GOSM...Lump coal...wood chips????

[coffee_junkie]

Okay, so I have some questions for you pro's out there. I have a small GOSM and have been using it with the smoke box that it came with for several years now. I am thinking about changing to a 10 skillet for the chip box..
My question is three fold.
1. How long should I be soaking my chips, I typically soak for an hour.
2. How do I incorporate lump charcoal into my smoking process? Will it change the temperature? Does it add flavor? Is there any advantages to doing this in a gas smoker?
3. On a seperate note...I am always confused as to when to use water in the smoker, I normally always use water but wonder if there are some cooks where it doesn't help but hinders the process. Could someone please explain to me the concept of the water in the smoker?
Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[richp692]

I soak my chunks for about an hour also, I also use a piece of lump in the box. it gets the chunks started and keeps them smoldering.
The water helps the smoker keep a more consistent temperature. I’ve heard of people using sand in the water tray.

 

[hungryjohn]

I don't soak my wood; think that's true of a lot of the folks here. Use a few chips to get things started, but rely on chunks for most of the smoke. Take a couple of chunks that almost fill the smoker box, then sprinkle chips around them.

 

[jaye220]

I'm with Hungryjohn on this one. No soaking and I usually use 3 or so chunks surrounded by some chips. Seems to work well and I usually get about 2 hours of smoke before having to refill.

 

[abchristy]

I always put about 8 or 9 lumps of coal into the 8" cake pan I use for the smoke box, adds another dimension of flavor. I always soaked my chips for an hour before I put them in with the preheated coal. I always filled my water pan because the temps were hard to get leveled out with it empty.

 

[chisoxjim]

I dont soak the wood either, my main fuel source is lump charcoal with some wood chunks(not chips) added every 45 mins to hour to get the smoke flavor.

good luck

 

[seenred]

The first thing I did was throw that little chip box away. Too small. I found a much bigger box at HD, it still fits in my GOSM, and it is big enough to put in chunks instead of chips. Chunks will last much longer than chips, so I don't have to open the door every hour to add more. You can accomplish the same thing with an iron skillet, it just takes a little longer for your chunks/chips to start smoking. (I never soak my chunks/chips, although there are many who do.) You can add charcoal to help get your wood going, but it can affect your temps, so you'd have to experiment a little to keep constant temps. I always use a water pan. It helps control steady and uniform temps in the cooking chamber, and many believe it helps keep your meat moist.

 

[coffee_junkie]

Okay so I gettin the gist.... I tried not soaking once and the chips started on fire. Also when I use bug chunks they all smoked at once and **ked up my meat (not thin and blue) . I realize all this is trial and error, but am thankful for this great rescource. I will try the bigger chunks with chips again, i have read that some do a brick over the flame, then cast iron with chunks and lump charcoal...anybody try this?

 

[smokingscooby]

Some use a coffee can cut to size. Put in chunks . Then take foil and place over the top with some holes cut in it. Lets smoke out and cuts down on flame ups.

 

[pineywoods]

Heres what I have done

1. I found a stainless steel chip box with hinged lid at Lowes they cost 9.99
2. Using this box I use chips and use 1/2 soaked and 1/2 unsoaked this gives me smoke for much longer. Coals help keep it burning at lower temps
3. The water pan works as a thermo sync allowing temps to recover quicker than without the water. There is talk that it "adds moisture" not sure if that has been proved one way or the other but I use water all the time

I know people do things different but this is what I have found works for me and I have also found that I can cold smoke using this method by just not turning on the propane burner

 

[coffee_junkie]

Lump Question....do you just throw them in the smoke box without fireing them off or do you get them goin' first like you would if you where using them in a grill?

 

[pineywoods]

I use regular briquettes and get them going first and drop them in glowing hot

 

[desi]

I don't use the cast iron pan that came with the smoker. It's too thick for charcoal to light up. I use a smaller (8x8) cake pan. Works great.

Also, I put a small (4x4) interlocking brick right on top of the burner and put the cake pan right on top of the brick.

I take out the pan every hour and a half and dump the coal/chips in the original cast iron pan then take the burning charcoal and put them back in the cake pan along with some new ones and chips. Works out really well.

I LOVE the charcoal flavour and therefore like this method much better...

Happy smokes!

 

[coffee_junkie]

desi, some questions for you,
if the cast iron pan is too thick then how does adding a brick improve the situation? Also when you say 4x4 "interlocking brick" what do you mean by that? How thick is it? I am a mechanical engineer but for some reason my brain cannot wrap itself around it, I really want to try to add the charcoal flavor and your advice is much apprieciated.
Thanks,

 

[travcoman45]

I use a 9x9 cake pan, cheap metal one. Put chunks in there an a couple 3 er 4 briquettes with it. Cover with foil, poke 3 er 4 wholes in the foil.

I get a fair amount a time outa my chunks this way.

Now I use bricks, but fer a thermal mass, put two on each side a the burner, sure heps recover temps quicker after openin the door.

Now fer low temp smokin, I use the same pan but use chips instead a chunks.

Ain't no use in soakin yalls wood, it just gotta dry out before it will smoke, be why we used seasoned wood.

 

[desi]

I use the brick ON TOP OF THE BURNER. Then I place the cake pan on the brick. This brings the pan in contact with the flame. This helps to burn the coals properly. Otherwise, the coals were dying out. Hope that helps...

I think you were reading too much into my post. That's the problem with mechanical engineers. Trust me I know.... I am one

 

[wmarkw]

Last weekend I decided to add some Royal Oak lump to my smoke after reading another thread here about adding coals. I have a problem getting consistent TBS out of my CCSV24 so I decided to experiment. I’m using my stock chip plate which gets hot but doesn’t smolder the chips very well unless I crank the heat up, then you have the temp variations and it was getting hard to hold steady at 225*. I didn’t have a chimney starter so I did a make shift burn to get the lump going but will be buying one soon. Once the lump got going it helped the wood burn consistently and it also added some heat, so much in fact I had my burner on low through out most of my 8 hour smoke. I also thought I could taste the flavor of the lump in the meat. Any who I’ll be doing it from now on but will use a chimney to get the lump going first (white hot) and then add that to my chip plate, burner on low and throw the wood on and smoke away.
Its fun to experiment and see what works and what doesn't.

 

[mofo]

Here is a link to a post I did some time ago regarding wood size in my Big block GOSM. I still get tbs...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=73178

 

[coffee_junkie]

I have some pecan this is about that size, I think I will try that.