Got the new Lang smoker

[atcnick]

Thought I would start another thread to ask a couple question.  I bought a little over a year old Lang 84D w/chargriller.  Have a few questions that have been popping up.  So here are the ones I remember:

1.  Should I strip off the old seasoning inside the grill and reseason?  How do I strip it?

2. How do you clean the grates?  Is it ok to hose off the outside surfaces with soap/water? 

3.  I would imagine the way to clean it out is when its still hot to use a water hose to spray in the main chamber.  Can  you damage the smoker in any way?  Crack it?

4.  Should I season the outside surfaces or just outside on the firebox?  Will seasoning the outside of the firebox stop rust from forming?  Is peanut oil what y'all recommend?

I have a lot more questions but cant remember them off hand at the moment.  Anything else you guys would suggest as far as maintanance and upkeep would be appreciated.

I've been reading and watching the videos on the Lang site.

Thanks,

Nick

 

[SmokinAl]

Hopefully Pineywoods will see this and respond. He should be able to help you.

 

[alblancher]

Lang recommends that you get the smoker over 300 degrees and then spray inside the cooking chamber well with a garden hose.  Close it up and let is steam and drain.  Leave the drain open.  Let it come back up to temp and repeat.  That's all you need to do inside.  You may knock the grates down with a wire brush or take them out and pressure wash them.  I don't use soap, never use soap.   Get those grates hot and they'll be ok.

Never seasoned outside the box, sure it wouldn't hurt but just act as a dirt magnet if it stays sticky.

Why would you remove the existing seasoning?

BTW,

Get out of the way when you hit that baby with the garden hose,  you will get the steam bath of your life if you don't.  I do the steam cleaning everytime before a cook because it is part of the process  of building the fire and stabilizing the cooking chamber.  I know a lot of people do it after cooking.  Not sure it make a whole lot of difference when you clean it.  

 

[Dutch]

Nick- congrats on the Lang 84. Now on to your questions:

1.  Should I strip off the old seasoning inside the grill and reseason?  How do I strip it?    

If the old seasoning is not flaking off, I'd just leave it alone. If you need to strip off the the old seasoning, use a pressure washer with some degreaser.

2. How do you clean the grates?  Is it ok to hose off the outside surfaces with soap/water?   

To clean the grates, I use a brass grill brush that's on a long handle and scrape them down. When things have cooled off a bit, I'll pull the grates off and scrape up what bits didn't get washed down the drain.  When I spray the inside with the hose, I'll just hit the outside of my Lang with the hose-why waste soap

.

3.  I would imagine the way to clean it out is when its still hot to use a water hose to spray in the main chamber.  Can  you damage the smoker in any way?  Crack it?  

Nope, if you check out Ben Lang's website, that is exactly how he tells you to clean the smoker. The smoker is made from rolled steel so it won't crack.

4.  Should I season the outside surfaces or just outside on the firebox?  Will seasoning the outside of the firebox stop rust from forming?  Is peanut oil what y'all recommend?  

If you see any rust forming, just hit it with a brass brush when the smoker is hot and then rub some good ol' Crisco shortening on it-it will take seveal applications of shortening before the black patina developes so stick with it. The outside of the firebox will "season" up just like the inside of the smoker.  Crisco or a storebrand of shortening will work and it's way cheaper than peanut oil.

 

[alblancher]

If Dutch says to treat the rust with Crisco that's what I'll do on mine.  Never thought of doing that but its easy enough to do.

 

[Dutch]

Al, wipe it down with Crisco or something similar when the box is hot-it's pretty much like seasoning a cast iron pan or dutch oven. The Crisco will bake into the steel. If you wipe the outside of the box when it's cold, it will be a major dirt magnet.  I've got to hit my box again-I've kind of neglected it over the winter.

 

[beer-b-q]

Congratulations on the acquisition of the Lang 84...

 

[atcnick]

Thanks for all the help guys!! You're awesome!!!


-what kind of temperature difference do you get in your warming box vs smoking chamber with the smoke damper open (to the warming box) and with it closed?

-what have you guys smoked in the warming box?

-what is a good temp range to hold food warm in the warming box and how should it be contained and how long can I hold it and expect to maintain quality? I'm coming from a WSM so a lot of this is new to me.

 

[Dutch]

Quote:

Thanks for all the help guys!! You're awesome!!!

Well Nick, we try to do our best! 

 

-what kind of temperature difference do you get in your warming box vs smoking chamber with the smoke damper open (to the warming box) and with it closed?

When I run chamber temps of 235-250°, my warming box will hold at 140° with the dampers closed between the warmer and the fire box and the food chamber. When I open the firebox dampers and leave the baffle plate on the warmer box floor the warmer box will match within +/- 10° my main chamber.  When I remove the baffle plate and adjust the dampers between the firebox and the warmer I have reached temps as high as 325°; but then I end up burning more wood to maintain that temp.

-what have you guys smoked in the warming box?

A couple of weeks ago I did a couple of buckboard bacon in my warming box. I brought the warming box temp up to 190° and smoked the BBB to an internal temp of 140°.  When I have butts and ribs going in the main chamber I remove the baffle plate and do my yardbirds in the warming box. I take the temp to 300-325° and end up with a nice crispy skin. I also do my fatties and ABT's in the warmer too.

-what is a good temp range to hold food warm in the warming box and how should it be contained and how long can I hold it and expect to maintain quality? I'm coming from a WSM so a lot of this is new to me.

I use a cooler and wrap my food in aluminum foil then newspaper and towels to hold my food until serving time. But if I were to use the warming box I'd maintain a box temp of 155-160°, and make sure the food stays at or above 140° IT. You could hold your food at that temp almost indefinitely but then you run the risk of everything drying out. I use those disposable aluminum foil pans to put my food in.

 

[atcnick]

Do you guys smoke with or without water in the Lang?

 

[big twig]

Nice score on the Lang. I wish I could afford a rig like that.

 

[Dutch]

Do you guys smoke with or without water in the Lang?

Nick, it has that capability but I've never found the need to do so yet. That's the one thing about the Langs- the fairly even temps one side to the other and the quick recovery time. Now with my GOSM-I got to put water (or sand) in the pan.

 

[alblancher]

All that steel acts as your heat sink. 

You can lay a couple of aluminum pans on the rf plate under your meat to catch the drippings and mop liquid if you want some scrapings to make a sauce.  Without the pans the drippings will hit the rf plate. pop and steam up putting moisture into the cooking chamber.   I love listening to the sizzle when cooking with the Lang. 

Remember if you have not used a wood smoker before splits will add a good bit of moisture to the cook chamber.   I think even the driest hardwood is still something like 10 to 25 percent moisture

 

[atcnick]

Thanks for all your help guys.  Good point about the moisture content Al.   Never thought about that. 

Even though I love this smoker Im thinking of possibly downgrading to a Lang 60 Deluxe.  I just dont see myself ever filling this thing up with meat, not anytime soon atleast.   I posted an ad in the classifieds section if anyone is interested:  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/newestpost/106361

 

[Dutch]

Nick, I have the Lang 60 Deluxe (my avaitar pic) and I just love it. Unless you heavy in to catering or cooking for events, the 84D is kind of big when you're smoking up stuff just for family sized meals.

 

[atcnick]

Nick, I have the Lang 60 Deluxe (my avaitar pic) and I just love it. Unless you heavy in to catering or cooking for events, the 84D is kind of big when you're smoking up stuff just for family sized meals.

I agree! 

 

[atcnick]

Im trying to register my smoker trailer with the TX dmv.   Does Lang have a U.S. Manufacturer's Identification Number or do you register it as a homemade/shop built trailer?

 

[Dutch]

I don't know about Texas but here in Utah, If it's less that 1500 pounds and is single axle it doesn't need to be registered with the DMV. Whereas the 84 is larger, you might have to check.  Somewhere on the frame is the Manufactures tag with a model number. On my Lang, it's located on the same side that the chamber door is on.

 

[atcnick]

Found out I do have to register here in TX.  But not title it.   Some more questions for you guys about the Lang

1. How accurate are the Teltru temp gauges on the smoker? I was getting wide range of temperature differences from the gauges compared to my Maverick e73. As much as 40* higher on the e73 when measured in the middle of the top rack, sometimes much less.

2. If I want to smoke/cook in the warming box would closing off the smoke stack damper give me higher temps in the warming box?

3. Are there any tips on where in the smoker to smoke a certain type of meat? I assume the top rack gets hotter than the bottom rack.
 

Thanks

 

[alblancher]

You should have pretty even temps on the lower rack in the smoke chamber.  That is why the Lang RF is so popular.  I wouldn't worry to much about where to put the meat if you only concern is temperature.

Lang recommends turning the baffle in the exhaust to about a 45 degree angle     I have found that with my 36 this makes the temp difference between upper and lower racks more pronounced, kind of traps the heat in the upper part of the smoker.  I run mine with the exhaust fully open.

Don't know squat about the warming box.

Al