Q view of my first 3 smokes but I need a little help.

12ring

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Jun 20, 2013

160

39

New Mexico

• Aug 12, 2013

• #1

I have a GOSM38 propane smoker. First attempt was spare ribs and baby back ribs. Cooked at 225 using a 2.75, 1.5, .75hr process. Used jeffs rub. Used hickory chunks and apple chips. Wood smoked nicely food was great.

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

Second try was a turkey. Brined it over night, rubbed it with jeffs rub under the skin and slapped some butter in there too. Cooked it at 275 with hickory chunks and apple chips. I was fighting the wood from flaming up the whole time. I tried both soaked and dry chunks. Soaked chunks also flamed up after they smoked good for a while.

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

After that smoke I did a little more reading and came up with my problem being that the wood is getting to much oxygen. I picked scarbelly wings for my next smoke. I decided to cover 4 out of the 6 holes on top of my chip box with foil. I still had them flame up causing my temp to really spike. Then I coverd 5 of the 6 holes. Same problem. Finally I covered all six holes. Smoke filtered from between the lid and the box and I thought I figured it out. Wrong. They flamed up again. The wings came out good but I'm not happy with the wood flaming up. Here are the wings.

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

Here is my smoker, my vents on both sides and my chip box.

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

 

12ring

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 20, 2013

160

39

New Mexico

• Aug 12, 2013

• #2

Here is my chip box. Any advice on how to keep my wood from flaming up would be very much appreciated. This I believe is my second post after saying hello in roll call.

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

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• 12ring
• Aug 12, 2013

 

seenred

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Feb 9, 2009

10,016

1,776

N.E. Oklahoma

• Aug 12, 2013

• #3

Hi 12ring.

You can help your flare up problems some by adjusting your side damper...the top vent must stay open for proper air flow, but you can close the side one down some to limit oxygen.  You might also need a better chip/chunk box.  In my old GOSM, I replaced the chip box with a small, foil-covered iron skillet, poking a couple holes in the foil.  The thicker skillet provided a little more insulation between the fire and the chips/chunks, so I had fewer flare ups.

Another thing you might try is reducing the amount of wood you place in the box at a time.  Just a couple of nice chunks at a time will still make good smoke, and might not flare as badly.

Hope any of this helps...Good luck!

Red

 

Last edited: Aug 12, 2013

themule69

Epic Pitmaster

Oct 7, 2012

12,884

350

live north of fort smith arkansas between alma and

• Aug 12, 2013

• #4

Red has you covered. The food looks great.

Happy smoken.

David

 

kranders

Fire Starter

Jul 7, 2013

55

11

Santa Maria, on the Central Coast of California

• Aug 12, 2013

• #5

I have the exact same smoker and I have never had the chips flare up over 5 smokes. I have both side vents closed off as far as they will go. They will not close off all the way because of some mechanical stops in the vents. I put 3 or 4 chunks in the chip box and fill it up the rest of the way with chips. I have never soaked the chips. The first box full will last me a good 1 to 1 1/2 hours of TBS at 220-250*. I've never had mine up to 275 with wood in the chip box...only once to crisp the skin on a beer can chicken for the lase 1/2 hour.

Good luck. I hope you like your GOSM as much as I do!!
 

 

dirtsailor2003

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Oct 4, 2012

21,947

4,224

Bend Oregon

• Aug 12, 2013

• #6

I would also recommend getting the 12" or 18" AMNTS from A-MAZE-N smokers. I have both for my big GOSM and they work fantastic. It would also give you the option of using your GOSM as a cold smoker.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNTS

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• dirtsailor2003
• Aug 12, 2013

Here I have both the 12" and 18" rolling TBS during a 20 hour pork butt smoke. One was loaded with apple the other cherry.

 

kathrynn

Legendary Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Jun 13, 2012

9,442

121

Madison, AL

• Aug 12, 2013

• #7

The Smoke generators from Todd and great.  AND....try chunks instead of chips.  Chunks last longer and work better in my Smoke Vault propane smoker.

Kat

 

12ring

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 20, 2013

160

39

New Mexico

• Aug 12, 2013

• #8

Thanks for the responses everyone. I thought about trying a cast iron pan or dutch oven but didn't really wanna spend the thirty something dollars for it. The AMNTS is also interesting. Sounds like I'll probably have drop another $30-$40 to get my problem resolved.

When using the AMNTS, how do you lite it up? Am I gonna have to buy a torch also? Also where is everyone placing the AMNTS during the smoke? Lowest rack in my smoker? Is it ok to put meat next to it on the rack? Sorry for all the questions but this AMNTS is something new to me.

 

dirtsailor2003

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Oct 4, 2012

21,947

4,224

Bend Oregon

• Aug 12, 2013

• #9

To get really nice consistent smoke the AMNTS works great. A torch works best, but I have use the propane burner in GOSM and the side burner on my BBQ. I used the cast iron box that came with my GOSM for years. you need to use chunks in it. Like 3"x3". Then they will smolder. You only need a couple. The original reason I bought the AMNTS was for cold smoking, but they work so good I use them for hot too. You need to put the near one of the lower vents, but away from the burner. I will take a pic later and show you some of the places where I place mine.

 

tonybel

Smoking Fanatic

Jul 25, 2013

329

18

San Berdoo CA

• Aug 12, 2013

• #10

Looks good to me!

 

flash

Smoking Guru

OTBS Member

Mar 30, 2007

5,280

45

Chiefland/Cedar Key, Fl

• Aug 12, 2013

• #11

True, I have a GOSM charcoal to Propane conversion and my side dampers are almost closed but maybe by a 1/2 inch on each side. You'll still see some wood on fire, but switch to chunks you have less issues with it.

 I use a single propane burner stove, place a can right on top of the flame. Tried using a small pan with sand in it, but wood would not smoke enough so removed the pan. With the can I add some charcoal and wood. Seems to work great.

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12ring

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 20, 2013

160

39

New Mexico

• Aug 13, 2013

• #12

So I bought some pecan chunks today and decided to do a test run with them with both vents closed as far as they'll go.

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• 12ring
• Aug 13, 2013

I cranked it up to 275 and waited for the flare up. They ran outta smoke and after 45 min or so and never flared up. I figured it was the wood and couldn't be the vents because I covered the holes on the box with tin foil last time and still flared up. So I put some hickory chunks in after the pecan ran out and waited to see what happens. Well no flare up with them either. So I'm hoping its just my vents that needed ajustment and hopefully don't have to buy a AMNTS or cast iron pan.

Thanks for all the help and hopefully I have some good armadillo eggs and pork butt Q view soon.