ribwizzard
Master of the Pit
I think if the really wanted a cook off, they should set up about five styles of cookers and make each cook cook something on each style. That would be a good show to me!
Lang Smokers vs. other Top of The Line Smokers
- Thread starter pig-a-liscious
- Start date
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mfalto
Fire Starter
When selecting a smoker its good to take your time because there are a lot of good ones out there. How you plan to use it will be a huge determining factor in which type is best for you. I bought an American Barbeque Systems, All Star. Look at the threads I have started for my comments on this smoker. . Ive had mine a year now and have done at least 30 smokes in it and I have no regrets . Good luck on you purchase. mfalto
shorty2270
Newbie
- Mar 15, 2015
- 1
- 10
pineywoods
SMF Hall of Fame Pitmaster
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nybbq
Fire Starter
This was quite an interesting read and going back and forth on different smokers. I have a Meadow Creek TS 250 smoker and really like it and it cooks very well with all the different meats I smoke in it. I will add info as to why I picked Meadow Creek. The 250 was the size I wanted and would be able to do a weekend cook for myself to a big grad party with lots of people. During the summer I cook almost every weekend on it right up to winter, I have cooked all day with the temps down in the teens so it will cook in the cold temps holding 225-250. When winter gets here I choose to keep it in my barn and not out in the snow bank. I wanted to be able to cook ribs, pork butts, turkeys, chicken, meat loaf and whole hog. With a Meadow Creek all the racks are full size and removable 304 stainless steel. So when I cook a 150lb hog I can take the top rack out and cook the hog on the bottom rack pretty easy. When cooked two of us just slide the bottom rack out and set it up on a good solid table to pull the meat apart. I really like the removable stainless racks for this reason, I can move the cooked food very easy and then clean up the racks after and they look as good as new. It also has doors/shelves on both sides so checking and pulling food out is easy, the doors seal up tight with no leaking around them. There are latches on each end that I liked so when I’m towing it around I know the doors are not banging open and closed. The warming box is great for holding cooked foods or just warming up any foods not being smoked. The bottom rack is also the top of the fire box so I like to put my pan of beans there to cook them up. The frame is solid with full sized wheels for good towing and being able to push it around my barn or yard if needed. It’s a solid 1650 pound smoker alone and even more when I have the front wood box full of wood. I also received a title with it so If your state requires it to be registered its easy to get it done having that in hand. The fire box is easy to control and enough room for charcoal and wood. I usually add 2 medium sized split pieces of wood every hr. or so, depends on the temps im cooking at and the outside temp as well. I hope I did not ramble on to long but after reading this I thought I would add why I picked a Meadow Creek and my thoughts on it. I have to be pushing 4 years with it and many cooks to boot. It’s been a great smoker and would buy another tomorrow, I did pay a bit more for it but I feel that I got what I paid for.
joefrommaryland
Newbie
- Jan 12, 2014
- 11
- 11
I don't think there is a best. You pick an F150, a Silverado, a Ram (or maybe even a Tundra) and they're all great trucks that do a nice job.
thedigitale
Fire Starter
- Feb 3, 2015
- 50
- 22
I spent months trying to answer the "which is best" question, and finally ordered a Meadow Creek. Here's why:
Positive Locks: I don't want doors bouncing around when I transport the smoker. I shouldn't have to bungee cord something specially meant to travel.
Firebox Design: The ash pan is a no-brainer in my mind. I like an easy cleanup.
Build Quality: Poor attention to detail on welds tells me that you don't want to take a few extra minutes to make a better product. If you're not willing to put forth the effort to build your product well, I lose my faith in your ability to check other details. Maybe that's not the case, but perception is important.
Clear options: The options were very well laid out, and made sense. Can I get a charcoal pan for the Lang? A Cover? Who knows?
Shipping: Lang is direct only, and freight would have cost around $600. Meadow Creek has a reseller in PA where I can drive and pick up my smoker. It also gives me the opportunity to inspect it first. When I compared the cost with shipping, the Meadow Creek wasn't much more.
I'm not trashing Lang, but those were the reasons I went with a Meadow Creek over a Lang. Once I cook on my new smoker, I can give a review of that one, but still won't be able to compare the two.
Positive Locks: I don't want doors bouncing around when I transport the smoker. I shouldn't have to bungee cord something specially meant to travel.
Firebox Design: The ash pan is a no-brainer in my mind. I like an easy cleanup.
Build Quality: Poor attention to detail on welds tells me that you don't want to take a few extra minutes to make a better product. If you're not willing to put forth the effort to build your product well, I lose my faith in your ability to check other details. Maybe that's not the case, but perception is important.
Clear options: The options were very well laid out, and made sense. Can I get a charcoal pan for the Lang? A Cover? Who knows?
Shipping: Lang is direct only, and freight would have cost around $600. Meadow Creek has a reseller in PA where I can drive and pick up my smoker. It also gives me the opportunity to inspect it first. When I compared the cost with shipping, the Meadow Creek wasn't much more.
I'm not trashing Lang, but those were the reasons I went with a Meadow Creek over a Lang. Once I cook on my new smoker, I can give a review of that one, but still won't be able to compare the two.
twistedhickory
Fire Starter
- Mar 22, 2015
- 47
- 14
twistedhickory
Fire Starter
- Mar 22, 2015
- 47
- 14
buttburner
Meat Mopper
twistedhickory
Fire Starter
- Mar 22, 2015
- 47
- 14
twistedhickory
Fire Starter
- Mar 22, 2015
- 47
- 14
Absolutely the best in my opinion,I just bought a lang 60 deluxe and it cooks flawlessly with 2 sticks an hour with hardly any temp variance.
Shorty,
I am not sure exactly what you are referring to with your question, "Is Lang The Best"? I think that all of us on this forum that would like to be of help to you need to better understand what you are saying when you refer to "Best".
I don't know that anyone, even many of the top BBQ Competitors would tell you that any "One" BBQ Smoker would be perhaps classified as the "Best" in all the many areas that one might consider or make an evaluation with.
Additionally, many of the top BBQ contenders all around the country who compete in many BBQ circuits including of course the biggest (KCBS) events will tell you that there are a number of outstanding commercially available smokers on the market that produce outstanding quality "Q". One of the biggest keys to producing great "Q" is knowing your smoker well and managing your interior smoker temperature well.
Some of the most expensive BBQ Smokers on the market today will NOT guarantee that what you smoke will turn out just great because of the smoker alone. You have to learn it, know it and work with it closely to get the kind of great tasting results that you want.
I have smoked Butts, Ribs, Chicken, sausage and turkeys on a Lang 60 Deluxe and a Lang 108 Deluxe and gotten very nice results from both but I had to learn how the smoker worked.
I have tasted the very same items as I just mentioned smoked on a Peoria Smoker and a Jambo Smoker and the quality was just as good.
I have to agree with the comments from my friend "RibWizzard". If you lined up 3-4 or more quality smokers together, smoked the very same items from the same butcher shop or market with people who knew their smoker well, I would suspect that you would taste some great "Q" from all of them.
Pig
I am not sure exactly what you are referring to with your question, "Is Lang The Best"? I think that all of us on this forum that would like to be of help to you need to better understand what you are saying when you refer to "Best".
I don't know that anyone, even many of the top BBQ Competitors would tell you that any "One" BBQ Smoker would be perhaps classified as the "Best" in all the many areas that one might consider or make an evaluation with.
Additionally, many of the top BBQ contenders all around the country who compete in many BBQ circuits including of course the biggest (KCBS) events will tell you that there are a number of outstanding commercially available smokers on the market that produce outstanding quality "Q". One of the biggest keys to producing great "Q" is knowing your smoker well and managing your interior smoker temperature well.
Some of the most expensive BBQ Smokers on the market today will NOT guarantee that what you smoke will turn out just great because of the smoker alone. You have to learn it, know it and work with it closely to get the kind of great tasting results that you want.
I have smoked Butts, Ribs, Chicken, sausage and turkeys on a Lang 60 Deluxe and a Lang 108 Deluxe and gotten very nice results from both but I had to learn how the smoker worked.
I have tasted the very same items as I just mentioned smoked on a Peoria Smoker and a Jambo Smoker and the quality was just as good.
I have to agree with the comments from my friend "RibWizzard". If you lined up 3-4 or more quality smokers together, smoked the very same items from the same butcher shop or market with people who knew their smoker well, I would suspect that you would taste some great "Q" from all of them.
Pig
twistedhickory
Fire Starter
- Mar 22, 2015
- 47
- 14
I agree with pig 100%!I've smoked about 7 times on my lang and I still haven't completely learned it yet, but I do feel as far as a reverse flow smoker it's the best out there! I'm no professional but I've had great results every smoke! Best of luck to you! Steve
buttburner
Meat Mopper
in all due respect I don't know how anyone can say a Lang RF is the best thing out there.
My Shirley RF is in a class by itself. I have cooked side by side with my buddies Lang 60 on several occasions and not only is the quality of the build superior, it uses less fuel, cooks faster and more evenly.
We cooked 18 butts on each one, not all of his were finished at the same time, and we had to rotate some of them.
Here is a pic of the 2 pits together so you can see I am not just spewing hot air. This was at a charity cook for the Michigan Veterans Foundation
I also want to mention that each pit made by Shirley Fabrication is made to order. And the price is the same if not less than a Lang
thanks
My Shirley RF is in a class by itself. I have cooked side by side with my buddies Lang 60 on several occasions and not only is the quality of the build superior, it uses less fuel, cooks faster and more evenly.
We cooked 18 butts on each one, not all of his were finished at the same time, and we had to rotate some of them.
Here is a pic of the 2 pits together so you can see I am not just spewing hot air. This was at a charity cook for the Michigan Veterans Foundation
I also want to mention that each pit made by Shirley Fabrication is made to order. And the price is the same if not less than a Lang
thanks
Last edited:
ButtBurner,
I have taken the opportunity to take a look at the smokers manufactured by Shirley Fabrication and it looks and sounds like they make a very nice smoker.
Based on a few things that you have said regarding your comparison of smoking on your Shirley and your friends Lang 60 I would take issue with a couple of things that you mention.
The first would be the use of less fuel....charcoal/wood. If you cooked 18 butts for 10 hours or more at a managed internal smoker temperature of 225 degrees, low and slow on both smokers and your saying that the Lang 60 used significantly more wood then I would say that I don't think your friend knows less than what he needs to in firebox heat management.
When you speak of your Shirley smoker cooking faster than the Lang 60 Once again I would question the fire management or how you are actually smoking the butts. Did you smoke the butts for 10 hours sitting on the smoker grate shelves uncovered or did you smoke them on the grate or in an aluminum pan for 3-4 hours, then cover the pans with double heavy duty foil for the remaining time? This procedure will make a big difference. The Shirley and the Lang are both 1/4 inch steel and neither is insulated so if you are managing your internal smoker temperature well........using perhaps a Maverick ET as an independent temperature gage to that which comes with the smoker.
There should NOT be any great variable in the time that the butts are finished between the two smokers due to any major differences in smoker build. Having to rotate any of the butts is again an internal temperature issue.
I make my statements above in that I have smoked probably 500-700 butts, ribs, turkeys and whole chickens on a Lang 60 Deluxe and a Lang108 Deluxe for going on two years.
The smoking team that I work with has fed crowds of 1000+ on numerous occasions and (a) I don't use an excessive amount of wood to cook, quite the contrary. The Lang's are fuel efficient given that you know well how to manage your firebox and maximize it's capabilities. (b) the butts we smoke for 10-12 hours at 225 seasoned of course and when we take them out of the smoker, take the aluminum foil off, there is a ton of juice in the pans and the butts are very moist when we pull them apart and have great taste. Additionally, I never have to rotate or move the pans.
The pricing on the Shirley's and the Lang's I think are pretty comparable feature to feature. I will say that the Lang's build quality, welding and making the exterior finish smooth and even is much less that what I think it should be. I'll have to take your word that the Shirley's are much better in that I have never seen one personally and I can't see from their pictures any close ups and different sides of the smoker to make a comment.
Now if you want to take a step up in the world of smokers with tremendous build quality, design, incredible efficiency and the ability to smoke low and slow for up to 18 hours, totally unattended. Set the internal temperature that you want the smoker to be, set the internal finished temperature of what you are smoking and forget it......look at the smoker internal temperature as well as internal temperature of what you are smoking on an iPhone if you use one via your home Wi-Fi. from inside your home or while you are downtown shopping and make any adjustments to either the internal smoker temperature or the final meat temperature that you want real time.
This is a fully insulated smoker and firebox that will let you get (3) separate smoking sessions of 10 hours with one fill of charcoal and wood. Grill steaks, cook hamburgers or hotdogs as well. This is a smoker and an outdoor grill all-in-one !!
Go to Peoria Cookers and take a look for yourself.
http://www.peoriacookers.com/custom-cookers/meat-monster-mif.html
Some Features:
I have taken the opportunity to take a look at the smokers manufactured by Shirley Fabrication and it looks and sounds like they make a very nice smoker.
Based on a few things that you have said regarding your comparison of smoking on your Shirley and your friends Lang 60 I would take issue with a couple of things that you mention.
The first would be the use of less fuel....charcoal/wood. If you cooked 18 butts for 10 hours or more at a managed internal smoker temperature of 225 degrees, low and slow on both smokers and your saying that the Lang 60 used significantly more wood then I would say that I don't think your friend knows less than what he needs to in firebox heat management.
When you speak of your Shirley smoker cooking faster than the Lang 60 Once again I would question the fire management or how you are actually smoking the butts. Did you smoke the butts for 10 hours sitting on the smoker grate shelves uncovered or did you smoke them on the grate or in an aluminum pan for 3-4 hours, then cover the pans with double heavy duty foil for the remaining time? This procedure will make a big difference. The Shirley and the Lang are both 1/4 inch steel and neither is insulated so if you are managing your internal smoker temperature well........using perhaps a Maverick ET as an independent temperature gage to that which comes with the smoker.
There should NOT be any great variable in the time that the butts are finished between the two smokers due to any major differences in smoker build. Having to rotate any of the butts is again an internal temperature issue.
I make my statements above in that I have smoked probably 500-700 butts, ribs, turkeys and whole chickens on a Lang 60 Deluxe and a Lang108 Deluxe for going on two years.
The smoking team that I work with has fed crowds of 1000+ on numerous occasions and (a) I don't use an excessive amount of wood to cook, quite the contrary. The Lang's are fuel efficient given that you know well how to manage your firebox and maximize it's capabilities. (b) the butts we smoke for 10-12 hours at 225 seasoned of course and when we take them out of the smoker, take the aluminum foil off, there is a ton of juice in the pans and the butts are very moist when we pull them apart and have great taste. Additionally, I never have to rotate or move the pans.
The pricing on the Shirley's and the Lang's I think are pretty comparable feature to feature. I will say that the Lang's build quality, welding and making the exterior finish smooth and even is much less that what I think it should be. I'll have to take your word that the Shirley's are much better in that I have never seen one personally and I can't see from their pictures any close ups and different sides of the smoker to make a comment.
Now if you want to take a step up in the world of smokers with tremendous build quality, design, incredible efficiency and the ability to smoke low and slow for up to 18 hours, totally unattended. Set the internal temperature that you want the smoker to be, set the internal finished temperature of what you are smoking and forget it......look at the smoker internal temperature as well as internal temperature of what you are smoking on an iPhone if you use one via your home Wi-Fi. from inside your home or while you are downtown shopping and make any adjustments to either the internal smoker temperature or the final meat temperature that you want real time.
This is a fully insulated smoker and firebox that will let you get (3) separate smoking sessions of 10 hours with one fill of charcoal and wood. Grill steaks, cook hamburgers or hotdogs as well. This is a smoker and an outdoor grill all-in-one !!
Go to Peoria Cookers and take a look for yourself.
http://www.peoriacookers.com/custom-cookers/meat-monster-mif.html
Some Features:
- Insulated cooking chamber
- Specifically designed for quick and very easy cleanout
- Custom designed spring assist system allows for adjustment of the lid weight from 2 to 135lbs
- High tech oil impregnated bronze bushings for all rotating parts
- Cooker is insulated with two layers of 1/4" steel with 2" of ceramic insulation in between the layers of steel
- Made from high quality “pickled and oiled” steel for a smoother finish
- Painted in a state of the art paint booth to prevent dust contamination using a high quality heat and corrosion resistant paint for durability
- Twin smoke stacks give the option for high or low draw
- All trailer safety features built in compliance with the National Association of Trailer Manufacturer (current member)
grillmonkey
Smoking Fanatic
No, it is not. But I still want one bad!!!!! See this thread: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...alk-me-out-of-a-lang-36-original-patio-smoker
buttburner
Meat Mopper
I have a few pics on my pc that show some of the quality. I can take plenty more if you want to see them. I challenge you to find a weld or craftsmanship better on any pit.
The first pit is not mine, my chimneys are different
the second pic was taken of my pit during the build
As far as fuel consumption and evenness of cooking all I can go by is the side to side experience of 2 cooks. The owner of the Lang certainly knows how to maintain the fire, he did on mine while I took a few naps.
The draft on the 2 pits are very different, as are the configuration of the plates, fireboxes, chimineys etc.
This all adds up
to answer this question-Did you smoke the butts for 10 hours sitting on the smoker grate shelves uncovered or did you smoke them on the grate or in an aluminum pan for 3-4 hours, then cover the pans with double heavy duty foil for the remaining time? This procedure will make a big difference
we do not wrap or use a foil pan. Both pits cooked the butts in exactly the same manner. you can see that in the pics.
The first pit is not mine, my chimneys are different
the second pic was taken of my pit during the build
As far as fuel consumption and evenness of cooking all I can go by is the side to side experience of 2 cooks. The owner of the Lang certainly knows how to maintain the fire, he did on mine while I took a few naps.
The draft on the 2 pits are very different, as are the configuration of the plates, fireboxes, chimineys etc.
This all adds up
to answer this question-Did you smoke the butts for 10 hours sitting on the smoker grate shelves uncovered or did you smoke them on the grate or in an aluminum pan for 3-4 hours, then cover the pans with double heavy duty foil for the remaining time? This procedure will make a big difference
we do not wrap or use a foil pan. Both pits cooked the butts in exactly the same manner. you can see that in the pics.
Last edited:
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