, the model that has the upper finishing heat element for (hopefully) crisping up things like chicken skin. Have a Vidalia gasser also, but a bit of a PITA to transfer over to that for finishing as that’s in backyard and used the Bradley more in overhang of garage.