After writing my review of the Lang Hybrid 36 Patio:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/153338/my-lang-hybrid-36-patio-thanksgiving-review
I decided to also talk about some issues I am having with temperature across the chamber and hopefully I can get some pointers on how to make it more even, as it was designed to be. I will also point out some imperfections I found with grill.
First is the major issue regarding the temperature across the chamber. The day I got the smoker I seasoned and was excited about testing out the tel tru and checking the accuracy of the thermometer. I was probably an hour in the seasoning when I got the tel tru to come down to 250 from 320. I popped my maverick thermometer in and checked in four different spots. I was getting differences of about +30 degrees. So I let it go and figured it was just user error and maybe the smoker needed a "break in" period.
After a four smokes, I decided to photo document my thanksgiving smoke and recorded temperatures. The link to the above review will show my fire management. This is what I got:
1st reading at 20 minutes into the smoking(actually about 1 hour 20 minutes in since I started the timer when I put the rib roast in)
Probe: Bottom left shelf close to edge of griddle plate.
Tel Tru: 265F
Maverick: 227F
DIff: -38
2nd reading 29 minutes in Probe is closest to this position making it somewhat accurate
Probe: Top Left shelf above first reading.
Tel Tru: 255F
Maverick: 265F
Diff: +10
3rd reading 54 minutes in
Probe: top right closest to the fire stack exit.
Tel Tru: 236F
Maverick: 265F
Diff: +29
4th reading 1 hour in
Probe: bottom right shelf closest to firebox
Tel Tru: 225F
Actual: 320F
Diff: +95
1st reading 2nd trial 1 hour 16 minutes in
Probe: Bottom left shelf close to edge of griddle plate.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 189F
DIff: -61
2nd reading 2nd Trial 1 hour 20 minutes in
Probe: Top Left shelf above first reading.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 260F
Diff: +10
3rd reading 2nd trial 1hour 22 minutes in
Probe: top right closest to the fire stack exit.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 288F
Diff: +38
4th 2nd trial reading 1 hour 26 minutes in
Probe: bottom right shelf closest to firebox
Tel Tru: 250F
Actual: 351F
Diff: +101
Average differences from the reading of the tel tru are:
Bottom left (-38+-61)/2= -49.5 degrees
top left(10+10)/2= 10 degrees
top right (29+38)/2= 33.5 degrees
bottom right(95+101)/2= 98 degrees.
My fire consisted mainly of a bed of red and white oak sticks broken down to coals and embers. One Pin wheel closed and other opened 1/3 to bring down tel tru to 250 stable temp within an hour. The smoker was on a downward slope from firebox to chargrill end. I added a couble of hickory/pecan sticks every 30-40 minutes with a an average length of 10 in by 2-3 inches in diameter.
While this is no major problem for me since I am used to rotating meat and also kinda like feature of having different zones. For example on my thanksgiving smoke, I had the rib roast sitting in the lower left side of the grill while the turkey was closest to the firebox. Being hotter I guess I was satisfied by having the turkey skin crisp up nicely. But yet I find that a 100 degree difference from one end to the opposite is just too much. Maybe I am doing something wrong but can anyone share their temperature experiences with the langs. I will do a video review soon by smoking some white bread and finding confirming the hot spots. I will also do a mod to see if there is a difference in the temperature. Basically the mod consist of lowering the smoke stack exit a few inches down to allow the heat to escape from the middle of the chamber. Like this:(photo taken from the Lang forum site http://lang.myfreeforum.org/Mods_To_Lang_36_about421.html)
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/153338/my-lang-hybrid-36-patio-thanksgiving-review
I decided to also talk about some issues I am having with temperature across the chamber and hopefully I can get some pointers on how to make it more even, as it was designed to be. I will also point out some imperfections I found with grill.
First is the major issue regarding the temperature across the chamber. The day I got the smoker I seasoned and was excited about testing out the tel tru and checking the accuracy of the thermometer. I was probably an hour in the seasoning when I got the tel tru to come down to 250 from 320. I popped my maverick thermometer in and checked in four different spots. I was getting differences of about +30 degrees. So I let it go and figured it was just user error and maybe the smoker needed a "break in" period.
After a four smokes, I decided to photo document my thanksgiving smoke and recorded temperatures. The link to the above review will show my fire management. This is what I got:
1st reading at 20 minutes into the smoking(actually about 1 hour 20 minutes in since I started the timer when I put the rib roast in)
Probe: Bottom left shelf close to edge of griddle plate.
Tel Tru: 265F
Maverick: 227F
DIff: -38
2nd reading 29 minutes in Probe is closest to this position making it somewhat accurate
Probe: Top Left shelf above first reading.
Tel Tru: 255F
Maverick: 265F
Diff: +10
3rd reading 54 minutes in
Probe: top right closest to the fire stack exit.
Tel Tru: 236F
Maverick: 265F
Diff: +29
4th reading 1 hour in
Probe: bottom right shelf closest to firebox
Tel Tru: 225F
Actual: 320F
Diff: +95
1st reading 2nd trial 1 hour 16 minutes in
Probe: Bottom left shelf close to edge of griddle plate.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 189F
DIff: -61
2nd reading 2nd Trial 1 hour 20 minutes in
Probe: Top Left shelf above first reading.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 260F
Diff: +10
3rd reading 2nd trial 1hour 22 minutes in
Probe: top right closest to the fire stack exit.
Tel Tru: 250F
Maverick: 288F
Diff: +38
4th 2nd trial reading 1 hour 26 minutes in
Probe: bottom right shelf closest to firebox
Tel Tru: 250F
Actual: 351F
Diff: +101
Average differences from the reading of the tel tru are:
Bottom left (-38+-61)/2= -49.5 degrees
top left(10+10)/2= 10 degrees
top right (29+38)/2= 33.5 degrees
bottom right(95+101)/2= 98 degrees.
My fire consisted mainly of a bed of red and white oak sticks broken down to coals and embers. One Pin wheel closed and other opened 1/3 to bring down tel tru to 250 stable temp within an hour. The smoker was on a downward slope from firebox to chargrill end. I added a couble of hickory/pecan sticks every 30-40 minutes with a an average length of 10 in by 2-3 inches in diameter.
While this is no major problem for me since I am used to rotating meat and also kinda like feature of having different zones. For example on my thanksgiving smoke, I had the rib roast sitting in the lower left side of the grill while the turkey was closest to the firebox. Being hotter I guess I was satisfied by having the turkey skin crisp up nicely. But yet I find that a 100 degree difference from one end to the opposite is just too much. Maybe I am doing something wrong but can anyone share their temperature experiences with the langs. I will do a video review soon by smoking some white bread and finding confirming the hot spots. I will also do a mod to see if there is a difference in the temperature. Basically the mod consist of lowering the smoke stack exit a few inches down to allow the heat to escape from the middle of the chamber. Like this:(photo taken from the Lang forum site http://lang.myfreeforum.org/Mods_To_Lang_36_about421.html)
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