# Just got my Lang



## apache2831 (Oct 28, 2013)

Just bought a lang 36" patio model. The price is to good to pass up. 500 bucks. I had to scrap out some build up and have started reoiling it getting ready to reseason it. Has been fired in 9 months. Can't wait to start smoking this weekend.


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## glocksrock (Oct 28, 2013)

Where did you get one so cheap?


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## garyt (Oct 28, 2013)

Congratulations, Lang owner here also, call me if I can help


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## apache2831 (Oct 28, 2013)

Buddy was looking to upgrade so I said make an offer I cant refuse, and he did


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## bama bbq (Oct 28, 2013)

He sure did!  Congrats


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## pig-a-liscious (Nov 21, 2013)

Garyt,

How long have you owned your Lang 48D and are you happy with it?

I have smoked on a 60 deluxe and a 108 deluxe and have great results from both of feeding crowds in excess of 1500 people.

I am personally going to order a 48 patio, not sure if I will do the deluxe with warmer or not. I can't seem to decide.

Nonetheless, there is a friend here on the Wood Smokers forum, ChipolteQ who has just taken delivery of his Lang 36 patio and is having wild temperature variables inside his smoker from one end to the other and doesn't understand what's going on.

I am not yet a Lang smoker owner yet but will be soon and I thought that if you have a lot of personal experience with your Lang and are a happy camper perhaps you might consider striking up a conversation with him and see if you can help him out.

I have never heard anyone, (30+) Lang owners speak of experiencing severe internal temperature variations between one end and the other of a Lang smoker.

Harv


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## garyt (Nov 21, 2013)

Yeah I love my lang, I cannot understand how you can possibly have a large variation inside a 36. How is he measuring it, it it level? Need more details


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## pig-a-liscious (Nov 22, 2013)

Garyt,

This what a guy by the name of chipotleQ is saying.

Harv, i just got a lang 36 and i am also finding it has hot spots. Maybe the 108 is less noticeable givem the size. But with my 36 i just got last week, there is a 20-25 degree difference from what the tel tru reads and the right side of the upper rack closest to the smoke stack. When the tel tru reads 275 that is the temp on the left side closest to where the heat and smoke come in. And the bottom right closest to fire box will be 290 and right above around 300. Ben suggested closing the stack 3/4 open but it then i start getting white smoke. My solution was to purchase an alluminum 4" x 6 " vent from home depot and just placing it on the smoke stack inside to lower the heat escape inside the smoker. Temps are now even across. Only having thr bottom right about 10 degree hotter


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## garyt (Nov 23, 2013)

I guess I never inspected my 48 that much, I have 4 others and never did any temp control math on any of them, you have a 3 foot steel tube that the heat comes in on one side and travels and goes up the stack, there is no circulation fan to even it out, There is going to be a temperature difference. Are you sure you arent over thinking this. On mine I keep the nose a little above level and it just chugs along and gives me great food. When you start talking about closing off the stack damper, well lets  just say you lost me, I never would.

The only thing I have ever done to my Lang was drill a hole under the door to run a probe wire, and that is probably all I will ever do to it


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## chipotleq (Nov 28, 2013)

greetings fellow BBQers

I was having some issues with the lang when I first got it. Now I think that is was mostly user error on my part when reading the temps. I was too anxious to test it out and inspect it, that i think I made some inaccurate measurements. First, I have read that the Lang smokers need a couple of smokes to "break it in" and even out the temps. I made the measurements while I was seasoning and I believe I should have waited for temps to be more stable within an hour to make readings. As I made the reading while the cooker was still catching up with the temps and having the logs on huge fire blaze. I will also try to get a two probe thermometer to measure. I will soon post a full review of my lang hybrid 36 patio with pics. I will include a bread or tube biscuit test for knowing where the hot spots are(if any). So far, I have cooked three times on it, and I am just amazed on how good foods comes out by just burning sticks of oak, hickory and pecan. I fist thought food would be oversmoked because some of my hickory logs are still quite unseasoned. But no, food has a subtle smokey flavor and my family tells me how much better my Q is coming out from the lang vs my old wsm.

Some imperfections I have noticed:

1. There seems to be a leak in the weld where the grease drain pipe meets the V channel on the griddle plate. When I take a look from the fire box into the smoker chamber, I can see grease running down the pipe and setting in the bottom of the chamber. Easy fix, but still bothers me.

2. There is another leak in that same drain pipe, but on one side of the pipe exiting the chamber. I that one is easy to tell because I can shine a flash light by the side of the pipe outside, and see the light inside when I look inside from the fire box. So there is a huge stain running on one side of the square drain pipe to the drain valve, it leaks when I steam clean or when there is a lot of grease setting in on the bottom of the chamber. Again, an easy fix and even if I leave as is, I believe there would not be any major effect since I leave the drain valve open during smoking and so fair its been good. Will fix though. But again it bothers me. And also the welds are quite messy in some places. I will post pics in my review of all this.

3, The smoker chamber doors flanges are stitched welded and leak some smoke. But only when the chamber is full of white smoke. Since I know that you cook with heat and not smoke, there is no problem there. But I still would like to see more attention to those small details. Like the gator pits or klose. But yet again the langs are cheaper and better value for the money since I believe there would not be any improvements if the door or welds were done better.

4. I left the smoker out on a rainy day(Los Angeles weather) and there was rust in the prep table framed angle where the expanded steel is welded to the frame. I dont know why since it is obviously painted, but I think it comes from the underside of the expanded steel where it is rested against the framed angle. Since there probably isn't any paint on that side, its where the rust is coming in. Cleaned and sprayed with canola oil seemed to better it. There is also rust in the underside of the door wire handles.

The Lang is a hell of a smoker, I am now saving for a 60 on a trailer or maybe an 84. But next time I know what to tell Ben to keep an eye out for before it ships out. Those leaks should not be.


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## pig-a-liscious (Nov 29, 2013)

ChipotleQ,

I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your Lang 36 Deluxe  and have figured out a bit more about your earlier  temperature problems. It's not hard to do if you don't let the smoker get up to about 300 degrees and start developing a good bed of burning embers. Then your ready to cook.

I smoked eight turkeys two weeks ago for the first time on a Lang 60 and they turned out great. 41/2 hour cook at 250 degrees.

I don't know what you are smoking but I would highly recommend that you try using some apple and or cherry wood along with the oak. The taste for butts, chicken and briskets are awesome.

I hope that you continue to enjoy your smoker.

Harv


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## chipotleq (Nov 29, 2013)

Hi Harv,

I am enjoying very much my new smoker. and yesterday I photo documented my first very successful cook. I got this lang to replace my old wsm since I wanted the stick burning experience. I am glad I chose a lang. I cooked a rib roast, turkey and ham. I was very pleased with the results and I am usually a very hard critic on myself. I cook the usual bbq for most weekends, texas Q; sausage, brisket and spare ribs. Also butts once in a while and most often tri tip with chorizo.

Hopefully tonigh I will finish writing my review and once I figure out how to post the pics, I will send you a link so you can check out my review. But heads up, I cant seem to get even temperatures on my lang 36. The results were pretty much the same as in my first trial. I must be doing something wrong because I am getting as much as 100 degrees difference from one end to the other, and its a small smoker. Hoperfully you guys at smoking meat forum will help me out on this one. Stay tune


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## garyt (Nov 29, 2013)

Keep it level to nose a little higher (side opposite the firebox), keep the stack damper all the way open. Build a small hot fire not a large one running warm, keep the splits small about the size of a soda can in diameter, mine are larger. Let all that metal warm up for 45 to 60 minutes before you use it. Once it gets to temp, I close the pinwheel on the backside of the fire box all the way and keep the front one open about 1/3 and it works great. But I must admit I put meat inside mine, not a lot of thermometers :)


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## chipotleq (Nov 29, 2013)

Thank you garyt,

I have finished posting my review and I have pics of what my fire looks like while cooking at 250. I am sure sooner than later I will have a feel for her and just know where the hot spots are and not to worry and put the meat in. But I am in the new toy stage right now where I am obsessed in knowing how she works, lol. Here is the link, could you please advice me regarding my fire management and what I can change. I will try to get her level next time because as it was, it had a downward slope from firebox to other end, I guess it makes sense that heat settles slowers like that? and when raising the nose, it runs quicker out?. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/153338/my-lang-hybrid-36-patio-thanksgiving-review


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## garyt (Nov 29, 2013)

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## willham728 (Apr 3, 2014)

how long did it take to receive it after you ordered it?


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## wood river bbq (Apr 4, 2014)

willham728: My Lang 36 took about 3 weeks to build. The delivery, which was supposed to be 7 days, was something else. It went from Ga, through Tucson (where I live) to LA. From LA it went to Phoenix and then to Tucson where it sat on a dock for 2 days and all this was with different trucking companies and was eventually delivered to my home. Lang had no idea where it was at any point in time. Fortunately, the expediter I used knew where it was and kept me advised.


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## chipotleq (Apr 4, 2014)

I had same experience as wood river bbq. The company that lang used was one in florida, they took one 10 days to pick up the smoker once it was ready, another 7 days to arrive in California where it sat in a loading dock for another week before someone asked and realized the smoker was supposed to ship out asap. If you can, ask Ben to use a more expensive shipper. Because the least expensive sure take a looooong time to deliver to the west coast.


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## wood river bbq (Apr 5, 2014)

ChipotleQ; I was reviewing you post back on 11/13 and used it to overlook my Lang 36. Once I knew what I was looking at - I have no welding experience - I saw the same workmanship deficiencies.

During my last cook I noticed smoke leaking around the cook chamber cover and if smoke is getting out so is heat. Anyway, I was thinking the toggle clamps from the toggle clamp store might be the answer to make a tighter seal. When I checked the cover fit it appears the cover fit is pretty tight. I tried some fire place tape but the space was too small for it too work. Then what I noticed was the two handle latches are almost useless -- when I closed the latch handles they didn't even make contact with the latch - the welder who cut each latch didn't do a very good job. The weight of the cover is what holds the cover shut and makes the seal. The handles on my unit do nothing other than look nice!! I slipped a small metal washer into each latch and that tightened it up. The small smoke/heat leak probably doesn't make a difference in anything but I HATE leaks. I'll see what happens with the washers on the next cook.

Originally, I'm for So Ca (Diamond Bar), which isn't to far from you BBQ pit.

Don G


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## chipotleq (Apr 7, 2014)

Greetings Don

All lang smokers leak from the door flanges since they are stitched welded and have an open gap of about less than 1/8'' inch all around the cover door. To seal it, I have read that people use high temp silicone, the kind you can get form an auto parts store. People just seal the flanges and let the silicone settle before they close the door, and thus create a type of gasket. I've read that it works, but still have some smoke leaks where the hinges are welded. Check out the 'gator pits' from Houston. In their youtube videos, when they talk about their smokers doors, they point out how they have the best sealed doors out there because they weld the flanges all around and have an internal flange as well. The hinges they use are welded further up the smoker body to allow the flanges and welds to completely run all around the door, unlike the langs where the hinges interrupt the flanges. Gator does not use any type of latch, since the weight of the door is enough to make a close seal. I believe the latches on the langs are just there for their aesthetics and to keep the doors closed when hauling on trailer. My latches also dont seal the door better. When building a smoker, the hardest part is getting the door to seal right. But even with better quality workmanship like the gator pits, they still leak some smoke. I would not worry about it, I really believe the minor heat loss from the langs leaks makes no major difference if it were 100% sealed. But you can always try the silicone, its none permanent.

Right now I am working towards getting the smoker to have a proper draft throughout the chamber by positioning the smoker where the wind would enter more efficiently in the pinwheel and out the stack. I have a small jack that I use to make the smoker point a bit up so to help the heat move out quicker. I am seriously considering adding a fan assisted draft like a guru. But I just dont want to drill her just yet. As it is now, I think its fine. I would still buy the lang again if I had the opportunity to buy again with a gator being available at the same price.


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## wood river bbq (Apr 7, 2014)

chipotleQ: I really didn't notice the flange until I read your article. I sealed up all the openings on the cheapo smoker I previously owned but I don't like the looks of silicone which oozes all over the cooker. I can live with the small amount of heat/smoke leakage on my Lang. It hardly effects my cook.

Regarding the Guru -- I thought about it but I don't need it. After some work, I've mastered my Lang and I can easily maintain 250F- 275F. I have to pay attention to it but that's why "lounge chairs and beer was invented!!!".


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## chipotleq (Apr 7, 2014)

exactly, well said!
Exactly! well said


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## kevinwi (Jun 12, 2014)

Just got my Lang 36 stretch....have cooked on it a few times. Love it,,,Que has come out fantastic so far. Still getting used to it. have some big temp fluctuations from one end to the other so that will take some time to figure out. The leaks out the skip welds? Big deal....not anything at all to be concerned with....it's BBQ, not the space shuttle. I see no need for silicone, nor foil at the door. The temp lost is extremely minimal.
My digital thermometer held at 234 for 4 hours. Added a stick every 35-40 minutes.....usually when I started seeing the temp hit 229....that was a cue to add...and it took 5 minutes to get back up to 237 and then even out at 234.....that's good control......
Now .....that was at the center where my probes/meat were located. At the unit thermometer at the end of the lang, it held at 175 almost the entire cook....didn't check the hot side, but thats were I cooked Dutch's baked beans and the potato's. 

I noted Chipolte Q noted a leak around the drain flange. I hope folks understands that is by design. the square tube drain is for grease from ON TOP of the plate, but as the tube travels thru the bottom of the smoker, there is a small gap. This is so when cleaning with water, any overspill of water that collects in the bottom of the smoke chamber can drain out the bottom. It follows the outside of the drain tube and is creosote/water mix from the smoke chamber. All by design....if water were allowed to sit in there, it would end up rusting out the bottom of the cooker in short order.
All in all for what I paid and what I got, I'm a happy customer. A couple things I could nitpick about, but I won't Won't be looking to upgrade anytime soon as the stretch should take care of all I'll ever need.  Shipping was quick when it shipped. From GA to WI took them 1 day. Now they were backed up with orders and mine took 9 weeks, but I changed my order once and put it on hold once too. My fault.


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## alblancher (Jun 12, 2014)

I've had nothing but good experiences with my 36.  I normally overfill my Lang when I cook so I shove meat up against the far left side where the smoke enters the chamber after passing under the plate.  That spot tends to be hot on the Top side of the meat.   Since the smoker is full I have meat up tight against the side by the firebox also.  That side tends to run hot on the grate.  When I do rarely use the shelf the meat on the shelf nearest the top of the smoker is also in a higher temp.  Heat rises.

I use these temp differences to my advantage when cooking.  I'll bet that if you use the main grate and not overload the smoker you will never notice the differences in temperature. 

You may also adjust the stack a bit if you want to even out temps vertically in the smoker.   Mr. Ben recommended keeping the stack partially closed to even out chamber temps, I prefer to keep it fully open.

To lessen the temp variations I recommend fully warming the smoker before loading.  Get the smoker to 300 and leave it there long enough for all that steal to warm up.  Load the food and allow to gradually drop to cooking temp.  Once hot and stabilized a small fire will keep it stable and there will be less variation in grate and chamber temps.


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## mike0steff (Jul 17, 2014)

I have a Lang 36 Hybrid Deluxe and couldn't be happier. I have a few leaks but it's not that serious and doesn't effect my cook. I agree completely with alblancher that the best thing to do is allow all of that metal to get heated up and then slowly bring down the temperature. I've had 5 hour cooks with no more than 5 degree temp fluctuation.


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## nylan01 (Jul 17, 2014)

Hello fellow lang owners!!
I have the lang 36 hybrid deluxe patio model. I love it !!! I have noticed some leaks also but they usually seal off after she warms up. I agree about some of the welding job , but it doesn't effect my cook. Just was thinking what we gave for them that more attention to weld and cleaner cuts of parts would have been nice .  But I am happy just the same!!
The food I have cooked on it is awsome!here are some pictures.   Cooking on a lang. Lol


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## nylan01 (Jul 17, 2014)

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my lang


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## Doug McDonald (Dec 11, 2018)

pig-a-liscious said:


> ChipotleQ,
> 
> I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your Lang 36 Deluxe  and have figured out a bit more about your earlier  temperature problems. It's not hard to do if you don't let the smoker get up to about 300 degrees and start developing a good bed of burning embers. Then your ready to cook.
> 
> ...


I need help controlling temps. Firebox end runs 50 degrees hotter than the younger end Lang 60 I just can’t figure it out.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 11, 2018)

Doug McDonald said:


> I need help controlling temps. Firebox end runs 50 degrees hotter than the younger end Lang 60 I just can’t figure it out.



Try raising the front of the smoker a little higher than the firebox end, that should help. You can also put a water pan on the bottom grate next to the firebox.
Al


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## Doug McDonald (Dec 11, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> Try raising the front of the smoker a little higher than the firebox end, that should help. You can also put a water pan on the bottom grate next to the firebox.
> Al


Thanks will try water pan, I have played a lot with raising and lowering tongue to no help. Cooking 15 butts next week and now wondering if I’m going to have to keep rotating to get all done the same time. Confused


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## Berettaclayshooter (Feb 23, 2019)

Quality for price is why I can't and won't pay for a expensive smoker.. I'm a metal fabricator by trade (my company doesn't allow side work in their shop though...) I'm very anal retentive and


nylan01 said:


> Hello fellow lang owners!!
> 
> I have the lang 36 hybrid deluxe patio model. I love it !!! I have noticed some leaks also but they usually seal off after she warms up. I agree about some of the welding job , but it doesn't effect my cook. Just was thinking what we gave for them that more attention to weld and cleaner cuts of parts would have been nice .  But I am happy just the same!!
> The food I have cooked on it is awsome!here are some pictures.   Cooking on a lang. Lol


most of what I see available is pretty expensive for what you get.  Now the Jambo smokers are top notch, but they come with a top price as well.


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