Reverse flow?

Can't say that I have one Dave, plenty of Brethren here do and hang on for a few and the posts should be forth coming. Haven't heard or seen any reverse flow owners that didn't love theirs!

I haven't owned one but have cometed against Lang 84 and Lang 60 models. HomeBBQ.com (Kevin) used an 84 for several years with great success. I was thinking of buying one but never could get an answer by phone or email - so I ordered my Kingfisher.

The reverse flow "technology" is sound.

I used one last year at a cookoff when my pit just decided it wouldn't work (long story). We stoked the fire and filled the firebox, it ran 250 on the far side and 225 at the firebox for 5 hours without being touched. We stirred the coals and added about 3 splits and it ran for another 4 hours. I try to get my hands on it anytime I cook bigger than my pit can hold.

I love my little Lang, and the reverse flow design is perfect for this sized cooker. However, for the really large cookers, I think that the traditional offset works just as well.

Do you consider the Backwoods Smokers to be reverse flow? Smoke enters the top and leaves from the bottom.

I like it.

I love my Lang 84. Is a reverse flow smoker any better? NO.
Always remember, it's the cook, not the cooker.
I can smoke meat just as good on my little Brinkmann PitMaster Deluxe.
If you did a taste test between the 2, you would not be able to tell the difference.
The only thing different is that it has a steel plate running the entire lenght of the smoker and you can use that as a grill like in a restuarant. You can't do that with most other smokers that I know of. Other than that, not any better than any other style smoker.

I've got a 250 gal reverse flow cooker by Bubba Grills. Yes it runs hot on one side and cooler on the other (usually about a 20 degree difference). I LOVE it. I can move meat around to different temperature zones at my leisure. You can also adjust the lower temp side by raising the neck of the trailer; you can also lower the temp by lowering the trailer neck ( go figure!). It does require a good bit of attention though! Not much walking around during comps. I didn't know if I would like mine when I first got it. I went through a little bit of a learning curve, but know I am very happy.

I am giving serious consideration to buying a reverse flow for larger cooks. I think they work good, but as has been said, it's the COOK, not the COOKER!

I'm planning on building one . I wonder why you get a 20 degree difference!!!

The temp differential can be minimized by slightly raising the tongue end on a lang. By doing so it allows the hotter air to settle in this end. However on the bottom shelf near the fire box it will be a little hotter there from radiant heat produced by the baffle. I like the fact that some areas cook hotter.

I don't necessarily want the same cooking temps across the entire cooker. It CAN be achieved by raising and lowering the tongue though, but I enjoy have different temperature zones to cook in. My 250 zone is large enough to cook anything I need. I can also smoke chicken in a 275 zone while smoking a boston butt in a 250 zone. I didn't like it at first but its nice when you don't want to smoke everything at the same temp.

Reverse Flow cooker

Mo...I bought a Lang 84 last March and have had nothing but GREAT success cooking on it. The cooker/ smoker area is huge and the smoke translates very well thruout the entire cooking grates (both upper and lower) and no matter how much I am cooking on it (I cater many events)! The smoke flavor with the reverse flow as well as the temperature remains pretty constant thru the entire chamber. I have been thrilled with the way the reverse flow operates and cannot say enough good things about it. I must admit that I was leary when I first started looking at buying one since I had no experieince using one, but Ben Lang took as much time explaining the proper way to use it before I purchased it and it is a awesome cooker. I agree with the other posts about the temp variance and how it can be controlled by raising the the tongue up or down. My cooker usually runs about 15- 20 degree different from end to end.