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?

• Eliminate Residues: Burns off manufacturing oils, smells, and dust left over from production.

• 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 in the smoker cabinet.

2. Fill Drip 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 damper at the top of the smoker tower halfway to maintain steady airflow.

4. Load Bisquettes: Load 5 Bradley Bisquettes (any flavor) into the feeder tube. Since each bisquette burns for 20 minutes, 3 will handle the 1-hour seasoning run, while the extra 2 act as pushers to advance the final active bisquette onto the burner.

5. Plug In & Preheat: Plug your smoker into its own designated outlet. Turn on the Smoke Generator by pressing the Generator On/Off Switch. Preheat the bisquette burner for 20 minutes then press the Bisquette Advance Button until a bisquette is on the Bisquette Burner

7. Controlling the Temperature: Turn on the smoker by rotating the Temperature Heat ON/OFF Control Dial to medium - about the 6 o'clock position. Wait 20 to 30 minutes to see if the temperature reaches 150°F (66°C). If it is too high, turn the dial toward the 3 o'clock position; if it is too low, turn it in the opposite direction until you reach the target temp of 150°F/66°C. Smoke continuously for 1 hour, or until your bisquettes run out.

8. Cool & Clear: After 1 hour at 150ºF the smoker is seasoned. Allow it to cool down and safely discard the water and spent bisquettes.