GOSM vent/smoke issues

[oxicottin]

Hello again! I have the GOSM 36" Gaser and have had it for about 3 years now. In these past 3 years I have been having trouble with getting a good smoke. Is there any sugestions anyone has with the vents ect. that I can try or things that you have tried that works for you? I am planing on buying a diferent pan instead of the cast iron one that came with the unit to see it this will help. I think most of my problem is the vents and how much they should be open and at what times in the cooking stage. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[ultramag]

I run mine with the stock wood box and the lid off and use fist sized wood chunks. I have the top vent wide open and the two side vents closed down as far as they close where the tabs hit the holes in the smoker cabinet. Never had a problem generating smoke at all that way. The lid severely restricts air-flow to the wood in the stock GOSM set-up IMO. Try it before you spend money on extra pans.

Also, give your smoker about 30 minutes to heat up before adding your meat. It makes all the difference in the world. Even though it's a gasser, all those metal parts and that cast iron box need to get up to temp to perform well.

 

[oxicottin]

I will do and thanks for the reply! On start up do you close all vents, fill up with chunks, turn on high untill you get smoke then once it starts smoking good open the top and put in your meat? And what do you do once your loosing smoke and want to replace your chunk? It takes me forever to get smoke again....

Thanks,
Chad

 

[meowey]

I use mine much Ultramag described. Never a problem with getting it to smoke. It will take about 30 minutes to heat up the cast box. My experience is that once the box heats up the chunks will smoke. BTW, I do NOT soak my wood. I leave all my vents set with the bottom ones as closed as they will go and the top one at about 50% open. I leave the top of the cast box off.

Hope this helps.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[ultramag]

You don't want to close your vents on start up no matter what you end up doing for a wood box because you'll build up the creosote we work so hard to avoid. I set my vents as described above and have never moved them. With a gas unit your temp control is the gas valve, so there is no need to adjust vents except to get good air flow throughout the smoke chamber. The adjustments above IMO are that setting.

To add wood I simply slide out the rack the wood box rests on and take one of the chunks I am going to add and push the smoldering chunks and ashes to the back and lay the new chunks in the front of the box. I don't know how long you have been smoking, but in case your just learning be careful with how much wood you use and feeling that you need to see that heavy smoke venting out. On a long smoke after you get 6 or so chunks in there stand back and watch that top vent. You should see the slightest bit of bluish smoke (hard to see) venting out and that is what you are after.

Good Luck, and let us know how it works out.

 

[ultramag]

This is very good advice from brother Meowey on soaking Chad. A point I had neglected to mention. You don't want to soak your chunks before using them. Good Luck!

 

[Dutch]

You got some good advice there, oxi. It's basically the same setup that I use, except that my intake vent are opened about half way. Load 3-4 chunks of wood in to the box-sans the lid, add hot water to the water pan, fire up the burner and adjust the flame and close the door. When the smoker comes up to temp, quickly add your meat, close the door and begin the waiting game.

 

[oxicottin]

Thanks everyone!! I have never tried to close the vents all the way on the bottom and I always use it with dry "chips" and I also never use the lid. If anyone else has any sugustions please post!! I am planing on smoking 30lbs of summer sausage this weekend and I will use these sugustions and post back!!

Oh one more thing. Does anyone have a good dry rub for beef and one for chicken or pork?

Thanks again,
Chad

 

[meowey]

Here is a link to my rub. I like it on pork and chicken. In the same thread is one from cajunsmoker that I like on beef.

Hope this helps.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=1582

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[smokin_all_night]

Depending on which design of GOSM you have, you might want to lower your wood box by an inch. This is accomplished on mine by drilling four more holes in the side rails just below the existing ones.

As great as the GOSM is, it does not give you independent control over both heat and smoke. If it is cold outside, you will need to run your flame higher. This puts more heat onto the wood box and generates more smoke. Sometimes too much and the wood burns up too quickly. When I first got mine, I could not get enough heat and when I moved the shelf that holds the wood box down, it worked great.

I have not had much luck palying with my vents. My unit has one at the center of the top and one at the bottom on each side. I run them all open all the time. The more oxygen the better.

Good luck,
Aubrey Page
-------------------
OTBS #007

 

[tonto1117]

This is how I run mine also, have not lowerd the smoke box and that is why I use only chunks in the winter when the flame is higher and a mix of chips and 1-2 nice chunks in the summer when the flame isn't as high... the chips catch quicker and help to get the chunks gong.

 

[oxicottin]

Thanks for the rub!!! I might try it this weekend with the two chickens im doing....

 

[oxicottin]

Im going to try everyones ideas that doesnt involve drilling holes ect. But thanks for the reply and if it comes down to it I might have to do some drilling

 

[ultramag]

FYI, the only GOSM smokers that have the rail set-up are the long gone stainless steel double walled ones. You don't have the rails mentioned and to move one thing, you move everything and then have 6 or 8 extra holes in your smoke cabinet.

That rail set-up was nice, I wish it had been incorporated into the standard black ones. Some of the guys with stainless models drilled extra holes in the rails and then had much more say in the adjustment of the space between the cooking racks. That would be nice.

 

[tsulcoski]

Here is a link to a place I use for seasonings

http://www.pilotseasoning.com/

Best regards
Trevor

 

[oxicottin]

Thanks for the link! I might give one of them a try. I use http://www.psseasoning.com/cart/ For thier summer sausage spices. I usually buy the 405-B Garlic Summer Sausage and its gooood. I just purchased the 391-B Jalapeno Summer Sausage and plan to do 25lbs with my chickens this weekend.