Lang offset smokers

Dawgtired

Anyone have any experience with these? I know we have some competition cooks on here that may not use a BGE when competing. Just curious if y’all have one, use it at home much, if it’s worth the money and if there are better units for home use.

THANKS!!!

WeberWho

@lousubcap

WeberWho

Also a few of us here with Shirley offset smokers

lkapigian

I have A Klose, love it and its a beast , I would not have it if not for some random Craigslist find....for home use, old country Brazos is a great bang for the buck

https://youtu.be/0zTuW_gKfYE

lousubcap

I was attracted to learning how to manage a wood fired smoker for a few years.  I guess it was the air, fuel, fire and temperature control challenge that was the driver.  I didn't want to wake up some day and wonder "if".  
I spent a fair amount of time looking at various off-sets, Lang, Klose, Meadow Creek and several others.  Bottom-line I landed on a Lang 36 (smallest they make) as I had no desire for anything larger as competition cooking was not an objective.  I use it around every other week or two (year-round) as there is a true time (and adult beverage) commitment maintaining the fire/temperature.
I would look at all that are out there, include gravity feed models. 
Stick burners are not a set and forget animal.  It is a totally different process than the BGE.  Burning sticks imparts a different flavor than does lump-different fuel does that, same with briquettes (or even a gasser).  I find it really nails ribs and chix but that's just me.  
There are several BBQ forums that talk about various stick burners.  I would spend time there as well.  
I would be open with what role I intended the stick burner to fill and then go from there.  You can spend as much as you want with a stick burner.  I will be the first to admit that I only have a one-point stick burner data base but I am good with it.  (acquired in Sep 2016).  FWIW-

20stone

If you are dealing with modest tonnage, you should search the forum for the Karubeque.  It is a more compact size than an offset, and has some sexy tech for managing your smoke quality.  Very, very tough to beat for up to 3 briskets at a time.

https://amazingribs.com/smoker/karubecue-c-60-pit-review

SoCalTim

I recently scratched the 'reverse flow smoker' itch, I'll do a write up once it's finished being built.

I didn't want to wake up one day and say, I shulda got one.

I just did it. 

lkapigian

Many years ago I converted a big box store offset into a reverse flow...a bit old school and I still fire it up ocassioaly ...controls very well , glad I have more heavy duty stuff now, but if anyone wants to experiment 

HeavyG

20stone said:

If you are dealing with modest tonnage, you should search the forum for the Karubeque.  It is a more compact size than an offset, and has some sexy tech for managing your smoke quality.  Very, very tough to beat for up to 3 briskets at a time.

https://amazingribs.com/smoker/karubecue-c-60-pit-review

If one is just looking to get a smoker that uses real wood then it is hard to beat a KBQ. There are a few of us here that have them.

If one is wanting that whole stick burner experience to learn/enjoy the art/skill of using a manually controlled wood burning smoker then the KBQ may not be the right tool.

With a KBQ you do have to work the fire a little bit - mainly to keep a good bed of coals going - but the actual temp in the cook box is controlled by the thermostat.

Since it is thermostatically controlled I think you loose a little bit of street cred in the eyes of the big "real" stick burners but personally, I'm ok with that.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

HeavyG said:

20stone said:

If you are dealing with modest tonnage, you should search the forum for the Karubeque.  It is a more compact size than an offset, and has some sexy tech for managing your smoke quality.  Very, very tough to beat for up to 3 briskets at a time.

https://amazingribs.com/smoker/karubecue-c-60-pit-review

If one is just looking to get a smoker that uses real wood then it is hard to beat a KBQ. There are a few of us here that have them.

If one is wanting that whole stick burner experience to learn/enjoy the art/skill of using a manually controlled wood burning smoker then the KBQ may not be the right tool.

With a KBQ you do have to work the fire a little bit - mainly to keep a good bed of coals going - but the actual temp in the cook box is controlled by the thermostat.

Since it is thermostatically controlled I think you loose a little bit of street cred in the eyes of the big "real" stick burners but personally, I'm ok with that.

well said. I'm good with it too. It's a perfect 'tweener for me. Burns real sticks, fits 2-3 briskets/6-8 butts, but it has a very small footprint. I actually bought it for the size, not the tech but i have enjoyed using it. 

Foghorn

"I have A Klose, love it and its a beast , I would not have it if not for some random Craigslist find"

I also have a Klose that I found on Craigslist.  It is a beast.  It is significantly more work than the BGE.  As a result, it is real commitment.  One that I only make a few times a year.  It's unlikely that it will be your go-to cooker.

If you are used to the BGE, you should know that one thing that is not obvious about offsets is the importance of airflow.  This can become an issue if you are planning on cooking multiple briskets.  If that is one of your goals, you should measure out the space and see how many brisket fit - with a 2" space around each brisket to allow for adequate airflow.  When you think of it that way, it means the diameter of the cooking chamber has to be bigger than you think when you want to put the briskets two deep.  When they are packed more closely together they can impede airflow and really affect that temperature of any other meat that is downstream.  The smoker in the included pics is bigger than my Klose and I generally think of it as "huge", but it can really only handle 2-3 briskets at a time.  On this particular cook, we were cooking 8.  We used the offset to get smoke on them and rotated the briskets after 4 hours.  Then at 8 hours when they had not yet hit the stall, we had to put them on the kamados to really get them cooked.

I recognize that this may be less of an issue on reverse flow smoker like a Lang.

AlbertaEgger

Well its not a Lang or a Shirley, and sorry I cant offer any opinions as this is a new adventure for me. but this is my current project. Offset smokers are even less common than Komados up here. But I have an interest. Finding wood is not easy. The pictures don't do it justice so far. its massive.

3/8" cooking chamber

1/2" Fire Box

1/4" Warming Cabinet.

current weight is 2000 lbs. Should be 2200 when all said and done.

Offset Reverse Flow, 4 slide out trays, 2 each side. 5 shelves in warming cabinet.

6' cooking chamber, 24x24" Fire Box.

blasting

AlbertaEgger said:

Well its not a Lang or a Shirley, and sorry I cant offer any opinions as this is a new adventure for me. but this is my current project. Offset smokers are even less common than Komados up here. But I have an interest. Finding wood is not easy. The pictures don't do it justice so far. its massive.

3/8" cooking chamber

1/2" Fire Box

1/4" Warming Cabinet.

current weight is 2000 lbs. Should be 2200 when all said and done.

Offset Reverse Flow, 4 slide out trays, 2 each side. 5 shelves in warming cabinet.

6' cooking chamber, 24x24" Fire Box.

Very cool project.  I'm interested in seeing your progress if you feel like sharing.

distanceman

I researched until my eyes bled for a stick burner. I ultimately went XL Egg for versatility and limited space (and I move every few years). That, and my wife got mad because I was about to build a patio just for a Shirley rig. Haha. 

That being said. The more I researched Lang, the less I liked the company. Look at the complaints for customer service, and crappy half assed welds. Prob not all the cookers are like that, but it turned me off. I also posted in the FB group asking about Lang vs Shirley; they deleted it. I asked why and I got booted. 

Bottom line--if time waiting (close to a year) and money ain't a thang, hands down go Shirley Fabrication. Such a stand up family and their cookers are second to none. You can customize the heck out of these...it's amazing all the options.

If you want something cheaper but still nice, look at the Ole Hickory Brazos as someone posted above. I watched some videos and they seem to be great for the money. 

Shirley = $2k+ and the Brazos is closer to $1k. 

Good luck!!

AlbertaEgger

blasting said:

AlbertaEgger said:

Well its not a Lang or a Shirley, and sorry I cant offer any opinions as this is a new adventure for me. but this is my current project. Offset smokers are even less common than Komados up here. But I have an interest. Finding wood is not easy. The pictures don't do it justice so far. its massive.

3/8" cooking chamber

1/2" Fire Box

1/4" Warming Cabinet.

current weight is 2000 lbs. Should be 2200 when all said and done.

Offset Reverse Flow, 4 slide out trays, 2 each side. 5 shelves in warming cabinet.

6' cooking chamber, 24x24" Fire Box.

Very cool project.  I'm interested in seeing your progress if you feel like sharing.

I'll post some pictures when its completed, or near. I'm not doing the welding, just sketched up the plans for everything and provided all the steel. Shouldn't be long now till she is done.

It wont be on a perm trailer for awhile. I have a trailer I can haul it with until I find one to mount it to. Ill need a picker truck at home to get this thing off and on.  

lousubcap

I'm not gonna get into a WDIB conversation as I have not had any customer issues with fabricated steel or cosmetic welds with Lang.  It's welded steel so my evaluation of the esthetics may be lost somewhere.  If it's not for you, then walk away.  
As above, if $$ or foot-print are not in the equation then there are better rigs. You just have to define the parameters you can work with and see where you land.  

handscome458

The offset smokers is a classic smoker design and one of the most popular out there. Food smokes in a long horizontal chamber while charcoal and smoke wood burn in a firebox attached to one side. Offset smokers feature shelves in the cooking chamber to handle multiple briskets, pork shoulders, and racks of ribs.

billt01

@Dawgtired

I had a Lang 60D for a few years...very labor intensive, not fuel efficient..

That being said, it produces some of the best product i have tasted

alaskanassasin

@AlbertaEgger What are you guys into that we need to try?

AlbertaEgger

alaskanassasin said:

@AlbertaEgger What are you guys into that we need to try?

?? You lost me @alaskanassasin

alaskanassasin

@AlbertaEgger Understandably so I was referencing a post that you made over year ago.

    "Offset smokers are even less common than Komados up here."

 Just wondering if you there was a cooking method etc. that is Canadian that we should try.

SmokeyPitt

alaskanassasin said:

@AlbertaEgger Understandably so I was referencing a post that you made over year ago.

    "Offset smokers are even less common than Komados up here."

 Just wondering if you there was a cooking method etc. that is Canadian that we should try.

Poutine.

alaskanassasin

We had some Poutine at a brewery in Dayton. Good stuff