SmokinAl
SMF Hall of Fame Pitmaster
Original poster
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When I got my Lang I started the fire with splits & a weed burner to make my coal bed.
It was fun, but for me wood is more expensive than charcoal.
Especially when charcoal goes on sale.
So I started using charcoal to get a coal bed & then switch to splits.
Problem with that is the charcoal grate in the Lang has a gap all around it so some of the charcoal falls off the side & end.
I knew a charcoal basket would work to keep it contained, but I found an easier solution.
Pictures tell the story better than words.
You can see how much gap there is on the sides & back.
I think a piece of expanded metal the exact size of the firebox & put on the original grate would work too.
This is what worked for me.
I just took a split & put it against the back wall & two smaller splits for the sides.
Now I have a little box to put the coals in.
A few years ago I put a piece of stove pipe on my charcoal chimney with pop rivets.
I did it because when I had to add charcoal to my WSM, I wanted to be able to get the charcoal into the middle of the charcoal ring.
This chute would slide right in the side door & make that real easy.
It also works perfectly in the Lang, by getting the charcoal all the way to the back against the wood I put in there.
A very efficient way of making a coal bed.
Perfect! No coals falling down the sides or out the dampers or the front door.
I just put a split on top & I'm ready to go.
Usually I don't need to add another split until an hour or so later.
I'm sure you guys all have your own way of making a coal bed, but this is just another option you may want to try.
Thanks for looking!
Al
It was fun, but for me wood is more expensive than charcoal.
Especially when charcoal goes on sale.
So I started using charcoal to get a coal bed & then switch to splits.
Problem with that is the charcoal grate in the Lang has a gap all around it so some of the charcoal falls off the side & end.
I knew a charcoal basket would work to keep it contained, but I found an easier solution.
Pictures tell the story better than words.
You can see how much gap there is on the sides & back.
I think a piece of expanded metal the exact size of the firebox & put on the original grate would work too.
This is what worked for me.
I just took a split & put it against the back wall & two smaller splits for the sides.
Now I have a little box to put the coals in.
A few years ago I put a piece of stove pipe on my charcoal chimney with pop rivets.
I did it because when I had to add charcoal to my WSM, I wanted to be able to get the charcoal into the middle of the charcoal ring.
This chute would slide right in the side door & make that real easy.
It also works perfectly in the Lang, by getting the charcoal all the way to the back against the wood I put in there.
A very efficient way of making a coal bed.
Perfect! No coals falling down the sides or out the dampers or the front door.
I just put a split on top & I'm ready to go.
Usually I don't need to add another split until an hour or so later.
I'm sure you guys all have your own way of making a coal bed, but this is just another option you may want to try.
Thanks for looking!
Al
