Lang's "3rd generation" smokers!!

[smok'n steve]

Anyone seen or know anything about Ben lang's new smoker design? He calls it 3rd generation. Here is the website---- http://www.pigroast.com/

Looks like he is avoiding having to buy tank heads for his rolled tanks and welding flat ends, but there are other changes too!!!

Anyone out there seen one yet?????


SMS

 

[smokebuzz]

All i have heard has been good. Their apperently is inconsistant wall thickness with the LP tanks, and there is a better fit for the firebox/warmer to the new 1/4" rolled tank. the folks that have them have noticed more consistent heat thruogh out the cooking chamber.

 

[smok'n steve]

I wonder who is getting them, I didn't see any pricing. Maybe he is selling them as test smokers to repeat customers? Anyone else see these or had the privilege to cook on one?

 

[neens]

I'm pretty sure that the 3rd gen are all he is selling now. I remember reading somewhere else that someone had driven down there to pick theirs up and all the cookers were capped flat like that. I think the person who bought one said there was less cooking space but im not sure how the flat cap would do that when the grates dont go all the way to back.

 

[rickandtaz]

I was at Ben's shop in July picking up my little Lang. He's not using propane tanks any more for any of his smokers. He said there were a couple reasons for that.

1. Metal on those tanks was getting too thin, and pretty inconsistant.

2. They wouldn't hold the heat nearly as well as his "made from scratch" smokers.

Ben's one of the nicest men I've ever delt with. He took plenty of time explaining how my smoker works and answering all my silly questions.

He gave me a tour of his shop, so I know he uses only new steel and makes every thing from scratch. He even makes the trailer frames

Yes, the designs have changed a little, all the changes are improvments. At least in my case, he added more shelf in front and on the side of the smoker. It cooks great! I'd recommend a Lang to any one.

 

[smok'n steve]

I wonder if he is rolling his own cylinders now?

rickandtaz---What is the thickness of the new 48? You have any close up pics of your new Lang? Your right, Ben is absolutely awesome to deal with!

 

[shooterrick]

I have only seen pics of these but I imagine the basic design is the same since it is tried and true. Cooking room should be about the same since the racks in the propane tanks don't go all the way across anyway. I imagine it is simply cost of production controll for the most part. My Tank model sure cooks even withing 15 degrees up or down and side to side.

 

[rickandtaz]

Yes, he is rolling his own now. I saw the roller, and a huge shear for cutting, and all his other toys. WOW! What a shop he's got! This is a pic of Ben loading mine into my truck. Notice the flat ends, no handle (like the web site pic) and extra shelf on the side. The thinest metal on my 48 is 1/4" plate, built like a tank. Cooks very even side to side.

 

[rickandtaz]

Here's the best close up picture I've got right now. Three beer can chickens just coming out.

 

[smok'n steve]

Nice Job on the chicks!!

Hey are you sure that the tanks are 1/4" now and not 1/8". I know his fireboxes are 1/4, but if the tanks are that thick now, it would double the weight of his smokers and he would need to change his trailer designs, etc.

SMS

 

[rickandtaz]

I'll measure it and take some better pics when I get home tonight, weather permitting. I know that Lang is heavy, my truck was really sqatting down in back on the way home.

 

[smok'n steve]

Thanks, I just have to know the details:-) I wish I lived next to Mr. Lang, I would beg him for a job just for the fringe benefits!!

As said before, those chickens looked absolutely awesome, but I cannot wait for more pics of that awesome smoker too!!!!

 

[rickandtaz]

After the rain stopped this afternoon, I got my digital calipers out and measured the steel thickness in several places. It was just as I thought, the cooking chamber is made of 1/4" thick steel. So is the fire box and the baffel underneath the cooking grates. I thought that's what Ben told me when I picked it up and now I'm sure of it.

I tried to get a picture of the caliper display in the first picture, I apologize for the poor quality, I don't have a great camera but, I think you can see it reads 0.2560". The second pic is of where the calipers were when I took the first pic. Third and forth pics are for comparison of the 3rd gen to the current pic on Ben's web site.

In any case, this thing is a dream to smoke on. Just as Ben said, it'll take a little longer to get it up to temp (with practice, around 45 minutes) but, once you're there it changes temp very slowly. It holds the temp wonderfully, no dips or spikes and the built in thermometer is always within 2 deg. of my digital remote. There is so much thermal mass in this smoker it makes it easy to control temps.

 

[smok'n steve]

I am impressed! That is gonna be EVEN a better cooker than before! Thanks for doing that--I do believe ya.

But, how many of us have digital calipers? Whats up with that, you work for NASA?

Thanks Again,

Steve

 

[rickandtaz]

I'm a mechanical and sr. electrical engineer.
This Thanks Giving will be thirty years with Rockwell International.

 

[smok'n steve]

Wow---30 years, thats rare these days--they owe you:-) I like your profession and have worked with many EE's over the years. I would much rather be smoking on my Lang than doing binary-vector Boolean algebra!

Keep Smok'n!

Thanks again,

SMS

 

[rickandtaz]

So would I Steve! I am SO looking forward to retirement.

I want to thank you and "Shooter Rick" again for all of the great advise on adding gas assist to a Lang. I ordered the same log lighter and other parts you guys were discussing from TJS. Works great!

I've learned alot from you guys and the others on this forum.

Again, Thank You!

 

[capt dan]

Great thread. I have yet to understand why a person might need gas assist with a Lang, unless they have unseasoned wood. I am lucky to have agreat supply of Oak, maple, apple, mullberry, crabapple and cherry. I do have a weeed burner, but very seldom use it.

I will admitt that I am interested in the 3rd generation Langs. Cuz I can't imagine any cooker being easier than the one I have been blessed to have now!

 

[rickandtaz]

You are very lucky indeed to have such a supply of wood. I'm having problems trying to find enough good smoking wood, at least at a cost that I can afford. My area of Florida is mostly pine and palm trees, I can ocassionally get oak if some one cuts one down or a storm blows it over but thats about it. Until I can find a source of good wood I have to be pretty conservitive with my wood.

I'm still trying the local tree service guys but, I'd be open to any ideas if any of the members in Florida know of a source of wood.

 

[richtee]

I had wondered if the rounded ends may have had something to do with the reverse flow smoke dynamics, providing a "curl" to the heat/smoke stream to direct it back toward the grate.

Guess time will tell if the new design is as good or better eh?