Lone Star Grillz Vertical Insulated Cabinet Smoker-For the new Owner

[Chardin57]

So does this seal go on a vertical smoker? I got about 11 more weeks of waiting for my LSG 48" offset with vertical. Single door and fire box was upgraded to 1/2".

 

[harleykids]

Hey gang, I am the new owner of an LSG VIC, thanks to Smokin' Greene! Thanks Jason!
Picked it up from him yesterday evening, and will be firing it up this weekend.

Will let everyone know how it goes.
Don't own a guru or digital temp controller yet, so I will be using the ball valve(s) for my temp control. Anyone use these a lot, or does everyone pretty much run a guru?

Thx!

 

[JoSal73]

Hey gang, I am the new owner of an LSG VIC, thanks to Smokin' Greene! Thanks Jason!
Picked it up from him yesterday evening, and will be firing it up this weekend.

Will let everyone know how it goes.
Don't own a guru or digital temp controller yet, so I will be using the ball valve(s) for my temp control. Anyone use these a lot, or does everyone pretty much run a guru?

Thx!

I am a ball valve only guy. I don't use water either. I usually fire it up with open ball valve all the way, and when I'm about 40-50 degrees till target temp, I close it almost all the way and leave it at 1/8th open and leave top exhaust about 20 percent open to match. The temp will keep rising over the next 30-45 minutes for me. I can get pretty damn close to target temp in one shot these days and I've only had it for a few months.

If you buy a second ball valve, it is much easier to get temps to rise with more incoming air....so less time to wait till target temp. Well worth it IMO.

 

[Smokey Lonesome]

I know most don't agree with this but here goes...

I like to cook more than I like to eat it. Not that I don't eat more than my share. My point is I enjoy firing up any of my smokers so much that I would rather do 1 slab of ribs and then do another a few days later. I have a sealer but have never vac sealed any meat. To me it's about the cook and not about saving a few dollars or having enough food so I don't have to cook again for weeks. To me that would be depressing and I would be itching like a crack addict.:wink: If I have left overs they usually get given away. Nothing wrong with saving time and money but for me its about the experience of cooking with fire. I have to add that I don't have any young kids and my work life is not very busy either so I have plenty of time.

Well, that's the same way I've come to view my cooking as of late. I do enjoy the 'process' and the opportunity to improve on my last cook. If I cook four 7 lb butts and seal/freeze 15 lbs of meat, it is convenient to pull out a pack now and then but eventually I miss getting out and cooking (unless the temp is in the teens and there is 10 inches of snow outside). Then what happens if I experimented with a new rub/injection/temp/wood, etc. and things didn't work out well - now I have a ton of meat or ribs which aren't as good as could be. I'm always learning new techniques on this forum and can't wait to get out and try again! And when I get a new pit, and that's only a matter of time, I'll want to be out as often as possible playing around some more!

 

[Smokin' Greene]

I know most don't agree with this but here goes...

I like to cook more than I like to eat it. Not that I don't eat more than my share. My point is I enjoy firing up any of my smokers so much that I would rather do 1 slab of ribs and then do another a few days later. I have a sealer but have never vac sealed any meat. To me it's about the cook and not about saving a few dollars or having enough food so I don't have to cook again for weeks. To me that would be depressing and I would be itching like a crack addict.:wink: If I have left overs they usually get given away. Nothing wrong with saving time and money but for me its about the experience of cooking with fire. I have to add that I don't have any young kids and my work life is not very busy either so I have plenty of time.

I will agree, with you pj. I don't ever want to cook myself out of smoking. The way it works for my family is: I cook large amounts of meat at once. We freeze it for lunches ( wraps, salads, burritos, nachos, taco, quesadillas, you name we put bbq on it). We eat after or before games. Great time saver.
BUT: On the weekends I am firing up the one of the pits and we are having fresh Q.

 

[Smokin' Greene]

Hey gang, I am the new owner of an LSG VIC, thanks to Smokin' Greene! Thanks Jason!
Picked it up from him yesterday evening, and will be firing it up this weekend.

Will let everyone know how it goes.
Don't own a guru or digital temp controller yet, so I will be using the ball valve(s) for my temp control. Anyone use these a lot, or does everyone pretty much run a guru?

Thx!

I am glad the smoker went to a fellow Brethren!
Here is my story I seem to have a lot of them lately, when it comes to smokers.
I ordered the vertical offset from LSG. Waiting list was long. I got a little impatient. Talked to Chris at LSG, changed my order to a insulated vertical ( I have (2) 24x60 offsets). I got fit right into the build list. I got the full size. About the time the pit was going to the painter, I realized the door opened backwards to the way my cooking area is set up. I figured it was ok. I also had certain area I wanted it to set. Smoker comes in, and this thing is a beast. I loved it. Got it outside, it fit into the its slot, but with the door opening the wrong way. I had to roll it out and move it around, just not what I want to be doing.
So, came along Jason (Harleykids). I offered it to him. We made a deal, he picked it up last night.
After Jason and I made the deal, I ordered the Mini.
I love the insulated vertical, but after my 12 brisket cook. I decided I want the smaller footprint in my smoker area.
Now, I agree the cost difference between two is close enough that the I would go with the bigger smoker every time IF I had the room.

Moral of my long winded story!!! Be sure of what you want, and how it fits before you buy. BUT one thing is for sure YOU CAN NOT go wrong with A LSG VERTICAL SMOKER. It is an awesome cooker!!!

 

[THoey1963]

I heard last week that my order for the Vertical Offset was number 6 in queue. Then I heard yesterday that someone who ordered his vertical offset 4 days before me got the email that his is being built. It's getting close. I hope I get it before the 4th, mainly for the holiday, but also I hear they are going on a much needed vacation the week afterwards.

:wacko:

 

[pjtexas1]

Smokin' green, couldn't you have chris build it so the door opens the other direction?

 

[Smokin' Greene]

Smokin' green, couldn't you have chris build it so the door opens the other direction?

Yes, the Mini will open the way that I need it to. I will have access to a table/work area. So, I am not getting the side table. And the 'Mini will fit in the designated LSG insulated vertical area a little more comfortably. Perfect for the Guru, electrical plugs, and storage.
I waited too long before I asked on the full size, but now it is Harleykids.

 

[harleykids]

Yep, it's mine!
Actually Jason (Smokin' Greene) was great to deal with, and we love the new beast!
We will be firing it up this weekend to test it out.

We almost didn't get to pick up the smoker, due to an inattentive driver smashing into the back of our Suburban at 70mph in a 40mph work zone!

Thank God no one was seriously hurt, our vehicle drove away....the Kia that hit us wasn't so lucky. She went to the hospital on a stretcher and her Kia was totaled.
I drove out the completely bent over hitch and pin with a 20lb. sledge and slid a new one in so I could still pick up the Uhaul trailer.

Jason was kind enough to accommodate our late arrival (2 hours late!) and get us loaded up with the LSG. Great guy!

...question for JoSal73
We also have dual 2" ball valves on our LSG, I am assuming we run them identically? So 1/8 of the way cracked on both, etc. or do you leave both open til 40-50 deg from target temp, then close one off completely and just run one valve at 1/8 open kind of thing?

So do you just use the second ball valve for getting up to temp quicker?
Or do you utilize it as an airflow source (both valves) during the cook as well?

Thx!
Jason

 

[harleykids]

And her car!

 

[harleykids]

And our hitch...bent completely back.

I am fairly certain that this drop hitch saved our family and the Suburban from extensive damage.

I have hitches on all my vehicles...I leave them in even when not towing.

Our electric back hatch still worked fine after the accident.
But her car wash totaled from our hitch.

 

[harleykids]

Another one of her car.

 

[pjtexas1]

She will probably sue you.:crazy: Glad your family is still in one piece.

 

[Smokin' Greene]

Jason (Harleykids) glad y'all made the rest of the trip safely!!! I enjoyed the short visit. Enjoy the smoker. I can't wait for the Mini. We blasted and painted the offset today.

 

[harleykids]

Thanks Jason, glad to meet you!
Post some pics of it painted when you get chance, that is one NICE trailer pit!

Pjtexas1,

I don't think she'll sue...she got a good talking to by the trooper while on the stretcher for not wearing her glasses while driving, and for being on the phone at the same time! 100% at fault!

 

[harleykids]

Question for JoSal73

We also have dual 2" ball valves on our LSG, I am assuming we run them identically? So 1/8 of the way cracked on both, etc. or do you leave both open til 40-50 deg from target temp, then close one off completely and just run one valve at 1/8 open kind of thing?

Are you using the second ball valve just for getting the pit up to temp quicker?
Or do you utilize it as a second airflow source (using both valves) during the cook as well?

Thx!
Jason

 

[GrillsGoneWild]

You didn't have a trailer? You loaded the LSG in the back of your SUV?

 

[harleykids]

I have a big trailer but didn't want to pull it 3k miles round trip from KC to Texas, and back to KC. I had to be in Brownsville TX for my Father's memorial service, so I planned on renting a one way uhaul trailer in San Antonio and picking up the smoker from Smokin' Greene Jason on the way back to KC.

So on the way home to KC, we were just North of Corpus Christie, on the way to San Antonio to pick up the trailer, when she hit us in the work zone.

So I had to get another hitch and pin, after driving the bent one out, and resume the trailer pickup at uhaul and original plan, albeit two hours behind schedule, due to the accident and putting together the new hitch, etc.

It was a 9 hour drive from Brownsville to Snyder TX, and we had to add 2 hours to that due to the accident and trailer hitch issue.
So it was a long day but Smokin' Greene was very nice and accommodating of our late arrival!

After picking up the trailer we drove 3 more hours to Wichita Falls, TX and spent the night.

Then drove the last 6.5 hours back to KC.

Looking forward to firing up the smoker this weekend!

 

[txags2011]

Ok, 60 pages down and I think I'm sold. I've looked at Party's, Vaults, and Stumps, but Smokin' Greene pointed me to LSG on another thread, and after exploring their site and reading this entire thing, it's time to order my mini.

I spoke with Amber on Thursday and they are about 10 weeks out. I'm going to do a Mini and planning on adding the heat deflector and t-plates.

Those of you who have used both, any reason the t-plates are better than just using fire brick? I like that they don't use as much space in the charcoal box.

I'll be calling probably today or tomorrow to get things rolling... exciting!