Lang Owners

[culpepersmoke]

My wife and I are considering buying a new smoker for Christmas. I’ve been back and forth between a stick burner and pellet. My budget is right around $1000. I’m pretty much sold on the Lang 36” which should be plenty of space of us, if I’m real good maybe we can up the budget to include the deluxe model.

My questions are pretty simple but cover all the problems I have with maintaining temps on my current charbroiler. If burning hardwood like Hickory or White Oak how long can you go before having to add wood. Once added additional wood can you keep going without changing the vents etc and still maintain temps? Anything else I should know?

Thanks and hopefully sometime in January I’ll be showing a QView with a new smoker.

 

[daveomak]

Stick burners take some time to figure out.....  size of the splits etc... on my smoker I have to add wood about every 1/2 hour ....  size of the splits makes a difference when it come to temp fluctuation...  How dry the wood is also affects stuff....  stick burning is a science unto itself and creates the best Q... IMHO....   Dave

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Culpepper , here's some reading for ya . May help in the decision. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/stickburning101   

Personally , I hope it's a Stickburner , makes for more fun and better friendships...just sayin...

Have fun and...

 

[icemanrrc]

No disrespect meant, but your Charbroiler is nowhere in the same league as the Lang. I started out in a smiliar fashion with a Char-griller and modified it all out to make it better, but it was no Lang. Being that the Lang is 1/4 inch thick steel, you will find it holds it temperature very easily. I have the 36 patio myself and I can't tell you how easy it really is to control the temps. I have a BBQ guru adapter for it, but I found that I don't need it. In fact, I only used it twice. To get temps in the 225 to 250 range, all I do is start out with about 5 medium sized splits and get it going with a propane torch. Within 30 minutes, it's time to put on meat. I close one pinwheel damper completely and leave the other one just opened a decent crack. To maintain that 225 250 range, all I have to do is to throw on a split every 40 minutes. It's really that easy. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[culpepersmoke]

No disrespect meant, but your Charbroiler is nowhere in the same league as the Lang. I started out in a smiliar fashion with a Char-griller and modified it all out to make it better, but it was no Lang. Being that the Lang is 1/4 inch thick steel, you will find it holds it temperature very easily. I have the 36 patio myself and I can't tell you how easy it really is to control the temps. I have a BBQ guru adapter for it, but I found that I don't need it. In fact, I only used it twice. To get temps in the 225 to 250 range, all I do is start out with about 5 medium sized splits and get it going with a propane torch. Within 30 minutes, it's time to put on meat. I close one pinwheel damper completely and leave the other one just opened a decent crack. To maintain that 225 250 range, all I have to do is to throw on a split every 40 minutes. It's really that easy. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

None taken. The Chargriller has been good but maintaining temps is difficult. It has more air leaks then you can imagine making it difficult to leave for any length of time. What you described is exactly what I was hoping for in the Langs. Thanks for the info.

 

[pineywoods]

As Iceman says the Langs are easy to maintain the temps in. I have the 84 and I throw a small split or two in every 30-40 minutes and it maintains great and keeps the TBS going

 

[icemanrrc]

None taken. The Chargriller has been good but maintaining temps is difficult. It has more air leaks then you can imagine making it difficult to leave for any length of time. What you described is exactly what I was hoping for in the Langs. Thanks for the info.

No problem. I know what you mean by the air leaks. On my Chargriller, I sealed the main chamber around the lid with oven gasket, sealed where the fire box and main chamber bolt together with high temp sealant, sealed the firebox lid with high temp sealant and added a latch to ensure it stayed tight, and replaced charcoal grate with raised shaker basket. All of these mods helped out, but at the end of the day, it was still an entry level smoker, even with the help of a BBQ Guru I still had a wide swing in temps.

I will say this; I had to save and save for quite some time to finally afford to get the Lang. But knowing what I know now and looking back, for what i paid for the Chargriller, cost of the modifications and cost of the BBQ Guru, it would have paid over half of what the Lang 36 cost. I wish I would have not purchased the Chargriller and just been patient and waited until I had the money to get the Lang and been done with it.

If/when you get a Lang, you will be dang glad you did and you will be amazed at how much better your Que will taste, simply by only changing the style and quality smoker.

Rusty Cooke

Villa Rica, GA

 

[cooknhogz]

Again, nothing but good reviews with Lang cookers

 That's why I have decided to purchase a Lang 84 with SS racks for my business. Thinking about also getting a 48 when I'm down there to make the drive from Pa to Ga worth the road trip. sssssshhh, wife doesn't know about the 48 yet. lol

 

[doctorvapor]

I"d really like to get that 36 for the house, that would be perfect.

 

[lgreenberg]

I've been looking at the Lang 36 for a while. the only thing that stopped me was the shipping cost to CA.  Well, that and having to split wood.  Any thoughts on where else to look or do I commit to the 2k it will cost (total)?

 

[frag]

You will like the 36"Lang. I got one for my birthday this year and have used the 108's that friends in Nahunta, GA (where Lang is manufactured) have. As Iceman noted heat is easy to control. Clean up is quick. I did get the base model. I have cooked as much as 36 pounds of Boston butt, I could double that. I did have the advantage of driving down and picking it up. I use this smoker almost every weekend. 

 

[stonebriar]

Dave -

I couldn't agree more...

Steve

 

[magnus]

Proud owner of a Lang 36" hybrid here.  No shame smoking on a Chargriller.  I used one for many years and loved it.  I sorta miss it. Another SMF member (whose name I can't remember) described it best as a fuel hog, but will work just fine nonetheless.  I used a Brinkman sidepit and torpedo as well.  The Lang will be a great addition to your family.  

IMG_1312.JPG

• magnus
• Dec 30, 2012
• 2

 

[Dutch]

lgreenberg, I was surprised at the cost that Ben quoted me for the delivery of my 60 deluxe (around $800 IIRC). I thought about making a road trip to Georgia to pick my baby up and by the time I paid for a hitch to be installed on the van, the gas, food and lodging down and back, I would of ended up about $300 in the hole.

Ben doesn't set the delivery prices-he has to contract the delivery out to another company and they are the ones that tell Ben what the cost is going to be.  I was glad that I opted to have my smoker delivered as I ended up having foot surgery a week before it was delivered and was still on crutches when it showed up at my door.

 

[garyt]

I've been looking at the Lang 36 for a while. the only thing that stopped me was the shipping cost to CA.  Well, that and having to split wood.  Any thoughts on where else to look or do I commit to the 2k it will cost (total)?

There are at least 2 guys I know of in California getting together in a couple months to have them shipped at the same time, I am sure they would be thrilled to add yours, it would save you all money. PM me if you want more info

 

[garyt]

One is in Sacramento and the other is in San Jose. California They are looking at Feb/ March as a time

 

[sneal10]

I just finished a big three day cook.  It took both my Langs.  I have a 108 and an 84 Deluxe.  Once you get the steel hot, it's very easy to maintain.  I agree with other posts that every 40-45 minutes, I have to through on a couple of logs.  I have found that Oak creates an incredible ash bed.  From there it's two pieces of hickory for my smoker.  You will love the lang.  As another person stated, stick burning is an art.  Wood spacing, air flow, etc.  Very important to burn a "clean" fire.  Good luck!!

 

[lgreenberg]

Thank you Gary.  I grew up in SJ and live about half way from SJ to Sac :)

 

[magnus]

Anyone here smoke a whole hog or suckling pig on their Lang? If so, how did it turn out? Did you find a specific wood or temp to work well? Please post QV if ya got it. Thanks!

 

[lgreenberg]

Well, I broke down and bought one.  Of course I decided to go with the 36" Hybrid Deluxe.  When it gets here, there will be shouts of joy and time to learn the magic of stick burning :)