Lang Smokers vs. other Top of The Line Smokers

mfalto,

I currently have a Meadow Creek SQ36 with a second tear rack and cover which I am going to be selling later this month.

The smoker has been OK.......but had I looked at or more importantly spoken to someone who had a Lang smoker I would have bought the Lang hands down.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a BBQ Team at a local Church that has a Lang 108 (Big Guy Don'ta Ya Know) and we smoked more than 85 butts last weekend for three events and I was absolutely blown away with the ease of use with the smoker, the consistent temperatures from one end to the other and didn't have to cut down two trees work of wood.

The BBQ Team Lead has a Lang 60 which was used as well for a second function and we loaded that up with butts as well.

Now, having said all of that, I have spent the last three months doing my due diligence on a an upgrade smoker to the Meadow Creek and I am going to purchase their 48 Patio Model.

I spent a great deal of time this year watching the Kingsford BBQ Pit masters program on the TV weekly and paid particular attention to who was cooking on what kind of smoker. In the final episode when it was down to three people for the $50K prize two of the three cooked on a Lang Smoker and the individual who finally one the $50K Smoked on a Lang.

Now I know that I am rambling on and I apologize to you. If you price out the Meadow Creek SQ36 with the second tier rack which you would want and a cover you are looking at around $1200.00+.

I would highly recommend to you to go to the Lang Smoker web site, spend sometime watching the free videos and they have the Kingsford BBQ Pitt Masters episodes on their site that you can see. Watch Ben Lang show you how to start a fire and season & clean your smoker as well.

If you haven't already looked at Lang I would highly recommend that you do and they have a nice looking 36 Patio model that is  just a little smaller than the 48 that I am going to order. Please note that the Lang Smoker is the "True Reverse Flow Smoker" and the only one on the market. I found out through a lot of digging that folks from Meadow Creek came down to Georgia, bought a Lang and tried to copy Ben Lang's reverse flow smoker design but I can personally tell you that their smoker does NOT smoke like a Lang. The butts we cooked for 12 hours and the pulled pork was moist and out of this world. Now the Lang 36 patio model costs $1095.00. Please go on the Lang Forum here and read some of the many comments from Lang owners.

I have looked at the American BBQ Systems Smokers and read all their client reviews which were very complementary. I think that they have a good smoker but I have never personally seen or used one.

Ok, I am at the end and NO I am not a Lang salesman but if I were I would sell a ton of them.

Please feel free to contact me again if you have any other questions.

Mfalto,

You can use lump charcoal, briquettes, wood or a combination of your choice. I used to use a combination of charcoal briquettes and wood but I have now gone to straight wood as I find the taste of everything I smoke to be better and the smoker temperature is a bit easier to manage.

Mfalto,

I would say that the SQ 36 is an OK smoker. At the time I purchased it I didn't really know much about smokers. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend who's husband had bought one.

What I don't like is the inconsistent temperatures in various locations within the smoker that has caused several food items to be over cooked.

Now, some folks might say that you need to be more judicious about where you place what in the smoker and watch it more carefully but I would argue that a really good smoker will maintain better temperatures throughout the smoker.

I am a low and slow guy and I found up to a 25+ degree temperature difference within the SQ36 depending on where I placed butts, briskets, chicken etc.

The Lang in my opinion has a much better build quality and yes it is a bit heavier because they are using heavier quality gauge steel.

Something to consider perhaps is having the from wheels changed out to articulate and be the same size 8" tires that are on the rear of the smoker. That's what I am going to have them do to the 48 Patio as I will need to move around in the grass in the backyard. When I spoke with Ben about it and also putting a pull handle on or below the rack opposite the firebox so that I could easily move left, right turn around tec. he said NO problem.

The firebox of the Lang 36 Patio is also a bit larger that the SQ 36 from Meadow Creek and is thicker quality steel.

Thank you Kbow for the information.

I have looked at the Cadillac smokers on their web site and their testimonials are awesome.

I spoke with a Cadillac owner Friday who has a restaurant and they are very pleased.

based on the number of butts that you mentioned that you did I am guessing that you own the 48X72 model which is a big guy.

I inquired with Cadillac about the possibilities of making a 36X48 version and they told me that this was no problem and gave me a quote. The 36X60 is just a little too big for me.

To cut to the chase as I would say, I was pretty well sold on the Cadillac until I recently joined a Church BBQ Team and had the opportunity to not only talk extensively with the BBQ Team Leed but found out that he has been cooking BBQ (butts, briskets, whole and split chickens, wings and turkeys ) for crowds as big as 1500 + people for the past 8 years and he personally owns a Lang 60 and loves it.

He convinced the Church to invest in a Lang 108, their biggest model because the Church does a lot of civic and school BBQ's for large crowds numerous times during the year, every year.

Now, I had the pleasure of cooking on the Lang 108 two weeks ago and we did about 115 butts.......low and slow for 12 hours and I was blown away with (a) how easy the Lang was to use, (b) the consistency of the temperature throughout the whole length of the smoker.... 230 degrees, (c) how easy it was to maintain the temperature.....it held it's own 230 degree temp for an hour and a half at least before I had to add additional wood and (d) we didn't need a ton of oak wood to do the job. I was quite candidly "Blown Away".

Now, I haven't cooked on a top quality rotisserie smoker for a comparison so I would in no way offer any type of negative comment.

I can tell you that the Lang like the Cadillac is hand made with thick steel and they share a similar overall smoker weight. The reverse flow smoking technology that Ben Lang developed is pardon me "kick butt".....pun intended and in this years Kingsford BBQ Pittmasters Competition, two of the three finalists going for the $50K prize did so on Lang 60 smokers. The winner won on a Lang 60.

Finally, so that I will shut up and probably the straw that broke the camels back if you will was the price differential between the two.

I could almost purchase (2) Lang Patio 48's with (8) inch wheels front and back....front wheels fully rotational for turning for the price of the 36X45 Cadillac.

Enough said.

Mfalto,

As bmudd 14474 mentions, you can always look at having a custom cover made for it but I suspect that this would be rather expensive.

Like you, I will have to keep my 48 just outside of my patio porch because the door coming into the porch is a standard size door and not wide enough to allow me to put the smoker in the porch.

My plans for a cover are pretty simple. I am going to go down to Home Depot/Lowes and buy a nice tarp cover that I can tie around the bottom of the smoker to protect it from all the weather.

The Church BBQ Team Lead that I mentioned in an earlier discussion does this with his Lang 60 and it works just fine.

bmudd14474,

Thank you for the lead here with grillwraps.com. I just took a look at their web site and it is rather impressive with what they can do and the 10 Yr. warranty.

I am going to send them the specs on the Lang 48 Patio that I am going to purchase and see what the price looks like for a customer cover from these folks.

bmudd,

Done !!

I just got the specs from Lang on the 48 (Length, Height, Width) and have the pics to send off to grillwraps which I will be doing in just a minute.

I will give you the results when I receive an email back from them.

Chris,

I will certainly provide information about the quote that I receive so that everyone may benefit from it.

Harv