At Arden Smoker Supplies, when it comes to cold smoking, we regard the Bradley Smoker as the master of the pack!  The principle advantages of the Bradley models, which are especially relevant to cold smoking are:

• Cool Continuous Smoke  
  Bradley Flavour Bisquettes produce smoke with consistency and predictability.  Once loaded with bisquettes Bradley Smokers will continue to produce smoke for up to eight hours without supervision and without being subject to the complications associated with changes in the draft caused by unpredictable changes in wind strength or direction.
• Smoke Quality
  Because Bradley Flavour Bisquettes do not burn to an ash, there is a marked contrast with the results achieved when dust or chippings are burnt to create smoke in a traditional burn box.  Unless carefully controlled and perfected, traditional methods can easily impart a bitterness to the taste of smoked foods.

Bradley Cold Smoke Adaptor

It is worth noting from the outset, that regardless of the smoking equipment in use, if it is a warm day with a warm air temperature then it is going to be impossible to reach temperatures low enough for cold smoking.  If you want to cold smoke in the height of summer consider doing so very early in the morning, or even at night.

It is a fact that inside the cabinets of Bradley Smokers, even with the cooking heater element producing zero power, the bisquette burner, produces about 80 watts of heat. Although this is about the same as a light bulb, it can, under some circumstances, have quite a dramatic effect on the temperature inside the cabinet.  The situation is not assisted by the fact that the cabinets are insulated; which is great when hot smoking and roasting, essential even, but not at all helpful when we are trying to keep the temperature as low as possible.  

The quick an easily answer comes in the form of the Bradley Cold Smoke Adaptor, which essentially provides a method of burning the bisquettes outside the cabinet, hence removing any heat from the food whilst maintaining all the benefits of the Bradley Smoker system.  

Our Trials

Some of our experiences we have distilled into our Bradley Smoker Online Smoking Course, which is freely available on this website to users that register.  When we go to shows around the country, we invariably have cold smoked samples on our stand. Be sure to ask for a taste. 

 DIY Substitute for the Bradley Cold Smoke Adaptor

Should you find yourself without your Bradley Cold Smoke Adaptor, here is an alternative tried and tested method of cold smoking which I used for years prior to the arrival of the proper Bradley accessory.

One of the merits of the Bradley Smoker is the ability to detach the smoke generator from the smoking cabinet. I use this to advantage in order to fit a second chamber, consisting of a cardboard box, between the generator, and the smoking cabinet,  connected by a 4 inch diameter tumble dryer hose.

Pictured left is the Bradley Smoke Generator, a cardboard box, open at the top,and a tumble dryer hose, readily obtainable from hardware stores for under £10.

Turn the cardboard box upside down so that the open side is on the ground . It is NOT the intention that the smoke generator be covered by this box because this would result in it becoming covered in smoke residue. Instead, cut a rectangular hole in the side of the box just large enough to allow the protruding horizontal part of the smoke generator to be pushed into the box. This part of the smoke generator gets quite hot so make the hole in the side of the box large enough not to touch the cardboard.


Illustrated to the right is the box with the hole cut in the side, ready for the smoke generator horizontal section to be inserted. Also shown is a second hole cut into the top of the box, this hole being round and ready to receive one end of the flexible hose, which will act as a 'chimney' leading the smoke up to the cabinet.

The water bowl, supplied with the smoker, should be placed under the box to catch and extinguish the bisquettes as they are spent.



Pictured to the left is the smoke generator snug up to the side of the box and the hose fitted as a chimney, leading up to the cabinet. At the cabinet end the hose fits rather obviously into the hole in the side of the cabinet.

There is an advantage in the cabinet being raised above the level of the box, to assist the flow of the smoke. The whole rig is pictured below, ready to cold smoke. As with the the smoke generator attached to the cabinet, the smoker is a 'natural draft'  smoker and the flow of air can be controlled by the vent in the top of the cabinet.

With this second chamber adaptation there will be next to no difference between ambient and the temperature in the cabinet. This is helped by the non-conducting nature of the cardboard box and hose.  As a rule, cold smoking is best undertaken when the air is cool. If you are cold smoking in the summer, do so early in the morning, in the shade,  or even at night.

Take care that the smoke generator is not rained upon. Apart from making the bisquettes soggy there are obviously electrical components inside.