Are they really that smoky?

[TheAmazingJohnJ]

I've been looking at these LSG pellet smokers. Both the 42 inch and the cabinet smokers. What really caught my eye is the claims that they produce a ton of smoke. I have a RecTeq now and I love the ease and convenience of pellets, but the RT just doesn't seem to produce a lot of smoke flavor. (I know, I know... it's not an offset)

But for any of you who own an LSG pellet smoker, does it dramatically increase smoke flavor vs. competitors' pellet smokers?

[Spinaker]

Not sure if they make it anymore smokey than any other rig. If they do, I would love to know how they achieve this.

[WI Bubba]

Short answer, the burn pot design. The long answer is below.

[CaptainMike]

I have a 42 inch LSG and can say that yes, they do produce more smoke than any other pellet pooper I've owned or used, including my BIL's Rec Teq. I also have a LSG stick burner, and the PP does not produce as much smokiness. There are pros and cons with both, and I am blessed to have both. That said, if I had to choose only one I'd go with the pellet pooper. The smoke profile is nearly as good, and most people wouldn't know the difference. I use it 3 - 4 times a week.

[WI Bubba]

That's one thing I hear about the LSG pooper a lot. It's as close as you can get to a stick burner without having to run a stick burner.

[CaptainMike]

Spinaker, the LSG burn pot is designed in such a way to produce a smokier burn. It's sorcery to me, but I know they spent a LOT of time in R&D on it. I was a little skeptical of their claims when I bought it, but I am no longer.

[Jerod Broussard]

Trust me, THEY SMOKE. It's not even close to your "standard" pellet smoker.

[cruiseplanner1]

I would own a pellet smoker as three of my nephews all do and as they cook their food properly, it has good seasoning and cooked right but the lack of smoke. Mike said most people would not notice it but all of the family notices it especially when I drop some of the stick burned meat off. I may look at this one though as the convenience is something I desire. At 70 I do not plan on being up all night babysitting a brisket.

[Sid P]

Do they use proprietary pellets or is it all in the fire pot? What kind of pellets are you guys using?

[Jerod Broussard]

Pit Boss with wood chips. I've run without wood chips for short periods and still smoked up. I've got some Cookin Pellets to try for really long cooks, the Pit Boss produce tons of ash on 15-16 hour cooks.

[WI Bubba]

I use Lumberjack pellets. I've also tried mixing in their own proprietary wood chips that are much smaller that conventional wood chips, but haven't noticed a big difference in the smoke profile.

[glitchy]

I can’t speak for LSG specifically, but pellet grills can vary greatly in smoke production. Of the dozen plus I’ve had the MAK and Smokefire are way above the others in smoke production. The next was a big step down but was the Traeger junior I had and it was because it had the old controller with P settings and the temps would +/-25° creating more smoke and the rear vents would naturally get it to roll around the cook box more. All of the remaining were another good step down and very similar smokiness on food because they were all very similarly designed.

So many factors can improve smoke production above all the cookie cutter grills on the market. The fire pot design, the controller and how it runs the fan, the shape of the cook chamber, the distance of the fire pot to the grates, the exhaust design, etc. If you go look at all the different grills you can buy from a big box store closely you’ll start seeing how many of the parts between different brands are interchangeable. This is just speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 1-2 factories in china are making all the fire pots, drip trays and controllers for about every mass market pellet grill. Probably the factory behind Z Grills considering they make a grill model that looks almost identical to every other mainstream brand out there.

You can also help yourself by using pellets that are not 70-80% oak, cooking at lower temps for at least the first couple hours, and cooking on the upper grate when things can fit.

Back to the LSG, there are not many people I’d trust here more than Jerod and CaptainMike, so I believe them.

[Huskee]

I will also add a little tip, regardless of the brand of rig you're using: put your meat in on the cold grate before you turn it on, that big cloud of thick startup smoke is valuable, don't let it escape unused.

[TheAmazingJohnJ]

Yeah, startup's definitely when my RT breathes the most smoke.

[klflowers]

This

[bbqLuv]

My Traeger has a Super Smoke setting.

[WI Bubba]

Yes, it does produce a much better smoke profile than other pellet poopers. You can stop reading right here if you want, but I do love a good ramble, so keep reading if you are having a hard time getting to sleep.

The problem with a lot of pellet cookers is that they are actually too efficient at burning pellets. A clean, efficient burn, is great for conserving pellets and producing heat, but it doesn't help produce smoke. So the manufactures have learned to use various tricks to increase smoke production. They are the various flavors of Super Smoke mode that almost all new pellet grills have. What is happening in those modes is that the temperature is allowed to fluctuate or the feed rate of pellets is regulated in a way that decreases the efficiency of the burn, and that creates smoke. Where many pellet poopers run into problems is when you start running above 225° and definitely above 250°. The controller can't maintain the temps and make smoke at the same time. That's were pellet poopers get their reputation for having low smoke profiles from. If you run 275° to cut the cook time, you will have a noticeably lower smoke profile on the finished product because the burn is too efficient and doesn't produce a lot of smoke . There are tons of tricks and hacks to help lessen the issue, but they all involve compromises and extra work. Just for clarity, I haven't run a major brand pooper since I had the Camp Chef DLX24 running their old controller, and I know the newer rigs have gotten better since then. It was a good unit, but it took a fair bit of extra work to get it to produce a decent smoke profile. In fact that is how I ended up with a 22" WSM. Some things just needed more smoke than I could get out of the Camp Chef. Especially thicker cuts of beef. And honestly, the WSM is almost as easy to use as a pellet pooper and has a much better, and controllable smoke profile once you get past the learning curve.

The LSG pooper is different. The magic is all in the burn pot design. There are larger holes in the pot that allow some pellets to fall under the pot and smolder away from the main fire. That is where you get the smoke output from. The main portion of the burn pot controls the heat while some of the pellets fall out of the main burn area to smolder under the main fire and produce the smoke. Any LSG user will tell you that when you pull the burn pot to dump it out, you also need to sweep out the area under the pot to get the ash and partially burned pellets out from under it. The closest thing I can compare it to is it is like having a built in smoke tube that you don't have to fiddle with. But having used several different styles of smoke tubes/mazes/boxes, I can tell you without any doubt that the LSG just does it better. And it will do it at much higher temps than any main stream pellet pooper. I can put a very nice smoke profile on a whole chicken running 375° and not have to start it at 180°. Or load it before the cooker comes to temp to catch that early start up smoke. I put the bird on when the cooker is up to temp, and let it go. I could never do that with the Camp Chef, and I doubt I could with any of the major brands today.

A question was also asked about what brand of pellets are used. I've run Lumberjack brand going back to my days the the Camp Chef because that was the brand that ran best in my old rig. They gave me steady enough temps and didn't jam the auger. I like them, and I'm old enough to get set in my ways and don't see a reason to switch to another brand. However after a far too brief discussion with the amazing CandySueQ during the last MeatUp, I might give Cookin Pellets a try if I can find them locally when I stock up next. She knows a thing or seven about pellets, and I'd be foolish to not give them a try based on her recomendation. One of the nice thing about the LSG design is that I don't think the brand of pellets you use makes as much of a difference as it might on other poopers. But what brand of pellets are the best is a never ending discussion. It's like asking who has the best pizza in Chicago (Hint, it's not any of the deep dish places.), or the best tacos in Southern California.

I'm never one to say anything bad about any other brand of cooker. Well, except the FGC's (Flaming Garbage Cans, aka PBC's). But that's just because I don't have one and I'm jealous of the cool kids that have them, and know how to use them. All the major brands have their place in the market, some on price point, some on better build quality, and they all make better BBQ than you will get at a lot of BBQ joints for a lot less money. None of that major brands come close to the build quality of the LSG pooper, but LSG is never going to compete on price either. And for all the MAC owners out there, I don't include them in the major brand category. They cost as much or more than as the LSG, and you can't pick one up at a local big box store. So put your brisket sword down glitchy. I come in peace.

But the question was, is the LSG pooper really that different? And the answer is yes.

I don't have any affiliation with LSG, and they wouldn't know who I was if you asked them. Not that I would turn down a little sponsorship deal if it were offered. But I am a big fan of their pellet pooper because I spent the money, played the waiting game, and love the results I get every time I use it.

Hope this help.

[glitchy]

And I have nothing against the other USA made pellet cookers like LSG, Yoder, etc. They’re not cookie cutter grills using primarily universal imported parts. LSG would have been in my options if they’d been out and proven when I was shopping.

[TheAmazingJohnJ]

WI Bubba thanks for the "good ramble," it was super helpful. I wondered how the burn pot on LSG works... thanks for the explanation!

[bbqLuv]

Smoke first then raise temp I do on my Traeger Timberline 850.
It is also programable and has preprogrammed recipes.

At $1,800 number of years ago I thought it was a tad overpriced.

So far when it comes to the pellets I use, I am a big fan of Traeger Pellets I get at Costco.
I am unimpressed with Kirkland brand pellets, and I am trying Bear Mountain Mesquite pellets.

Just my insipid thoughts.

[DovD]

I got an LSG 42 back in November. It is fantastic and smokes like a beast. I am in NJ and one of my first overnight brisket cooks was in 15 degree weather, it held temp perfectly. They now offer an optional split box and deflector, where you can add splits or charcoal for your cooks. Adds even more smoke flavor.For those complaining about the shipping costs, bear in mind you don't pay sales tax unless you live in Tx

[Sid P]

The part about sales tax isn’t correct, at least for IL.

[Carolyn]

I'd get taxed here in California as well.
Welcome to the forum. 🙂