Welcome to the Bradley Family! Unboxing a shiny new smoker is pure excitement, and we know you’re itching to get that very first rack of ribs or brisket going. Before you fire up your first big cook, though, there’s one quick, essential step: seasoning your smoker. Think of it as breaking in a trusty cast-iron skillet: it burns off factory oils, seals the interior, and sets you up for years of incredible wood-fired flavor.
Why Season Your Smoker First?
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Eliminate Residues: Burns off manufacturing oils, smells, and dust left over from production.
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Build a Flavorful Patina: Coats the interior stainless steel walls with a rich resin layer that locks in authentic smoke flavor.
Step-by-Step Seasoning Guide
1. Clean & Prep:
- Remove all protective plastic and packaging.
- Wipe down the interior walls with a damp cloth.
- Wash the wire racks, drip tray, drip bowl and rectangular tray with warm, soapy water to remove factory dust.
- Dry completely and place back inside the smoker cabinet.
2. Fill the Water Bowl: Fill the metal drip bowl half full with water and position it directly under the bisquette feeder tube to extinguish spent wood. Rule #1: Never run your smoke generator without water in the bowl to extinguish spent bisquettes!
3. Adjust the Vent: Open the top damper vent halfway to maintain steady airflow.
4. Load Bisquettes: Add 5-6 Bradley Bisquettes to the feeder tube (any flavor you have on hand works fine). Note: Each bisquette burns for 20 minutes. The extra bisquettes are meant to push the final bisquette onto the burner.
5. Programming Your Smoker:
- Press "On/Off Smoker" to turn on the Smoke Generator. Preheat for 20 minutes
- Press ">>>Wood" to advance a bisquette onto the burner
- Press "Smoker Timer Set" for 1 hour
- Press "On/Off Oven" to turn on, then press "Oven Temp Set" to set the temperature to 150°F/66°C.
- Press "Oven Timer Set" also to 1 hour
6. Cool & Clear: Once the timer goes off after one hour, let the unit cool completely, then safely discard the water and spent bisquettes.
