Best Stick Burner - The Smoker Your Grandkids Will Inherit!
This post is a presentation of the best stick burner on the market, the Lang 48" Deluxe Patio Smoker. After a significant investment of time into research, patience in saving and planning, I purchased my Lang, AKA Black Betty, and I have not been disappointed. If you have questions please post them in the comments section below so that others can benefit from your question and the answers given.
I purchased Black Betty (the name my smoker finally earned) in the spring of 2018. Phil, a good friend of mine, and I drove from Michigan to Lang Headquarters in Nahunta GA to pick her up. While there we took advantage of a training class Lang offered with BBQ Hall of Fame, Baron of BBQ Paul Kirk. During the class we learned fire management, rub/seasoning creation, sauce creation/usage, meat preparation and cooking (we prepared and smoked a variety of meats...and took lots of leftovers home!), and smoker cleaning and maintenance.
Research Time
After spending a year researching the style of smoker I wanted and another year researching (and saving for) the particular brand I felt was the best, I chose a Lang. One very helpful thing I did was stalk the Lang Smoker Owner Facebook page and ask questions of the owners there. The comments and responses on Lang vs. any other brand made my decision easy.
Which One?
In choosing which model and size (they range from 36" patio to 108" commercial style) I was leaning toward the 36" Patio Deluxe. This was based on being practical, as well as the cost savings over a 48" of the same model. After having lots of owners tell me "Get a size bigger than you think you want" I thought through how I would use it, how much product would fit in each in terms of smoked meats, and budget. I felt comfortable moving up to the Lang 48" Deluxe Patio Smoker and pulled the trigger. I now echo many owners...when ordering, get a size bigger than you think you want.
I vacillated on whether to get the warmer box or not, as well as whether to get it with a trailer hitch or have it on wheels. I chose "wheels" and upgraded to the wagon wheel option as I have to roll Black Betty in and out of my back yard and steel casters would never have worked. I sometimes wonder if a hitch would have been better, but to this point it has not made a difference. If I end up catering more, I will most likely get a hitch...on a larger unit?.
Options I added and my thoughts after using them:
- Second thermometer - a must, helps know your overall chamber temp top to bottom and maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the smoker chamber.
- Extra probe port - very helpful when using temperature probes on the right or left side, or both.
- Wagon wheel option - for me a must, if you will ever move or trailer your smoker, it is a must. Otherwise it is still helpful when rolling anywhere...and looks cool?.
- Collapsible shelf - nice, but I don't use it a lot so doesn't really matter. I think it was required with my design. I will eventually cover it with a stainless sheet.
- Butterfly opening from firebox to warmer - a must. Helps to raise the warmer box temp much higher when using it for additional meats, etc.
- Stainless steel racks - I've not used the original non-stainless ones, but mine clean so easy and everyone who has them swear by them and say they clean much easier.
- Sliding shelves - I think they are very helpful and would do it again. Takes a bit of interior space away, but worth it. I can pull the shelves out to spray meat or check temps very easy.
- Charcoal basket - Not sure, I ended up not getting it.
Sitting on my patio
Black Betty does not have a roof over it or get covered. It would be better if I had a roof over it, but that will be figured out and handled in the future. For now, it sets out all year.
Butterfly Openings
The top handle (left picture) opens a butterfly from the smoker chamber to the warmer box. Baffles at the top of the warmer box allow for controlled airflow. The bottom handle opens a butterfly that goes from the top of the firebox directly into the warmer box. Using one or both of the butterfly valves along with the baffles at the top of the warmer box allow for controlled airflow and temperature. Also, allows for a choice of direct heat from the firebox or more smokey-moist air from the smoking chamber.
Stainless steel cleans easier than the steel racks that come with the units. Even after many cooks on Black Betty it is so easy to clean them and the oils and fats and gunk come off easily. I use a heavy-duty bristle brush to "scrub" the grates and a small rectangular trowel to scrape the gunk from the baffle plate. I also ramp the heat up after I'm done smoking and spray off the grates and baffle with my nozzle on mist setting.
This is a more personal choice, based on your usage. I've used it for smoking kielbasa and chicken when my smoker is full. I've used it for veggies and kraut and beans, as a cooker, and a keep-warm box. I've heard of cold climate people who use it for warming their splits and some who have removed the shelves (they are removable) and made stainless rods to hang sausage from. The extra space is really nice and if you can afford, I recommend.
Wagon Wheels with Steering Handle
The wagon wheel option is very helpful if you need to move your smoker on a regular basis. Black Betty weighs almost 900 pounds and moving her is not easy, even with wagon wheels. I have a 5x10 garden trailer with a ramp and a winch I installed. I don't know that I could get it up there with the stock pneumatic tires on the one side and steel casters on the other.
Collapsable Shelf
This shelf is smaller than the solid attached shelf, but I believe is required with wagon wheel and steering feature. It collapses easy with a simple lift and slide feature.
Galvanized Buckets
I purchased a few of these galvanized buckets and use one to hang off the warmer box grease drain. I also use one under the main grease drain on the smoker chamber. Handy little things.
Summary
Like with anything, you get what you pay for. Once you figure out what kind of smoker you want to use, you'll need to figure out your budget. Once you have style of smoker and budget, search for the best quality build and best features for a unit within those constraints. Once I decided on a stick burner I researched all the stick burners I could find.
My budget went higher than expected, but I would not change a thing! I believe Black Betty was around $3,400. Don't forget you'll need to pick it up or get it shipped which is an additional cost. Lang does not wholesale, so all units are manufactured in and shipped from Nahunta GA.
If you do some research you'll find there are a lot of well known BBQ joints that use Lang. One of them is Southern Soul in St. Simon's Island about 30 miles from Nahunta. If you drive to pick up a Lang smoker, you MUST go there. They use a couple of Langs and they are one of the best BBQ joints I've been to!
Hope and Humble Beginnings
I started learning on a $200 Char Griller that I adapted to make a smoker. It had 4 cast iron grill surface sections. I would remove one section and put my charcoal fire on that side and add wood chunks as needed/desired. It worked great and I learned a lot. I did this for a few years. I also owned an electric smoker (only for a short time, then Craig-listed it) and a PBC (Pit Barrel Cooker) which used for a little longer time, then Craig-listed.
Smoking does not require an expensive piece of equipment. But, and this is a big but, my quality of end product, consistency of process and enjoyment have all gone up significantly with Black Betty. And I won't have to replace her...she'll outlive me!!
Thanks for such a detailed description. I’m going in that direction but I’m getting the charcoal grill added. Budget will be $5500 which hopefully will cover all the necessary upgrades. You only live once…
Congrats on getting a Lang! If you go to pick it up, I highly recommend the “Q” Class with Paul Kirk. He literally laid the foundation for the Jack’s Blend rubs and seasonings. For the price it is a fabulous class. (Sometimes I wish I had the charcoal grill option…maybe on my next Lang ?)
Cheers!!
Jack
Thanks for the detailed write-up. Like you, I have been reading everything I can on the Lang Owners FB group and have been comparing other custom smokers. Your review has pretty much convinced me on the 48 Deluxe with wagon wheels. Do you know how wide your unit is? I hope to put it in the backyard but don’t know if it will fit through my “pedestrian” size gate that leads to my backyard.
Hey James,
I’d say 43″ would be “hubcap to hubcap” getting through an opening. You could maybe maneuver it a bit at 41″/42″ and get it through.
You may just need to blow up that fence?. Getting a Lang is too important to let a fence get in the way…literally!
Hope that helps,
Jack
Thanks for the fine detail. I am in the market for one of these and was having a hard time of what custom items I would need. You answered all the questions. One question I have is did you look at Shirley Fabrication at all before buying the Lang? I am down to Shirley and Lang at the moment.
I have not researched the Shirley, so cannot give you any comparison. Possibly go on the Lang Smoker Owners Facebook page and ask that question. There are a lot of helpful people there.
Jack
Thanks for the great review. I plan on getting a 48 on a trailer and will pull behind my RV once in a while. I would like the door to be on the curb side, have some storage on the driver side, warmer box. etc. I’ll stop by Lang and check them out the next time I’m in Georgia. I’m from Savannah but now live in Texas. Agin thanks.
Thanks Mikal,
You’ll have a great experience with Ben Lang! Please post pics and comments when you get it!!
Smoke on,
Jack
Hello,
Thank you for putting this information out there. I am finalizing my order for the 48 deluxe wagon wheel. I do have one question. The butterfly for the warmer. Is this an option that must be requested? How would you control the heat in the warmer box without it?
Butterfly opening from firebox to warmer – a must. Helps to raise the warmer box temp much higher when using it for additional meats, etc.
Hopefully you will see this and thanks in advance for your reply.
Larry
Hi Larry, if I remember correctly, you will need to request that option. Without it you will only have the butterfly from the smoking chamber. The way I use it I think in terms of the butterfly from the smoking chamber adds some heat, but is more about adding smoke. The butterfly from the firebox is more helpful for raising the temperature. The two together give you the closest to smoking chamber heat you’ll get.
Then you have the two baffles at the top of the warmer box used to control the flow of air and heat. As with the main chamber, learning the balance between air intake and exhaust flow is the key to controlling temp and keeping the warmer box at your desired temp…same as keeping upper and lower shelves in the main chamber as close in temp as possible. (When I have both baffles and the stack open 100% my top and bottom temp gauges will be as much as 80 degrees different. When I correctly control the airflow I can consistently keep the difference to only 20 degrees!)
Fire management, air flow, type and size of wood pieces, wind direction and speed, and sometimes just the little smoking gremlins will affect your temperature. It was the hardest thing for me to get consistent at, and sometimes I still struggle…must be the gremlins ;^)
Once you’ve used it a couple of times, you’ll get it, and the fun part is trying!!
Please share your experiences and photos once you’ve get yours and have used it (and what you name her).
Congratulations!!
Curious how you’re liking the deluxe aspect of the Lang. Worth getting? Obviously you can’t add that kind of thing onec you’ve purchased and I don’t want to be remiss not ordering, but I don’t want to overpay for something that’s useless either. Thoughts on the warmer box?
Hi Matt,
Yes, I like the deluxe version. Although I don’t use it all the time, when I want/need it, it is very helpful. You can get the temp almost to the same temp as the main smoker. When I do a larger smoke, I can use it for my beans or potatoes or other sides (Dutch’s Wicked Beans are the best ever!!) Also, some people use it for smoking sausages or other items that need a lower temp or need holding time. I’ve used it for smoking meats when my smoker was packed full.
Hope that helps!
Jack