Absolutely, one of the standout features of the Bradley Smoker is its user-friendly nature, epitomizing the “set it and forget it” approach to smoking. But, there’s the issue of fuel. Bradley Smoker Bisquettes, while highly effective, can be more expensive than other smoking options such as Pellets and charcoal which are much cheaper in comparison.
Craving a wider range of bisquette flavors? Tired of recurring expenses? You’re not alone. The quest for diversity in smoking experiences and the desire to cut down on costs has led many to seek alternatives to Bradley smoker bisquette. It’s clear why there’s a growing interest in finding suitable alternatives to Bradley Smoker Bisquettes. Now I will highlight a variety of alternatives that aim to reduce costs while maintaining the quality and ease of use that users value.
Cheap, Reusable Alternative To Bisquettes
As I described in my earlier post regarding Bradley’s business, Bradley is an electric smoker that uses different wood-flavored compressed wood chips pucks, known as bisquettes, to produce a smoky flavor on food. So, Finding the cheap, reusable alternative to bisquettes for a Bradley Smoker can greatly enhance your smoking experience by reducing costs and waste.
The following methods can work as alternatives to bisquettes:
DIY Wood Pellets or Chips Tray
Most people have created their own trays or containers to hold wood pellets or chips, which are much cheaper than bisquettes. This method involves designing a small metal tray that fits inside the smoker, where you can place wood pellets or chips. The main thing you need to remember while using it is that the wood smolders and doesn’t catch fire, mimicking the slow release of smoke that bisquettes provide.
Steps to Create the Tray:
- Pick the materials used that are safe for food smoking and that the system does not pose a fire risk.
- Selecting Your Tray: If you’re using a metal tray, confirm it’s shallow enough to allow easy access for the heat to the pellets or chips but deep enough to prevent the wood from spilling out. An alternative is to fold heavy-duty aluminum foil into a makeshift tray, creating sides to contain the wood.
- Filling the Tray: Fill the tray with your chosen natural wood flavour pellets or chips. You don’t need to overfill it; a single layer or slightly more is sufficient to produce a good huge amount of smoke without risking the wood catching fire, if you increase this might catch fire.
- Placement in the Smoker: Place the tray directly on the smoker’s heating element or in a position where it will receive adequate heat to cause the wood to smolder and produce smoke. The exact placement might require some experimentation for optimal results.
- Monitoring: Keep an eye on the tray during the smoking process. Unlike bisquettes, which are designed to extinguish after a certain period, wood pellets or chips can continue to smolder as long as they are exposed to heat. You may need to adjust the quantity of wood or the tray’s placement based on the amount of smoke produced and your desired smoking intensity.
This method not only saves costs but is also reusable. The tray can be used multiple times, further reducing your smoking expenses.
Smoker Boxes
A Smoker box is designed to hold wood chips or pellets and can be placed directly on the heating element of your Bradley Smoker. Stainless steel smoker boxes are durable, reusable, and can withstand the heat of the smoker without warping. They allow for easy swapping of wood types and are simple to refill, making them a convenient and cost-effective solution. As well the box prevents the wood from catching fire and burning up too quickly.
Smoker boxes are readily available in stores, and you can also buy them from online stores such as Home Depot or Amazon. Smoker boxes are a practical alternative to traditional smoking methods, offering flexibility and control over the smoking process. Whether you’re using a Bradley Smoker or another type of grill, a smoker box is the best and most affordable choice for achieving smoky flavors.
Puck Systems
Some innovative smokers have devised puck systems made from metal or heat-resistant materials that can hold wood pellets or chips. These pucks are designed to fit the smoker’s feeder mechanism in stack, allowing for a controlled burn rate similar to that of bisquettes. While this requires some DIY skills, it’s a one-time effort for a long-term solution.
I would recommend this for those who frequently use the Bradley for smoking. Like the smoker box this is also available in store and you can also make it if you have DIY expertise by following this method.
Steps to Create and Use a Puck System:
- Select the materials used which are safe for smoking meat.
- Design Planning: Measure the interior dimensions of your Bradley Smoker or the smoke generator’s feeding mechanism to design pucks that will fit properly. Consider how the pucks will be fed into the smoker and how they will hold the wood pellets or chips.
- Puck Creation: Cut and shape your heat-resistant material into discs or pucks. Verify clear that there are no sharp edges or materials that could contaminate the smoke.
- Filling the Pucks: Depending on the design, you may create pucks with hollow centers to hold the wood pellets or chips. Alternatively, the puck itself might serve as a base for a separate container that holds the smoking material.
- Using the Puck System: Place the filled pucks into the smoker, again check positioned to receive enough heat to smolder the wood pellets or chips effectively. The system should allow for a controlled and consistent smoke output, similar to the original bisquettes.
- Monitoring and Adjusting: As with any DIY smoking solution, it’s most important to monitor the performance of your puck system, adjusting the amount of smoking material or the puck’s placement as necessary to achieve the desired smoke intensity and flavor.
Wrap it up
When trying different ways to smoke your food instead of using Bradley smoker bisquettes, you might save some money, but you should be careful. These other methods might need more of your attention to keep things safe and to make sure your food turns out great.
Also, if you’re thinking about using cheaper bisquettes from other brands to save money, remember that they might not give you as good of a result. These cheaper options could change the way your food tastes, and not in a good way. For example, you might find some smoker pucks like the Peterson smoker pucks, which might seem like a good deal and of decent quality. However, they might not fit in your Bradley electric smoker because they’re too big for the puck feeder mechanism. So, it’s a good idea to stick with what you know works well, unless you’re sure about the quality of something new and suitable for smokers.
If you’re also curious about different ways to smoke, like changing from an electric smoker to a charcoal grill, we’ve tried this out and shared our thoughts. This information could help you decide if you want to try it, too.
