Anyone using the LSG 24x48 Adjustable Charcoal Grill?

[edapp]

I am having a hard time finding much information online about the LSG adjustable charcoal grill. There were a few threads here comparing it to a hasty bake or m1, but no one seemed to chime in much regarding the LSG. The only videos out there are from the LSG site. I am interested in a built in version as there aren’t many good options for built in charcoal grills that are as versatile as this design.

Any owners out there? Mind sharing some feedback or pictures? The dual baskets with independent height adjustments and quad vents make it seem extremely versatile, and the clean look and front controls make it look like a great option as a built in. Sure is a lot of $$ for something with so little objective information out there.

 

[gtsum]

I looked at them briefly awhile back but went with the M1 as I think it’s a better setup for stick burning and the M1 fit my space on the deck better.

That being said, I’ve noticed lsg has recently put out a few different videos showing different cooking techniques on it. I think it’s a great looking and versatile cooker. If I didn’t have my M1, I’d seriously consider buying the lsg grill.


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[edapp]

The videos that Chris recently put out are what has it back on my mind actually. Looks like a great cooker I would love to hear from some owners if possible.

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

Dont know much about the LSG, but I assume it is very well designed and build, just like all their stuff.

Another option to check out is Arizpna BBQ outfitters http://www.azbbqgrills.com

They have tons of different designs for adjustable charcoal grills.

 

[charcoalwilly]

Dont know much about the LSG, but I assume it is very well designed and build, just like all their stuff.

Another option to check out is Arizpna BBQ outfitters http://www.azbbqgrills.com

They have tons of different designs for adjustable charcoal grills.

Definitely check AZ BBQ’s Kingman and Scottsdale models if you want adjustable height with lid. Very versatile w/ clever design. The fabrication is on par with LSG.

 

[edapp]

I appreciate the suggestion guys. The reason I am interested in feedback on the LSG is that in all appearances it seems to be a perfect fit for what I am after. But as many of you know the value of a first hand account is priceless!

The AZ stuff looks very nice. For this application, and for my wife’s approval, the clean lines of the LSG are going to win this round.

 

[jjrkegler]

I have one of these. Bought it as a drop-in for the cottage up north. I have had one of their 48" offset smokers for about 6 years. It's hard to find large charcoal grills that can take the heat of wood splits. I looked at the AZ BBQ grills as well, and ended up with the LSG because I already had one of their products and was happy with it.


Since it's up north and we just installed it spring 2019, I've only used it a handful of times. I cook for 25 people in the summer so I wanted something big enough to handle that crowd.


Overall I am happy with it. It has plenty of capacity, handles wood splits very well and I think it will function reasonably well as an offset smoker. The picture below of the four tenderloins was last summer with direct heat. The prime rib was at XMAS with offset heat. It was the first time I tried it with indirect heat and was on a deadline to get it done. I was surprised at how much of a temperature difference there was on the indirect side. So much so that I had to keep moving it closer to the flame to get it done in the time frame I had. Again, it was 20 degrees outside so I don't know how it will work in the summer as an offset. I would not plan on it being your primary smoker but it will function fine for us at the cottage.



Some things to note. It absolutely needs a cover or needs to be kept inside. The unit is not water tight and the charcoal doors do not keep water out, so water collects in the doors when it rains. By the time we found this out, a lot of rust had formed inside. We had a canvas company make a custom one (about $500) and that has helped a lot.



The grates are the same material as in their smokers. I wish they came in some material that is more rust-proof. In the smoker, there is plenty of grease throughout to keep things coated. Too much, usually. In the grill, they are sitting over hot direct heat with leaner cuts of meat for shorter periods of time, so they end up burning the seasoning off and rusting if not coated after cooking.I used it last night and sprayed it down with Pam after cooking. I may look at keeping some lard up there and just brush it on while still warm. The upper racks are fine since they're farther from the heat.


The last thing I've noticed is the ash pan on the bottom is very shallow and fills up quickly. The unit is open below, so if there is excess it scrapes off and falls through the opening. It's about jelly-roll pan deep, it would be better if it was a couple inches deep.



All manageable but it would help you to know this up front. Nothing that would change my mind at this point.

 

[Frontloader]

I've had this grill for over three years now, and have been very happy with it. I had Chris add a fourth grate (48"x24") between the main grates and the second grate, just for extra versatility. With a total of four grate levels and the adjustable fire, the distance from the fire to grate can be varied anywhere between 2 inched to 2 feet. With that kind of range, it can perform like a Santa Maria grill, but with a hood so it is so much more versatile.

When cooking for my family of four, I usually only fire up one side, but it's very nice to have the extra space, and the off side makes a perfect warmer. Of course, when cooking a more elaborate meal requiring two different heat zones, or when having a large gathering, this grill really comes into its own.

Build quality is typical LSG, which is to say excellent. Along with this grill I also have one of their large IVS's, and couldn't be happier with either. Since taking delivery of this grill over three years ago, I have cooked on it almost constantly, averaging 3-4 nights a week March through December, and a couple times a week in the Winter months, most of the time with a fire of red oak splits, with no problems at all. This thing is built to stand up to wood fire.

YMMV, but I've been very happy with my grill. Oh, and you can't find better folks to work with then Chris and Amber and Lisa Marie.

 

[edapp]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this up and share the pictures.

I agree that the cooking grates are the least appealing part of this grill for me. If I get one, I will definitely be upgrading the cooking grates to their stainless option (which is very $$.. wish there was a more traditional stainless option).

When you say the unit is open on the bottom and ash can fall out... can you clarify that? I assume you mean it just collects in the bottom of the grill below the ash pan, and the bottom isnt truly open to allow airflow etc in the grill body. Speaking of that, is the charcoal grate lift mechanism air tight to the cooking chamber? I am curious about the ability to not only fine tune the airfllow for temp control, but the ability to easily snuff out charcoal.

I dont entertain a whole lot, a few times a year, and usually cook for my family of 5. The ability to snuff out charcoal after a small or fast cook is relatively important to me (I cook mostly of a PK or 22" kettle now, and I am spoiled by this).

Mine will be inside a covered patio so moisture shouldn't be too big an issue. Thanks again for the first hand account.

 

[jjrkegler]

The bottom of the unit is the pull out ash pan, there isn't another sheet of metal below that. I pulled it out this weekend and looked down into the storage area in the grill island below the unit. This was the first time I noticed that. So, if you have a big ash pile and it scrapes off as you pull the ash pan out, it will fall into whatever is below the unit. I don't know if the stand mounted units are the same.



The charcoal doors fit tightly, but they do not have fire roping like a cabinet smoker door, so they probably let some small amount of air in (and rain). That said, there is no way to close the top vent, it just runs open along the ridge line so I don't think you'll be able to quickly knock down a fire regardless.


I'll be back up this Friday and will try to take a few more pictures.

 

[Frontloader]

I think they have recently incorporated a couple of upgrades to the basic design to address these issues. My grill is identical to jjrkegler's, and it also only has dampers built into the firebox doors. The hood on the older (my) design overlaps the body of the grill, so there is no way to affect a truly tight seal to control temps. Look at the photos of the old model (ie jjrkergler's and mine) and you'll notice the bottom side line of the hood is about a 45 degree angle; this is where the hood overlaps the firebox. If you look at the newest version, it looks like the hood meets the body on a straight line with no overlap. According to the website, there is now a gasket between the two to maintain temps. As well as this, it looks like the new version has top dampers on either side of the hood, a feature that the older design lacks. One last feature that I see they've change is in the firebox height adjustment, mine and the one in jjrkegler's photos has a threaded crank, whereas the new grills are using a handle with a slotted opening at on the front of the firebox. I like the crank design, but doubt either is better than the other. Here's the link to the current model of this grill:

https://lonestargrillz.com/collections/grills/products/24-x-48-adjustable-charcoal-grill


By the way, mine is a stand mounted unit and it has the same rather shallow ash pan, but it hasn't been a problem. For cleanup, I use a straight edged ash shovel and go through the top to get the bulk of the ash out, which isn't difficult because there is so much room in the firebox. Don't know if this might be more of a PITA with a built in unit, but I do agree, a deeper ash pan would have been nice.

From the look of it, LSG has made some very useful improvements to address the relative lack of temp control with the old model compared to a dedicated smoker. This was never an issue for me because I have a smoker already dedicated to the purpose. That said, I have done some low and slow cooking on my grill with very good results. The high top grate is excellent for ribs along the lines of Rendezvous Ribs; reverse searing is a snap as well.

You might want to give Chris a call a LSG and run everything by him. They're always happy to talk about the ins and outs of their product. And, there's never any sales pitch or pressure, just people that like to talk BBQ.

 

[Frontloader]

I've never uploaded pictures here, so I hope these come through! If they do, these are photos I just took of my grill a minute ago to help illustrate my last post. Incidentally, it has a date with some Halibut, Asparagus and corn in a couple of hours!

 

[Frontloader]

Since I seemed to have figured out how to post photos, I thought it might be good to address the specific questions you had about how tightly sealed the firebox is to airflow from the pan and from the height control. I just took these photos of the right side firebox with the pan in place and also withdrawn. Assuming LSG hasn't changed this part of the design, there should be no noticeable air flow/intake where the pan slides into the bottom of the firebox. I also took a photo from underneath and outside of the pan secured in place, ready to cook.

As jjrkegler pointed out, the old design (his and mine) has a permanent draft coming in the back top of the hood, as you can see in my previous post's photos. Because of that, the fire can't be completely deprived of oxygen, and it is more difficult to fine tune a low and slow temp. I believe that is what all of the above mentioned design changes/improvements were geared towards rectifying. From the looks of it, they have sealed up all the air leaks.

I would, however, ask them about the new firebox height adjustment mechanism. The old one (see photo) doesn't leak any air. My question would be, does that opening allow a significant amount of oxygen into the firebox? My guess is it doesn't but if it does, you could ask Chris if it would be possible to get the old crank mechanism. He's very obliging with reasonable requests. Other than that, looking at the photos jjrkegler and I have both posted, it seems like they've sealed this thing up pretty tight.

One other thing, I agree about the grates, go for the stainless upgrade if you decide to get this grill. I'm hoping to order a set myself ASAP.

 

[edapp]

Awesome, and extremely helpful! Thanks so much for the pictures too. Very good looking grill. Starting to feel like it is a exactly what I am looking for. I think the next step is giving them a call to talk it over. Enjoy your dinner Frontloader!

Anyone else that has one, fire away!

 

[gtsum]

Yeah that one pictured above is far different from the new ones. Should be able to snuff out coals easily on the new ones I’d think


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[jjrkegler]

I have not been out to their website recently, so Frontloader is right on the new features, but there's more. If you watch the video, you'll see that it's like we wrote this thread a year ago and he made all of our changes.

Top vents are now controllable on the side and can be closed completely. The inside walls are double walled, so there is no direct air coming in around the height adjustment handle into the firebox. The grates now lift out instead of slide out (an improvement). The charcoal doors are now flush with the front and are sealed. He says they are big enough to get a chimney through them. In mine, I have to slide a dirty grate out to set a chimney on the fire grate. It still looks a little tight to get a chimney in straight up and down. The ash pan is 2" deep instead of <1", and it lifts out through the charcoal door instead of sliding out from underneath so even if it's overfull, it won't scrape off onto the ground below.

I noticed is it has only two grates and mine has three. I don't recall if that was an extra on mine or he's changed the design.

The only thing it's still missing is the stainless grates, which to me are a must.

This is a considerably better unit than mine. If someone wants to make me an offer on mine I'd consider getting the new one!