# Increasing smoke in a Louisiana Grills LG900



## MauleGuy (Nov 28, 2019)

I have had a LG900 for about 9 months now.  One thing I have noticed it that the smoke intensity is far less than on my old Traeger Li'l Tex that I am replacing.

Any ideas how to increase the smoke other than putting a "chip tube" somewhere near the firebox?

I have thought about using furnace tape to close a couple of the vent holes since the fan in the LG900 is pretty strong and blows a lot of air and smoke out of the chamber. Would this also be the solution to the right side of the grill being about 20F-30F hotter than the left end?

LG customer service is spotty and if you get the wrong person you cannot get a word in edgewise as they answer the questions you did not ask. 

Thanks for any help.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Nov 28, 2019)

Take a look at this.






						Oval Expanding Tube Smoker - 12 - 18 in | A-MAZE-N
					

The Oval Expanding A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker is a light weight, durable and portable smoke generator, that produces a great quality smoke for cold and hot smoking.




					amazenproducts.com


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## MauleGuy (Nov 28, 2019)

Ok, but from post: "other than putting a "chip tube" somewhere near the firebox? "


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## SecondHandSmoker (Nov 28, 2019)

Lack of smoke production is a common complaint about some pellet grills especially when running at higher temps.
The best  solution has been to use a pellet smoker tube.

I would advise against closing off vents as you need to maintain good airflow to avoid issues with stale smoke.

Edit:  Has CS suggested reprogramming the controller?


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## Little-m (Nov 29, 2019)

I am experiencing the same problem after dropping a SmokeDaddy PID into my PB.  The original controller delivered a nice even smoke flavour but the temp swing was gross.  The PID gives little to no smoke flavour at all.

I called SmokeDaddy and spoke at length with the main dude.  He basically said it is a trade-off and suggested using a third party unit to augment the existing smoke process.  The unit could be anything from a tube to an external smoke device he sells that would pump extra smoke into the chamber using an air driven wood filled aluminum tube that you would mount to the side of your grille.

I can only assume that LG uses a PID, considering their higher pricing compared to the PB line.  If that is the case, then there is little you can do other than to add something to augment the low smoke delivery.

Mark


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## oldsmokerdude (Nov 30, 2019)

You didn't mention what temp you usually cook at, but I've found that if I cook the first couple/few hours at a lower temp (200-210) I get lots of smoke (and smoke flavor), then I can bump the temp up to finish off the cook.


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## MauleGuy (Nov 30, 2019)

oldsmokerdude said:


> You didn't mention what temp you usually cook at, but I've found that if I cook the first couple/few hours at a lower temp (200-210) I get lots of smoke (and smoke flavor), then I can bump the temp up to finish off the cook.



Good point.  I usually smoke/cook around 225F  Backing off 15F could help, Then finish at 225F for things like pulled pork and brisket and maybe a bit higher to get a good bark.


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## Little-m (Nov 30, 2019)

210* all the way until cooked (burgers).  I find hamburger to soak up more smoke than anything else so this was a good test for me to determine whether or not my taste buds were playing tricks on me.


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## kstone113 (Dec 2, 2019)

Look at two products from smokedaddy.  The heavy D heat diffuser or one of their cold smokers.  The downside of the cold smokers is you have to drill a hole in your grill.  

I have the heavy D heat diffuser and it does make a difference however I still wanted(just depends on the person) more smoke flavor.  I'm going to get the smokedaddy magnum P.I.G. cold smoker.  There is a thread on here where a guy got it for his Pit Boss (he also has the smokedaddy PID controller for his pit boss) and said it makes a HUGE difference.


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## Little-m (Dec 2, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Look at two products from smokedaddy.  The heavy D heat diffuser or one of their cold smokers.  The downside of the cold smokers is you have to drill a hole in your grill.
> 
> I have the heavy D heat diffuser and it does make a difference however I still wanted(just depends on the person) more smoke flavor.  I'm going to get the smokedaddy magnum P.I.G. cold smoker.  There is a thread on here where a guy got it for his Pit Boss (he also has the smokedaddy PID controller for his pit boss) and said it makes a HUGE difference.



Yeah, I'm eyeing up the cold smoke generator and will probably snag it next spring.  Its too bad things end up working this way....


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## Little-m (Dec 7, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Look at two products from smokedaddy.  The heavy D heat diffuser or one of their cold smokers.  The downside of the cold smokers is you have to drill a hole in your grill.
> 
> I have the heavy D heat diffuser and it does make a difference however I still wanted(just depends on the person) more smoke flavor.  I'm going to get the smokedaddy magnum P.I.G. cold smoker.  There is a thread on here where a guy got it for his Pit Boss (he also has the smokedaddy PID controller for his pit boss) and said it makes a HUGE difference.



Actually, I would like to ask you what your setup is.  Reason being is I used to have a Big Chief and the smoke flavour it produced was way over the top - to the point where all you could taste was smoke.  If I get the cold smoke generator I'm afraid I will end up with the same as what I had with the Big Chief.

Perhaps the diffuser may be enough for me...

Thanks,
Mark


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## kstone113 (Dec 18, 2019)

Maybe you should just go with the heavy D.  I'm super happy with the magnum pig after 2 cooks.  It was the exact flavor I was looking for.  

I'm happy to answer any questions you have.


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## mike243 (Dec 19, 2019)

I have been using a tube once in awhile and have found if I put shag bark into it along with some pellets to keep it smoldering it works very well, not stick burner but a little sharper smoke than plain pellets. I always nuke my pellets to make sure they burn good in the low oxygen environment


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## Little-m (Dec 19, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Maybe you should just go with the heavy D.  I'm super happy with the magnum pig after 2 cooks.  It was the exact flavor I was looking for.
> 
> I'm happy to answer any questions you have.



Yeah, kind of a tough call.  I think I will start with a tube and then go from there.



mike243 said:


> I have been using a tube once in awhile and have found if I put shag bark into it along with some pellets to keep it smoldering it works very well, not stick burner but a little sharper smoke than plain pellets. I always nuke my pellets to make sure they burn good in the low oxygen environment



You made a good point about the low oxygen environment.  So pellets tend to go out in a tube?  Does it happen every time?


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## mike243 (Dec 19, 2019)

It can happen but as long as I nuke them and give 5 minutes before I blow it out it hasn't ever went out. I have tried not nuking and most of the time it will go out but the output is less when it does stay lit.


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## mike243 (Dec 19, 2019)

also laying the tube flat will cause it to burn quicker and more smoke as the fire will spread , set it up more vertical will slow the smoke and make it burn longer


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## Little-m (Dec 19, 2019)

mike243 said:


> also laying the tube flat will cause it to burn quicker and more smoke as the fire will spread , set it up more vertical will slow the smoke and make it burn longer



Okay, good info, thanks.
Mark


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## mike243 (Dec 19, 2019)




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## Little-m (Dec 19, 2019)

Thanks for sharing Mike.  Good pic.  Is the tube filled with pellets?
Mark


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## mike243 (Dec 20, 2019)

That was 3 hours in, chops turned out great,  I put several strips of shag hickory bark and filled with LJ apple pellets


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