I agree. I no longer use my gas log assist. I always start by pouring a chimney of hot lump charcoal over a base of unlit coals.

Thanks William!

Thanks Spencer

Thanks Daniel!

Thanks (I think)

Thanks Andrew! I wish I had more chances to sit back there & enjoy the mornings but life’s responsibilities usually have me hustling first thing in the morning. Smoking & grilling does give me great reasons to enjoy being in my yard.

Hi Ron! Glad you're enjoying your 24x40... I don't think I've ever come across anyone who was disappointed with their LSG. Somehow I missed these comments, so I apologize for not responding sooner. Take care & smoke on!

Thanks Ed

Thanks John! Happy New Year! Sorry for the late response....

Thanks @mk

Thanks Mick (sorry for the late rely)

Thanks Rusty

Thanks Mike!

Thanks Mark! Congrats on marking your decision.... I know that agonized when I was making up my mind. LSG makes great smokers & they stand behind their products. Enjoy!

Thanks

Thanks Phil

Thanks Warren

"BTW, 28 months is more than 10% of my remaining life expectancy." LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!

Thanks!

@Hunsaker Smokers & @lonestargrillz make fine BBQ pits & they are easy to work with. The folks at LSG would be happy to talk to you & help you pick the best one for your needs. Please let them know that you saw one of my videos!

Thank you!

Thanks Matt!

Thanks Common Sense! I appreciate your support!

Thanks Stephen! I appreciate your support! Things got a little hectic for me this Summer, but I plan on making more videos soon.

Backyard SmokeMaster BBQ you are my neighbor both like the 49ers , I know you’re better than that.

LOL..... I’ve been a Niners fan since I was a young pup dating back to the Bill Walsh era. Are you an Eagles fan?

Backyard SmokeMaster BBQ yes sir I am. I wish u well on ur season. NOTTTT lol no I do , you and my neighbor lol 😂. But seriously I really like your videos because you have came a long way and your information is valuable hopefully I will be able to join you one day on KZfaq. Much love from Philly!

Thanks again Stephen.... best wishes to you too on the Eagles. We’re all optimistic about our teams at the beginning of the season. As for making videos, the hardest thing to overcome is the decision to actually start doing it. Once you start, the hardest part is over (the 2nd hardest thing is to sit down & actually edit your video... I still struggle with that one). Let me know when you post your first video!

Right! I always have my eye on something new (or for a great deal)!

Thanks crazy monkey! Sorry for the late response... I did not notice that this video had received additional comments. I picked up my mats at Sam's Club. They aren't completely fireproof but they get the job done.

Yes, I did a few cooks with wood splits but I found that the Guru really didn’t help. Wood splits last around 45 minutes regardless of the fan so you still have to be there to put a new split on the fire. I think the guru will only help if you’re cooking with charcoal. That being said, if your goal is to cook overnight with charcoal, maybe you should consider a cabinet smoker. I think the value of owing a 20” offset is realized when you cook with wood splits. Hope that helps!

Hi I build the Smokers here in Ireland if you want to check them out my Instagram is d___fab

@19Ronin50 To cut down on the shipping cost, the only part of the LSG that was not assembled was the chimney stack and the pull handle that I added. It only takes a few minutes to put add those to the smoker. The biggest chore was unboxing the crate!

@@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ thank you Sir- heck have to save up for the LSG now! take care

I agree. I would leave them off if I were ordering it again.

Yikes! I paid $225 which was a tough pill to swallow. I wonder whether the cover has been redesigned somehow to justify the added cost.

Smoke does escape from the probe holes as they are located right next to the smoke stack so that is to be expected. Placing the probe ports on the other side would have them very close to the firebox. I highly recommend including at least one port as you wouldn’t want a probe wire to be under the chamber lid which is much heavier than the lid on a kettle grill or a Kamado. I hope that helps!

Also, the amount of smoke that comes out of the probe port is not significant. If it didn’t come out of the probe port, it would escape from the smoke stack so I wouldn’t be concerned.

@@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ Seems to me grommets should be sealing the probe holes once a wire is snaked through. Leaks from the cooking chamber is never ideal and becomes even more problematic when smoking in cold temperatures. Forces a smoker to unnecessarily struggle maintaining heat. Gonna call LSG and see how they address this. Thanks a bunch for your timely response.

@RM J It’s very possible that they have redesigned the probe ports since my pit was built. It hasn’t been a problem for me but Chris will certainly respond to your questions. Good luck with build!

@@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ 👍🏾

Buel, thanks for the tuna can tip. I had never heard that one before. Yes, I always leave the ball drain open unless I decide to cook with water. In my mind, it serves an another exhaust & although, I’ve never noticed it, some grease might flow through the drain during the cook. Do you believe it should remain closed during the cook?

Thanks Dan.... it's hard to describe the flavor in comparison to my other cookers. Food on the LSG has a "pure smoke flavor".... I know that doesn't say much. It's just different. I guess what makes it different is that you don't taste the charcoal flavor that you get from a kettle. I use lump charcoal on my KJ which is much closer in flavor to the LSG than my kettle or my pellet smoker. I've also noticed that I get a really nice smoke ring on the LSG whereas it's kind of hit or miss on my other cookers.

@@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ How much attention does it take for.......a pork butt? the pellet grill intrigues me because of the "set it and forget it" mentality but I am kinda old fashioned. Plus, I believe LoneStar makes a charcoal basket option for the meat chamber which is something I would be interested in. Thanks.

@@befmx31 Generally speaking, stick burners require much more attention than pellet smokers. On a 20" LSG like mine, you should probably expect to have to add a new split to the fire every 45 minutes or so but even saying that, you should keep a constant eye on things because there are many variables that can affect your fire differently, i.e. the size of the split, changes in outside temp, changes in wind speed, direction, etc. Cooking on a stick burner is the exact opposite from "set it & forget it". Stick burners require a lot more attention, but the reward is worth it. If you really don't think you're up for having to constantly monitor & tinker with the cook, then a pellet smoker is a much better option, especially for long cooks like a pork butt where all you have to do is make sure that you enough pellets on-hand. You're right, LSG does sell a charcoal option for the chamber in case you want to grill your food & they also sell a charcoal basket that you can use inside your firebox for long cooks. I bought the charcoal basket but I still haven't used it.

Hi Mark.... thanks for your comment! When I purchased my LSG smoker, I only considered their offset smokers. I really haven’t looked much into the cabinet/vertical smokers so I can’t speak with certainty about how they compare to offsets. I could be mistaken, but I believe charcoal is the primary fuel source (supplemented with wood chunks) used in cabinets versus using log splits in offsets. I think that you’d have more predictability/consistency during a long cook with charcoal briquettes because each briquette is designed to burn similar to each other while each individual wood split burns differently. Charcoal & wood splits also have different flavor profiles which ultimately come down to individual preference. Therefore cabinets are probably easier to use for long cooks (especially overnight) due to the better predictability of the briquettes. Whichever style smoker that you decide, make sure to buy it from a quality fabricator like LSG. Hope that helps & good luck with your decision!

Thank you Sir. I appreciate your thoughtful feedback. Kind Regards Mark

Sorry to bother you again, I have 1 quick follow up. I just reviewed LSG’s website again and realized I misstated my question. LSG makes 2 types of cabinet/vertical smokers; 1) Insulated and 2) Offset. I believe you were referring to the insulated cabinet which may use charcoal. I’m interested in a offset cabinet or vertical smoker. Any advice on vertical/cabinet offset smokers vs traditional/barrel type offset smokers? Thank you again for your time & consideration.

I'm very certain that you can cook with wood splits in the offset cabinets. I think the offset cabinets generally work the same as the 20" (the one that I have) and the 24" smokers. My educated guess is that there is probably more potential for temperature fluctuations inside the chamber of the 20" and 24" from left to right although you can overcome this in the 24" thanks to the tuning plates that the 20" smokers don't have. However, I'm unsure whether there are temperature differences from top to bottom inside the offset cabinets. You're right.... I believe you would use charcoal inside the insulated cabinets. I suggest that you call LSG & ask to speak to Chris Goodlander (the owner). I've heard from many that he is more than willing to speak candidly about his smokers. He could advise you on which one is best for your needs.

Thanks again, I really appreciate the advice. Aside from my own research, I’m was looking to gain as much insight from experienced pit smokers like yourself before reaching out to LSG. I still have more pennies to save anyway. Keep up the good work!! P.S. Really like your newest addition, Camp Chef flattop Grill.

Wouldn’t it have to be welded in place?

@@timcapell screwed on.

Stick burners absolutely put out a different flavor profile than charcoal, pellet or gas cookers. The smoky flavor is most present in my opinion, on food cooked on my LSG but my other cookers also produce really good food. I don't use my LSG for every cook (its not practical when you end the work day at 6 & want to eat before 8), but when I do use it, I am always happy with the food. That being said, you have to ask yourself if you want a cooker that requires you to pay close attention to it throughout the cook & whether you're willing go through trial & error while you learn how to use it. Stick burners are the complete opposite from set it & forget it. All of my cookers have a defined role in arsenal, however I don't think that I would have bought my gas grill if I knew then what I know now. The gasser is the one grill that I don't use on a regular basis. In a nutshell, stick burners are by far the most challenging to use, but the reward of eating outstanding smoked food from it is the most rewarding. I hope that helps!

Backyard SmokeMaster BBQ i have a similar profile of smokers as yourself with a pellet grill, ceramic kamado and a pit barrel and they have all their jobs. I smoked a brisket on my kamado with oak and it was a game changer for me as far as authentic flavor. Still wonder about the stick burner experience but don’t know if want to babysit a fire for 15 hrs for a large meat, but If the flavor is so much better than other cookers maybe it’s worth it.

I completely understand your hesitation.... a good stick burner is expensive & heavy making it harder to get rid of if you decide that its not for you. Maybe check around to see if there is a stick burner fabricator in your area that you can visit. Or you might be able to see one at a good BBQ specialty shop or at a BBQ competition. Seeing one in action & in person might help you decide.

Yes, LSG does sell a custom fit cover. I paid $225 when I ordered mine around 2 years ago. It’s heavy duty & well made. Matter of fact, it’s so heavy, I’ve stoped using it because it’s somewhat of a hassle taking it on & off if you use your smoker regularly. I’ll put it back on if I know that I won’t cook in awhile. Coating the exterior of the smoker every now & then with food grade white mineral oil helps to keep it looking pretty good.

It's the perfect size to fit under the valve. The other buckets that I tried were too tall.

I have a vert LSG and have had the same bucket problem - Just ordered a couple from Amazon - they also have disposable liners to help keep the bucket clean. @@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ

Ray Mort Thanks for the tip about the disposable liners.... I’m going to check them out!

Mine is carbon steel & it has tarnished. I'm trying to figure out how to bring it back. Stainless steel cleaners don't appear to the best for it.

Backyard SmokeMaster BBQ Did you ask Chris?

@@travissherer7351 I haven't gotten around to it but I need to.

Never 🤣

Yes I would like to know as well. Considering either Mak Star 2 or the smaller version of this offset.

Abraham O Seems our friend has gone AWOL... lol. Still awaiting his thoughts :) I can tell you that the MAK is an amazing pellet grill/smoker. I have had lots of cookers (wood, charcoal, pellets and gas) and the MAK is definitely one of my all time favorites :)

Hi Robb.... I'm so sorry for the late response! I had not noticed any notifications from KZfaq on comments for this video. I'll try to get better at that! Anyway, most experts say that the smoke profile on a pellet smoker like the MAK is very light especially when compared to a stick burner & I'd have to agree. There really is no comparison. Don't get me wrong, my MAK still plays a significant role in my outdoor cooking arsenal. I've got my pellet smoked bacon down to a science! My MAK also comes through when I need to get my cook started quickly or if I don't have the time to constantly monitor the cooker like you do with a stick burner where you have to keep an eye on the fire. Cooking on a stick burner like a LSG requires a commitment... it's harder to do but the reward is tremendous. Cooking on a pellet smoker is convenient. It truly is "set it and forget it". I'd say if you were considering a gas grill, then you'd be better served with a good pellet smoker like a MAK. I have no regrets with either my MAK or my LSG. I highly recommend both.

Hi Ron, I changed my order from the 24x40 pipe smoker when LSG announced the 20” models. I love my 20x42 but I can also appreciate features of the larger 24”pipe smokers like the larger firebox & the ability to use tuning plates to get even cooking temps throughout the chamber. Hw do you like your LSG?