OK, stickburners... let's see those small and hot fires.

Phrasty said:
Personally, my rig would run too hot wide open all the time. If I add splits to the fire and the smoke gets thick I usually open the vents all the way to get a clean burn going again the very gradually close them to 1/4 open to maintain 250 - 275. I found that if I shut them down too fast that tends to give white smoke sometimes.

Cheers
Click to expand...
I will have to try this. I have to run my intake wide open and the door slightly cracked just so my smoke doesn't go bad. The bad side is I'm cooking hotter than I would like to. I will have to try closing the door and damper gradually to get my desired temp and good smoke.

Thanks!
 
Maybe a dumb question, but what is considered a "stick burner"?
 
Jay 41 said:
Maybe a dumb question, but what is considered a "stick burner"?
Click to expand...

Almost any cooker could potentially be a "stick burner", it just means that the primary fuel source is wood splits. Although, most stick burners end up being offset cookers made out of pretty heavy steel.
 
1st year Lang 60 stickburner here. Thanks for all the information. Y'all are so much smarter than me. Several times my ribs have tasted smokey. Alot of good ideas here, thanks for the help.
 
Kernscookin said:
1st year Lang 60 stickburner here. Thanks for all the information. Y'all are so much smarter than me. Several times my ribs have tasted smokey. Alot of good ideas here, thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Just keep on trying new techniques! I know I completely ruined a chicken not to long ago because I was in a hurry and didn't get my fire going properly. I smoked that thing into oblivion, it was awful.

Looking back at it, my main problem was using splits that were to big. Now I use much smaller splits and end up with a smaller but much hotter fire, which in turn gives me the amount of heat that I need but without to much smoke.
 
Kerns,
What I've concluded is that proper wood fired/stickburning BBQ is an art form. When executed properly it is killer but the learning curve is steeper that most other styles. By no means have I "arrived" but I LOVE the challenge of it. Adds a whole new dimension to cooking.
 
Believe me, I have over smoked several pieces of meat. Adding the layer of smaller expanded metal so that charcoal doesn't fall thru will help. Smaller splits will help too. You are right about it being an art form, I'm just not an Artist yet. But I promise to keep trying. I paid alot of money for that Lang 60 and I will get it worked out
 
Kernscookin said:
Believe me, I have over smoked several pieces of meat. Adding the layer of smaller expanded metal so that charcoal doesn't fall thru will help. Smaller splits will help too. You are right about it being an art form, I'm just not an Artist yet. But I promise to keep trying. I paid alot of money for that Lang 60 and I will get it worked out
Click to expand...
If you have any questions regarding the Lang, let me know. I have been running mine now several years and have probably learned most of the tricks by now!
 
speers90 said:
Almost any cooker could potentially be a "stick burner", it just means that the primary fuel source is wood splits. Although, most stick burners end up being offset cookers made out of pretty heavy steel.
Click to expand...
Thankyou, guess mine is a home made stick burner then.
P1000566.jpg
 
Noah,
I just went to your website. If you have had a Lang for years maybe you can help me. Alot of these pictures are of 36" smokers. Can you keep a Lang 60 at 250 degrees with a small charcoal fire and throwing a 2" diameter, 12" long stick of wood in every once in a while. Cause I've used my cooker probably 15 times since I've had it and I always have a bigger fire with more coals than they are showing in these pictures. If I'm planning an all day cook I build a pretty good fire, let it burn down then add wood occationally, but I don't know that it is ever as small as the ones I'm seeing on this thread. Comment? Also are you competing with your Lang 60. I am considering doing a couple of competitions for fun only a year.
 
For me I start with some wine barrel wood staves I got from a friend in Napa, some good beer, and small HOT fire!

It starts like this:
DSCN0116.jpg


And burns like this:
DSCN0120.jpg


I almost sold the pit last summer, man I'm glad I didn't I sure to do love it. My favorite thing to do is get a raging hot fire real close to the opening of the barrel and grill steaks from the inside (not the grate over the fire). That allows the same heat to hit the steaks but without the flare ups yet all of the same smokey good taste from being cooked over real wood like a Santa Maria pit.
 
Kerns,

If you noticed my signature, have owned and cooked on 3 different Langs over the past 4 years. The short answer is yes, a charcoal basket will extend cooking times with charcoal used as the primary fuel. A full bag of charcoal would last about 3-4 hours in the Lang 48 and 60 I had.

Here's a few pics of it... http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1800950&postcount=5
 
Thanks Bandit. I have actually made myself a charcoal basket very similar to yours but have yet to use it. I work all week and then have family over to eat what I smoke. Haven't had a lot of time for experimentation. I've been afraid if the charcoal didn't work I would be behind on my smoke. But hearing from you I will have the confidence to use it. Thanks.
 
BBQ Bandit said:
A full bag of charcoal would last about 3-4 hours in the Lang 48 and 60 I had.
Click to expand...
Ouch!
I guess that is due to the size of the cook chamber? Or is it reverse flow (Aka fuel eater)

If a large bag of briquettes don't get me through a cook, I'd be bumming.

I guess if you are keeping her full of meat it would be worth it.
 
SirPorkaLot said:
Ouch!
I guess that is due to the size of the cook chamber? Or is it reverse flow (Aka fuel eater)

If a large bag of briquettes don't get me through a cook, I'd be bumming.

I guess if you are keeping her full of meat it would be worth it.
Click to expand...

Believe it is also based the mass of steel to heat plus being an offset... less efficient.

The small Lang 48 patio (4 ft chamber) weighs 800 lbs. empty.
The Lang 60 mobile was 1,200 lbs... and the 84 kitchen over 1,500 lbs.

The heating demands alone to heat up 1/4" steel seems alot ... considering the reverse flow baffle serves also as a radiating energy source.

Once up to temp... maintaining the heat is less demanding... hence the small and hot burning fires churning thin blue smoke
 
Last edited:
Cheaper for me to burn wood vs coals so I'm trying to master stickburning. Also using a cooker similar in size to a Lang 36 (Meadowcreek SQ36)
 
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