Offset Recommendation

[GoloRolo]

The time has come. My neighbor gave me his bullet smoker a few years ago for free. I've spent the past few years working magic with it. Brisket. Pork shoulder. Homemade bacon. I've squeezed the life out of this smoker. I need more. More surface area. I want to do at least two briskets at a time.

I appreciate the raw aspect of fire. It gives me a reason to wake up early. Tend the fire. Monitor temperatures. Perfect my craft. Day drink without the wife bothering me.

I need your recommendations on upgrading to something larger. What should I consider? The collective wisdom of the group is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[smokngun]

Back in the mid 90's I started on a bullet type smoker and like you after a couple of years it wasn't enough. I then went out and purchased a 36" Kingfisher Kooker offset. I had a few decent smokes on it but it was sooo much different than what i was used to, from drafting to make sure the firebox was upwind to adjusting dampers on the firebox and chimney. I got frustrated and sold it some years later when I got divorced. I will save you the long "in-between" story and fast forward to today. About a month ago I decided I want some type of stick burner and found the KBQ C-60. I love it, I still get to tinker with fire, but don't have to worry about controlling temps, just maintain a good fire and it does the rest. It has 2 fans one is a convection fan that constantly circulates air in the cook chamber and a thematically controlled draft fan that draws hot air from the firebox to the cooking chamber. It looks small but I could easily do 2 maybe 3 briskets. It depends on your budget and how big you want to go.
Not trying to steer you away from offsets, but just my .02$

 

[phatbac]

Well...i started about 12 years ago putting wood chips into a gas grill and then a cheap Brinkman vertical (cost me $37). Fast forward to today i have owned three offsets. the first was a really cheap char broil and was difficult to make consistent que because of my rookie mistakes and the poor quality of the cooker. i have also own a Lang 36 and a Lang 48 and that is top of line quality and instantly with the knowledge i've gained here and more experience (the best teacher) My que came a hit!
I told you that to tell you this: the kind of smoker you get even the kind off set you get is a lot like the kind of car or truck you buy: it takes all kinds. Me i love tending a fire and think that a wood smoker makes the best que and i like to buy quality so i will spend a little more. The smoker I'm about to buy is a Lang 36 Hybrid which is a smoker and grill combo. Without see a budget attached to question i will recommend a Lang 36 to get going with unless you can afford a little more and think you will cook a little more than consider a 48. they are both available on trailer frames if you plan on taking it places.

check them out at: https://www.langbbqsmokers.com/

They are pricey but you can feel the pain the day you buy it and enjoy quality every time you use it or you can go cheap and feel the pain every time you use it. up to you.

a side not they are big heavy 1/4" steel units so shipping them isn't cheap either. you can arrange your own shipping or they will deliver it for you or you can pick it up.

this was my Lang 36

this was my 48

Happy Smoking,
phatbc (Aaron)

 

[johnh12]

It would be hard to make a serious recommendation without knowing your approximate budget and how many you plan to cook for.

 

[sawhorseray]

You might want to list your location. RAY

 

[ofelles]

They are pricey but you can feel the pain the day you buy it and enjoy quality every time you use it or you can go cheap and feel the pain every time you use it. up to you.

Lang's are a very good choice. Cost$$ yes but very high quality.
I was looking to get an offset and narrowed it down to Lang or Lone Star Grillz. I ended up going with a charcoal cabinet from Lone Star Grillz instead. The appeal of tending the fire and the smoke profile sounds good. But the reality of procuring, storage, and handling of the wood. All the labor required and my innate laziness swayed me. Just something to consider.

 

[sawhorseray]

I think a lot depends on where you live. If you're close to Florida go for a Lang. Texas; Luling, Lone Star, Gator Pits look good. Northeast; Meadow Creek in Pennsylvania. There's a ton of good custom Q makers across the country, it's shipping that drives the prices up. RAY

 

[JckDanls 07]

I agree on knowing what your budget is...

As for the general box store smokers... they are a real pain in the butt to control temps... People buy them and then get really discouraged because they can't control temps... so then they try and do the mods that are often talked about... Yes they work a little better but require A LOT of attention.. they get frustrated again and then they give up...

For this reason I suggest a good quality smoker... which you will soon get many recommendations...

 

[GoloRolo]

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Lang! $800 price range would be nice, but if I can convince the wife that quality matters, I could probably go to $1,500. She's from Texas, we live in NJ, so she appreciates a quality brisket which you can't really get around here. Any other brand suggestions? Appreciate all responses!

 

[ofelles]

Lone Star Grillz make great offsets. In Willis Texas

 

[sawhorseray]

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Lang! $800 price range would be nice, but if I can convince the wife that quality matters, I could probably go to $1,500. She's from Texas, we live in NJ, so she appreciates a quality brisket which you can't really get around here. Any other brand suggestions? Appreciate all responses!

I've never been back east but it looks like you're in driving range of Pennsylvania where Meadow Creek BBQ smokers are made, Quaker country I believe. I've had the SQ36 model made by them for about a year now and love it. It'll cook anything and everything and do it well, they are built to last. RAY

Meadow Creek SQ36 Barbeque Smoker - Meadow Creek Welding, LLC

This entry-level BBQ smoker is for backyard enthusiasts who want an offset smoker that outperforms and outlasts the chain store models. Get your FREE quote now.

www.meadowcreekbbq.com

 

[kevin james]

Well...i started about 12 years ago putting wood chips into a gas grill and then a cheap Brinkman vertical (cost me $37). Fast forward to today i have owned three offsets. the first was a really cheap char broil and was difficult to make consistent que because of my rookie mistakes and the poor quality of the cooker. i have also own a Lang 36 and a Lang 48 and that is top of line quality and instantly with the knowledge i've gained here and more experience (the best teacher) My que came a hit!
I told you that to tell you this: the kind of smoker you get even the kind off set you get is a lot like the kind of car or truck you buy: it takes all kinds. Me i love tending a fire and think that a wood smoker makes the best que and i like to buy quality so i will spend a little more. The smoker I'm about to buy is a Lang 36 Hybrid which is a smoker and grill combo. Without see a budget attached to question i will recommend a Lang 36 to get going with unless you can afford a little more and think you will cook a little more than consider a 48. they are both available on trailer frames if you plan on taking it places.

check them out at: https://www.langbbqsmokers.com/

They are pricey but you can feel the pain the day you buy it and enjoy quality every time you use it or you can go cheap and feel the pain every time you use it. up to you.

a side not they are big heavy 1/4" steel units so shipping them isn't cheap either. you can arrange your own shipping or they will deliver it for you or you can pick it up.

this was my Lang 36

Happy Smoking,
phatbc (Aaron)

I'm just curious... but how wide are the grates on the lang 36 and the 48? I'm asking because from pictures I saw, it looked like the grates were only as wide as the door, and while the cook chamber is either 36 or 48", it looks like there is about 6" between the end of the door and the end of the cooker on each side. This has me wondering of the cook grates on a 48 are only 36 inches wide. Just wondering.

In order to keep the thread on topic... I too would recommend going with a higher quality pit from the get go. I am in a very similar situation to you. I started with an electric MES 30 several years ago, then I got a Pit Boss pellet grill, and finally a WSM 22.5 which is my main smoker now. I decided I wanted to go full blown stick burner as well and placed an order for a KAT 24x48 reverse flow about a month and a half ago which I am still waiting on delivery (and can't wait). I went with a KAT because I really like the design, I saw one in person and the quality was great (and the owner has had it for 4 years and is very happy), and the builder is less than 100 miles from me and would deliver for $150. Depending where you are, Lang, Lone Star Grillz and Shirley are great options that all make a quality pit and there are many happy owners of all of them on this forum.

 

[Psw757]

I'm just curious... but how wide are the grates on the lang 36 and the 48? I'm asking because from pictures I saw, it looked like the grates were only as wide as the door, and while the cook chamber is either 36 or 48", it looks like there is about 6" between the end of the door and the end of the cooker on each side. This has me wondering of the cook grates on a 48 are only 36 inches wide. Just wondering.

In order to keep the thread on topic... I too would recommend going with a higher quality pit from the get go. I am in a very similar situation to you. I started with an electric MES 30 several years ago, then I got a Pit Boss pellet grill, and finally a WSM 22.5 which is my main smoker now. I decided I wanted to go full blown stick burner as well and placed an order for a KAT 24x48 reverse flow about a month and a half ago which I am still waiting on delivery (and can't wait). I went with a KAT because I really like the design, I saw one in person and the quality was great (and the owner has had it for 4 years and is very happy), and the builder is less than 100 miles from me and would deliver for $150. Depending where you are, Lang, Lone Star Grillz and Shirley are great options that all make a quality pit and there are many happy owners of all of them on this forum.

I was kind of wondering about the actual size of the grates too as I’m looking at the same unit. Lang’s claims it will hold 70lbs of meat for a cook. I’m also wondering what it looks like configured with bottom pull out rack, been told it’s a option.

 

[miaamelia]

G GoloRolo
Hello. I will recommend you wood pellet grill &smoker.

 

[miaamelia]

I also have Green Mountain Grills.... I have a traeger and also have a GMG. I barely use the traeger anymore...

 

[daspyknows]

I have a Horizon offset. They are based in Perry Oklahoma. Have had it 6 months and very happy with it.

I bought the 20 inch Marshall smoker.

Backyard Smokers — Horizon Smokers

www.horizonbbqsmokers.com

 

[Dantij]

Lang owners really love their Lang smokers. Me included! What it seems to boil down to these days is how much and how long before I can pick up or have it delivered. Some manufacturers have 1 year waiting lists. Others 6 weeks. When you're looking into 1/4 inch cookers, you'll have to expand your spending limit. I think Phatbac said it best. Spend the cash now and never regret your high quality purchase , or save a few hundred bucks and regret it every time you cook .
I absolutely enjoy cooking on my Lang 48. People love the food and even your average backyard bbq guy can really appreciate the quality of a well built smoker. Black Jesus is a real attraction and friends love the whole process of cooking with wood, smoke, and fire.

 

[Dantij]

The cook grates on the 48 are 21 × 23.5 inches.
Grates extend all the way to the right side of the cooker( firebox side) and end at 42 inches, leaving a 6 inch gap for the heat to travel up from below and across the cooking grates exiting the smoke stack on the far right side.
The slide out option was not available 2 + years ago when I bought mine. It is a nice option to have. Wish I had it but not a necessity unless you plan on filling up the bottom racks and using the top also. Thats a lot of real estate and a lot of food!

 

[johnoliver]

The time has come. My neighbor gave me his best offset smoker grill combo a for free. I've spent the past few years working magic with it. Brisket. Pork shoulder. Homemade bacon.

 

[1MoreFord]

OP, considering you are in NJ I'm going to second the recommendation of a Meadow Creek. Freight cost is the hidden killer of many BBQ pit decisions. They are Not cheap to ship.