Thoughts so far on LSG offset

P

prubio

Found some matches.

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I’ve had my LSG 20 x 42 offset for a few months now. It’s an incredible cooker that holds temps like no one’s business. The temperature variance across the smoker is also minimal without the need for tuning plates. Filling the bottom in lieu of a water pan lets me use the precious real estate for meat. I’ve done short and long cooks on it. Everything I’ve cooked on it has turned out top notch.

I highly recommend the gas starter option. It helps you get your fire started in just a few minutes.

For those that might struggle to maintain a coal bed on long cooks like me with this smoker, I recommend the following:

1. 17x17 piece of expanded metal to lay on top of the fire grate to keep the small coals from falling through.

2. I bought a kindling cracker and have been splitting my wood lengthwise followed by cutting the splits in half with an alligator lopper.

With those 2 things, I’ve been able to keep a healthy coal bed for the length of my cooks along with running at whatever temperature I want to run.

If you’re in the market for an offset, give the LSG 20” offsets a look. I don’t think anyone will find a higher quality cooker for the money.
 
Any way you could load that up and bring it to the Texas bash in October? We'd all love to see it!

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Maybe. :) As it gets closer, I can see if I'm available and if a friend has a trailer to load it up in. This beast weighs over 500 lbs!
 
Have you been cooking with your firebox door closed? My 20x42 seems to do better with the door open. I get white smoke anytime I close the door.
 
I get the white smoke when the splits are either too thick or too long. When I have cooked with the firebox door open, it’s hard to heat it past 225-250. By splitting the splits to make them thinner then cutting them in half, I can keep my door closed. I have been controlling the temperature by how much wood I put in—haven’t had to mess with closing the air intake yet.
 
prubio said:
I get the white smoke when the splits are either too thick or too long. When I have cooked with the firebox door open, it’s hard to heat it past 225-250. By splitting the splits to make them thinner then cutting them in half, I can keep my door closed. I have been controlling the temperature by how much wood I put in—haven’t had to mess with closing the air intake yet.
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I've been using my chop saw to chop my splits down to 10 inches and I split the wood into quarters or smaller. I still can't keep the smoke as clean as I like it without cracking the door. I'm super picky about my smoke quality though. I've always cooked with the firebox door cracked open on all my smokers.
 
Funny how we all have our ways. I have never left the fb door open. Never heard much about it until some famous guys started building cookers without intakes. I've tried leaving my door open and my OCD can just feel the heat being lost. I'm in the camp of adjusting my split sizes and knowing how seasoned a stick is.

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The issues raised above are why I'm going in a different direction. I think. I've seen numerous contacts about flow issues in the FB. Talked to LSG and they would not increase damper size. I was disappointed as I really wanted to pull the trigger. Love everything I hear about them
 
carl_694 said:
The issues raised above are why I'm going in a different direction. I think. I've seen numerous contacts about flow issues in the FB. Talked to LSG and they would not increase damper size. I was disappointed as I really wanted to pull the trigger. Love everything I hear about them
Click to expand...
They are custom builders but sometimes they can't customize or change beyond their normal options. I think that's how they keep their short build timeframes. I am positive that Chris wouldn't sell a cooker that didn't draft well.

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I completely understand. But I think they'll need to increase the size to increase their sales. They ask a premium price point. They need to deliver a premium product. Mind you, I think that smoker would be awesome for the price, but I'm hesitant due to the repeated nature of the discussion about flow.
 
carl_694 said:
I completely understand. But I think they'll need to increase the size to increase their sales. They ask a premium price point. They need to deliver a premium product. Mind you, I think that smoker would be awesome for the price, but I'm hesitant due to the repeated nature of the discussion about flow.
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I re-read the posts and I get it. No need to feel nervous when other builders will make the changes you want.

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I had a deposit in on the new style cooker before I cancelled and went with the EM smoker. I asked about a couple small changes and it was mentioned that he would have to custom make that cooker for the changes. Like PJ mentioned, it's why the lead time is so short on these 20" models. Probably takes a day or two and makes nothing but fireboxes being that he's lucky enough to have plasma cutters and updated equipment.

Only thing on the draft, I cooked the same way on my LSG 24x48, with the door open. If I ever shut it, smoke would get dirty.
 
ruger35 said:
I had a deposit in on the new style cooker before I cancelled and went with the EM smoker. I asked about a couple small changes and it was mentioned that he would have to custom make that cooker for the changes. Like PJ mentioned, it's why the lead time is so short on these 20" models. Probably takes a day or two and makes nothing but fireboxes being that he's lucky enough to have plasma cutters and updated equipment.

Only thing on the draft, I cooked the same way on my LSG 24x48, with the door open. If I ever shut it, smoke would get dirty.
Click to expand...

Just wondering what you define as dirty smoke. To me, it is heavy, dense white smoke. Light blue, at least to me, is not dirty but right where it should be. If I was to put an unseasoned stick in my firebox and close the door without letting it ignite, I am sure to get that white smoke. So..... I only put in well seasoned sticks and let them ignite before closing the door.

When I open my door, the light blue will pretty much go away. The only way to describe what is coming out of the stack (there are two on my vertical offset) when the firebox is open is clear heat waves. Maybe that is your idea of clean smoke. We just differ in opinion, perhaps.
 
ruger35 said:
Only thing on the draft, I cooked the same way on my LSG 24x48, with the door open. If I ever shut it, smoke would get dirty.
Click to expand...

OK... So my 1/50 of a buck says "yes" - I'd like a bigger intake on the firebox of my LSG but only for one reason. When first starting the fire the door needs to be open - which requires some sort of monitoring in case the logs shift. I hesitate to leave the door open while prepping the meat inside. Once the coal bed is established the door can remain closed and extremely clean smoke is achieved. Only at start-up is the extra airflow needed on my particular pit.
 
txsmkmstr said:
OK... So my 1/50 of a buck says "yes" - I'd like a bigger intake on the firebox of my LSG but only for one reason. When first starting the fire the door needs to be open - which requires some sort of monitoring in case the logs shift. I hesitate to leave the door open while prepping the meat inside. Once the coal bed is established the door can remain closed and extremely clean smoke is achieved. Only at start-up is the extra airflow needed on my particular pit.
Click to expand...

I always had to leave mine cracked open a couple inches to get the best burning fire. Not complaining, which may be how some people took it. I also think the grates in the firebox are overrated now that I cook on a smoker that is round bottomed in the firebox so no grate is used. fire sits directly on the coals and everything burns completely.
 
txsmkmstr said:
OK... So my 1/50 of a buck says "yes" - I'd like a bigger intake on the firebox of my LSG but only for one reason. When first starting the fire the door needs to be open - which requires some sort of monitoring in case the logs shift. I hesitate to leave the door open while prepping the meat inside. Once the coal bed is established the door can remain closed and extremely clean smoke is achieved. Only at start-up is the extra airflow needed on my particular pit.
Click to expand...

Mine works the same way. I use my gas starter for about 20 minutes. The door is open because there is a pretty good fire going on from the gas. After twenty minutes or so, the gas starter is turned off and I close the door and the cooking chamber temp will continue to rise. I usually give the chamber 45 minutes to an hour total to get the steel warmed up. I adjust for the cooking temperature range I want and then place the meat in the cooker. When needed, I add preheated sticks to the firebox and close the door once there is ignition of the new stick.

The smoker draws extremely well and the air flow is perfect as far as I can tell.
 
Springram said:
Just wondering what you define as dirty smoke. To me, it is heavy, dense white smoke. Light blue, at least to me, is not dirty but right where it should be. If I was to put an unseasoned stick in my firebox and close the door without letting it ignite, I am sure to get that white smoke. So..... I only put in well seasoned sticks and let them ignite before closing the door.

When I open my door, the light blue will pretty much go away. The only way to describe what is coming out of the stack (there are two on my vertical offset) when the firebox is open is clear heat waves. Maybe that is your idea of clean smoke. We just differ in opinion, perhaps.
Click to expand...


White smoke. If I close the door at any point during the cook, I get white smoke. I know how to build and maintain a fire and I'm picky about the wood I use. Still, I get white smoke if I shut the door. Not a big deal to me because I've cooked that way on all my smokers, and I can control temps fine with the door open. I just wondered if anyone else had the same issue with the model I own, and obviously some have. I love my smoker and wouldn't trade it for any other model on the market, but I'm not going to gloss over the truth. I paid full price, no discounts or sponsorships. I'm going to tell the good and the bad.
 
Have you spoken to Chris about it? If you have been to the shop, you know that LSG makes and sells a ton of smokers. It is a large shop. I remember the days when it was not.

Who knows? Maybe the design is not good and you and everyone else are having the same problem. He needs to know. Let us know what you find out.
 
It always amuses me to see people get so defensive over the slightest criticism of a smoker model they don't even own. Especially if it's an LSG.
 
You are the one that is complaining about things. I am not defensive at all. Just wondering if you have ever contacted Chris about your problem with the smoker. I cannot help you. My smoker works just great and if there is fail on the cook, it is me, not the screwdriver or hammer.

If you have always cooked with your firebox doors open, then sit back and enjoy you cooker.
 
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