anyone have a landmann?

[coyote]

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Black Dog 42



• Big and heavy-duty, the Black Dog 42 is built for serious BBQâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ers but is easy enough to be used by anyone. • Cook by smoke and indirect heat with the offset fire box or by charcoal and direct heat in the smoker chamber. Features • Heavy-duty steel construction. • Heavy-duty porcelain cooking grates. • Crank adjustable charcoal grate to multiple positions. • Over 765 square inches of cooking space. • Offset fire box for smoke and indirect heat cooking. • Over 1,020 square inches for smoke and indirect heat cooking when both smoker chamber grates are used. • Large bottom storage shelf. • Wood handles. • Heavy-duty wheels. • Damper in smoker chamber. • Stainless steel ash catcher. • Stainless steel temperature gauge.

I bought this grill at sportsman's warehouse. It was a good deal floor model plus nice discount.
Before using it I made several cosmetic mods and several internal mods to aid in cleaning and catching drips.
I see several other mods that I would like to make, where the fire box is I would like to make a plate to put where the grill goes,that would make a smaller heating /smoke chamber.don't know if that is good.but I can use the steel plate to put a dutch on and cook stuff and I am sure smoke will escape around it and work its way in to what ever is cooking in the dutch.
I am also going to put a shelf on the front of it and one in the center on the bottom for added storage. is there something I should might do to enhance the cooking smokin part..thank you for your time..

 

[bb53chevpro]

Nice unit. Sorry I have never heard of it.
Andy.

 

[capt dan]

Looks like a real nice rig, I did some research on them when I was looking to upgrade my Charbroil silver.

 

[meandmytwodogs]

I was looking at the same grill (online) recently. I turned the other direction when it occurred to me that there was no smoke stack on it. I never got to see one in person. I hope you like it and am curious to hear more after you get the chance to use it. I ended up with an Oklahoma Joe Longhorn, preowned with mods already completed. When I was looking at the Landman, nobody knew anything about them so....TELL US HOW YOU LIKE THE LANDMAN!

Dave

 

[coyote]

Yea I thought hard about the NO SMOKE STACK but it has some pretty good vents on the unseeable side.that work great for smoking and grilling.
I will keep ya all posted on how she smokes..the darn wind has to stop here 1st.. it is one heavy chunk of metal also..

 

[coyote]

after reading more about mods. am begining to understand a little more.

the hole where the heat and smoke travels thru to the cooking area is large. and the only control I have with it is the vents on the fire box and I guess the vents where the smoke and heat exit after kissing the meats.both are generous movable vents. I am wondering if it would be good to come up with a way to dampen this passage? or should it be left alone and work the other vents.

Does the smokers need a large hole for heat and smoke to pass to the cooking / smoking area? are is it a good idea to try and regulate it??

 

[coyote]

Was reading about mods and smokers having problems with ash build up,where the ash would stop air flow or sufacate the coals.

some were suggesting that you raise the fuel burning area by fire brick or making a cage of some sort and giving it a shake every now and then to knock the coal off.

from what I have read this problem seems to be consitent with offsets smokers. either tube, square or what ever shape.

I was thinking since heat rises. I will cut the floor out of the fire box,( I only have less then an inch from the fuel grate to the bottom of the ash pan) lower three sides at least 8"s, front, rear, and closest to the cooking box,then the one farthest from the cooking area I will leave 3/16 shorter. weld these pieces to the bottom of the fire box making a square,then welding angle iron on the bottom of the front,rear and closest to the cooking area. then cut a square piece of 3/16 plate and weld a lip on it with a handle so it will slide in to the bottom of the new ash pan.. and half way up on the shorter piece of plate (the one farthest from the cooking area) I will make a vent that can open and close.

If the new ash pans gets full, I can slide the bottom out and give the area a tap and all the ash will fall out in to a metal container. and the new vent will allow a better air flow as it will surrond the fuel, instead of just heating the area right in front of the side vent that is built on most smokers. I don't know if others have done this but in thought it might work better then what is on my grill right now.I know for sure the air flow will be better. as most black smith have the air coming in from under the coal.and seems to work great for them.
and the ash problem will be sovled no more blowing ash onto the food or suffacting the fire /restricting air flow.

 

[shepp]

I'm a newbie here and to offset smoking/grilling/cooking and I also have the BlackDog 42. Everything that i've cooked on it so far has been great but I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for any advice and mods b/c so far its the only thread I've found discussing it compared to others smokers.

 

[coyote]

shepp.

Next tuesday I am taking the black dog to the welder to make mods to the fire box.going to cut the bottom out and lower it.then have vents installed on all 4 sides at the lower part of the fire box. beleive I will get better air flow and can get better heat. will keep you informed.and will let you know later of other mods made that I think have been helpful..

 

[coyote]

shepp,

I know there are several others (wish they would chime in with what is going on with theirs) with the same smoker that we have. I only use mine for smoking. but as you know, it is made to grill also.
have you used your's for smoking?
I have and others have problems with heat and long smoke 12 14 hours and maybe longer becuase of it.
looking at other smokers I have noticed that the heat/smoke vent is smaller then the black dog and the damper of course makes the orfice even smaller when you regulate it down.
I am thinking that most folks even me are keeping the exhaust vents open to much /to wide. I have used mine to smoke three times now.and am learning this art.
thus letting to much heat escape through the exhaust vent.
next I do not believe I am making a big enough fire in the fire box. and when I did the ashes just drowned the fire/heat.
still trying to figure it out.I have been reading about mods others have made to differnt smokers. and am trying to apply some of them to my smoker are rethinking their idea and coming up with something more suitable for me.

what I have done so far to mine.
made a pan to catch ash below the fire grid.
made a drip pan that fits below the cooking grids. I made it so it will slide out through the area next to the fire box where the heat and smoke pass through to the cooking/smoking area then out through the fire box door. keep both foiled. both have little handles on them.
in front of the fire bx on the square tube i welded 5 hooks. to hold all my neat junk that I drilled and put leather loops on.

I had all the partly welded seams welded all the way every where that I could.

I removed the temp gauge and tossed it. welded a 1/2" nipple that I cut and installed a better larger gauge. it kinda faces up to me so I just look down and can read it.
in front of the cooking area I welded a shelf made of steel 1/2 tube and expanded metal with 1/2" holes.
the cooking grid over the fire /coal area I normally leave below the grill on the shelf. I cut a 3/16 diamond plate and put little handles on two sides it fits going in at an angle under those two screws that hold the fire bx to the cooking bx. I chose diamond plate so it was raised a little as I wanted smoke to come up into the area so I could use my dutches to cook in and have smoke rolling into the food plus it makes a great tortilla warmer/maker. But the main reason was to try and have all the heat go to the cooking area with the smoke and not spend any time farting around in the lid area. seems to work.
then on the fire box lid I had an elk cut from metal with his head kinda raised for battle and his antlers go past his butt a little, welded it to the beveled part.
'on the cooking lid I had two coyotes cut out they are kinda settin on their haunches howling up at something. had one centered on each side of the temp gauge and welded, drilled a hole through and weld from the inside. looks sweet.
then I removed the landmann metal thing from the grill and had KYOTE cut out and welded in it's place.
I do not use the bowl.as I have the drip pan and will not use coal in that area. I use it to soak wood if I need to.
I left the hole and round damper, when I wash it water drain I guess.
am going to remove the two arms for the pan.
the next thing I will do (and that will wensday)
is work on the fire bx. cut the bottom out and lower the sides by adding more metal. and have it so a piece of plate steele slides under on the bottom to hold ash in there and not let air in. but on each side of the new larger depth fire box I will cut and make a dampening vent. I think that will help a whole bunch.
will keep you black dogs informed..thank you for your time..Good q to come..for sure..

 

[coyote]

well yesterday morning after I got off work. I took el bomba de huma to the welder for fire box mods.. I hope it turns out for the best.
as stated in earlier post, going to cut out the floor in the fire box and lower from the fire grates down 7 inches.(whole new bottom to the thing) install a sliding plate on the bottom to ease ash removel and have vents installed on all 4 side of the lowered ash box..should make for better air flow. but I think more importently keeping a uniform temp. will keep you landmann folks up dated..

 

[starsfaninco]

Hey Coyote, get some pics of the mods if you can. I'd be pretty interested in how it turns out. I'm just a geek that way :)

KE

 

[coyote]

I picked up the landmann from the welder yesterday afternoon.

several mods made. if ya have a landmann you will understand. the handle on the fire box to open the door to it..have you ever gotten a ding in your hand from the pointed end cap?? not know more..I had that thing cut off at a good deep angle. welded shut. and with some files and a grinder it is rounded and smooth as a super models butt. no more dings in the hand.

he did a great job lowering the fire bx ash pan. and put a vent on all 4 sides. and the bottom is made to slide out.way cool, makes cleaning the ashes up easy as greasy pork chops.

after cleaning her up, getting all the grinding dust off her ect. I used some cowboy lump, peacan,cherry,apple and mesquite wood to season her. seems to work better.I was getting warmer steadier temps shooting for a steady 240 temp. It will take some getting used to. If I can keep her in the 220 t0 240 range for 85% of the smoke I guess I will be doing good.
and I have to remember it is not like a stove and just turning a knob I get immediate results. take a little while to get the temp up are down.

I will try and get some pics posted soon.

 

[coyote]

well I thought I was done with mods, Untill I filled the smoking area with meat on the 4th of july. the meat closest to the fire box was getting to much heat and had to start moving meat around. although the temp was staying in the 220 -240 range for most of the smoke. soooo,what to do about it???
I also believe the charcoal box is a good thing, am going to make one out of expanded metal. I think it will be a huge help in many ways.

Is a baffle going to help?? any one with an Idea how to prevent the heat from going up on to the meat in the closest area to the the fire box have an idea?? thank you..

 

[coyote]

Had a friend come by yesterday that is an ole time smoker..
he showed me an easy way to keep the cooking / smoking chamber at an even temp, and stop the meat next to the fire bx from cooking to fast or even having to move the meat around during the smoke.

took a steel plate 1/8" thick, measure from the cooking grids rest from back to front (that measurement taken from the inside edge.) now measure from the bottom of the cooking area to 1" above the cooking grid. on your cooking grids you have a metal round piece of steel that runs length wise, the the other round pieces set on top running the width.you want to make a slot a couple thousands larger then the center rod so the plate will fit over it and rest on top.
the reason for the 1" higher is I made a hole in the center so I can lift it out easy. and I beveled from the center to front and rear so it would be flush with the top of the cooking grids except for the piece directly above the slot that I drilled the hole in. when you go to smoke set it in the smoker as close to the area where the smoke and heat exits to the smoking area.

you will find the heat and smoke now travels up over the top of the cooking grids and around the sides to the far vent and foods will cook evenly..I hope this helps you all. and I hope it is the last mod for the landmann..

several folks have PMed me saying they own a landmann and would be watching this thread closely..please let me know if you have made any mods and if the have helped you..

cheers and good smoking..

 

[coyote]

Fired the ole kyote (landmann) up yesterday..had to season the new baffle and test the new coal cage /. box..what a differnce the coal bx made and the baffle....I smoked 35 habeneros and two ribs..even heat on both sides of the cooking grids..temps stayed in the range wanted with out much fulctuation. and had to add to the coals only once..temps stayed longer then with out the coal box, which seemed to need adding to every half hour..
so folks with the landmann...two good and easy mods would be the baffle and the coal box..
smoke on ...smoke on...

 

[vlap]

I have looked at those at a crowder bros. hardware store. They are nicely put together and very heavy. I was impressed with them in the store. I look forward to hearing of your mods some more and the first smokes.

 

[jkasperows]

Newbe here,
I have been smoking for about a year on a brinkman round upright smoker (49.95 deal) so I just purchased the Landmann and it is on the way. any advice for a new guy....let it rip. I have a thick skin so I can take it all. I will mostly use it for pulled pork butt and ribs. I have read about the baffle and box but have no idea what is going on. will my smoker not work when it arrives? what about this vent being longer to the height of the grate? the Landmann does not have one. I thought I was purchased something good. any help is good help.

thanks

Joe

 

[coyote]

Joe, it will work fine. these mods are made to enhance the smoker and make it more effective in what it is supposed to do.
I am kinda new at smokeing. and this site and the folks on it have been a tremendous help.
when she arrives.put her together and season her. throw some pepper on the cooking grates and smoke em while you do the season..heck, they will help with the season..lol.
play with the vents to see what temps you get..it helps I have found. to have the fire bx vents closed and the cooking area vents closed half ways. keeps temps 210 -250..

there is a search eng on this site..use it also to help you and your new smoker..type in a key word charcoal box.and see what comes up..they are simple editions to the smoker that really pay off.
the baffle I am using to block the heat and smoke from coming out right under the foods I am smoking. it make the food close the the exsaust if you will from the fire box cook to fast..gives it a real dark bark if you know what I mean..and I have to constently move the food around to keep the heat even on the bottom of the food. soooo, with the baffle the heat and smoke go over and around the food when it exits and stays on an even plane no hot are cold spots that I have noticed as yet.But I have only done 35 habeneros since the mods. and that was yesterday. But It looked good.I tried to burn them in the area close to the fire bx exsaust. that did not happen the one on the far side cooked just like the ones I had by the fire box exsaust.

VLAP. That is why I bought mine. it was bullet proof compared to others.and it had a lot more cooking area. and some features that I liked.
ie: cooking or warming over the fire box. and can be used as a grill. But mine will never be used as a grill..dedicated smoker it is..

 

[jkasperows]

thanks for the help Coyote. it looks like I have a lot to learn. but thats a good thing.

thanks again

Joe