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[pmillen]

My first smoker was a Bradley.  I used it for a few months and moved on.  For those of you who aren't familiar with it—it's a low-powered electric oven with smoke eddying through it.  Bradley smoked food never has a smoke ring (IDK why).

Bradley founder and CEO, Wade Bradley, sent this information to everyone on their mailing list.  (I may have to get off of that list.)

"Why should you not want a Smoke Ring on your food?

"Have you heard of the SMOKE RING? That’s the red lining under the surface (bark) of meat that is being cooked with charcoal or wood as the heat source. The SMOKE RING has nothing to do with the smoke or flavor and is not created by smoke.

"It is a reaction of NO2 coming in contact with myoglobin, a protein found in meat. There is no flavor, and there is no benefit of seeing this ring of red in meat other than evidence that you and your family are ingesting high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide.  [Emphasis mine.]

"It can be a high volume of NO2 when you are cooking your food using a enclose [sic] grill like a pellet grill, wood burning grill, or a Kamado grill."

So...He apparently thinks of himself as a medical expert. 

[Bar-B-Lew]

The electric Cookshack smokers didn't produce a smoke ring either.  They had suggested putting a piece of lump charcoal in with the wood if you wanted to get a smoke ring.

I do agree with the guy that the smoke ring is no indication of the smoke flavor.  There are ingredients that could be put into the rub or maybe even an injection that may help to over magnify the smoke ring for presentation purposes.

As for the medical evaluation and assessment of NO2 being a health issue for you, I have no idea.  I would like to understand his take on why his type of wood burning unit doesn't create NO2 at the levels of a pellet grill if in fact a pellet grill produces them at a higher level.

It seems like he has moved into the scare tactic marketing approach that so many political and media figures have chosen.

[pmillen]

Yeah, I agree that the smoke ring has little merit except aesthetics.

I suspect, but have no proof, that their sales are slipping.

[lil moose]

Yeah, I agree that the smoke ring has little merit except aesthetics.

I suspect, but have no proof, that their sales are slipping.

I'm sure their sales are down way down since more pellet grills hit the market.  I like my OBS have had it for about 10 years seems to work ok just don't use the smoke gen anymore since it sticks.

The NEW BS10 I think it's called are having issues so quality Yet is a problem for them
 

[BigDave83]

I think the electrics don't produce because the wood never actually combusts and burns. I don't get one in my cookshack but it makes some great food.

wonder if his thinking is like that of those that told you to not grill your meat over high heat and char it as the char causes cancer.

[ylr]

I think Mr. Bradley doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm pretty sure Greg Blonder does.

[Bentley]

Some one with higher SAT's and chemistry background help me out here.  What is producing the Nitrogen dioxide?  Doesn't any combustion create No2?  What combustion does the Bradley unit use to produce the "smoke"?

Nitrogen dioxide is an irritant gas, which at high concentrations causes inflammation of the airways. When nitrogen is released during fuel combustion it combines with oxygen atoms to create nitric oxide (NO). This further combines with oxygen to create nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

[BigDave83]

Here is a quick look at them, there are other longer ones but this should answer how they smoke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJu2Re1uFG8

[okie smokie]

My first smoker was a Bradley.  I used it for a few months and moved on.  For those of you who aren't familiar with it—it's a low-powered electric oven with smoke eddying through it.  Bradley smoked food never has a smoke ring (IDK why).

Bradley founder and CEO, Wade Bradley, sent this information to everyone on their mailing list.  (I may have to get off of that list.)

"Why should you not want a Smoke Ring on your food?

"Have you heard of the SMOKE RING? That’s the red lining under the surface (bark) of meat that is being cooked with charcoal or wood as the heat source. The SMOKE RING has nothing to do with the smoke or flavor and is not created by smoke.

"It is a reaction of NO2 coming in contact with myoglobin, a protein found in meat. There is no flavor, and there is no benefit of seeing this ring of red in meat other than evidence that you and your family are ingesting high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide.  [Emphasis mine.]

"It can be a high volume of NO2 when you are cooking your food using a enclose [sic] grill like a pellet grill, wood burning grill, or a Kamado grill."

So...He apparently thinks of himself as a medical expert.

First of all, it is not NO2 that causes the smoke ring!.  It is NO (nitrogen oxide).  Also, there is some controversy as to whether after the NO combines with the myoglobin in red meat the result is toxic.  It has been suggested that the nitrosamines formed cause an increase in colon cancers. (how many of our fellow pellet fans have had colon cancer after all these years?  Would be good to know). It turns out that many vegetables naturally have higher levels of NO in them and have been touted as being good for health. i.e. Red Beets for example. So take your pick.  For those who would like to know more technically I have listed a great article on how the smoke ring is made and what modifies it etc. Also a nice review of whether or not nitrates and nitrites are harmful. Enjoy!
 
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/sranoxring.html

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful

[ylr]

The smoke ring is caused by NO, not NO2. According to Blonder, the vast majority of nitrogen oxides released by combustion are NO, and that "nitrogen oxides make up 0.02% of wood combustion byproducts". If there's any NO2 soaking into the meat, it's negligible.