Lone Star Grillz 24x40

[peeps]

Nice looking rig! Love me some LSGs!

 

[tom b]

nice cooker bro :thumb:

 

[charcoalwilly]

Hey JokerBroker - you clearly put a lot of thought into the options. Love the end result. I am going through same process and have a few questions:

* Why did you go for the 40” length? Was there something specific you were trying to fit?
* Do you plan on running with the tuning plates?
* What is temperature difference from front to back?

 

[JokerBroker]

1. No specific reason but I kept hearing people say go bigger than what you think you need and in the end I figured I would rather have the extra space than need it one day and not have it. At this price point, it was pretty easy to justify the extra $200 since I will be keeping it a long time. I knew I wanted a single door and a 40" pit is as big as you can go and still get away without using a counterweight, which I didn't want. Plus, it occurred to me that you lose 4" of shelf width on all of these offsets because the shelves have to clear the sides of the cook chamber when you slide them out. I highly recommend the 24" depth on whatever you decide for laying ribs or briskets front to back. It also makes the top rack much more usable. On a side note, I've read that air doesn't flow through 24" pits quite as fast as a narrower pit so that aids in a little better smoke flavor but I can't say if that is true. All I know is this pit drafts exceptionally well in swirling winds. I would also guess that the 40" requires no extra fuel to operate over a 36". I used 8 overly dry splits of cherry (<5% moisture) to warm up the pit and cook for 7 hours at 275°. (average temp of 60° that day)

2. I've only done one cook but the tuning plates worked as advertised. I spaced them out like the owner's manual suggested you start at and felt no need to adjust them. I was within 5° left to right the entire time once the pit got up to temp. Interestingly, the left side was hotter than the right until the pit warmed up.

3. I didn't observe any temp difference from front to back but I have to admit, I was more focused on left to right temps. I'll have to look for that next time.

 

[txsmkmstr]

...

2. I've only done one cook but the tuning plates worked as advertised. I spaced them out like the owner's manual suggested you start at and felt no need to adjust them. I was within 5° left to right the entire time once the pit got up to temp. Interestingly, the left side was hotter than the right until the pit warmed up.

....

I can't claim the 5* tolerance but did find it to be true the far end got hotter initially. The secret is to not look at the temps for a couple hours while things get settled. By the end of the cook my firebox side is still hotter - glad I have the extra little bit of room up from a 36"

Speaking of 36" vs. 40", there's something about the ratio of pit length to firebox size that seems balanced with the 40". The 48" looks just a little too long (don't get me started on the 60") and really didn't fit the profile of my patio location.

 

[Itsdjluna]

It is surprisingly easy to cook on. The wind was a bit gusty and swirling and the draft was just steady all day. I'd add a split about every 50 minutes or so and the temps would only fluctuate a few degrees. There is also plenty of room to leave a split on the side of the fire to preheat it. That really helped too. I cooked a 15 pound prime brisket trimmed down to 11 pounds in just 7 hours at 275° with internal temps probing between 200°-210° with a great texture. No wrapping and no water used. I wanted to keep my first one simple. Kosher salt and pepper rub. (sorry for sideways pic)

Very nice rig. How did the brisket come out?

 

[lastmajordude]

Wow!!!!!! Go big or go home!!!!!!!!! Outstanding lookin pit

 

[JokerBroker]

I can't claim the 5* tolerance but did find it to be true the far end got hotter initially.

I guess you should just keep moving your plates a little at a time until you get there. My theory on the heat being hotter on the left initially has to do with it taking a while to heat up the hundreds of pounds of steel that the firebox and grill are made of. While they are still relatively cool, they may keep the right side of the cooking chamber cooler. I bought an IR thermometer and when I wasn't pointing it at my foot or a wall or my dog's butt, I was using it on the grill and the outside of the firebox. Not adjusting for emissivity, the grill gets to about 400° when the cook chamber is cruising along at 275°. The exterior of the firebox took a long time to get to about 350°. The hottest wall of the firebox was the one on the cook chamber side. That approached 400°. I would say my logs may have been closest to that wall of the four though so that could have affected the readings and not the fact that the draft was flowing that way.

 

[JokerBroker]

How did the brisket come out?

Everyone enjoyed it. I always think something could be better about everything I cook though. As I mentioned in Post #11, I kept this first cook simple. I think next time I will wrap it in butcher paper for the last couple of hours. The cook after that, I may introduce some water and see if it makes much difference.