LSG 20 x 42

You should Love it.

I would stick with the 20x42. I ordered one a little over a week ago. Thought for a second about getting another LSG 24x48, but remembered how much I hated tuning plates and will never own one again from anyone with tuning plates.

They are well made smokers and Chris Goodlander provides great customer service. I am still learning to control the temp on mine especially when the wind is up but find it does maintain temp well. Good Luck, live well and Happy Easter.

I got my 20 x 42 a few weeks ago. I am for all intents and purposes a rookie stick burner user but this cooker makes me look like an old pro. The smoker is everything it’s advertised to be. Drafts extremely well and runs off of next to no fuel. I’m talking like one 3”-4” x 12” mini split per hour to maintain 275 degrees. You will not regret the purchase.

just because they come with tuning plates does not mean you have to use them.

Very Nice Congrats and Enjoy

Dave,

If you can, order a 24 x 48 .....

A 36 is way too short and a 42 add only six inches.
You WILL lose real estate to the firebox side, that is just a fact ...

Also ... depending on how 'serious' you are .... the firebox lid is up for a strong debate - to include or not include.

No matter what anyone will tell you it will cook very differently without it vs. with it ......
I owned a Klose ... same style pit all the way around ... had the lid ... and could never control my temperature.
Many kept saying 'you have leaks, you have uncontrolled air' ... I thought, no I do not.

Finally, I had someone weld the FB lid shut ... .. removed the handle, removed the hinges, put two nice beads all the way around nicely. Welded Shut.
The smoker was an entirely different smoker.
Since then, I've heard versions of the same story over and over ....

offset1968 said:

Dave,

If you can, order a 24 x 48 .....

A 36 is way too short and a 42 add only six inches.
You WILL lose real estate to the firebox side, that is just a fact ...

Also ... depending on how 'serious' you are .... the firebox lid is up for a strong debate - to include or not include.

No matter what anyone will tell you it will cook very differently without it vs. with it ......
I owned a Klose ... same style pit all the way around ... had the lid ... and could never control my temperature.
Many kept saying 'you have leaks, you have uncontrolled air' ... I thought, no I do not.

Finally, I had someone weld the FB lid shut ... .. removed the handle, removed the hinges, put two nice beads all the way around nicely. Welded Shut.
The smoker was an entirely different smoker.
Since then, I've heard versions of the same story over and over ....

Click to expand...

The 20x42 had been awesome for me over the past 10 months.

I disagree with the assessment that you will lose space on the firebox side.

1. Once your initial startup temps stabilize, you can achieve 10-15 degree difference left to right on this pit.

2. Once your initial startup temps stabilize, the bottom rack close to the firebox is actually cooler than the end away from the firebox. This is because of the LSG cross flow. Hottest air enters at top right, travels to top left, heads down to bottom left, and most exits but some convects back over to bottom right completing the counter clockwise circle. The baffle completely eliminates the bottom right as a typical offset hot spot. I'm assuming you ordered a pit with the firebox in the right, and did not reverse it.

If you start hot and fast and start your fire too close to the back wall of the firebox, yes you will have some flames shoot up near the top right shelf. Just don't put your meat on until that phase is over. Or keep your fire towards the firebox door.

I have had zero issues with temp control due to the firebox lid. I love having the griddle grate there for small burgers. It's a great pit with tons of space and the easiest offset temp control on the market.

Hi there, trying to reach out to any of you on this thread about adjusting tuning plates, if you’re even using them. I have the 24”x36” offset vertical smoker from lsg and I have never been able to adjust the tuning plates to Chris’s instructions with good results. As we speak I’m cooking a brisket in the cooker and I’ve got both tuning plates butted up to one another all the way against the bagel on the firebox side. I’m my limited experience with the pit I always run anywhere from 25-100 degrees or more hotter on the stack side depending on if my temps are rapidly climbing or how I set the gaps with the plates. Right now with the plates as stated I’m about a 30-35 degree swing left to right and around 10 degrees front to back. Just wondering if anyone has solid advice on tuning plates in this style pit and/or their use in general. Thanks in advance.

I've been using 20x42 for about 6 months now. Three cooks 10+ hrs, at least fifteen 2-7 hr cooks and several cooks just on the firebox. I haven't done many long cooks do to not being able to have get togethers at the house.

I struggled a bit in the beginning simply because I'd only ever used an offset a few times prior. Over time I've gotten pretty decent. I can keep the smoker at 275 +/- 25 degrees all day long now. I am also pretty good at keeping a clean fire. Trust me I ruined two meals learning what clean smoke means.

I only use post oak. It's plentiful down here and the sublime flavor works on just about everything. I buy seasoned splits and ask the guy to only give me small/medium sized. When I get it home I cut all splits in half. So my default sized split is roughly 3-4" and about 8-12" long. Using these I run one about every 35-50 minutes. That size seems to work very well on this sized fire box. I use the fire managment basket and I stack a split next to it in the firebox to dry it out and have it ready.

I'm by no means an expert. I find every cook and every piece of wood is a little bit different. That's a big part of the enjoyment for me though. I can say this cooker is easy for a newbie like myself to become comfortable and produce the best bbq I've ever cooked.

ruger35 said:

I would stick with the 20x42. I ordered one a little over a week ago. Thought for a second about getting another LSG 24x48, but remembered how much I hated tuning plates and will never own one again from anyone with tuning plates.

Click to expand...

What problems did you have with tuning plates ?

offset1968 said:

Dave,

If you can, order a 24 x 48 .....

A 36 is way too short and a 42 add only six inches.
You WILL lose real estate to the firebox side, that is just a fact ...

Also ... depending on how 'serious' you are .... the firebox lid is up for a strong debate - to include or not include.

No matter what anyone will tell you it will cook very differently without it vs. with it ......
I owned a Klose ... same style pit all the way around ... had the lid ... and could never control my temperature.
Many kept saying 'you have leaks, you have uncontrolled air' ... I thought, no I do not.

Finally, I had someone weld the FB lid shut ... .. removed the handle, removed the hinges, put two nice beads all the way around nicely. Welded Shut.
The smoker was an entirely different smoker.
Since then, I've heard versions of the same story over and over ....

Click to expand...

Sounds like you are not familiar with the LSG 20" series which draft differently from a traditional offset like your Klose. They call it their "cross flow" technology cooking from the top down. Here is a link to their video explaining how it works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY0LMwkL6NM

This model gets nothing but love on the LSG Fan page on Facebook.

RussellB said:

Hi there, trying to reach out to any of you on this thread about adjusting tuning plates, if you’re even using them. I have the 24”x36” offset vertical smoker from lsg and I have never been able to adjust the tuning plates to Chris’s instructions with good results. As we speak I’m cooking a brisket in the cooker and I’ve got both tuning plates butted up to one another all the way against the bagel on the firebox side. I’m my limited experience with the pit I always run anywhere from 25-100 degrees or more hotter on the stack side depending on if my temps are rapidly climbing or how I set the gaps with the plates. Right now with the plates as stated I’m about a 30-35 degree swing left to right and around 10 degrees front to back. Just wondering if anyone has solid advice on tuning plates in this style pit and/or their use in general. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

If you’re hotter on the stack side, widen the gaps between your tuning plates. Also, running the pit with the stack and the intake open all the way will help the pit draft better and keep the hot air moving through the pit faster and helping to even out the temps not to mention keeping your fire burning clean. Try to control the temp more with fire size rather than closing off the intake.

I have a 24x60 LSG with two doors and if I have the intake closed down and open one door to check or add food, the temps can get pretty wacky for a bit. If you can get the pit drafting good, temps will even out quicker.

Also, try adding water to the pit. I don’t, but I’ve heard that it helps even the temps.