Prototype Vertical Smoker

I just received this smoker from Texas Longhorn BBQ Pits. After going over every single detail with Carlos for days this is what he built for me. It is 20"x52" and all 1/4". I think we made the legs too tall. I can barely reach the smoke stack but then again I am under 6ft. Other than that I am very pleased. Let me know what you guys think. I was wondering if the stack should go on the side instead of the top??? It cost a little less than a WSM 22.5. Guages are extra and he hand delivered it for $100 from Uvalde, Tx to Belton, Tx. He was delivering several smokers to his dealers in the Dallas area with my smoker on the trailer. They all wanted to buy my smoker. He took a few orders and will be building more this week with shorter legs. I do not know if the price is set for sure. Like I said, this was the first one he has built like this and the first one I have ever seen. It is a really simple idea. We just took the smoker off the end of one of his pits and added legs and a door at the bottom big enough to fit the charcoal box I made for my Texas Smokemaster (thanks to instructions from this site). The firebox door is 14"x9".

I got it seasoned and cooked a small brisket to test it out. Temp rises quickly and holds steady. With just 7 or 8 chimneys of lump (maybe 8-10lbs) and a several wood chunks it stayed between 225-250 until I removed the brisket 13 hours later.

After all the careful planning you would think that I would have thought of that. Looks like I just found my first mod. Thanks!

SmittyJonz said:

I like it and might even buy one if good price but if I had a choice I'd rather have 24-26" pipe and 48" tall. :biggrin1:

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Carlos can build that for you. He is really easy to work with. I seriously considered getting mine shorter but we ended up going with his standard size. Give him a call and tell him Paul from Belton sent you.

dwfisk said:

Nice rig. Do you have a baffle plate between the firebox & cook chamber? we put a 5/16 plate in ours - I'm convinced it is what makes it work so well. You will be happy with how much you can cook with such a small footprint.

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Thanks! I put a 13" ceramic pizza stone pan on the bottom rack right about the fire. Would that work the same?

SmittyJonz said:

I like it and might even buy one if good price but if I had a choice I'd rather have 24-26" pipe and 48" tall. :biggrin1:

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Carlos said $529 for a 24" x 48" smoker plus $1 per mile for delivery. If he will be in your area he might be able to cut you a better deal on delivery.

Thermal Mass said:

Nice looking rig!:thumb:

Does the flue protrude into the cooking chamber? If so, how far??

Thanks!

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It does not protude into the cooking chamber at all. I did not think about this. Does it make a difference?

SmokerKing said:

why? Just build a UDS with adjustable racks and side firebox

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I almost went the UDS route but I wanted something that was different. I also almost bought a WSM. In the end this was I really wanted. I may eventually end up with a UDS. I think it would be nice to cook on something I built myself. I do tend to buy a pit every year.

Thermal Mass said:

I was curious because it sounds like from your first cook that it moderates temps fairly well with moderate fuel usage...

It just struck me that if it was flush with the ceiling of the unit that it would "over breath" leading to fluctuating temps and high fuel consumption.

Many offset smoker (non RF) owners extend the flue into the cooking chamber for better temp control and more even heat across the grate(s).

May be something to play around with, a split coffee can is what most use.

I am no expert, just curious and chiming in. Thanks!:biggrin1:

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That explains why it runs hotter with the smoke stack damper almost all the way closed. I will definitely try this as soon as I can find something that is about 4.5" in diameter that I can shove in there. This is sort of why I asked about the smoke stack being on the side instead of the top. I was guessing that would help but that is not something I can test. Maybe someone that knows better than me will help me out. I really appreciate the tips.

SmittyJonz said:

How many and what kind of cooking grates ? Let's see some interior pics

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I only went with 3 grates. They are spaced out about 12"-13" inches apart. There was plenty of room for more grates but I don't really cook that much at once.