Bradley smoker or Wood pellet grill

[Primer]

Hi Folks,

I'm looking for some advice on my first smoker, I currently have a Weber 57cm kettle, q120, 5 burner gas and a home made tandoor oven.

I've done a bit of smoking on the Weber and was looking at the wsm and proQ range of water smokers, however I know I won't have the time to tend to one of those due to little spare time so I'm looking more for something that is set and forget for a few hours so I can get on with other stuff and after some deliberation I was ready to plump for a bradley 4 shelf digital but was not fully commited due to many reviews saying about its lack of making the higher temps and it's lack of ability to finish meats off with a bit of bark, then I stumbled upon the wood pellet grills and have read up quite a bit on the GMG DB which mostly seems to get rave reviews and it's wide temp range.

I will probably be doing mostly hot smoking but I'm also interested in smoking my own bacon, sausage and fish and im off on a Riverside Cottage smoking and curing day course next month and will be happy to build my own cold smoker but I guess the DB could be switched off and a cold smoke generator put in it to cover that base?

In some of the reviews of the DB I've seen reference to searing bars/grills mentioned, what are these and are they worth getting if I go that route?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[essexsmoker]

I would go for the GMG DB. I intend on getting one this year. The bradley biscuits are very expensive and it has its issues. The DB is a great unit from what I've read and as you say a cold smoker can be made from a cardboard box at a push... for the price they are incredible.

[tommo666]

I've had my DB for a while now and it's brilliant. I use it for the low and slow but during the week i treat it as my oven cooking burger,pizza,chicken etc. The Sunday roast goes on it and turns out great, i've also smoked bacon and cheese on it use a smoke contraption in the chamber. Just crack the lid a bit for some airflow. With the addition of the wifi controller you can monitor the grill from inside and program your cooks. I use a temperature monitor to keep on top of temps as they do swing a bit but that's normal seeing as it's wood fired.

[Tiny]

Old chum,
Well I purchased my DB last March, and my sig block below says most of what I need to say but let me expound a little.

I have no knowledge of the Bradley smoker, it may be excellent but........

The GMG DB is an absolute God of an item, it cooks like an legend, everything from simple burger and Sausage to an whole brisket cooked on new years day, I did the Christmas Turkey and my 80 year old Mum is still boasting to her cronies that the only way to cook turkey is on an GMG. It is absolutely brilliant, my 12 year old son was talking his catering teacher through how he had prepared the beef he was using in his fajitas in catering class today.

It looks the bomb, the food is exceptional, it is cheaper to use than charcoal, and how difficult is it to use?

I am totally blind and drive it from my iPhone using voiceover, the most tricky bit is trying to keep Gunner, my faithful guide dog, out of the grease bucket as it is an nightmare to get smoked beef grease out of an lab retrievers fur.....trust me....

Buy an DB, you will not regret it......

Cheers
Tiny

[Primer]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

[BurgerBoy]

I got my DB 6 months ago and it's been in constant use. Just to reiterate what's been said, it great. Temperature control is fantastic, I live on top of a windy hill and it maintains a constant temperature with a minimum of fuss. Using it last weekend when it was -3 and a thick crust of snow on the ground was easy with a home made thermal blanket and the WiFi to keep an eye on it from in front of the warm fire. Just went outside every hour or so to top up the water. With my ProQ it would have been under intensive care for most of the time in the same conditions.

I've not used it for "cold" smoking yet but it's just a case of putting your generator into it. I'm also looking to make jerky in it rather than using a dehydrator.

Did I say that I really like it

[GingerBen]

I have a GMG DC the smaller model and it's awesome. It has some issues like the wifi range is rubbish and the temp gauge isn't very accurate but with a Mav 732 neither of those things are a problem. what it does really well is set and forget low and slow cooking. 10+ hours cook for pulled pork without having to worry about fuel, air flow, temp fluctuations etc. It really makes decent bbq very easy to achieve and is a fun thing to use. It's also good for quicker cooks like steaks and the like, doesn't get the searing hot temps a kamado might get to but to be honest steaks cooked a little slower over wood taste amazing so who cares!

Personally I think pellet grills will be huge in the UK market soon, they are easier to use than a kettle and make food that is as good IMO so I think more people will buy them as they become aware of them.

[essexsmoker]

I agree Ben. Pellet grills have been around in the USA for years and I can see them really catching on here too maybe not for the general public because ofbtheir price, but defo with bbq enthusiasts.

[QueFrescoPaul]

I bought a Bradley digital smoker 2 or 3 years ago now...and it went on ebay.

The heater element is completely insufficient and badly positioned so there's no chance of an even cook. A complete waste of money and I certainly wouldn't recommend Bradley to anyone.

I wrote a full review here http://www.barbecue-smoker-recipes.com/ ... okers.html which was rather polite. I'll be updating this soon and for sure will be more critical.

[Primer]

Ordered the GMG Daniel Boone wood pellet grill, roll on the weekend

Now to purchase some meat.