Ultimate Smoked BBQ Brisket Test between the Lone Star Grillz Offset and Insulated Vertical Smoker

[@jimbroomfield8252]

Right on I’ll tell you this video had my mouth watering. I’m a truck driver been saving my money to buy myself Lonestar grill and try to open a small little restaurant with my wife and I. I enjoy the videos a lot of information on how to choose the right smoker. Thanks for all you do.

[@dongill6832]

Trick I learned to keep moisture from puddling and killing the bark in my IVS is to place a small piece of wood under the flat to lift it up. Moisture runs right off and helps bark form. Also I do not wrap until It passes scratch test. Could be 170-180F before it sets. That works 90% of the time. Then there are ultra humid days and nothing works.

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate you sharing your bbq tips Don and thanks for watching.

[@SD4Health]

First of all, I'm jealous over the fact that you have both smokers LOL.

[@lawrencegarcia1370]

Dude has my dream backyard set up, those lonstars are amazing

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you for the compliment, appreciate you watching.

[@josephflanagan2527]

Yeah dude, any LSG offset is my dream. Any quality offset, really! Im just bugging my wife until she breaks 😏

[@khristopherbourque7345]

Just pulled the trigger on the vertical off set, gonna have 8 weeks to get my wood splits piled up and ready for smoke time.

[@JPBBQ]

Right on man, you are gonna have a lot of fun. Congrats on your new smoker.

[@josephflanagan2527]

I hate you, you’re so lucky lol

[@be891]

Great video! I definitely want to get a LSG. I'm having trouble picking between cabinet style or pipe style. That IVS really surprised me as well. Great content!

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks, appreciate that. LSG makes a very good product thats for sure.

[@LouisatRshackBBQ]

Just ordered my large I V S. You definitely had a hand in my final decision. Thanks for great videos

[@JPBBQ]

Good choice! your gonna love it.

[@GrillandSmokeBBQ]

Both briskets looked awesome. Great cook. New subscriber to your channel. Keep that smoke rolling Brother!

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks and welcome to the channel. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@alzawalich9829]

Great taste and cook test. Keep up the good videos

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you AL, appreciate that.

[@fourpressmedia2674]

Great video! Put wood chunks under your briskets so they sit more concave on the rack and that will reduce the puddling of moisture from ruining the bark.

[@JPBBQ]

Ah, good idea. Ive seen other channels do the same thing. I should of thought of that. Appreciate the tip and thanks for watching.

[@fourpressmedia2674]

@@JPBBQ I have the same issue with my barrel smoker, if I don't eliminate all of the valleys on the brisket. I love my LSG offset, though!!

[@scottkazmier420]

JP can you show us your outdoor kitchen sometime. Looks like a nice set up and maybe a run through of all your smokers. Thank you Sir

[@JPBBQ]

Sure thing Scott, I would be happy to do a run through. Thanks again.

[@scottkazmier420]

@@JPBBQ thank you Sir.

[@craigconner7815]

Another great vid JP! Thanks for doing the SxS comparison as I know there are people out there considering one of these awesome smokers. I wonder if the flavor difference could be related to the brand charcoal briquettes you used?

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate the comment Craig. I don’t think the charcoal would of added any flavor. the only thing I think it could of done is just provide a consistent source of heat and that may have played a part on how well the fat may have rendered. Thanks again for watching.

[@ericdyke4103]

Great video, I’m thinking about converting from offset to IVS due to time commitments. I’ve always wondered if the slow burn of the efficient IVS would cause the wood to smolder instead of burn cleanly like an offset, Do you notice more white instead of clear/blue smoke coming off the IVS? Hard to argue with the success so many have with the IVS. Thanks.

[@rustylamb3421]

Great video! If I wrap on my LSG ivs it's not till almost done! Helps with bark I smoke with water mostly

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you Rusty, appreciate the tip. Im so used to wrapping at 165 ℉ that I take it for granted that both smokers act differently. Thanks again. 😎

[@elmerolion2424]

That rub looks real good brotha gonna buy me some . Wood of choice for me tho is pecan and mesquite but you can go wrong with post oak that seems to be the wood that’s more available. 👍

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks amigo, appreciate the compliment.

[@t-birdsencbbq.7404]

Awesome looking brisket brother. Thanks for the comparison showing the advantage of both smokers.

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you Tyler, I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.

[@MIkalAbdullahSr]

Great video. I like offsets because I enjoy playing with fire and have access to plenty of splits. I smoke a lot of lamb, goat and fish where the bark does not matter so much. Know I'm considering adding the insulated smoker. I live just a few hours from LSG so I'm going to check out the mini. You are costing me money, brother. LOL

[@JPBBQ]

No worries friend, appreciate you watching. Tell Chris I said hi.

[@chrismassingill4650]

Hey J.P. I’m currently looking at buying the insulated smoker. I have a Yoder pellet smoker now. But I need a larger cabinet style smoker. I’m trying to figure out if I want to get the insulated or their new cabinet pellet smoker. Any thoughts that may help me decide?

[@prestonbuffington954]

Very well thought out, interesting video JP. Looked like a really tough job having to eat both briskets, but it looked like you all were able to handle it. Cheers.

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks Preston, We still got a little bit left in the freezer. We will probably make some tacos with it. Appreciate you watching.

[@dewayneandrews642]

Gr8 smoker comparison between the LSG IVS & LSG OFFSET.. I agree that the bark 4m the IVS was a bit MUSHY on top compared to the OFFSET.. I WISH I WAS THERE TO TASTE BOTH ; but in my opinion I think I wld prefer the offset brisket over the IVS brisket mainly because of the bark was formed & held on better & it had a better smoke ring..

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks Bro, appreciate you watching and commenting. The LSG bark was much better including the smoke ring. thanks again 👍🏼

[@s2DcOnGames]

Excellent video JP!! I’m willing to bet that the IVS brisket benefited from a longer rest time. That allowed the juices to redistribute back in to the brisket. Also, was there any spritzing done on the briskets? Either way, great video. Keep’em coming!

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you Grates, The brisket from the Insulated Vertical Smoker did rest a couple of hours longer. So you may be right in regards to the juices redistributed back into the meat. No spritzing was done. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@dewayneandrews642]

How bout doin a rib ( St.louis, baby back,r spareribs ) comparison between both smokers??

[@JPBBQ]

Oh thats a great idea. Im interested to see how they come out too. Thanks Dewayne. 👍🏼😎

[@vansteel393]

I'll bet that the reason the IVS was more flavorful was because the bark didn't form as well. I've noticed that a lot of times it's difficult to taste the individual ingredients that make up a nice bark other than the salt and pepper. Since the seasoning stayed pretty hydrated on the IVS, you were able to taste the garlic in the rub more easily.

[@JPBBQ]

I think you may be right. There was a clear difference in flavor between the two. They were both great tasting but for me the Insulated just had more of an intense flavor to it. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@mikedente5254]

Nice man I hope you sell a lot of product--Nice brisket enjoy that beer

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you Mike, appreciate the compliment.

[@torrentialrain777]

Thanks for posting this comparison . I recently ordered a Large IVS because life dictates that I don’t have time to babysit a fire at this stage of my life. I’ve had massive trailer stick burners, and feel like I can claim I make good BBQ on them. But they were sold, and the IVS is on the way. Have you tried not wrapping the briskets? Especially in the IVS. I would usually not wrap until they went in the cooler to rest. Even on the offsets. Great bark that way. I’m thinking with all the extra moisture in the IVS you could go naked and it get a better bark.

[@JPBBQ]

No problem, I like sharing what i learn. You are gonna love your IVS. There is literally little to no fire management when it comes to the Insulated. Not yet, but sounds like a good intro for an upcoming video. “Naked Briskets in the Lone Star Grillz Insulated Vertical Smoker” is what I call it. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@shumardi1]

I’ve been looking forward to this comparison!

[@JPBBQ]

Thank you Jeff, Very much appreciate the comment and thanks for watching.

[@juangranados9040]

Thank you J.P. I always wondered whether the Ivs would be as good as an offset. I am glad to hear that I chose right. Insulated is so easy and I can sleep overnight. Makes me want to cook more often. Thank you for doing it. You are my hero. You would make a great neighbor. Do your neighbors smell your cooks and invite themselves over? I would :)

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate that Juan. I’m glad the video helped out. Some neighbors peek over. But when they see the camera gear they kind of shy away. Thanks again.

[@juangranados9040]

@@JPBBQ Their loss. Briskets look great. Mine takes forever at 225. I may look to up the temp. Did you use water in the ivs for the cook?

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks, In my offset the smoker temp will fluctuate between 250 and 275. That’s the nice thing about the insulated that you can maintain constant temps throughout the cookout. No water in the pan.

[@TeoOktoberfest]

Wow look delicious... Great work

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate the compliment, thanks for watching.

[@TeoOktoberfest]

@@JPBBQ you welcome 😊

[@GadjetGriller]

I can tell you favor the IVS a little more, so you may favor that brisket a little more. I have a pellet grill and an 20 x 36 Lone star Grillz. Love the set it and forget of the Pellet popper but like the taste of the Off set better. I'm Lazy so I start out on the off set get some good smoke on it then when its time to wrap it goes into the pellet popper. So I can sleep lol. (saves on my expensive wood as well lol) Interesting comparison thanks! Been thinking about getting a mini IVS since everybody loves them, Thanks!!

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching. I tried to be as fair as possible but the flavor won me over. Wasn’t crazy about the bark from the IVS but the flavor was exceptional. Thanks for sharing your tips and again appreciate your comments. Thanks

[@themolepro]

JP, I’m curious. Was the IVS brisket more moist than the offset? I know Kamado cookers are known for producing moist meat because they are so efficient and so less air exchanges in the cooker. Is that the case with the IVS?

[@JPBBQ]

That is an interesting point. I did not think about the amount of air flow traveling through it. Appreciate you sharing that concept. The brisket from the IVS was slightly more tender than the offset, but it was the flavor that caught my attention first. Man was it good. Thanks again for commenting and watching.

[@themolepro]

JP, this video helped me make a very important decision. I’ve been planning on getting the offset vertical for a long time now. Ideally it would be great to have both the offset and the insulated, but I don’t have the space or budget to do that. Called Chris today and put in my order for the large IVS. Any thoughts on whether the off-road package has been worthwhile? I might do one or two competitions per year for the time being, keep it in the garage over winter, etc. - so I’ll be moving it around a little bit.

[@JPBBQ]

@@themolepro Thanks, I am glad the video was helpful in making a decision. Most definitely I would recommend the off road package. It is a huge difference, makes moving around so much easier. Plus if your gonna do some competition, it will load much easier into a trailer and it is an eye catcher. Plus it raising it up some too. Make sure you get the tie downs as well. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@alzawalich9829]

Have you ever tried adding beef tallow to the beginning of the butcher paper to cover the first turn of the brisket?

[@JPBBQ]

No, Ive never tried that. Sounds interesting though. Ive seen people do butter and other juices like apple cider vinegar. But I’ve never seen that. Appreciate your idea.

[@alzawalich9829]

They seem to say that’s Arron Franklin secret ingredient

[@richlopez4466]

@@JPBBQ Quite a few videos on tallow and brisket the past month or two.

[@RHPJR]

Both looked good. Do you think the difference was the smokers or the one brisket had exceptional marbling.

[@JPBBQ]

My first guess would be the smoker because it just seemed like the flavor was more intense. The marbling could of played a small part too, but I’m leaning towards the smoker. Thanks for commenting and watching.

[@jrushing1000]

Great video! It would have been interesting to see how they compare with more of the variables exactly the same. For example, using B&B Briquettes for both types (using the charcoal S Basket for the offset) since the IVS doesn't use splits.

[@JPBBQ]

Ah yes, that would be more of an even comparison. As far as the type of heat source. Appreciate your comment.

[@benh580]

Need to wait until the bark doesnt scratch off prior to wrapping. Never go by temp. Same thing with knowing when its done... never by temp but by probing it to see how it feels. Looks great though. That insulated smoker looks great. How many briskets can you fit?

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks Ben, Appreciate you watching and commenting. You could probably fit around 16 briskets in the large IVS. Thanks also for sharing your tips.

[@edwardnewton6662]

@@JPBBQ How many briskets can you fit on your offset smoker?

[@JPBBQ]

@@edwardnewton6662 about 16 brisket, thanks for asking

[@lyleswavel320]

Your running 275°, maybe fat on fat cap is rendering so fast it happens before bark gets formed in first 4 hours, try fat cap to bottom side

[@JPBBQ]

That’s a thought, I appreciate your input. I will have to try that next time. Thanks

[@crazymonkey9611]

That was very surprising to me too. When you say more flavor, was it more smoke flavor or beef flavor (or both) in the insulated?

[@JPBBQ]

I too was surprised. It had a balanced flavor between the smoke and the beef but I would lean towards more of a beefy flavor. Man was it delicious. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@easyaccess2me]

Did you wrap either of the briskets or straight thru cook?

[@JPBBQ]

Yes i did, wrapped them both when they hit 165 Fahrenheit. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@barryjones965]

Looks great would have been nice to see the brisket during the cook. Really only show little bit of the rub and then after cook and taste more action less talk.

[@JPBBQ]

thank you Barry, appreciate your input. Will take that into consideration “more action less talk” lol. Thanks again for watching.

[@nick_at_nite]

Nice video! A few unmentioned variables that could impact the results; did you put water in the cooking chambers? what kind of wood was used? I assume you didn't wrap at the stall?

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks, appreciate the compliment. No water in the either smoker. I used oak splits in the offset and a mix of briquettes with oak chunks in the Insulated. I wrapped both briskets when they hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Not sure what it was, but it seemed that the insulated created more moisture in the cooking chamber. Thanks again appreciate you watching.

[@lcutis5639]

Looks good, the offset produced a better color. I bet both were awesome

[@JPBBQ]

Appreciate that L Cutis. Both were very delicious. Thanks again.

[@horndog7357]

Can't loose❤

[@Nutkrkr]

Did you put water in the pan in the IVS?

[@JPBBQ]

For brisket, I don’t use water. Plenty of moisture in the meat, plus it may ruin the bark. Thanks for watching

[@Nutkrkr]

@@JPBBQ love what you do. I have been saving for a lone star and have been torn between the two and this was a good test for me. Have you tried placing a small block of wood under the brisket to make it bow or arch slightly in order to prevent the moisture from pooling and help set the crust?

[@felixortiz9330]

excellent video...you have two great smokers BUT it seems that you did NOT sliced that point correctly as you did not rotated the point and therefore you are not getting the best result from it. Aside from that i enjoyed the comparison video. Keep up the good work.

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks Felix appreciate you watching and commenting. Yes, I only took the first slice from where the point and flat meet. But normally once i do get to the point I'll rotate it and cut 90 degrees from how the flat was cut. Thanks again.

[@MRBEAR-qj1ei]

Doing my first cook on my large I've this wknd🍻🍻🍻

[@JPBBQ]

Good deal man, can’t wait to see what you think about it. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@MRBEAR-qj1ei]

Hey carnal I wanted to ask you did you use water on the IVS??

[@JPBBQ]

No water bro.

[@johnsilliman7171]

That was my question. I have a couple of Backwoods and I don’t get great bark with them. Thanks for another great video!

[@roderickminor6165]

I have a IVS. And the reason why the bark didn't set is because 🗣YOU DON'T WRAP BRISKET IN THE IVS‼️ The brisket doesn't need to be wrapped, because it's in a insulated smoker.🤦🏿‍♂️

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks so much for watching, and most appreciate you sharing any tips.

[@TheWestx]

I would agree. Don’t wrap in my Mini at all. So much moisture you need the heat hitting the meat the whole cook to set the back up good.

[@YesItsMario]

Those briskets look phenomenal! I think that LSG Large Vertical is my dream smoker!

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks, appreciate the compliment. LSG makes good stuff for sure.

[@thatrick]

Interesting results and not what I was expecting on the taste test part.

[@JPBBQ]

I know it was crazy the difference in flavor. Thanks again for supporting the channel.

[@harveydanger8282]

she took the point off the insulated vs the flat on the offset?!?!?

[@JPBBQ]

Hey there Harvey thanks for watching and commenting, Briskets were cut in half and the part with the flat were placed back in the pans. The comparisons came from the points. I even tasted it twice. Thanks again.

[@twoods555]

What have been nice to see yo give you wife some food first … regardless of the video. Good video though!

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks, appreciate you watching.

[@javar2r3ra]

Great vid, but I call BS. There's no way a brisket cooked with mostly charcoal was better than a brisket cooked with all wood. You shouldn't have told momma which was which. Let her decide without hearing you first.

[@JPBBQ]

Thanks Rob, appreciate you watching and commenting. Thats a good Idea, it should of been a blind taste test. Maybe Ill do the comparison again and have other people taste test. However on this occasion we did taste it twice and it was the same on both time. Thanks again.