Stick Burner question

Mdsteelerfan said:

Thanks for all advice. Might christian with a butt & a walmart bristket. That way i will only be out $35-$40 if my cook ****s the bed. I plan kn using the warmer/oven to dry out my wood while i am cooking. Now i need to find a wood guy in maryland, lol. Not 100% i recall
reading on LSG’s site that i need to season it for 3-6 hrs so the paint can dry or seal? Hopefully i’ll get a list of instructions when my grill arrives.

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i would do whatever chris says. who should know better than him?

I seasoned my LSG per the instructions Chris has on his website. I spent a day keeping the temp right at 250 wit no food in the cooker. It gave me a chance to learn how the cooker drafted, how big a fire was needed to maintain 250, and how much of the intake to keep open. One other thing I learned is that my post oak was not as seasoned as I thought it was. Some pieces burned well while others were little more wet.

All in all I am glad I spent that day just watching the fire and drinking a couple of beers while learning the cooker. It was time well spent and definitely set me up for success on the first cook after the seasoning. But the most important thing is after that day I had confidence in my skill with the cooker.

Today he pit looks good as new and I can easily control temperatures although the sweet spot seems to be right at 275.

You'll love your LSG.

Doesn't your first cook have to be a fatty? I thought it was mandatory

This:

pjtexas1 said:

i would do whatever chris says. who should know better than him?

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And This:

sparctek said:

I seasoned my LSG per the instructions Chris has on his website. I spent a day keeping the temp right at 250 wit no food in the cooker. It gave me a chance to learn how the cooker drafted, how big a fire was needed to maintain 250, and how much of the intake to keep open. One other thing I learned is that my post oak was not as seasoned as I thought it was. Some pieces burned well while others were little more wet.

All in all I am glad I spent that day just watching the fire and drinking a couple of beers while learning the cooker. It was time well spent and definitely set me up for success on the first cook after the seasoning. But the most important thing is after that day I had confidence in my skill with the cooker.

Today he pit looks good as new and I can easily control temperatures although the sweet spot seems to be right at 275.

You'll love your LSG.

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I went from a set it and forget it WSM to an LSG stick burner. There will be a learning curve. Maybe not as much for you as for me, but don't throw a couple hundred dollars worth of brisket on there in case things go sideways.

Season it as Chris describes, low and slow for several hours (the instructions will come with it) and then play around learning your pit. If you have any tuning plates, you are going to want to adjust those to the way you want to smoke. Some try to get even temps everywhere, others like different temp zones so they can do low and slow and Hot and Fast at the same time. I bought a bunch of cheap, canned biscuits and spread them around to look for hot spots. Play with bringing the temp up to 300* and then getting it back down to 225* without losing your fire. Better to learn that now than in the middle of a cook that got away.

This pit will last for generations if you take a little effort to take care of it. Lots of time for those SRF briskets next time.

Mdsteelerfan said:

Definitely have no intentions skipping the seasoning process. After waiting 12 weeks, 3-6 hrs spent protecting my 4,600 investment will be a breeze. Plus it gives me an excuse to literally do nothing but drink beer & play with fire.

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Now you've gone and let the secret out. :tape:
The only reason we buy these pits is to "do nothing but drink beer & play with fire".:flame:
Great Q is simply a byproduct.

jermoQ said:

My first cook on a stick burner was a lesson.

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So was my second, and third, and probably my forth. I'm at least on cook number six so I'm a pro........ Joking aside, I seem to learn something new every cook with every cooker.

JohnH12 said:

Now you've gone and let the secret out. :tape:
The only reason we buy these pits is to "do nothing but drink beer & play with fire".:flame:
Great Q is simply a byproduct.

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Ok Q is an OK byproduct when it comes to drinking beer and playing with fire........:thumb:

I must say, I disagree with most of this advice. You definitely should season your new smoker per the manufacturer's instructions, and learn to operate it while you season it. But then IMHO it's time for you to go to town. Smoke a couple of briskets -- nothing like a good, long, overnight smoking session to learn the in's and out's of your smoker.

No need to fear it -- it's not rocket science. And in my experience almost any form of 'que, including especially briskets, can stand some huge temp swings. I'm sure you'll do just fine, and you'll learn more from a good long brisket cook than trying something cheap and quick.

Just my pov.

angryelfFan said:

Personally, I would not risk 2 SRF briskets on it and would start with pork butts or chicken. What smoker did you order?

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so... don't risk it for the brisket? :becky: