- Apr 19, 2007
- 33
- 10
I decided that the Sam's Club MES sucks! So I took it back and decided to mod my GOSM big block to have automatic temp control instead.
So here is my step by step MOD.
1. Order and wait patiently for the sentry temp control to arrive in the mail. I got mine from this place cheap 8 bucks vs 25 plus shipping every where else I saw them. http://turkey-shoppe.nwtf.org/product128.html
2. Go out and find a fry cooker bottom with burner. I went to Menards and picked one up cheap with a 5psi control nob and hose for 29.99.
3. Take off and entirely disassemble the bottom burner.
4. Then I made the whole that was originally there bigger so I could fit in the new high output burner.
5. Making it a bit bigger so the burner sits even across the bottom.
Here is a pic of the new burner
Picture of it going in its new home
6. Once you are ready for your burner on the bottom side (no pictures) there is a nut that I put through the hole and secured it with a bolt to keep the burner secured.
7. Next I removed all of the front control panel so I would have room to stick the new Sentry controller out the front.
Here is a picture of the entire procedure completed. The only thing left to do know is route the temp probe up the side and hook up the gas line.
8. The sentry has a nice little clip that I used to mount the temp probe on the side of the smoker. So I didn't have to drill any holes I took a bolt out of the handle and used that to mount the probe holder.
Inside of where the probe will be going
Pic of what the probe holder looks like. I did have to drill it out to accept the bolt from the handle.
Here is what it looks like mounted inside of the smoker.
Well that was it.
A couple of issue's that I had trying to get everything working.
1. On the Sentry Temp Controller do not tighten the nut with anything other then your hand. I was pissed off when I first tried to fire everything up and I didn't get any gas flow. What I found is that inside the controller there is a rubber washer and my guess is that when I tightened things down it blocked off the gas hole from the hose and I didn't get any flow. If your gas doesn't come out like you think it should simply loosen up the gas hose and it should start to flow much better!
Temp control:
I fired it up and let it come up to temp. Used my dual probe temp gage and the temp was within 5 degree's.
It is also nice to hear that when ever I open the door to check on things or add food I can hear the burner turn up and temp recovery is very quick.
Thats it!
Let me know what you think.
Update 1 - 3 hours in a smoke:
I had to give it a try today so I am smoking up a chicken and a bunch of abts.
So far the temp control has been set it and forget it.
When I first tested the temp I had a temp difference of about 15 degree's from side to side but I was testing everything empty.
Now that I have the chip pan, water pan and some grates in the temp difference between sides with the new burner is about 3 degree's.
So all-in-all I would consider this a success!!!!!
Second test:
21 lbs of chicken wings
The temp didn't seem to regulate as accurately so I think that I need to move the temp probe to a better spot and mount it to a piece of wood. When I took the wings out and did another temp test the results were the same as my first trial run.
I am thinking what happened is that the metal that I attached the probe to heated up, but the internal temperature was not keep the same pace.
I also did not use water in the pan so that may have caused some of the temp issue's.
Conclusion for test 2.
The temp did remain constant so the only adjustment I had to do was turn up the temp on the Sentry to my ideal temp, once there it was able to maintain a temp within 5 degree's.
So here is my step by step MOD.
1. Order and wait patiently for the sentry temp control to arrive in the mail. I got mine from this place cheap 8 bucks vs 25 plus shipping every where else I saw them. http://turkey-shoppe.nwtf.org/product128.html
2. Go out and find a fry cooker bottom with burner. I went to Menards and picked one up cheap with a 5psi control nob and hose for 29.99.
3. Take off and entirely disassemble the bottom burner.
4. Then I made the whole that was originally there bigger so I could fit in the new high output burner.
5. Making it a bit bigger so the burner sits even across the bottom.
Here is a pic of the new burner
Picture of it going in its new home
6. Once you are ready for your burner on the bottom side (no pictures) there is a nut that I put through the hole and secured it with a bolt to keep the burner secured.
7. Next I removed all of the front control panel so I would have room to stick the new Sentry controller out the front.
Here is a picture of the entire procedure completed. The only thing left to do know is route the temp probe up the side and hook up the gas line.
8. The sentry has a nice little clip that I used to mount the temp probe on the side of the smoker. So I didn't have to drill any holes I took a bolt out of the handle and used that to mount the probe holder.
Inside of where the probe will be going
Pic of what the probe holder looks like. I did have to drill it out to accept the bolt from the handle.
Here is what it looks like mounted inside of the smoker.
Well that was it.
A couple of issue's that I had trying to get everything working.
1. On the Sentry Temp Controller do not tighten the nut with anything other then your hand. I was pissed off when I first tried to fire everything up and I didn't get any gas flow. What I found is that inside the controller there is a rubber washer and my guess is that when I tightened things down it blocked off the gas hole from the hose and I didn't get any flow. If your gas doesn't come out like you think it should simply loosen up the gas hose and it should start to flow much better!
Temp control:
I fired it up and let it come up to temp. Used my dual probe temp gage and the temp was within 5 degree's.
It is also nice to hear that when ever I open the door to check on things or add food I can hear the burner turn up and temp recovery is very quick.
Thats it!
Let me know what you think.
Update 1 - 3 hours in a smoke:
I had to give it a try today so I am smoking up a chicken and a bunch of abts.
So far the temp control has been set it and forget it.
When I first tested the temp I had a temp difference of about 15 degree's from side to side but I was testing everything empty.
Now that I have the chip pan, water pan and some grates in the temp difference between sides with the new burner is about 3 degree's.
So all-in-all I would consider this a success!!!!!
Second test:
21 lbs of chicken wings
The temp didn't seem to regulate as accurately so I think that I need to move the temp probe to a better spot and mount it to a piece of wood. When I took the wings out and did another temp test the results were the same as my first trial run.
I am thinking what happened is that the metal that I attached the probe to heated up, but the internal temperature was not keep the same pace.
I also did not use water in the pan so that may have caused some of the temp issue's.
Conclusion for test 2.
The temp did remain constant so the only adjustment I had to do was turn up the temp on the Sentry to my ideal temp, once there it was able to maintain a temp within 5 degree's.