The Lang Model 60 BBQ Smoker

At the time we wrote "Competition BBQ Secrets", we were using the Lang Model 60 exclusively. So all the tips in the book will work on this barbeque smoker in addition to all others. The Lang Model 60 is a very nice smoker. If you don't mind the little bit of extra work involved in running a traditional, wood burning, offset barbeque smoker, then the Lang smoker is the way to go. Some people will only cook on traditional style offset smokers, so smokers that run on propane or pellets like the Traeger pellet smokers are out of the question. Hard core, barbeque to the bone, traditional BBQers will always cook on an offset smoker because they can use all natural wood which produces the best smoke flavor. A lot of the best barbeque teams do use pellet smokers and some of them even use charcoal, so I guess it is an argument that will never be settled.

smoker

The Lang Model 60 barbeque smoker is unique in that it has a metal plate that runs just above the firebox opening all the way to the other end of the smoker. At the other end, there is a two inch opening the entire width of the barbeque smoker. So the heat and smoke travels under the metal plate, to the other end, up and over the meat, and then out the smoke stack which is on the same side of the smoker as the firebox. This accomplishes two things...

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1) The smoke is distributed more evenly throughout the cooking chamber.

2) The heat is also distributed more evenly thus eliminating those troublesome hot and cold spots found in a more traditional offset barbeque smoker which does not have the plate (the smoke and heat would just travel from the firebox directly into the cooking chamber and then out the smoke stack which is on the opposite side of the barbeque smoker).

Here's some points to remember...

* The steel plate heats up and thus provides a more even heat source under the meat.

* There is a lip at the other end of the steel plate so you can close off the drain valve and fill the plate with water and you've got yourself a big water pan. This really produces some nice and tender barbeque.

* The end of the plate near the firebox and the plate sides are welded completely shut to the side of the cooking chamber.

* There is a drain valve that runs from the steel plate through the bottom of the tank.

* Usually, no water or dripping ever get into the bottom of the tank.

* Drippings from your meat will vaporize on the steel plate (if you have not filled it with water) thus producing a moist cooking environment in your barbeque smoker.

The Lang Model 60 BBQ Smoker

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How to Choose a Barbecue Smoker

There are virtually endless variations in methodology depending upon equipment, the style of BBQ or smoker grill and personal preferences. However, here are some universal guidelines for choosing a barbecue smoker grill.

smoker barbecue grill

Cost
A smoker should be a long term investment. As a general rule, buy the best smoker you can afford and justify. Here are some considerations.

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Fuel
If you just don't have time to maintain a charcoal or wood fire for long burns, consider gas or electric. Smoke is generated by heating shavings or sawdust. You will sacrifice the authentic wood smoke flavor and the feeling of pride and accomplishment derived from managing a fire properly for a long time to produce outstanding barbecue.

Good-One Patio Smoker/Grills are portable and easy to use. Charcoal will give some smoke flavor which may be supplemented by adding chunks of wood during the burn. The cheaper water smokers require a lot of fire tending and are usually modified to improve performance.

The Good-One Smoker/Grill is more expensive but is well built, durable, and controllable, holds temperature for a long time and is assembled and ready to Smoke right off the sales floor. Kettles and barrel smokers can be used but special precautions and techniques are required to maintain the proper temperature and avoid flare-ups.

Capacity
Are you just going to cook for family and a few friends, or have large parties or even do some catering?

Portability
This is how easy it is to move the smoker around, all Good-One Patio models come with 10? pneumatic tire for easy portability.

Metal Thickness and Quality
Check the thickness of the metal construction, also look for Smokers that are welded together not bolted. The Cheaper the smoker the more bolts to hold it together, thus causing heat loss among the bolt joints.

Temperatures and Smoke
Temperature is really what distinguishes Smoking from other forms of cooking with fire. Smoking is a form of smoke cooking but smoke cooking (which includes higher temperatures) is not necessarily barbecuing. You may use a grill to make barbecue but it is not grilling (also a high temperature cooking method). Cold smoking is done at temperatures of less than 120º F.

Actually, there are only two rules in Smoking on Good-One Smoker/Grill barbecues...

Low and slow: Long cooking times of four to twenty four hours, depending upon the meat, at temperatures ranging from 200º to 275º F. measured at the meat level allows tough meat to get tender without drying out. 225º to 250º is ideal.

Keep your smoke sweet: Stale or acrid smoke results in a strong, bitter and unpleasant flavor.

Keep a small but active fire
Maintain airflow through the smoker. Keep the upper spinner open 1 ½ turns and regulate the fire with the bottom spinners Do not let the fire smolder or starve for air.

Use high quality wood for smoke
Wood should be well seasoned, only use green wood if you really know what you are doing.

Use only hardwoods for smoke. Hickory, oak and cherry are fine traditional woods and easy for beginners to use. Avoid wood from conifers or needle bearing trees such as pine.

How to Choose a Barbecue Smoker

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Traditional Brinkman Smoker

A traditional Brinkman smoker will be run off charcoal, as opposed to modern versions that are now electric. Although it is argued that using an electric smoker should be preferable as it is much less harmful to the environment, being entirely free of Co omissions, somehow using an electric smoker takes away from the tradition of ash and smoke that come side by side when we think of smoked foods, or having a family get together for a barbecue.

smoker bbq

Traditional Brinkman smokers that are charcoal run are very competitively priced, and will guarantee you that authentic smoked food. But, don't forget about the time consuming element when using a charcoal smoker, as opposed to an electric smoker with wood chips and water. Apart from the constant need to top up with charcoal, we mustn't disregard the ash and general mess made when using a traditional smoker.

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So if you have a large open space, in a garden, outdoors and away far enough away from your house for flying ash, than a traditional Brinkman smoker is your answer. Designed like a barbecue, but with an erase to lift and close the lid, result is absolutely mouth watering, really giving your food that traditional barbecued flavoring.

So when purchasing a smoker, if we are going to opt for a traditional smoker, as opposed to an electric one, then first make sure about the limits that may be in place on CO emissions in your area. Once sure that you are not breaking any local law set in place, all that is left is for you to try out your smoker. A basic recipe for a novice is a brisket of beef. Leave the brisket marinating over night, and simply add to your lit smoker, and close the lid, remembering to control the charcoal level as well as the temperature of the appliance.

Traditional Brinkman Smoker

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BBQ Smoker Grill

You could go for ,000 worth bbq smoker grill but it's always better to go for a small portable grill. The expensive ones are custom-made hence you will find differences between a normal one and a custom-made one. Nevertheless the portable grill is easy to operate and will prove to be a great grill. Once you get the hang of a portable bbq smoker grill, you could go for the pricier ones.

smoker box

The small portable grills come with spacious room to cook meat and as well as hold temperature. Remember that smokers have performance based function in them. These are just perfect for large family gatherings. If you have a small portable, it will do the job.

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Apart from the capacity of the smoker grill you will also find two different types of smokers; dry heat and water pan. Water smokers are where there's a separate pan which divides the fire from the cooking chamber. Once the fire gets heated up, it turns to water which is called wet heat. This will make the meat look moist. The water pan is also known as heat regulator which keeps the inside temperature at a modest level.

The second type is known as the Dry heat smokers or often called as ''Stick Burners''. These do not have a water pan. Most people prefer Dry heat smokers as the meat does not get moist. The meat gives out more of a smokey effect.

Bbq smoker grill have various models such as electrical, gas and charcoal. Electric makes cooking as well as smoking easy. The electrical units get heated faster and bring down the cooking time. Most electric ones are compact and you will find enough space for cooking.

Gas ones run on gases like propane. This type of bbq smoker grill also uses wood and charcoal to give out the smoke. The gas oneare designed in a way that meat gets the right amount of heat and smoke.

The type of bbq smoker grill one chooses is totally up to one's preference. The choice is endless and if you are not sure as to which one to go for check online.

BBQ Smoker Grill

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Electric Smoker - A Modern Gadget For Traditional Cooking

Electric smokers are modern gadgets for an age-old tradition. Smoke cooking has been around for centuries but Americans are still hooked and fascinated with the flavorful aroma of smoked meat up to this day. Proof? The fact that smokers are still very much in demand just like the ubiquitous grill. But modern living is not as compatible with this type of cooking at times because of the time and the attention it requires. The answer to this is the electric smoker.

smoker bbq

Electric smokers still smoke food the traditional way - you still need hours on end to do the meat. You still use wood chips or sawdust for the flavor. And you still come up with great-tasting smoked products. But the difference lies in the fact that you need not 'baby sit' your smoker. You put in the meat, set the timer, thermometer and smoke gauge and leave it as it quietly smokes your food to perfection. This is a perfect solution for the cooks who like to throw in their food and forget about it until it's ready. These user-friendly smokers simply need to be plugged into an electrical source to do their work, effectively removing all fire-tending duties from the smoking process.

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With an electric smoker, you have absolute control over the temperature and therefore, the amount of smoke inside the chamber. These are crucial factors in the outcome of the cooking process. You will have the ability to reach a certain temperature and keep it at that throughout the smoking process if you want perfectly-smoked foods.

Once you have set the temperature at the desired level, it will remain there until the smoking is completed. You need not go and check if the fire is still on or something like that. One of the great things about these electric smokers is that there is no tending required. Just plunk your seasoned product onto a rack, put a chunk or two of hardwood into the wood box, plug it in, turn it to the desired temperature, and walk away until it's done.

This means that an electric smoker gives you the best of both worlds - the control over the smoking process and the convenience of just letting it be until it's time to get the food out of the smoker.

An electric smoker works much like the other types - wood, charcoal or gas. The main difference among these types is the source of heat with which to create the smoke and cook the food. There is one disadvantage to an electric smoke in that they do not produce as much smoke as wood smokers do. This disadvantage is offset by the ability to use controlled heat that allows you to keep the same temperature for many hours at a time.

Obviously, an electric smoker uses electricity for its source of heat. Unless the source is switched off, your electric smoker will keep on producing the heat needed for the smoking process. It is actually the most convenient type of smoker. Its only downside is it is not always possible to bring it to the beach if you are not sure of any electricity source.

If you want to enjoy sumptuous feasts of smoked ribs, barbecue, salmon or chicken every so often, it is so possible with an electric smoker. Try one today.

Electric Smoker - A Modern Gadget For Traditional Cooking

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The Precautionary Principle - A Realistic Solution to Cell Phone Radiation?

On September 14th, 2009, the U.S. Senate convened for hearings on the Health Effects of Cell Phones. Among those who testified was Dr. John Bucher, the associate director of the National Toxicology Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He stated, "There have been some hints recently that there is an increase in brain cancers in people who have used these cellular communication devices for a number of years."

Dr. Bucher's agency is funding a large scale test--but not on people--on rodents. These animals will be given the kind of exposure that humans get when using cell phones. Unfortunately, results won't be in until the year 2013. Will that be too late?

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Another expert who testified was Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, MD. She is the Director of the Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit, at the Gertner Institute in Israel. Dr. Sadetzki has recently published the results of a study, in which she and her colleagues found a link between cell phone use and cancer. According to that study, those who frequently use cell phones on a certain side of their head are 50% more likely than non-cell-phone-users to develop a tumor in the salivary gland on that side of the head.

In her testimony she said, "What worried me was that, in my study, I saw consistent positive results and they always appeared where there is biological plausibility." These results appeared on the same side of the head where the phone was held, they appeared for the heavy users, and they appeared in rural areas compared to urban areas, where you might expect cell phone cancers to be higher. Dr. Sadetzki concluded her speech by advising the "precautionary principle."

Senator Arlen Specter, D-Pennsylvania, agreed, "Precautions are not a bad idea," he said.

In regard to cell phone use, the precautionary principle suggests practices such as using a wired headset instead of a Bluetooth earpiece, and enabling the speaker function rather than holding the phone to your ear. In addition, rather than storing the cell phone in your pocket, keep the phone away from your body between calls. Paramount to the precautionary principle is to limit the use of cell phones whenever possible. Make fewer calls and make shorter ones. Choose a cell phone with low-radiation and limit children's cell phone usage, since their brain cells may be more sensitive to the effects of cell phone radiation.

The precautionary principle has good intentions. But, it's tantamount to telling a smoker that smoking may be dangerous and that she should smoke fewer cigarettes. We now know for a fact that smoking is life-threatening, but it doesn't stop people from lighting up.

Cell phones and other hand held devices are rapidly becoming a part of our culture. Cell phones are everywhere. They are used by 87 percent of Americans and over 4 billion people worldwide. Students in high school and now even grade school children are using cell phones to talk to each other, and text messaging has become a social norm. We are addicted to cell phones.

If you are concerned about cell phone radiation, if you feel that the precautionary principle is not enough or simply impractical for you or your family, there are extra things you can do to protect yourself.

New technologies are emerging to shield the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted from cell phones and other electronic devices. Certain chips can be attached to cell phones and earpieces to counteract the EMR, and special paint coated on your walls can limit EMR from adjacent apartments seeping into yours. These shields may help you if you stay behind them. Those who like to roam can wear special headbands, clothing, hats, gloves, and pendants designed to protect the wearer against radiofrequencies and EMR.

However, if an environment of increasingly higher EMR is to become the norm, don't we owe it to ourselves as a species to find ways not just to hide from EMR, but adapt to it? Is it possible to take charge of our own evolution and become gradually more immune to the increasing levels of electromagnetic radiation?

Through a recent breakthrough in energy medicine, a natural remedy has been developed that suggests this may be possible. By strengthening the natural life-giving energy field that exists around the body and each individual cell, this remedy increases the body's natural resistance to electromagnetic radiation, and helps the cells adapt to it, build resistance to it, and even develop natural immunity to it.

For those of us who simply cannot live without our cell phones, and who do practice cell phone precautions whenever possible, but who feel we need something more, there are options to shield and protect. Now there's also an option to adapt, evolve, and ensure our survival through the 21st century.

The Precautionary Principle - A Realistic Solution to Cell Phone Radiation?

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Are Pro-Grade BBQ Smoker Pits Worth The Money?

You can walk into a major "everything under one roof" retailer and find a variety of BBQ smoker pits for sale. Some of them will cost less than fifty collars.

smoker barbecue grill

You can also check out BBQ specialty stores that carry high-end products from the best manufacturers. You will soon discover that you can purchase smokers that literally cost thousands of dollars. There are smoker pit options on the market that have sticker prices larger than those found on late model used cars!

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Are those pro-grade BBQ smoker pits really worth the money? Do you need to make an investment in expensive equipment in order to enjoy BBQing?

The answers to those questions are highly dependent upon your personal goals with respect to the unit. Different folks have different ideas about using a smoker. Thus, one person's assessment of a smoker's value may be radically different from another person's view.

If you are looking for a way to make an occasional chicken or long end of ribs, you may be more than happy with one of the extremely small BBQ smoker pits that cost very little money. Even if one of those tiny fifty-dollar models will not do the trick, you may be happy with a slightly larger, low-cost unit.

If, on the other hand, you are ready to make your move onto the professional BBQ circuit or if creating spectacular BBQed meats is part of your business, you may find that only the very best smokers on the market can do what you need them to do.

Those who are very serious about the world of BBQ will not hesitate to tell you that the most expensive, large units are with every penny. They will talk about the flexibility, options and accessories available for more expensive BBQ smoker pits. They will point to the lifetime durability of the heavy-duty smokers, too.

Meanwhile, people who are more interested in BBQing meat only once in awhile and who don't have plans for their output beyond a family supper will tell you that they are extremely happy with their smaller BBQ smoker pits.

Is a large, expensive smoker right for you? Only you can answer that highly individual question. It depends upon the usual amount of meat you will be BBQing, the frequency with which the unit will be pressed into service and your own budget.

There is no doubt that pro-grade BBQ smoker pits are worth the money for some people. Whether they are right for you will depend upon your expectations, plans and present circumstances. Carefully consider those issues and you should be able to determine if the top of the line units are worth the money in your situation.

Are Pro-Grade BBQ Smoker Pits Worth The Money?

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