Vertical cook chamber....

Hey Yak, I have an upright on the Gator and I find that I use it most these days. It just is so easy to use. I generaly use the Hroz. for things I'm cooking hot and fast or I pull out the tuning plates and use the 40"x24" grill for Mass Fajitas. If you smoke in the whole pit filling it to capacity then I have to tune the temps. Thats why it's easy in the upright, no tuning. Gator Ritch just made him self a new Gator for his backyard. It is a very large upright with a 30" firebox/grill on the side and no horz. After using my pit and then seeing what he made for himself. I think I would have had him make an identical pit for me. Thats if I did it over again. You might consider this design no matter who makes the pit. It really makes sense. I think it's on the Gator Pit web site. I'll try to find the old link so you can see a picture of it.

I don't own one of them "big pits" your looking at, just a Bandera, but I have cooked on a couple (namely Gregs extended BYC, and Phils BYC and MOAB).

Some from a non owner standpoint, I think the vertical presents "options". I have seen it used to cook things in (ie more butts, ribs, etc) but have also seen it used to keep a big arse endless pot of chili hot while the main chamber is used to cook.

Also seen it used at Greg with like 12 racks in the vertical to take advantage of the slightly lower temps to make some of the finest jerky I've ever had. Then I saw it reloaded with 12 trays of peppers to smoke and make some of Marks pepper creations.

And at Phils, 6 dozen ABT's in there, then at both Greg and Phils, using it to make the cheesy bread (look under recipe module, appetizers, Phil's Cheese Bread)

So I think the vertical adds versatility, and "space" while your main chamber is loaded up. And you would probably need to pull out the top shelf in the main chamber to put a BCTurkey in there, which would lower main chamber capacity, but without a BYC in front of me, I'm only guessing that.

Good luck

(BTW, when you cast a spinner bait in a kayak, don't you flip over?)

Agree with the versatility comment that Bill made. I'm still getting to know the BYC, but with the baffle in, we were cooking butts, brisket and ribs in the horizontal at around 225-250 and had sausage hanging in the upright getting smoke at around 150. You can use it to warm, to hold things, etc....It's also a great way to increase capacity if you don't have space in your yard for more horizontal cook surface....

Adding to Bills stuff.. from the owner.. theres 2 differnt ways to look at this.. and also, what do you want to use it for? ... The BYC which has a horizontal AND vertical and the vertical only(MOAB), each has VERY different characteristics. Each has strong points, but it is very dependant on where its going and what your cooking for.

to put it in a nutshell, and give you one picture.. I designed the MOAB for competitions, then all last year, never took it and continued with my BYC. REASON: Much more versatile. BYC has more spots to cook in with different characteristics and a different heat signature. I am not going to say it is uneven heat, becase thats an injustice. Its not uneven, but there are hotter spots than others in the horizontal, such as the top racks and dead zone next to the firebox. Install the baffle and you have jerky on one side and ribs and briswket on the other.. Or sausage hanging in the vertical while your making ribs.. The removable baffle makes a huge difference. The full vertical MOAB has dead even temps all around top to bottom. thats a great and beautiful thing.. or is it? depends on what your doing. Withthe BYC, Its like having 2 seperate ovens.... the MOAB is one big one.

The vertical chamber in the BYC has a removable baffle seperating it from the main. with the baffle inplace, it will run 75 degrees cooler than the main. With the baffle removed it will run 25-50 degrees cooler and thats can be controled by the damper on the chimney. it took a year for me to be comfortable cooking in both chambers simutaneously. At first, it was difficult maintaining temps in the vertical. But once you figure out the technique. Its and awesome cooker.

The Vertical only Moab has a much larger cabacity than the entire BYC. Aside form the back left corners of the 2 bottom shelves, the pit is dead even in its cooking all around. It can be used in several configurations. You can put the heat in the main, below a waterpan like a WSM, or as a true offset, or both.

Downside to a vertical is the stuff dripping on one another if u have a full chamber. Ok for yard, but ya may not want that in competition. Also, its a single chamber, so tending to one meat, effects cooking time of the other. Again, no prob in the yard, but very bad in a competition.

If the choice is betwqeen the 20x48 offset or the BYC, absolutley hands down the BYC. Much more versatile. Can do the work of 3 pits. Everytime i use that pit, i keep saying.. "damn I love this thing. "

the BYC can be designed to your specs. I have helped with nearly a dozen and have learned whats required options. I can help u with that.

I just bit my screen trying to nab that bacon in the last picture.

Maybe a Road Map thread on "BYC Review" is in order for this thread

You ain't kidding.....Man those pics of Phils work would make anyone's mout water. Nice smoker too!!!

Man, u just can't post pics like that 1 hour before lunch. That's just Cruel with a capital C.

Smoker said:

Man, u just can't post pics like that 1 hour before lunch. That's just Cruel with a capital C.

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Especially when the wife put canned soup in the old lunch box.

Show Her the Jpegs and she will come. :roll:

brdbbq said:

Show Her the Jpegs and she will come. :roll:

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Dude, you crack me up.....

Yakfishingfool said:

Thanks guys, the decision just keeps getting harder and harder, and the price higher and higher.

As for fishing from a yak....check out www.kayakfishingstuff.com. It's the premier kayak fishing site on the world. Actually fishing form a yak makes so much sense. Thinka bout all you coastal boys that cant; get back into theose shallow bays where all the big reds play. I can. Just got back fromt he Turks and Caicos islands, spectacular bone fishing on virgin flats. No way to get there other than yak, or walk. Never had fish flip me, but biggest has only been maybe forty-fifty pounds. Jumped a couple of 100+ pound tarpon, but never got them it. Lot;s do though. Very cool sport. I know there ar elots of you that fish here. Check it out. Be happy to answer any questions. I'm the host of the newbie forum there. Scott

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Holy chit.

I know the wrong forum thingy, but you aint kidding. Lotta info there. I like the fully rigged out one on the trailer on page 2 of the photos. Looks like a friggin jet fighter. Never knew about this, but I'm a city/suburban shore fisherman primarily. Might look into one of these beauties.

Thanks for the link Scott.

brdbbq said:

Show Her the Jpegs and she will come. :roll:

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I'm not gonna touch that line.

Yakfishingfool said:

Hey willkat, perfect application. Get's you to where the others can't. Goes easily on the roof and I have a GPS, FF and rod holders, some food and drink and I;m all set. Easily fish the ocean, bays, rivers. Lot;s of good stuff over there. Check out the forums too. scott

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Now if u could mount a hibachi in front of you, I might be interested.

Yakfishingfool said:

As for fishing from a yak....check out www.kayakfishingstuff.com. It's the premier kayak fishing site on the world. Actually fishing form a yak makes so much sense. Thinka bout all you coastal boys that cant; get back into theose shallow bays where all the big reds play. I can. Just got back fromt he Turks and Caicos islands, spectacular bone fishing on virgin flats. No way to get there other than yak, or walk. Never had fish flip me, but biggest has only been maybe forty-fifty pounds. Jumped a couple of 100+ pound tarpon, but never got them it. Lot;s do though. Very cool sport. I know there ar elots of you that fish here. Check it out. Be happy to answer any questions. I'm the host of the newbie forum there. Scott

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When I lived in Florida in the 80's, there was a guy that would take a kayak offshore out of Fort Lauderdale, and use light tackle on bill fish. He was regularly taken for some wild Nantucket Sleigh rides.

Yakfishingfool said:

Now how many of you have the BYC for jsut home use, no competitions,nothing else, just at home? scott

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Yak - I have a 24"diameter version of the BYC made by GatorPits in Houston. I only use it in my yard, no comps no catering. I agree with everything BBQChef33 said in his pit analysis, he is correct. I went with Gator because of the full custom build on every pit for less money than Klose. When you talk to guys that have owned both they will all say the same thing, The quality of the Gator is every bit as good as the Klose and you get more bang for the buck. It's a smaller shop and the personal service is unbeatable. Here are pics of my Gator Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and choose the album "Zilla's Gator Pit". I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about my pit or my experience of shopping and researhing pits made in Texas before I bought mine last summer.

I've never cooked on a horizontal, unless you would include offset cooking in my barrel grill, so vertical is all I know. As far as using one at a competition, I have no problem using it, because it's all a matter of timing of when you put you meat on and what temps you want to cook at. I also don't have a problem with the pork butts basting the briskets.