I have the same IVS set up the same way, comp. cart with all terrain wheels and fireboard 2 and fan. This is a wonderful beast. That said this is NOT for the back yard cook. This big girl is for catering and foodtrailers etc. A back yard cook should go with the smaller cookers. The smallest will still cook more food then most folks will need or want but be much easier to use and take less time to get up to heat. But I absolutely love my large. I'm starting a catering/ foodtrailer business and can't say enough good things about her. I received mine this past April/ May and wow. I live in Washington state, it can get cold in the winter months. I'm SO looking forward to using it this winter. The insulated aspect means no additional fuel costs or time. I did some cold weather cooks last winter on my two 22" Webber Smoky Mountain cookers during the night and those are cooks I would love to be able to forget 🥶. This winter once it's up to heat,load, set the fireboard and go to bed. And any smoker this big is going to take a hour, it's not a problem and should always be expected. Same with Kamado's and even the 22" WSM'S. It just goes with the territory. Want quicker, easier, get a pellet smoker. And from what I'm seeing, Lonestargrillz has figured that out with their new pellet smoker. Could be the next newest best friend a back yard cook could want. Have a great day. 👍😃🍻🌤
I do have a question for you, do you get pit creep? The last cook or two I've had on this the temperature has started to creep late in the cook as the meat is getting closer to finishing. Fire board etc everything stays rock solid. Until the last half hour or hour it will start to creep up 10 to 15 degrees. It does you know. These will hold very tight temperature windows for hours on end. I almost think I may have a leak on the gasket on the fire door. Not a huge issue. But a new issue with that.
@@kwikmechanic ok to be clear, is it " creeping " up or down? I have not had this problem per say. However I'm sure you read in the instructions and have noticed if you let the water pan go low or don't use water the temperature will go higher. I like using water all the time,including at high temperatures. But having a full water pan makes those temperatures ( I like doing hot and fast brisket for example) difficult if not impossible. And when I say higher I mean 350° f to 375° f. One more thing here is I don't wrap my pork ribs. I'll load up and smoke them separately or towards the end of a cook. One half hour or so of the cook I empty the water pan so there is a dryer atmosphere in the cooker reducing rust issues but also giving the ribs a better texture on the surface of the ribs. I'm still playing around with a lot of things. One last thing. I had Criss have the guys weld in grate slides so I can run 3 grates evenly spaced for doing as many turkeys at one time as possible. I mostly smoke turkeys in the 10 to 12 lb sizes ( I'll do 13 pounders if I have to ) . Anyway I mention this because I knew even this size of turkeys wouldn't fit well using 4 grates and I didn't want to be limited to using only two grates. This enables me to smoke 18 turkeys at one time. Anyway, I apologize for getting somewhat off subject. Let me know if you're temperature is creeping up or down, I'm very curious and will help if I can. However 10 ° f up or down really shouldn't have any real negative effect on the cook. Heck, most folks wouldn't even notice that difference in their smoker. We get kinda spoiled with the IVS. And that's a good thing. Have a great day. 👍🍻🦃
@@victorbenner539 sounds like we are on the same page. I usually run water during most the cooks and similarly drain the pan about 20 to 30 minutes before finish for the same reasons you mentioned. Both quality of food as well as rust prevention. In general the temperature swings are minor. But I've never had them in the past. Just something that I potentially have noticed that has been going on. I think it has to do with the thermal mass of the large amount of meat on the cooker. Once it gets close to finishing temp etc I feel like I should start throttling down even more, close off the ball valve. About 2/3 through the cook. Allowing everything to glide while letting the fire board continue to run the cook. Not sure if that makes sense.
@@kwikmechanic interesting, I use the term " throttling down " also to express the turning down of cook chamber temp. Same page indeed. I'm curious what proteins, or amount of and mix of proteins your doing currently and if it's much different than when before this change started to occur. There could be more going on then you might have thought. I'm hoping you keep logs with your cooks ( the fireboard does such a wonderful job of recording time and temperatures, but not what you put in the cooker) Let me know what you have. This could help you, me and possibly others. I believe it could be a connection with the rendering of the collagen , the stuff that makes meat tough. As it renders meat becomes more tender. As it renders it turns to a gelatin form.When done correctly it not only makes meat more tender, it makes it taste more better. In the case of brisket it will become more " beefy" tasting and also improve the texture and moisture of the meat. This can in tern change external temperature of the meat. Folks refer to this as the " stall". This occurs from 160° f to 180° f internal temp. Most folks are aware of the stall as to what temperatures it should start but not why. Most are not aware that there is a top temperature to the stall nore understand what is happening during the stall. You do not want to speed up the stall and push through it. The stall is when the magic happens. The meat does not start to get tender, render, until it reaches 160° f. And slows down and stops rendering at 180° f. All this being internal temp of course. That's why for example I pull my brisket at about 175° f internal, wrap in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a insulated box like a cooler and let it " finish " not rest. I can normally get the meat in about 8 hours or less ,especially if I start out " hot" say a cooking chamber temp of 350 to 375° f to the internal temp. You no longer need the internal to go higher then 180°f. In fact you shouldn't let it get higher. No need to put back in smoker or oven. It will take 6 or more hours to drop back down to 160° f internal depending on how well your box is insulated. This is why I say it's " finishing " not resting. And it will be several hours before the internal temp should reach 140° f, the food safety temp. If you follow this technique you will never overcook brisket because the second half of the technique the meat cooks itself. It means setting and loading the smoker before going to bed then getting up early to remove and replace with short cook foods and have everything ready for the day without ever having to re-heat anything for your guests or customers. I hope I have explained this well enough. Once you understand this and get accustomed to the technique and trust in it not only will your meat benefit from it but you can double your productivity by doing your long cooks like brisket and pulled pork first. Then do your ribs and chicken, I call my short cooks while the first cook finishes in the insulated containers. All in one cooker. So ok, yuppers my replies can get a little long, sorry. But I do like to be through. Think about all of this. I'm thinking the temp changes you have noticed is somehow connected to the " stall" . But if not maybe you have been introduced to a different way of thinking how to use your smoker and get more out of it. Good luck.👍🔥
Nice work! You can get a more distinct sear on the tri tip if you baste with melted butter with a flip every 45 seconds (at least that's what works for my cooks)
I have a reverse flow stick burner. I pre heat it with a leaf burner after I light my fire. It cuts the time in half or more. Would probly help you on yours also. And makes it easier to clean the racks. That is a nice looking IVS
Thank you! Yes I have the fire board 2 with the blower. The IVS are a different best. Much smaller heat source and much different than my stick burners. It's just what they are. There is much more mass and you run the risk of over shooting temp of you rush then. you start to choke then down and Slow down the warm up about 25 degrees before target. Slow and steady. But once up to temp the cruise!
I bought my I.V.S. about 6 yrs. ago and got tired of waiting for it to come up to temp. So I would set up the fire box for the burn I want , than pull the box out and place it on Jack stands just outside the door. Than place my weed burner just inside the door and run it on low. Just don't run it high enough to get metal red in backside of fire box. Don't know if it would harm cooker but wouldn't chance it. Then in the time it took to light a quarter chimney of charcoal it was hitting 300 degrees. No time at all. Meat in, ass down, beer open.
No probe ports on an insulated smoker. The doors are gasketed. The amount of air let in the box controls the temp. A probe port would be the same as a leak. They just aren't needed. Hope that makes sense.
@@kwikmechanic smoke flavor is just not there for me. could also be I'm used to the flavor of charcoal? my first smoker was a weber smokey mountain. no matter what brand and flavor of pellets I use, they all taste the same.
Interesting. I would agree 100% than any charcoal sourced smoker tastes differently than wood-fired. My insulated vertical smoker does taste slightly different than even my offset. I would guess it's personal preference. I've seen some charcoal flavored pellets out there. Maybe give those a try and mix in some of your favorite wood pellets?
@@kwikmechanic lumberjack does make a char hickory, but it only has 10 percent charcoal. now I think royal oak may make a 100 percent charcoal pellet. not sure it would make much of a difference for MY preference. so I used 100 percent lumberjack hickory pellets, could not tell any difference between that and their pecan with is blended with oak. but its all personal preference. I know quite a few people that don't like the flavor their pellet smoker puts out as well. its a absolute top notch built smoker none the less. think im going to look into a gravity fed smoker or an insulated vertical smoker. still very new to smoking, but I do want to learn how to cook on an offset. my worry, which is why I got the pellet smoker to begin with, is I work ALOT and my wife and I have different schedules on the weekend: we rotate weekends so we don't need a baby sitter, down side is im by my self for 12 hours till she gets off work, so I have no free time to baby sit a smoker. the insulated looks very appealing because it seems to hold temp and will go for hours once you get I dialed in.
Insulated will run for 16 hours with a 5 degree temp swing. They are rock steady but don't offer much versatility. I loved my master built 800 gravity feed. It's easy and Rick solid on temp. Will give you any and every option if cooking you want. Only down side..... Kinda cheap build quality. Not a cooker that will last a lifetime by any means. I take great care of mine and wouldn't expect to get more than about 5 years out of mine. And I cook on it few and far between being I have so many different others. It's sheet metal, not nearly the quality of the Lone Star products. But offers a lot of what you're looking for for a reasonable price
Yes. In general if the IVS is run correctly it's a cleaner traditional bbq flavor. If you want more smoke, just add more wood. In general bark and smoke ring are similar in either. Thanks for commenting!
what would that rib plate cost me if i was to put in a order and how much time in advance would you need to place the order? if you said it in the video i missed it watching this at work and can't hear the audio very well.
Thanks for the question. The costs vary depending on quantity of heads. Also the sides. What meats they would like. Do we need to serve to guests? Are they picking up? There's many variables. But. Anywhere from 15 to 40 a plate. Hope that makes sense. Usually 2 weeks notice is required.
Just a bit of advice even though you didn't ask. Always Always put boiling hot water in your water pan, also have you just tried a common fire like a regular smoker. I have a smoker I cook 500 to 600 pounds I used to own a bbq catering business and bbq food truck. Try those 2 tips and that should help your time out. If you need to shoot me a message. DarrylK.
I ordered the same smoker at the end of February, should have it in the middle of Aug I can't wait. Question, will it come up to temp faster if you use both ball valves on the side of the fire box? Thank you
I'm sure it would. But honestly follow the directions that it comes with. The folks at Lone Star know their products. There is so much mass it just takes time. And you're not using much for a coal bed. Very easy to overshoot temperatures if you rush it. And once you're over temp, it's almost impossible to cool them back down. Slow and steady wins the race. But once they're at temp, they're an amazing beast of efficiency. Cooking for about 65 in the next week or two. Should be posting a video of that. Nine racks of ribs. 65 thighs, and several tri tip, and it all fits. Have fun with the new cooker! Congrats!
@@richardprimoff8753 yes. It heats up faster dry. But it's about an hour with or without water. It's just a lot of thermal mass. No matter how you cut it. It takes time.....
Looking for insight. Why is it when using charcoal you always want your coals to become a nice ashy white give or take, but yet this snake technique is used???
@ 7:20 what type beat is that? or even the playlist!? I really like this kind of genre of music.
I have the same IVS set up the same way, comp. cart with all terrain wheels and fireboard 2 and fan. This is a wonderful beast. That said this is NOT for the back yard cook. This big girl is for catering and foodtrailers etc. A back yard cook should go with the smaller cookers. The smallest will still cook more food then most folks will need or want but be much easier to use and take less time to get up to heat. But I absolutely love my large. I'm starting a catering/ foodtrailer business and can't say enough good things about her. I received mine this past April/ May and wow. I live in Washington state, it can get cold in the winter months. I'm SO looking forward to using it this winter. The insulated aspect means no additional fuel costs or time. I did some cold weather cooks last winter on my two 22" Webber Smoky Mountain cookers during the night and those are cooks I would love to be able to forget 🥶. This winter once it's up to heat,load, set the fireboard and go to bed. And any smoker this big is going to take a hour, it's not a problem and should always be expected. Same with Kamado's and even the 22" WSM'S. It just goes with the territory. Want quicker, easier, get a pellet smoker. And from what I'm seeing, Lonestargrillz has figured that out with their new pellet smoker. Could be the next newest best friend a back yard cook could want. Have a great day. 👍😃🍻🌤
I love this thing. I have 12 turkey to get done as of now for Thanksgiving. Two have started to cater. And this definitely is my go-to.
I do have a question for you, do you get pit creep? The last cook or two I've had on this the temperature has started to creep late in the cook as the meat is getting closer to finishing. Fire board etc everything stays rock solid. Until the last half hour or hour it will start to creep up 10 to 15 degrees. It does you know. These will hold very tight temperature windows for hours on end. I almost think I may have a leak on the gasket on the fire door. Not a huge issue. But a new issue with that.
@@kwikmechanic ok to be clear, is it " creeping " up or down? I have not had this problem per say. However I'm sure you read in the instructions and have noticed if you let the water pan go low or don't use water the temperature will go higher. I like using water all the time,including at high temperatures. But having a full water pan makes those temperatures ( I like doing hot and fast brisket for example) difficult if not impossible. And when I say higher I mean 350° f to 375° f. One more thing here is I don't wrap my pork ribs. I'll load up and smoke them separately or towards the end of a cook. One half hour or so of the cook I empty the water pan so there is a dryer atmosphere in the cooker reducing rust issues but also giving the ribs a better texture on the surface of the ribs. I'm still playing around with a lot of things. One last thing. I had Criss have the guys weld in grate slides so I can run 3 grates evenly spaced for doing as many turkeys at one time as possible. I mostly smoke turkeys in the 10 to 12 lb sizes ( I'll do 13 pounders if I have to ) . Anyway I mention this because I knew even this size of turkeys wouldn't fit well using 4 grates and I didn't want to be limited to using only two grates. This enables me to smoke 18 turkeys at one time. Anyway, I apologize for getting somewhat off subject. Let me know if you're temperature is creeping up or down, I'm very curious and will help if I can. However 10 ° f up or down really shouldn't have any real negative effect on the cook. Heck, most folks wouldn't even notice that difference in their smoker. We get kinda spoiled with the IVS. And that's a good thing. Have a great day. 👍🍻🦃
@@victorbenner539 sounds like we are on the same page. I usually run water during most the cooks and similarly drain the pan about 20 to 30 minutes before finish for the same reasons you mentioned. Both quality of food as well as rust prevention. In general the temperature swings are minor. But I've never had them in the past. Just something that I potentially have noticed that has been going on. I think it has to do with the thermal mass of the large amount of meat on the cooker. Once it gets close to finishing temp etc I feel like I should start throttling down even more, close off the ball valve. About 2/3 through the cook. Allowing everything to glide while letting the fire board continue to run the cook. Not sure if that makes sense.
@@kwikmechanic interesting, I use the term " throttling down " also to express the turning down of cook chamber temp. Same page indeed. I'm curious what proteins, or amount of and mix of proteins your doing currently and if it's much different than when before this change started to occur. There could be more going on then you might have thought. I'm hoping you keep logs with your cooks ( the fireboard does such a wonderful job of recording time and temperatures, but not what you put in the cooker) Let me know what you have. This could help you, me and possibly others. I believe it could be a connection with the rendering of the collagen , the stuff that makes meat tough. As it renders meat becomes more tender. As it renders it turns to a gelatin form.When done correctly it not only makes meat more tender, it makes it taste more better. In the case of brisket it will become more " beefy" tasting and also improve the texture and moisture of the meat. This can in tern change external temperature of the meat. Folks refer to this as the " stall". This occurs from 160° f to 180° f internal temp. Most folks are aware of the stall as to what temperatures it should start but not why. Most are not aware that there is a top temperature to the stall nore understand what is happening during the stall. You do not want to speed up the stall and push through it. The stall is when the magic happens. The meat does not start to get tender, render, until it reaches 160° f. And slows down and stops rendering at 180° f. All this being internal temp of course. That's why for example I pull my brisket at about 175° f internal, wrap in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a insulated box like a cooler and let it " finish " not rest. I can normally get the meat in about 8 hours or less ,especially if I start out " hot" say a cooking chamber temp of 350 to 375° f to the internal temp. You no longer need the internal to go higher then 180°f. In fact you shouldn't let it get higher. No need to put back in smoker or oven. It will take 6 or more hours to drop back down to 160° f internal depending on how well your box is insulated. This is why I say it's " finishing " not resting. And it will be several hours before the internal temp should reach 140° f, the food safety temp. If you follow this technique you will never overcook brisket because the second half of the technique the meat cooks itself. It means setting and loading the smoker before going to bed then getting up early to remove and replace with short cook foods and have everything ready for the day without ever having to re-heat anything for your guests or customers. I hope I have explained this well enough. Once you understand this and get accustomed to the technique and trust in it not only will your meat benefit from it but you can double your productivity by doing your long cooks like brisket and pulled pork first. Then do your ribs and chicken, I call my short cooks while the first cook finishes in the insulated containers. All in one cooker. So ok, yuppers my replies can get a little long, sorry. But I do like to be through. Think about all of this. I'm thinking the temp changes you have noticed is somehow connected to the " stall" . But if not maybe you have been introduced to a different way of thinking how to use your smoker and get more out of it. Good luck.👍🔥
Nice work! You can get a more distinct sear on the tri tip if you baste with melted butter with a flip every 45 seconds (at least that's what works for my cooks)
Sounds like my kind of cook! Can't go wrong with butter.
Looks great. Loved the prep work on the ribs, squared up, mustard base for the rib rub...perfect!
I'll be doing a pork leg in near future, stay tuned!
We need more ivs vids!! Im four weeks inn on the wait for mine!
More vids getting loaded this weekend! CONGRATS ON THE COOKER!
I have a reverse flow stick burner. I pre heat it with a leaf burner after I light my fire. It cuts the time in half or more. Would probly help you on yours also. And makes it easier to clean the racks. That is a nice looking IVS
Thank you! Yes I have the fire board 2 with the blower. The IVS are a different best. Much smaller heat source and much different than my stick burners. It's just what they are. There is much more mass and you run the risk of over shooting temp of you rush then. you start to choke then down and Slow down the warm up about 25 degrees before target. Slow and steady. But once up to temp the cruise!
That makes sense. One of those is on my list to ember one day. Thanks for the videos.
To get
what is the name of the song being played around the 11:00 mark?
I bought my I.V.S. about 6 yrs. ago and got tired of waiting for it to come up to temp. So I would set up the fire box for the burn I want , than pull the box out and place it on Jack stands just outside the door. Than place my weed burner just inside the door and run it on low. Just don't run it high enough to get metal red in backside of fire box. Don't know if it would harm cooker but wouldn't chance it. Then in the time it took to light a quarter chimney of charcoal it was hitting 300 degrees. No time at all. Meat in, ass down, beer open.
Right on! I dig it! I could imagine that works well. Thanks for the tip!
is this the mini or the fullsize cabinet?
Big one. Could probably do 15 to 20 brisket.
@kwikmechanic dangg that's a beast! I think I'm gonna get the mini for my needs lol
Quick question when using the fireboard with the fan how open is your top vent??
Same as without. The bottom is about 1/8th open. Top is about 1/3 for 250 ish
@@kwikmechanic thank you
It looks like your temp probes are through the door. Do they not provide a probe port?
No probe ports on an insulated smoker. The doors are gasketed. The amount of air let in the box controls the temp. A probe port would be the same as a leak. They just aren't needed. Hope that makes sense.
I got their pellet smoker and wish I had gotten their insulated vertical smoker. I went back and forth for quite awhile.
Why the remorse? Both are great!
@@kwikmechanic smoke flavor is just not there for me. could also be I'm used to the flavor of charcoal? my first smoker was a weber smokey mountain. no matter what brand and flavor of pellets I use, they all taste the same.
Interesting. I would agree 100% than any charcoal sourced smoker tastes differently than wood-fired. My insulated vertical smoker does taste slightly different than even my offset. I would guess it's personal preference. I've seen some charcoal flavored pellets out there. Maybe give those a try and mix in some of your favorite wood pellets?
@@kwikmechanic lumberjack does make a char hickory, but it only has 10 percent charcoal. now I think royal oak may make a 100 percent charcoal pellet. not sure it would make much of a difference for MY preference. so I used 100 percent lumberjack hickory pellets, could not tell any difference between that and their pecan with is blended with oak. but its all personal preference. I know quite a few people that don't like the flavor their pellet smoker puts out as well. its a absolute top notch built smoker none the less. think im going to look into a gravity fed smoker or an insulated vertical smoker. still very new to smoking, but I do want to learn how to cook on an offset. my worry, which is why I got the pellet smoker to begin with, is I work ALOT and my wife and I have different schedules on the weekend: we rotate weekends so we don't need a baby sitter, down side is im by my self for 12 hours till she gets off work, so I have no free time to baby sit a smoker. the insulated looks very appealing because it seems to hold temp and will go for hours once you get I dialed in.
Insulated will run for 16 hours with a 5 degree temp swing. They are rock steady but don't offer much versatility. I loved my master built 800 gravity feed. It's easy and Rick solid on temp. Will give you any and every option if cooking you want. Only down side..... Kinda cheap build quality. Not a cooker that will last a lifetime by any means. I take great care of mine and wouldn't expect to get more than about 5 years out of mine. And I cook on it few and far between being I have so many different others. It's sheet metal, not nearly the quality of the Lone Star products. But offers a lot of what you're looking for for a reasonable price
Nice! I liked that little fan attachment you had on the side. Does it control your temps or are you having to adjust every so often?
Have you noticed any difference in bark, flavor between the IVS and the pellet smoker?
Yes. In general if the IVS is run correctly it's a cleaner traditional bbq flavor. If you want more smoke, just add more wood. In general bark and smoke ring are similar in either. Thanks for commenting!
I would have never thought to use a chimney to start the LSG vertical… guess it gets the job done. Thanks for the video!
Yes sir. Great starter coal bed in 15 minutes. Easy and fast. Thank you for watching!
what would that rib plate cost me if i was to put in a order and how much time in advance would you need to place the order? if you said it in the video i missed it watching this at work and can't hear the audio very well.
Thanks for the question. The costs vary depending on quantity of heads.
Also the sides. What meats they would like. Do we need to serve to guests? Are they picking up? There's many variables.
But. Anywhere from 15 to 40 a plate. Hope that makes sense. Usually 2 weeks notice is required.
Just a bit of advice even though you didn't ask. Always Always put boiling hot water in your water pan, also have you just tried a common fire like a regular smoker. I have a smoker I cook 500 to 600 pounds I used to own a bbq catering business and bbq food truck. Try those 2 tips and that should help your time out. If you need to shoot me a message. DarrylK.
Great recommendation on the water. I've been trying that with success! Thank you
It seems you added the water before getting to temp. Maybe try and add hot water once it is close to your cooking temp?
I ordered the same smoker at the end of February, should have it in the middle of Aug I can't wait. Question, will it come up to temp faster if you use both ball valves on the side of the fire box? Thank you
I'm sure it would. But honestly follow the directions that it comes with. The folks at Lone Star know their products. There is so much mass it just takes time. And you're not using much for a coal bed. Very easy to overshoot temperatures if you rush it. And once you're over temp, it's almost impossible to cool them back down. Slow and steady wins the race. But once they're at temp, they're an amazing beast of efficiency. Cooking for about 65 in the next week or two. Should be posting a video of that. Nine racks of ribs. 65 thighs, and several tri tip, and it all fits. Have fun with the new cooker! Congrats!
@@kwikmechanic do you think it would come to temp faster if you didn't add water? or used hot water?
@@richardprimoff8753 yes. It heats up faster dry. But it's about an hour with or without water. It's just a lot of thermal mass. No matter how you cut it. It takes time.....
What is your Tri-Tip marinade? Thanks.
This was a new one. Didn't touch much on it because I wasn't too impressed. My favorite is a dry rub. Killer hogs TX rub!
Man, I put killer hogs on everything. Malcom got it right when he made that stuff 😂
Looking for insight. Why is it when using charcoal you always want your coals to become a nice ashy white give or take, but yet this snake technique is used???
White glowing coals are hot and ready,the snake method extends the time they'll burn versus just a pyle of coals all burning at once
Sterile bbq. Sorry 😂