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  • #16
    I use a GOSM Big Block and so far everything that has been said is spot on. I started out using a sawdust, then to small chips from Gander Mountain and finally to large chunks. When I am lucky I sometimes come across 1 inch size chips that I really like. I have tossed my chipper box and switched to a cake pan. For lower temps I will use a throw away foil pan, most of my smokes I have wood left over. So know I am gauging my use of wood as so not waste any. I would suggest getting a note pad of paper and keep notes on your cooks. Most importantly a camera so your smokes really did happen.
    Not familiar with your smoker is maybe check and see if you can find a smoke stack with a flow regulator you can open and close for an adjustment. Or maybe drilling a couple vent holes in the side for air flow adjustment.
    Last edited by JustSmoke2; 07-05-2009, 09:53 PM. Reason: a thought to add
    If You Can Not Stand Behind Our Troops,
    Please Feel Free To Stand In Front Of Them

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    • #17
      Lotsa great advice on this thread! Makes me smile. Your a lucky man.

      Usually if the smoke is not of good quality, you actually need to increase the air flow in the smoker, not decrease it. Keep the heat moving, carrying the flavors of the smoke with it on its way out of the chimney/exhaust. Make sure that you are getting a nice blue flame on that gasser, and do get a real therm on that door, better yet a remote digital until ya get used to the smoker. Put the probe through a chunk of wood or a small potato on the grate right next to your meat, but not touching the meat or the grate.

      Try to get the smoker to 225-235 and maintain the temps there along with thin blue kisses of smoke.

      Don't give up, your on the right track now.
      Lang 60 Mobile deluxe




      Captain-N-Smoke BBQ Team(retired)
      ____________________________________________
      Takes allot of work and an open mind to make good sense.
      Praise the Lord and pass the Cannabis.

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      • #18
        here is a link to your owners manual if you ever need it

        http://images.brinkmann.net/Docs/Pdf/810-5525-0.pdf

        i just wanted to leaf thru it and see if we were missing something. i see that brinkmann has provided you with a water pan with this model. i have a gosm charcoal that i love. i keep the water pan full of sand covered with foil and it makes a great heat sink. it helps reduce recovery time when i open and close the door.

        now that i know that it is a brinkmann, i would also recommend getting a couple of new thermometers try www.kck.com they have some great stuff with good prices. I have three thermometers in mine, one on each side and on in the door. i have staggered theses so that i can measure the temp about every 10" up the column or box.

        from looking at your manual you are correct about no way to control the flow of air thru the smoker. i do not have a gasser but i suspect temp is totally controlled by burner temp and column. with my vertical i make sure everything is up to temperature before i start. normally 30+ minutes to get the sand up to temp and the exhaust gas temp regulated. i do measure the temp at the top of my exhaust stack. since things are hotter at the bottom and cooler at the top i try to keep this temp between 220* and 230*

        and just one last note my first ribs trash can. my first chicken (ecb w/out mods) trash can. i cooked a lot of chicken when i first started. i figured the lower $ per pound was easier on my wallet 'til i mastered some temp and smoke control skills.

        still working on the rib thing and still not there. the last ones i could eat but there was to much salt in my rub

        good luck and God Bless
        Last edited by crusty ol salt; 07-06-2009, 11:40 PM. Reason: good golly my spelling stinks
        Island of Misfit Smokers Member #92

        How to heal the world. Love people and feed them tasty food.

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        • #19
          Been busy the last couple of days. Cleaned out my cookbooks and clothes and bagged them for charity. On a whim I entered my name for the Michael Jackson memorial and damned if I didn't get notification this morning. Had to drive to Dodger stadium to get them. I gave them to my nephew and he and a friend are going to the melee. I would have liked to have gone but they are expecting a crowd of 1 million and think there might be trouble so, thanks but no thanks. I can watch the show on TV. As for the flame it burns yellow so I guess it is not good. I don't know how you would adjust it. The chimney on top also is not adjustable. Maybe I bought a piece of junk. I haven't tried wood chunks yet, but maybe I should. The wood seems to be burning too hot and too fast, so that is what I am trying to tame. Got to play around with it. I have a cast iron heat diffuser that I may cover the flame hole with and see if the wood burns any different. I also have to play around with the foil covered pan.

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          • #20
            it not junk, its just practice.
            Island of Misfit Smokers Member #92

            How to heal the world. Love people and feed them tasty food.

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            • #21
              Thank you. That gives me hope.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                As for the flame it burns yellow so I guess it is not good. I don't know how you would adjust it.
                The yellow flame is caused by lack of air in the gas/air mix flowing to the burner. There is a venturi..or air inlet somewhere where this is adjusted...look near the control valve...should be a metal sleeve or something that the gas/air mix is adjusted with. Or..I would hope there is some adjustment anyway.

                Make sure there is no packing material/tape over any part of the gas inlet area. The flame should be a light blue color..as on a stovetop.
                In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by crusty ol salt View Post
                  its just practice.
                  Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                  Thank you. That gives me hope.
                  Hope springs eternal, bugs. Trust me, I was where you're at . . . and not so long ago either.

                  Here is something that may be worth a try during a trial run. It looks like you have quite a bit of room in your smoker where the chip/chunk box goes.



                  You might try moving the chip/chunk box off to the side rather then sitting it right over the top of the flame.

                  When I got the gas burner for my Smoke N Pit (SnP), I had a hard time keeping the wood from catching fire. They recommend putting the wood chunks in a can covered with aluminum foil and placing the can in a slot over the flame.



                  I could never keep the wood from catching fire so what I did is move the can around on the grate.

                  This spot works pretty well for smoking around 250°.



                  If I'm smoking something at a low temp such as 140° for cured jerky, I place the can here.



                  If I'm doing chicken or something where I am running the smoker pretty hot like 325° plus, I'll sometimes have to move it here.



                  By changing the distance between the burner and the flame, I am able to keep the wood at the right temperature to smolder but not catch fire.

                  I know these pictures don't show your particular smoker and I am making assumptions that you can move the box around without having it fall off the grate, but it may be worth a try.

                  Dave
                  CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
                  UDS 1.0
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                  Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
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                  Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
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                  "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

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                  • #24
                    Bugster,

                    Don't give up these guys are the best and will help you get good results for sure.

                    I did my first 3-2-1 ribs last week and they were amazing.

                    Keep trying.
                    Chargriller Pro w. sfb
                    Ducane 4100 propane grill
                    Brinkman Electric


                    Member # 200

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                    • #25
                      Dave might be onto something.

                      If you look at that rack the pan sits on, it's kind of recessed for the pan to sit in. Mine too. The brownie pan I use now doesn't sit in there. It's higher. That may explain some of it too.

                      But I just don't see any air flow control at all. Do you guys think that stack not being adjustable may be part of the problem?
                      S-M Misfit #16

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                      It's a shame stupidity isn't painful.

                      GOSM Propane
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                      New Braunfels Bandera
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                      • #26
                        on my gosm charcoal i control the air flow and temperature by using the side dampers and leave the exhaust or stack damper wide open. i just figured you controled the air flow with a propane gasser by adjusting the flame or temperature? The higher the flame or the higher the temperature the more air is drawn thru the smoker? heck ladies and gents i'm outta my league as normal.

                        ddave great info contained in those pics thanks
                        Island of Misfit Smokers Member #92

                        How to heal the world. Love people and feed them tasty food.

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Richtee View Post
                          The yellow flame is caused by lack of air in the gas/air mix flowing to the burner. There is a venturi..or air inlet somewhere where this is adjusted...look near the control valve...should be a metal sleeve or something that the gas/air mix is adjusted with. Or..I would hope there is some adjustment anyway.
                          Doesn't look like there is any adjustment. Just some holes to allow air in.
                          Here is a shot of the owner's manual page that talks about flame quality.





                          Dave
                          Last edited by DDave; 07-08-2009, 08:45 AM.
                          CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
                          UDS 1.0
                          Afterburner
                          Weber Performer
                          Blue Thermapen
                          Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
                          Thermoworks Chef Alarm
                          Auber Smoker Controller
                          Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
                          -
                          "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

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                          • #28
                            I called customer service today to get the specs on what the temp should be on low and guess what? A recording took my phone number and I got a call back from Brinkmann. Seems they make the Kenmore. The guy told me that the temp should be 180 to 200 at the low setting. Mine is 260. He said he would talk to engineering on how to lower the flame and get back to me. No call back today so maybe tomorrow. Frankly I'll be lucky to get a call at all. so no wonder my wood flames, too hot like I thought. Don't know if I should try to return it (dirt and all) or see what we can do. Could put in another chimney to see if that lowers the heat. The existing chimney is just a hole with a roof, no adjusting. Ditto if I put in another. Still have to figure out how to keep the wood from catching fire.

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                            • #29
                              Theres a mod people with gas burners use. They install a needle valve in the propane line. By setting you smoker on low and turning down your needle valve you can restrict the flow gas. If you ever seen a turkey deep fryer thats kinda of the needle valve you may want. I am sure someone will be able to elaborate on it better for you then I can.
                              If You Can Not Stand Behind Our Troops,
                              Please Feel Free To Stand In Front Of Them

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                              • #30
                                Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                                The guy told me that the temp should be 180 to 200 at the low setting. Mine is 260.
                                Is that with the smoker empty? Because it is going to run hotter empty than if it was loaded with meat acting as a heat sink. But 260 is a long way from 200.

                                Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                                He said he would talk to engineering on how to lower the flame and get back to me. No call back today so maybe tomorrow.
                                Wonder if the regulator is bad. Keep on 'em. If they don't call you, call them.

                                Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                                Could put in another chimney to see if that lowers the heat. The existing chimney is just a hole with a roof, no adjusting. Ditto if I put in another.
                                Putting in another chimney isn't going to lower the temp. Plus, if there is a problem with the smoker that might make a return/exchange necessary, you don't want to be cutting on it anyway.

                                Also, there shouldn't be any need to adjust the chimney anyway. In fact, if you close it off, you may starve the flame for air and snuff it out. Got to have air moving through to keep pulling in fresh oxygen on the bottom. I had that problem when I converted my SnP to gas. I had the tuning plates so close together that it messed with the draft and the flame would sputter and die even when the burner was running pretty high. I removed one of the plates and widened the gap and now it will run 18 hours + on low without a hint of trouble.

                                Originally posted by bugster2 View Post
                                Still have to figure out how to keep the wood from catching fire.
                                Did you try moving the chip/chunk box off to the side of the flame?

                                http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/sho...4&postcount=23

                                Dave
                                CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
                                UDS 1.0
                                Afterburner
                                Weber Performer
                                Blue Thermapen
                                Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
                                Thermoworks Chef Alarm
                                Auber Smoker Controller
                                Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
                                -
                                "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

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