I can’t keep my smoker clean!

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73saint

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Mar 8, 2017
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Near New Orleans La
I woke up this morning and really gave my Lang and good cleaning. Got it looking better than it has in a while. But as the day progressed, it got nicer out and we got a hankering for ribs. Winn Dixie had buy one get one so we decided to do one dry, and one glazed.
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Beautiful day on the Mississippi River.
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Got the old Lang hot and ready for some spares.
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Keeping it simple, running pecan splits at 250. Not wrapping, will pull when ready, glazing one and leaving the other dry. I spritzed with apple cider vinegar but only a few times.

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Glazed one about 30 minutes before pulling. Ran about 5 hrs, cranking temps up to 300 the last 30 minutes or so.

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We ate them with turnip greens. Sorry didn’t get any plated pics. Everyone converged when they were cut up. Both dry and wet were great. I can’t decide which I like more.
 
Great looking ribs!I stoped doing suace on my ribs couple months back. What are u burning for wood?
 
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Were you going off the gauge for 250 or prove? My gauge reading 250 is around 275 at left side at nose and 385 at right side near firebox. Crazy variance. I tried my best to get the smoke down to 220 but it kept at about 250 or I’d lose coals.
 
Were you going off the gauge for 250 or prove? My gauge reading 250 is around 275 at left side at nose and 385 at right side near firebox. Crazy variance. I tried my best to get the smoke down to 220 but it kept at about 250 or I’d lose coals.
I was going by the gauge. Right in the middle my gauge is dead on, I’ve probed enough to know. So when I’m only doing a couple racks I don’t even fool w thermos I just try and keep my grill thermometer to read 250.

But I should also add mine is one of the old stainless “ultra light” models. Not sure if that has anything to do with it but I’ve noticed my temp swings aren’t very dramatic at all. 25 degrees higher on the top shelf, and maybe about a 50 degree swing from left to right.
 
I was going by the gauge. Right in the middle my gauge is dead on, I’ve probed enough to know. So when I’m only doing a couple racks I don’t even fool w thermos I just try and keep my grill thermometer to read 250.
Awesome. I’m still trying to learn mine. I had no idea it was so far off until today.
 
Awesome. I’m still trying to learn mine. I had no idea it was so far off until today.
You know what I used to do was when I was finished cleaning my Lang (it’s still hot) I would take a probe grate and move it all around the smoker, then take a note book and chart the temps. Also it helps when you “settle in” to a temp. In other words make a big fire, and really burn it down to a solid bed of cherry red coals, then start adjusting your dampers and adding wood. I find then, my temp swings are a lot less dramatic.
 
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I was going by the gauge. Right in the middle my gauge is dead on, I’ve probed enough to know. So when I’m only doing a couple racks I don’t even fool w thermos I just try and keep my grill thermometer to read 250.

But I should also add mine is one of the old stainless “ultra light” models. Not sure if that has anything to do with it but I’ve noticed my temp swings aren’t very dramatic at all. 25 degrees higher on the top shelf, and maybe about a 50 degree swing from left to right.
Saint, One of the things I have been toying with in my lang is a placing a 3 inch deep pan for water on the firebox side of the cooking chamber. I like the deeper pan, it holds a fair amount of water and that seems to keep the left and right sides of the cooking chamber at a more even heat. Your Ribs look awesome by the way.
 
Saint, One of the things I have been toying with in my lang is a placing a 3 inch deep pan for water on the firebox side of the cooking chamber. I like the deeper pan, it holds a fair amount of water and that seems to keep the left and right sides of the cooking chamber at a more even heat. Your Ribs look awesome by the way.
That’s a good idea. I haven’t tried it before, but I certainly will. Do you have to add water during cooks? You know, usually my cooker is full, I suppose that’s why I haven’t tried it before.
 
With butts and brisket I have to refill once. That’s why I use the over sized bread pan. They are long and narrow and don’t take up much space but yet still deep enough to hold a good amount of liquid
 
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Lookin' good.
Unsauced/no wrap is the Boss,no matter what that dude Ray says.
The only one that calls him "Sweet Baby" is his Momma...
 
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Those look incredible!
Thanks Will! We enjoyed them...
Lookin' good.
Unsauced/no wrap is the Boss,no matter what that dude Ray says.
The only one that calls him "Sweet Baby" is his Momma...
Thanks moto! You know, years ago I ate the best ribs I’ve ever had in my life, at the rendezvous in Memphis tenn. these came as close to those as I’ve ever had. I’ll definitely do dry more often. They were great!
 
Nice! What do U a the pecan vs other woods? I’ve never tried pecan. I’m in pnw. Mainly for but other woods too if u look. Some oak in places.
 
Those ribs look like a keeper in my book. Nice job.

Point for sure.

Chris
 
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