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Lang Smokers

Big Dan

Big Dan

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Is anyone here familiar with Lang smokers? I am curious as to how the reverse flow system works and how you like it compared to regular offset smokers. Thanks.
 
I have a Lang 84 Deluxe with roof / trailer mods. I really like how it cooks. I also have a water pan in the cooker. The drippings drop down on the reverse flow plate and sizzle off. I put foil down on the plate now for easy clean up. I have done a 165 lb whole hog, Catered a 150 person wedding, and entered 1 BBQ contest. I took 6th in chicken out of 65 teams my first time out.
 
Langs are a very popular and well made smoker. The reverse flow design helps reduce hot/cold spots by heating a full length baffle under the grates.

Also have a Klose (traditional) smoker which has various hot/cold zones which can be advantageous cooking multiple temp zones off one heat source.
 
So basically there is a plate on the bottom that directs the heat to the other side first?
 
You got it! When you look at them, you'll notice that the firebox and exhaust chimney are on the same side. Pretty sweet, wish I had one!!!
 
Big Dan said:
So basically there is a plate on the bottom that directs the heat to the other side first?
Click to expand...

Its a full length baffle - starting directly above the firebox opening. From the firebox; the smoke and thermal energy runs under the plate (from the firebox) in a right to left direction until hitting the far left side of the smoker which changes direction (left to right) and passes over the meats before leaving thru the exhaust.

Below is a rough diagram - not exactly to scale.

picture.php
 
K. So, I would think a big advantage of this is full use of grill space due to no super hot areas where the fire/smoke would enter the box. Any others? Those Langs on their website look good. I'm drooling over the 108" model.
 
The reverse flow has another, in my opinion, little talked about benefit. I believe the smoke flow rides along the top of the chamber resulting in a little less smokiness for your meat.
 
I'm currently building a reverse flow trailer model. QDoc is right that the smoke tends to ride to the top. For this reason my new pit will have 3 cooking grate levels.
 
I've never noticed any issues with getting enough smoke into the meat with my reverse flow. It's not a Lang, but the concept is the same. I did lower the location of the smoke stack, so it ensures all cooking levels are getting kissed with smoke.
 
IIRC, when i was researching stick burners a while back, the big difference was the temperature variations that the reverse flow fixes (its a more uniform temp across the grate with less hot spots.

The temp differentiations on the normal offset can be used in your favor however, especially if you are cooking different cuts (ribs and a bird, for example. But, if you're going to be cooking one cut at a time (just ribs, just brisket, just butt), I would definitely go with the RF.
 
We like our Lang 84. I've never cooked on a standard offset but this rig has served us well. I grilled for our family reunion one day and slow BBQed the next. Personally I like having less variation in temps.
 
I use a Lang 60. The heat under the baffle cooks the meat from the bottom and then the top as the hot air/smoke travels back toward the stack. I have a full width upper pull out grate so there are two levels of cooking. The bottom left (towards the trailer hitch) runs a bit cooler than the area to the right (firebox end) because the heat comes out of the firebox and onto the baffle. This works for me as the left is used for ribs/butts and the right for chicken. I can run 225 on the left lower and 275 on the right upper.
 
I also have a reverse-flow, one of the downsides to this design though is that they are fuel hogs!!

I would not trade it for any other pit because of the consistent way it cooks. My "sweet" spot is about 80% of the over-all cooking area. This is huge compared to a tradition off-set.
 
I love my Lang 84. Like columbia1 said, it is a fuel hog, but it cooks great if you need a lot of room.
 
Big Dan said:
Is anyone here familiar with Lang smokers? I am curious as to how the reverse flow system works and how you like it compared to regular offset smokers. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I was looking very closely at the Lang 60 but then went with a Reverse Flow Meadow Creek TS120. Not because I thought Meadow Creek was a better rig but because Meadow Creek is local to me and Lang is down in Georgia. If anything went wrong I would just drag it back. That said I have cooked on offset and reverse flow offset and like the reverse flow much better. More even temps across the cooker, easier to maintain temps. The only thing I notice about the reverse flow is it burns more fuel and you have to use the upper and lower shelves to cook at 2 different temps where a regular offset you would just move the meat closer or further away from the firebox.
 
Another point about hot/cold spots on reverse flows is to make sure the unit is level, front to back.

Trust me on this. I did not think it made that big of a difference until I tried it.

The trailer hitch end too far down will make the smoke/heat harder to flow from back to front and then to back again.

The trailer hitch end too far up will cause the smoke/heat to stall in the front.

If you don't believe me, try it. It doesn't take but about 30 minutes to see the difference.

wallace
 
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