Pellet Fan
Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => GMG => Topic started by: imahawki on July 09, 2018, 01:24:33 PM
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I had a long thread on the other forum about my GMG DB. I'll summarize it here. When I first got my DB which was probably something like 2012, I loved it. Perhaps I had beginners luck but just following general recipes yielded amazing results consistently. Ribs and pork butts were the main fare and it just worked. Sometime later I really started struggling with cooks with the primary issue being pork butts that were basically burning on the bottom and the rest developed bark harder than the worst beef jerky you've ever had. I started measuring grate temps with a Maverick and the smoker was consistently nearly 100 degrees too hot. Obviously I could adjust down somewhat but it was hard to compensate for 100 degrees. And it added up... the food coming off looked like it had all cooked at least part, if not all of the time at too high of a temperature.
I ended up deciding based on research that I should replace the controller. I ended up replacing the controller and temp sensor twice, once out of pocket and once on GMG's dime. It was still just ruining food more often than not. In a fit of frustration I finally gave the smoker away on the old forum to a local guy. Basically said if you're in Omaha and want a free DB come get it.
I almost gave up on the pellet smoking thing entirely but the bug wouldn't die. I ended up buying a Blaz'n Grillworks Grid Iron. Now all I can say is lest anyone think "this guy just doesn't know how to manage an imprecise device like a pellet smoker, its not an oven, you have to work at it" I will tell you that I'm batting 1000 on the Blaz'n. I measured the grate temperature at three spots when It was new and it was dead nuts on perfect. I've not bothered to re-measure as I've NEVER had a bad cook on it. Everything comes out perfect. I've never had a pork butt dry out or burn. Not even close.
Now the frustration is, a year after I bought my GMG my dad bought one. Fast forward to this past week over the 4th and he went to do two pork butts and ribs and guess what. They came out exactly like what I was having with mine before I dumped it. The pork butt was ridiculously dried out and borderline burned on the bottom and the ribs were impossible to cook low, it looked like they'd been cooked on a gas grill at too high of a temperature. I've not measured my dad's grate temperature but I recognize the "WAY too hot" symptoms that I saw with my own.
I know there are tons of people here who run GMGs. I'm not sure how you get along with them but I've had two of their smokers with a combined 4 controllers and temp sensors that just do not work as advertised. My Blaz'n is like an oven. It maintains temp to a T. It is ridiculous how accurate and tight a window it maintains. I just don't get how such horrible experience with the GMGs could be user error given my flawless results with another unit... very frustrating. I feel terrible that my dad followed my lead and bought the GMG given how his is now performing.
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You are right, I have had 2 for 8 years and they both work great...
I know there are tons of people here who run GMGs. I'm not sure how you get along with them
Thread was written to accomplish what?
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You are right, I have had 2 for 8 years and they both work great...
I know there are tons of people here who run GMGs. I'm not sure how you get along with them
Thread was written to accomplish what?
The thread was written to detail my experiences, my frustrations, and finally the same purpose as every other thread on an internet forum... nothing. I'm happy you have had good experience with your GMG's but I'm far from the only person who has experienced 1) temp swings, 2) likely hot-spots, 3) general over-tempts at the grate that are hard, if not impossible to correct. There are 2 or three other threads in the GMG sub-forum talking about grate temps that appear to serve no other purpose than to describe the situation as I have.
I don't represent nor have any stake in any company I mentioned. I have no ulterior motive other than continued frustration. Some people are mollified by great customer service. I would prefer products that work. The two GMGs I've used have been unsatisfactory to me. Nothing more and that is not an indictment of the entire brand. If you like yours, rock on.
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As you acknowledged "I had a long thread on the other forum about my GMG DB. I'll summarize it here." Sounds like you are just trying to import bashing, since your experience is old and you have moved on. I will be very frank -- I don't care for it.
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If you read my post the issue is occurring a totally separate unit that belongs to my father. I have moved on from my own experience by giving away a $700 smoker to a complete stranger. I only gave my prior experience as background. I could eliminate my entire history and still have a relevant post that my father's GBG DB runs hot but I think the background is relevant as it is not isolated. If all I was doing was posting about a grill I got rid of 14 months ago I could see your complaint. As I'm not, your response comes across a little like manufacturer protectionism.
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Let your father come on and post about it then! Have had enough with this thread! Go back and post on Pelletheads about it if you just want to xxxx and moan about your bad experience with a Manufacture. Nice thing about this site, I answer to no one anymore!
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Seriously, if I don't physically own the smoker I can't report on the issue?
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As a co-owner of the site, if I was protecting a manufacturer I would have just deleted your post.
You spent nearly 4 paragraphs on your old grievances, say your Dad bought a DB several years ago (2013 according to you) and then give a couple of lines about one supposed "bad" cook (in your opinion, who knows, maybe Dad cooked stuff just the way he wanted) several years into Dad's ownership. Sorry, not buying what you are trying to sell.
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You don't like GMG. You either don't see that or you don't want to admit it. It is that plain and simple to me. The thread is solely intended to show that your GMG did not work and now your dads doesn't. I am not a big fan of locking threads but your thoughts have been stated and as far as I am concerned this thread is through.
Move on, you have a Blaz'n...talk about it or anything else, but let the hate go...
Seriously, if I don't physically own the smoker I can't report on the issue?
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Ya know what...have at it! If it makes you feel better to belittle GMG, knock yourself out! I think most consumers will see this thread for what it is!
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I don't have much else to say. I agree that most will see this thread for what it is. Some will see a person with an ax to grind, some will see someone with a similar experience to theirs and two forum owners jumping down their throat. People will take what they will from that.
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And I will tell you what I told them...Don't let the door hit you in the xxx on the way out!
similar experience to theirs and two forum owners jumping down their throat.
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Hmm.
Not much to say but someone has professed that a BMG pellet smoker can never be bad.
The forum has dropped to new lows. Post and you will feel the pain of the husband/wife team.
My Yoder has been perfect, no need fo me to slam a smoker they have never owned.
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Hmm.
Post and you will feel the pain of the husband/wife team.
Will be interested to find out who the husband wife team is? Folks are always so sure of their facts, until they find out they are wrong.
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Hmm.
Post and you will feel the pain of the husband/wife team.
Will be interested to find out who the husband wife team is? Folks are always so sure of their facts, until they find out they are wrong.
:clap: :clap: :pig: :pig: Love it!!!
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Hmm.
Post and you will feel the pain of the husband/wife team.
Will be interested to find out who the husband wife team is? Folks are always so sure of their facts, until they find out they are wrong.
A new WWF category?
"Ladiessssssss and gentlemennnnn.... In the Red corner.... The BENTLEY'S".....
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Just my :2cents: here. I had similar issues when I got my DB. First cook were two 14 lb briskets. Started at 9 pm and checked at 11 before going to bed. Woke up around 4am and the briskets were already done and temp was at 200. 50 - 75 degree temp swings from left to right. Called up GMG service. They upgraded my controller to a WiFi. Still was having temp swings. I had the old heat shield and I ended up cutting slots in it to allow me to slide it left or right. Still had temp issues and the thermocoupler went bad and was doing burgers and the LED was over 500!! burned the wiring harness. GMG promptly sent me a new controller, thermocoupler and wiring harness. This is was back in 2017 and I still haven't installed the wiring harness as it functions fine. My DB is a 2015 model and sure I was not happy with it but GMG kept working with me on it, even sent me a new heat shield as I was still getting some temp swings yet. I installed a 3" stove pipe elbow on the inside, added a second rack, put a Corian front shelf on it put in two oven therms, thermal blanket, GMG cover, and a small water pan (small loaf pan). It sits outside year round also.
Since my DB was gift, I went directly to GMG Customer Service. They have been great and very helpful. Sorry to hear the issues on your Dad's. I have been very pleased with mine even after all the issues I had. I recommended this to friends and they have actually gotten one. They love it. Temps are very even now, WiFi option is great to use (nice to be able to change the temp right from the bedroom, when doing an overnight cook. I never got to the point of futility with it. Just took my time with it. I was a member on the old Pelletheads site and gathered info there along with here on PF.
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I had temperature fits with my GMG DB. Called them, they sent me replacement stuff, adjusted heat shields a few times, installed a downdraft. Today I ran the pit at 150 for 2 hours, secondary thermometer read 151 in the middle of the grate. Bumped to 350, secondary read 352... sounds like OP got a bad unit. Thats my .02.
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I had temperature fits with my GMG DB. Called them, they sent me replacement stuff, adjusted heat shields a few times, installed a downdraft. Today I ran the pit at 150 for 2 hours, secondary thermometer read 151 in the middle of the grate. Bumped to 350, secondary read 352... sounds like OP got a bad unit. Thats my .02.
Two bad "units", multiple controllers, multiple temp probes and didn't modify my grill with a downdraft to get it to work right. Glad you got a good one.
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I too, like a lot of others on this site, thought you and Bentley we're married. I thread sometime ago mentioned that you were siblings. Surprised a few of us.
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I would suggest the 1 piece heat shield slid all the way to the right and the downdraft. No problems here after those changes.
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