OT: Anyone ever considered purchasing a large drum smoker?

dweebs0r · November 2012

Blasphemy on this forum but I thought I would throw it out to yall. I have really enjoyed learning the basics of smoking with my big green egg. The only drawback I have found is the slightly limited space on a large. Anyone ever thought about going from the egg to a large smoker like a Lang?

This is the one that really caught my eye. -> http://langbbqsmokers.com/lang48/index.html

They also have backyard/patio style smoker not on a trailer.

Just wondering what everyones thoughts would be on this.

Village Idiot · November 2012

Many of us, including me, have or had an offset smoker years before getting the BGE. After smoking my first brisket on the BGE with a controller like the Stoker, I sold mine. I don't have to set the alarm anymore to get up in the middle of the night to check the fire and temperature. Also, I use much less fuel.

Typically, you can get a lot more meat in one of them, but I rarely cook more than one brisket at a time.

If you do buy one, check out the thickness of the steel. Cheap ones are flimsy and not good at all.

dweebs0r · November 2012

I am just toying around with the idea. It helps to hear from someone who has used both. I like how much you can smoke on one of the big ones. I may be better off giving my large to my father in law and buying an extra large. Appreciate your input btw.

HarrisFrampton · November 2012

I have an offset smoker as well as a large egg. Since I bought the egg the smoker primarily functions as storage. It gets used some, but the ease of cooking on the egg makes it hard to go back to. As VI said, if you buy one make sure it is thick, holds heat much better and will last a lot longer than the thin ones.

Griffin · November 2012

When I opened this, I was expecting to see smokers made out of 55 gallon drums made into smokers, something I was looking into before getting the egg.

Lang does make good smokers from what I hear, quite the reputation, and probably a big step up from my el cheapo Brinkman offset that I learned how to Q on. I don't cook in scales large enough to justify a rig like that, the egg works just fine for me.

That being said, my old Brinkman is still with us, down at the ranch, and gets used from time to time. Its fun to cook on for a change, but the longest smoke it ever gets these days are ribs. The family keeps pestering me to do a brisket or two, but nobody will volunteer to stay up with me all night to tend the fire every 30minutes to an hour. So much easier with an egg to set it, forget it and go to sleep.

dweebs0r · November 2012

I dont often cook for big groups so it may be too much of a rig for me. The more I look into it, the more I think my next step up should be to an extra large egg instead of an entirely different style cooker. Again, thanks to everyone for the input. Helping keep me in the egg camp.

JayHawkEye · November 2012

Like Griffin, my first offset is what drew me to bbq. If I still had her - may she rest in piece(s) - I don't know if I would even use her. My XL has been enough real estate for me. If you're going to go on the tournament trail you're going to need more space, but the ease, versatility and reliability of the Egg makes it a superior back yard fixture. Get another. (And another, and another...)

Little Steven · November 2012

For the price you could get two larges couldn't you?

dweebs0r · November 2012

Watching the BBQ with Franklin series is what got me thinking about these offset smokers. They are definitely intriguing. Just saw someone cooking 20+ large boston butts on an 84" smoker. Pretty incredible. You are right though, for that kind of money I could add an extra large egg and starting planning a full outdoor kitchen.

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Lang is a very solid smoker. Like many here I don't cook enough at once to buy one but I do like looking at them. Even if I don't need one day I'll own that part of a trailer. If you decide to go this route also look at Jambo. Considered to be the best by many without going custom. Biggest drawback is if you aren't near Texas the cost to get it to you can make it not worthwhile. I do whole pigs that are over 100lbs each year and I use by buddies custom smoker. He spent over $5K on it and I enjoy mixing up once in a while but my Egg is easier. The whole pig is more for me to do something different

henapple · November 2012

I would go with another egg but I only cook for maybe 15 people max...

double · November 2012

Ditto on the extra egg. I am cooking for 12 adults and 8 kids on turkey day all on my XL. My wife has already mentioned that I'm getting a small for my birthday next year to accompany it!

SMITTYtheSMOKER · November 2012

We often have to cook for public consumption at our BBQ Competitions raising funds for charity. After using the Egg and realizing what an insulated cook can offer, we opted for a stumps cabinet smoker. Fully insulated with 5 24"x24" cooking shelves made it easy to produce above and beyond what our 4 BGE's could produce....which we do use for our competition meats.

We use it 4/5 times a year.

Village Idiot · November 2012

In Texas, if you are going to have an offset smoker, the law states that you must conform to certain design criteria.

SouthGaSmoker · November 2012

Lang's makes a pretty good product. They are about 40 miles from me but I've stopped by a few times to dream about a trailer model.

dweebs0r said:

Blasphemy on this forum but I thought I would throw it out to yall. I have really enjoyed learning the basics of smoking with my big green egg. The only drawback I have found is the slightly limited space on a large. Anyone ever thought about going from the egg to a large smoker like a Lang?

This is the one that really caught my eye. -> http://langbbqsmokers.com/lang48/index.html

They also have backyard/patio style smoker not on a trailer.

Just wondering what everyones thoughts would be on this.

lwrehm · November 2012

Well, this has me thinking...I have had my Large for about a year and a half and the small for 6 months. Since I got the large the old Weber Kettle sits in the corner by the back door and the Brinkman SnP sits under the trees rusting away.

I guess I should do something with them...maybe a cold smoking chamber?

nolaegghead · November 2012

About a week after I got my egg, I put my charcoal grill, brinkmann on craigs list for FREE, and my electric smoker on for $100. They could have made excellent storage.

Lit · November 2012

Got an XL egg a week or 2 ago. It has way more space than a large and might be something to consider. You could do (2) 12-15 pound briskets in it. If you need to do qty cooking I have heard good things about backwood smokers. They seem to win alot of competitions with them.

njl · November 2012

My recently moved away neighbor had one. We'd commonly both be out in our yards smoking things. I gathered that his consumed quite a bit more fuel, required more tending, and didn't have as wide a usable temperature range...but it did have way more cooking space than my LBGE.

boatbum · November 2012

Like many said above, I used to have an offset smoker.

Could put way more meat in one than in my Egg -- but.

Way more work - constant attention required. Not just managing heat, but also smoke.

Could cook some really good bbq - but - I think the Egg, granted smaller portions, is so much better in terms of moisture and overall quality of the end product.

Professionals mostly use offsets - but then - they are professionals. For my limited ability - will never have an offset again. Gave mine away.

just my thoughts.

MrCookingNurse · November 2012

Lang is top notch. I'd buy an offset if I was doing competition or selling food. I have buddy I egg with and he is looking at buying a Lang to start selling butts and stuff around holidays and slowly open a BBQ shack.

If I just wanted more room around the house and for get togethers I'd get another egg. Easy to use, amazing results. Two eggs would be two temps or enough room to cook anything you could dream of.

Hope this helps. I definitely don't think it's a bad idea, while the egg is superior your really comparing two different beast for two different needs in my opinion.

Griffin · November 2012

I think this is going to be my next smoker

Austin Egghead · November 2012

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/75110/horizonal-offset-smoker-mods I cut my teeth on an offset. Here is my take, be prepared to spend $$ to$$$$$. What you see at the big stores are junk. Offsets smokers prepare wonderful q but need lots of baby sitting and are fuel hogs. Every once in a while I miss my offset, but I have added to my egg family rather than get another offset. Egg is just more versatile. If you are really serious about getting one research the difference between reverse flow and offset. IMHO reverse flow is the way to go.

Little Steven · November 2012

SMITTYtheSMOKER said:

We often have to cook for public consumption at our BBQ Competitions raising funds for charity. After using the Egg and realizing what an insulated cook can offer, we opted for a stumps cabinet smoker. Fully insulated with 5 24"x24" cooking shelves made it easy to produce above and beyond what our 4 BGE's could produce....which we do use for our competition meats.
We use it 4/5 times a year.

Whay is the purpose of the spacers(?) behind the thermo dials? I am assuming it's more interior room.

dweebs0r · November 2012

Thanks for the input guys. Still going to think (dream) about buying one of the big trailer smokers but I think its too much for me at this stage in the game.

In other news, as far as BBQ competitions go, I talked it over with my buddy and we talked about maybe combing our large eggs along with a couple other friends larges and try out a competition using a total of 4 large BGEs. We should be able to turn over a ton of food with that.

SMITTYtheSMOKER · November 2012

Little Steven said:

SMITTYtheSMOKER said:

We often have to cook for public consumption at our BBQ Competitions raising funds for charity. After using the Egg and realizing what an insulated cook can offer, we opted for a stumps cabinet smoker. Fully insulated with 5 24"x24" cooking shelves made it easy to produce above and beyond what our 4 BGE's could produce....which we do use for our competition meats.
We use it 4/5 times a year.

Whay is the purpose of the spacers(?) behind the thermo dials? I am assuming it's more interior room.

Yes, you are correct sir. Simply gives us a bit more room inside for the big meats.

Little Steven · November 2012

Thought they were a little short for the 5" tel trus

DonWW · November 2012

Smoked for years on my offset. After I got my egg, it helps support bags of lump, but little else. It, and my gas grill, rarely see the light of day anymore.

From my PP cook this last weekend.

JwgreDeux · November 2012

dweebs0r said:

Blasphemy on this forum but I thought I would throw it out to yall. I have really enjoyed learning the basics of smoking with my big green egg. The only drawback I have found is the slightly limited space on a large. Anyone ever thought about going from the egg to a large smoker like a Lang?

This is the one that really caught my eye. -> http://langbbqsmokers.com/lang48/index.html

They also have backyard/patio style smoker not on a trailer.

Just wondering what everyones thoughts would be on this.

How much are you wanting to cook? I recently did a 15 lb packer brisket and 2 7 lb butts at the same time. 30 lbs of meat feeds a lot of folks. Also, while those were resting FTC I did several slabs of ribs and two spatchcocked chickens. We fed a small army. All on my lbge.

MemphisBBQ · November 2012

Dweebs and I are entering the Memphis in May BBQ Championship. Having never done this before, I guess we don't know how much equipment (eggs) to actually bring.

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OT: Anyone ever considered purchasing a large drum smoker?

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