Starting to season my new GOSM

[packrat]

Question. I hear a lot about "thin blue smoke" being what you want rather than white smoke. It's hard to tell what I have. Any help? I'm using apple chips since that's all I had on hand. Is it harder to get that blue smoke with chips rather than chunks? Here's a couple of pics.

http://server6.pictiger.com/img/1358...-4010354--.jpg
http://server6.pictiger.com/img/1358...-4010355--.jpg

 

[monty]

Hey, Packrat!

Welcome to the GOSM owners club! Once you get into the swing of things with your new weapon of choice you are gonna love it!

The thin blue is achieved by balancing the amount and cut style of wood in the firebox, the heat source and the required temp for the "stuff" you are smoking.

Generally I prefer chunks in the smoke box of my GOSM. I use cherry and maple locally harvested and buy a bit of hickory and mesquite in chunk form. Chips are great in electric units and smaller charcoal units and should be soaked before use. I do not soak my chunks.

Your cast iron smoke box will take a bit of time to produce smoke. Generally it takes about a half hour at half "throttle". And I am sure that you have already been remoinded of the inaccuracy of the GOSM thermometer.

With all that said I will attempt to post a pic of the "Thin Blue" coming from ny GOSM with its rain gear on.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!


Having a bit of a problem with the pic I want to display. Will keep trying!

 

[packrat]

I kept it on roughly medium, and just filled up the smoke box all the way with apple chips. My intuition is that there was too much smoke. This would largely be due to using chips and too many of them? How many chunks do you use at once if you're taking that route?

 

[monty]

You can fill it with chunks and not worry. Or at least that is my experience.

Cheers!

 

[monty]

Packrat,

Follow this link to a previously posted pic.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=1467

It shows a great way to prevent heavy rain from entering the top vent and also a good show of the "Thin Blue".

Something else I learned is that when there is a breeze, turn the "elbow" so the outlet is away from the breeze like a weathervane would be and you will find that it helps draw up the smoke. This pic also is a good example of the practice.

Best O Luck!
And
Cheers!

 

[packrat]

Hmm...judging by that pic, I'd say I wasn't too far off. My smoke certainly wasn't a thick cloud of white--it was a lot closer to that picture. I guess the only way to tell is to throw a pork butt in there and test it out! Pics will follow!!!

 

[monty]

Go for it!
Happy to help!
Cheers!

 

[deejaydebi]

Looked really close to me there Packrat! Of course it's easier to tell when your background is dark. The thin was really good!

 

[billyq]

I'm with Debi. That smoke looks just about right.