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Landmann Kentucky offset smoker


HeyBertHeyErnie

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5 hours ago, goldencrunchs said:

Iceman to the rescue!!! Quick question. Is this supposed to sit on the lip (like in the picture) or hang over?

4626EDCA-9052-49C6-9590-9127FDE3115F.jpeg

 

 

Sorry dude missed this post.....in bed by 10ish....up most morning 3 maybe 4.. anyway back to that lid, WOW that is way way off as @Smokin Monkey said in his post.  I can't get to mine at the moment as it's still at the other property, we're in the middle of moving....but when you look back at this original post from the photos you can see that the lid just shuts down onto the base.

It is a bad design, in my opinion, you can see this guy fixed angle strip then fire rope to achieve a good seal. Don't go OTT on trying to seal every gap, the firebox is easy, you'll come up with ideas on how to make the offset work for you.

There are a number of good videos on the tube about running an offset, take some time, sit back, pour a snifter and watch a couple....just enjoy.

One of the best ways to learn this hobby is to attend a Tailgate meeting where you all setup your bbq, cook whatever you want then all sit back and try the meats and sides that others have cooked....take a look at the "Tailgate section" our main one is held at Billing Northampton. We have local ones also, the West Midland is in Aug near Bidford on Avon....maybe join in??

 

Ice. 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, goldencrunchs said:

I thought this too, it’s supposed to drop over it right?

Mine is exactly the same as that, I've struggled to think why on earth it was designed this way for many an hour but sometimes you just have to let it go. If you've got both lid bolts in, and tight, it's correct. There's no adjustment possible. The lid sits on the base along the front, off by the same amount along both sides, and has a gap at the back too. 

 

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5 minutes ago, HeyBertHeyErnie said:

Mine is exactly the same as that, I've struggled to think why on earth it was designed this way for many an hour but sometimes you just have to let it go. If you've got both lid bolts in, and tight, it's correct. There's no adjustment possible. The lid sits on the base along the front, off by the same amount along both sides, and has a gap at the back too. 

 

There's is a big problem with this lid thou  HeyBert,  from that photo it looks way out to your's and mine. Part of the body or top is not straight to be that far out??? hinges may be knackered to start with ?? without seeing it it's hard to say. 

Ice.

 

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I've already checked your build photos and yours looks straight like mine. There is an overhang which is the main problem with this model,  bad design....but the photo above looks like the front is way out of true???  or is it the angle of the dangle from the camera?? 

 

Ice.

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Oh you fitted it, ok. Take it off, align it first, then fit the hinges. Does not have to be perfect, just closer so the stove rope has a chance to fit. Do what you think is right, that is what everyone else does,   Take the forum on advice but you have to make the decision. We are looking forward to your journey on this, Typical Landmann thread, 

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‘Typical landmann thread’. Makes me think I bought a bad smoker haha! I decided to go with this one rather than an egg one cause I wanted that authentic old school feel, a slight challenege, and I’ve got it! I’m off to Homebase and B&Q tomorrow morning to get some 100mm aluminium foil for ventilation because I’m turning my shed into my smoke hut! Then I plan to smoke my first bit of meat on Sunday. 

Ive thanked people like smoke and ice not but not you yet so yeah that’s for your help again everyone!

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Excellent go for it. What s the worse that can happen, I have learnt stacks from this forum and still learning, mostly i have been focused on bacon, cheese, smoke salmon and charcuteries and sous vide, but i am hoping to do spare ribs on the wsm this Saturday. The pacific rim pork ultra long cook i did at the national tailgate last summer seems a long time ago.  Following the lamb keftico last week with Simon and Spencer  who came round my house i think it is time to get the coals hot again more often, I did manage to have the coldsmoke in the wsm and the lamb in the kettle going at the same time at last

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14 hours ago, Icefever said:

slap your joint on the farthest side away from the firebox. Then start to monitor the temp by using the firebox door,  and the vent to control the temp, you'll soon get the hang of it.

Then by moving your joint along towards the hot end you increase the temp on the meat, away from the hot end is cooler, 

In a relatively small offset smoker you will also need to turn your meat quite regularly too to ensure it cooks evenly - as the side nearest the coals will be slightly hotter than the other. Turn about every 45-60 minutes.

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38 minutes ago, goldencrunchs said:

Lovely! So I'm guessing stove rope is something I can get from B&Q/Homebase type place? Do I need anything else for the mod?

A lot of people buy this type of small offset smokers because they look like archetypal American smoker. Most of them end up only using them as grills though and not for low-and-slow cooking. Large (trailer mounted) offsets work very well however the smaller they get scaled down the greater the challenges using them. You will still be able to cook great meat on your Landmann but you will just need to tweak it slightly to get the best out of it

Yes, the Landmann has lid overlap design which does not give a heat seal and this makes temperature control a little tricky and you will end up burning more fuel than you need.

From your photo it looks as if your smoker has been dropped on that corner which may have bent it slightly out of shape. Was it like that when you took it out of the box? To bring it back in alignment you may need to apply pressure on the opposite corner of either the bottom of the cooking chamber or the lid to ease it back into shape.

When it is aligned the cheapest way to improve the seal is by using some self adhesive stove rope (as mentioned above). Vitcas is one of the common brands for this (see link)
Stick the rope to the outside of the cooking chamber base (slightly proud) so that when the lid is closed the thickness of the rope will fill the gap. This can be done along the back too and the lid will tip back over the top of it. Not a perfect seal but it will be an improvement.
With the size of gap you are seeing, if you cannot get it closed more, you will probably need to fix a couple of lengths of angled metal to the outside ends of the chamber (alumininium angle from B&Q will be fine) to give the lid something to close against. You can stick the stove rope to this to help the seal.

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I'm starting to wish I asked you guys before purchasing the Landmann. Let's hope it's a fun learning curve rather than a regretful decision! I'll try get some stove rope from B&Q when I'm getting the ventilation metal. As long as I know the objective is to close off any gaps, I'm sure I can use some initiative and get it going! It'll just make the meat more enjoyable when I hit the sweet spot aye!

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40 minutes ago, goldencrunchs said:

I'm starting to wish I asked you guys before purchasing the Landmann. Let's hope it's a fun learning curve rather than a regretful decision! I'll try get some stove rope from B&Q when I'm getting the ventilation metal. As long as I know the objective is to close off any gaps, I'm sure I can use some initiative and get it going! It'll just make the meat more enjoyable when I hit the sweet spot aye!

It is really only the Low-and Slow that will be a challenge. You will be able to hot roast meats very successfully as temperature fluctuations will not be so critical. You will use more fuel though than with a sealed smoker but that is not a major problem for occasional smokes. Next time try to cook a whole chicken (standard roast or beer can) or a joint of roasting beef or pork joint. Apply some rub to the surface the night before and then cook at ~150-160 C until the required internal temperature is reached.

  • Chicken - 74 C
  • Beef - 56 C (rare), 62 C (medium, 69 C (well done)
  • Pork loin - 65-70 C

Once this is under your belt and mastered the higher temperature controls on the smoker then try some more challenging meats like pork ribs at 120 C (5-6 hours) or pork shoulder for puled pork at ~120 C (8 hours)

Brisket would then be something to aim for after that

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