Thinking of picking up a charcoal smoker, but I am not sure of the pros and cons of a vertical vs. horizontal(off-set). From what I gathered the horizontal is a little more expensive but can serve as a grill also. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ryan
Both could/can be used as a grill also, I think the “horizontal” smoker gives you more control.
I’ve got a Brinkman vertical, but I think only because that was the style of the day and in my price range. It did a great job when we did our brisket and boston butts recently. Just keep the coals hot and plan for a long slow cook.
/all that pink is smoke ring.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 15 year old
1 - 11 year old
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
I have a horizontal charbroil grill/smoker. I use it for smoking all the time. I have also used it as a regular charcoal grill. I have used the small vertical vertical smokers with the water pan underneath. I didn’t care for the set up. You had to open a little door to add more wood/charcoal when needed. It was kind of a pain. It was a cheap vertical smoker. I’ve seen an cheap eletric vertical smoker and they don’t seem to put out enough smoke and are a pain to reload wood chips on. I’m sure you can get a better vertical smoker if you put more money into it. I love my horizontal smoker and I believe it only cost around $150, so far it has held up for 3 years. I would go with the horizontal, but thats just me.
Thank y’all for the input. I was up in the winston-salem area and saw a vertical Brinkman at Roses for $50. Passed on it until I did a little more research. Claim…that makes me hungry!!
quote:
Originally posted by rnellie4Thank y’all for the input. I was up in the winston-salem area and saw a vertical Brinkman at Roses for $50. Passed on it until I did a little more research. Claim…that makes me hungry!!
I’m not knocking Faith & Grace, but my que was the best tasting bbq meat I’ve ever eaten, it was really smokey, tender and didn’t need sauce.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 15 year old
1 - 11 year old
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
I have both. A Brinkman upright and a Smoke-n-Pit. Horizontal is easier to cook on. I use it as a grill and slow cooker(indirect heat) most of the time. I have smoked on it too. Even done a pig on it. I’ve had it at least 12 yrs. Holding up well. For just smoking the little upright will still do the job. Just got to have mitts, needlenose, coal chiminy starter, and coal tongs. My upright is a small cheap one. Was elec and now charcoal. I’ve had it 25 yrs at least. Second set of everything in it. Great smoker but won’t hold a lot of meat. My brother has a Cabela’s upright that’s a little bigger than a 30 gal barrel. It is sweet. Nice bigger door. Easy access and has 3 racks. It’s a three way. Steamer, grill, and smoker.
J Ford
Good job on the pulled pork, man - - that’s competition grade smoke ring there, bubba!
NaClH20
back at y’all with a question?
Do you have any trouble getting heat to pass up from the side firebox to the cooking (grill) area…on the horizontal grills? I ended up drilling holes in the bottom of the firebox and that helped but I think I need to drill more. Somebody on here said Capt. Hoppy was a ‘Q-man, maybe he’ll see this,
keep on smokin’ . . . with water-soaked apple chips!
NaClH20
I never have any issues. If I push it i can get the smoker up to 300. Try opening your smoke stack more. I will pull out my ash drawer a little to get more air to the coals which will make the temp hotter if I’m falling behind. Do you have a air vent on the side box?
I have 3 different smokers/grills.
I have one that is a Brinkmans smoke-n-pit. (Wood/Charcoal)
I have a Smokey Mountian Vertical Smoker (Gas)
And my newest just about completed
Offset smoker/grill. It has a 15 gallon smoker box on the side and two gas burners on the inside. I can get the temp up to around 650 with the gas and down to about 250. (tring for a bit lower I want 225) With the smoke I get up to about 120.(Cold Smoke)
It gets its offical hickory smoking this weekend.
Going to Church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
“JCMIWSM” “You are the offspring of 5 monkeys having But Secs with a retarded fish squirrel………. CONGRADULATIONS”!!! “JCMIWSM”
h-r-d1
Nice setup on the trailer. You can do about everything with that one.
J Ford
You can make your own out of dry-stacked concrete block. I’ve been doing this for a few years. Recently my buddies built upon my original design by sure-walling the dry stacked block and adding fake rock. Turned out very cool. Matter of fact, we’re going to throw on another round of ribs and chicken in the morning! Maybe I’ll take some more pics. BTW - the coals are made from hickory slabs that are burned down on the right of the pic. The wood is suspended by thick rebar and the coals fall through for shoveling to the smoker. The shovel is proping a piece of metal to keep the fire nice and slow as to not burn up all of the precious hickory at once.
There is a place on the side for a dutch oven (or 4).
Here is a pic of the sure-wall, before the burn down chimney was started.
Here is how I originally designed this smoker a few years ago at my house.
Here is my other buddy’s smoker. He has a giant oil drum for a burn barrel. It really throws the heat!
By the way, in my reply above I meant to say my vote is 100% for a vertical smoker. Homemade is the way to go, of course! 
Oh my goodness…Daniel…please cook me some of your special chicken!
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
I would suggest you go to this forum and do a lot of reading. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/
I would also suggest that you search that forum for “UDS” (Ugly Drum Smoker). It is a homemade, vertical smoker that can put out some good Q.
I have a Large Big Green Egg, http://www.biggreenegg.com/ and this thing is Bad A$$. I have smoked on it for 40 striaght hours at 225 and never touched it. I have also cooked wood fired pizzas at 650 degrees. It is all in one smoker / grill and I could not be happier with it.
(Old Post, I know)
Vertical smokers are not more difficult to cook with. The ECB (El Chepo Brinkman) is a pain because they are not built well (but you can still produce good food on them).
A home-built UDS or a Weber Smokey Mountain are as easy as it gets! One fellow above fretted over having to open the little door to add fuel during the cook. You shouldn’t have that problem with a UDS or WSM since they hold enough fuel for a very long cook.
I have a 22.5 WSM and generally don’t use the water pan. I also typically cook above 300 degrees. With higher temps and direct heat a full sized pork butt takes just a few hours instead of 12+.
Offsets are great, no qualms with them at all. It’s just another way to cook good food.
My preference in a smoker an offset stick burner.
2013 Eastcape Vantage VHP
Mercury Pro XS 175