GOSM Smoke Help!

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jtribout

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 31, 2008
153
10
Ohio
Need Help.

I had a Brickman electric and went for a propane GOSM from Wally World so I could keep the unit in the back yard by the grill and tunes. I had no trouble getting smoke from the electric by adding wood in the lower unit. With the GOSM I seem to be having trouble getting smoke or to much smoke from the wood burning and raising the temp of the smoker.

I tried the box that came with the unit and found it to small and only produced smoke when the wood burned thus raising the temp. Then I tried a cast iron and it took forever to smoke. Then I tried foil and wraped the wood in that. The wood would start on fire and raise the temp again. I had the wife get me a foil pan and I am now using that but don't see the blue smoke after an hour???????????

I would like to see a slow steady blue smoke from start to finish. Help!

Thanks, Jerry
 
A couple of questions. Are the lower vents open or closed? Are you using the thermometer on the gosm or a digital?
I have not experienced any of these problems with my gosm big block. However, it did take some time (a couple of smokes)to get used to setting vents and the amount of wood.
Hope this helps
 
My wally-world GOSM that I just bought only has the vent on top, not the bottom. Not sure about jrtibout's model, but I know mine is top-only.

Once I get them going, I get a good smoke, but it seems like it takes a little too long to get the TBS rolling with the stock chip box. Someone else mentioned trashing that thing and getting a larger pan for chips. If you're having trouble with them flaring up, you can soak them in a bowl of water a little before tossing them in, and that should help that issue.
 
Andy,

I only have a top vent. I have been soaking the chips? I think I should just put the chips in the pie pan without soaking them?????

Anyone???????????????

Jerry
 
jtribout
Just a couple more ?s.
How are your vents set? I useally keep my top wide open and the bottoms adjusted accordingly . Also are you preheating first with a full water pan and chip box. Get your temp stabelized and smoke going b4 adding food. Remeber outside temps affect your smoker to. hope this helps gl
wink.gif
 
Hi Black,

I only have the top vent and it is open all the way. When I check my meat I find the wood in the pan doing nothing. If I open the door and crank the heat up to high the wood starts to smoke and I close the door and turn the heat down to low to keep the temp at 225-250. I notice that after awhile the smoke stops????????????????????

Jer

I have checked the thermo on the unit and it's perfect. No problems reading the inside temp.
 
PS................

I have had my smoker on for 3-hours now and the wood looks the same as when I put it in the cooker? The only time I get smoke is when I crank the heat up with the door open and then shut the door and turn the heat back down to low??????????????????

Again the smoke does not last after I shut the door and turn the heat down.

Jer
 
Sounds like you have the same model I have with one top vent and none at the bottom. I've never had any trouble getting smoke going and I use the wood box that came with it. I don't soak my wood either. If your wood box is directly over the flame and your thermo is reading 225o I don't see why your not getting smoke. I get TBS within 20 minutes of starting it up and I use large chunks.

Ya got me stumped.
 
This question may be a little off topic, perhaps, but somewhat relevant I think... When your chips stop smoking and you throw in new ones, how long does it take to get TBS going again? Seems like it's about 20mins or so for me to get going when I first fire my GOSM up, and then about that long, maybe a little shorter to get it going again with new chips. Are you dumping all your chips and putting in new ones or what?
 
Review the pix. These hickory chips have been in the smoker for 4 hours at 225-250. You can see I only have a little charing and that is from me turning the heat up to high when I open the door to check my food. Once I see the wood smoking I close the door and turn the heat back to low (225ish). I get smoke for 5-min. then nothing?????????????????????
PDT_Armataz_01_05.gif



Jer
 
Can you get a pic of the flame? Something just isn't right here. On mine I can turn it all the way down to its lowest setting on the dial and still get good TBS.

I'm wondering if the aluminium pan your using doesn't hold the heat very well. Might want to try something metal. Just thinking out loud here.
 
I use a coffee can setting upright, and cut off to fit under the water pan. It works really good, even when running on low.

It could be that all that aluminum on your pan is pulling the heat away from the wood. (just guessing)
 
I tried an 10'' cast iron fry pan and had nothing. That's why I went too the tin.

I thought about lowering the pan? If I get rid of the factory rack that holds the pan up and use bricks on the sides to bring down the pan lower???????

I keep a good temp in the smoker. On low I get 225-250 and I checked it with both a digital thermo and a reg. thermo?

Jer
 
I just purchased the Big Block, and I noticed this weekend that if I dropped below 225, I would not get any smoke. My gas dial would be just to the right of center between medium and low. I am using the cast iron box and big chunks not chips. I think I'll switch over to the 9 X 9 cake pan. Just hope it doesn't burn out to soon.
 
Might need something between the aluminum throw-away pan and cast iron like a regular metal cake pan. That's the only thing I could think of.
 
Hi, I don't own a GOSM,and I've been reading all the post regarding your lack of TBS and temp. I'll take a stab at it for ya. To have smoke moving thru your unit you need to have air supply (not the musical group) and a draft. Sounds like you have the draft vent on top the unit,but are missing the air supply vent on the bottom of unit as mentioned by other GOSM owners. Sometimes products make it out of the factory and missed by quality control it they even have such a dept. Does the instruction manual show a bottom vent? I would contact the manufacture with your model # in hand and verify whether or not your unit should have this vent on the bottom of unit. Remember, for air to flow it must have supply and draft(exhaust). Just my .02 worth.

Good luck,
Keith
 
Nah that's not it. The newer model of GOSM only has a top vent and supposedly takes in enough air through the burner assembly to make up for the lack of bottom vent. It's built without one by design, not a freak that slipped out of the factory half built.
 
Sounds like you may have a problem with air circulation. If you use a coffee can, be sure and put plenty of holes in that sucker. Don't expect to SEE the thin blue from start to finish, if you can smell it, it's doing the job. I've attached some pics of my setup, I ended up making the holes 3/8 in. I can smoke for 5 hrs. without a reload, and there is nothing but but white/gray ash left in the can. BTW, I foil the grease pan to make cleanup easier.Good luck.
eed20d01_vbattach18462.jpg
 
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