Lang 36 or WSM

[CarolinaQue]

Not sure how you're cooking 3 times longe. I usually cook an 8 lb butt 12 or so hours in the 230* to the 240* range. How long are you cooking yours?

But yes, smoke from charcoal is lighter I believe because it has already burned it's moisture out. I've been trying to find a graph of some kind, but have had no luck as of yet.

 

[stewartr002]

Okay, you forced me into it. Here's some pic's of the 'Q off of the Lang. How's about a little Ribs, Brisket, Chicken, and beans. According to the guests, it was the best they'd ever eaten. I had to agree, the Lang is the Thang!
Randy

 

[Boshizzle]

I'd recommended both a Lang and a WSM or UDS. You can't beat the flavor you get from a stick burner. But, there are times when you will want to cook as hands off as possible and that's where the WSM or UDS comes in.

I cooked two racks of spares on July 4. I cooked them on my Bubba Keg which is similar to a WSM or a UDS. I set the temp at 275F and never had to touch it a single time throughout the entire 6 hour cook. You can't do that with a stick burner. I was able to run a few errands and ignore the cooker.

I use my Jambo stick burner for bigger cooks or when I have the time to spend tending it. Otherwise, I use my Bubba Keg or UDS.

Seriously, get one of each. The stick burner can produce better tasting BBQ but the WSM style cookers are so much more convenient and still cook some great tasting BBQ as well.

 

[Boshizzle]

Okay, you forced me into it. Here's some pic's of the 'Q off of the Lang. How's about a little Ribs, Brisket, Chicken, and beans. According to the guests, it was the best they'd ever eaten. I had to agree, the Lang is the Thang!
Randy

I don't doubt it. Nice looking Q, bro!

 

[stewartr002]

I'd recommended both a Lang and a WSM or UDS. You can't beat the flavor you get from a stick burner. But, there are times when you will want to cook as hands off as possible and that's where the WSM or UDS comes in.

I cooked two racks of spares on July 4. I cooked them on my Bubba Keg which is similar to a WSM or a UDS. I set the temp at 275F and never had to touch it a single time throughout the entire 6 hour cook. You can't do that with a stick burner. I was able to run a few errands and ignore the cooker.

I use my Jambo stick burner for bigger cooks or when I have the time to spend tending it. Otherwise, I use my Bubba Keg or UDS.

Seriously, get one of each. The stick burner can produce better tasting BBQ but the WSM style cookers are so much more convenient and still cook some great tasting BBQ as well.

Agree. I'll have to admit to my other smoker...that being a Traeger. I use it for overnight cooks of butts and brisket (usually 5-6 hours) then transfer them over to the Lang when I fire it up for the ribs and chicken. The smoke flavor is better than just using the Traeger and I still get the convenience of "tend free" overnight cooking. Of course, if I have the time to tend all day, I'll cook only on the Lang.
Randy

 

[El Lobo]

Seriously, get one of each. The stick burner can produce better tasting BBQ but the WSM style cookers are so much more convenient and still cook some great tasting BBQ as well.

Totally agree. There are just times where only I'm eating and don't need to heat up a huge pit. A WSM would be awesome.

 

[bbq ron]

i have a Lang 60, and at times i just fire it up for 2 slabs of ribs. i just love how it cooks

 

[Dave Russell]

Regarding the difference in flavor between a charcoal smoker and a stickburner, I observed something yesterday that really opened my eyes to maybe why I haven't been getting a deep enough smoke flavor on my pork butts, which I typically cook overnight in my wsm.

Anyways, I fired up the wsm early yesterday morning and the plan was to cook two 8lb+ butts most of the day, and see if I could get as good results as I do with my long cooks, only cooking 250-275* w/ a clay pot base n the pan, instead of 225-250, with water in the pan.

What I found out was that I've been using wood that was TOO DRY for long cooks. I had three chunks buried, and three chunks on top, and I couldn't believe how soon the smoke petered out.

I really didn't want to go adding wood, but I was able to get more smoke by turning the chunks a few times. I was aware that steam from the water pan could mask an absence of smoke, but you can't confirm there's smoke while you're zonked out in bed either! Well, the pork ended up having MUCH more smoke flavor than my last two or three butt cooks, and I couldn't believe how much the family ate. I used three store-bought hickory chunks, and three peach chunks that were about a year old. Thankfully, dad just cut a wild cherry and we'll be going out to the peach orchard in a few weeks. I just need to find some fresher hickory.

Bottom line for me is that for butt/brisket cooks from now on, I'll make sure I'm using my greenest smoke wood. If there's no smoke, how can I call it smoking?