Vertical vs Offset

Alan in Ga

Alan in Ga

is Blowin Smoke!
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High guys I am new to the forum and this will be my first year cooking in competetion. My first comp will be in July provided I get all my ducks in a row. I am in the market rig and looking at a 250 gal reverse flow offset.I am also close to Stumps smokers and see his units used in alot of GBA events. My wife and I are judges in the GBA so we see all the teams. Is there any advantage to a vertical opposed to offset or is it personal choice. thanks Alan www.57smokehouse.blogspot.com/
 
Hello Alan,

I have been using my Lang (Horizontal) for 3 years and Love the smoker. Ben Lang is South of you in GA, almost to the FL boarder.

There are many choices, and many features for each smoker type and manufacturer. You mentioned Stump Smokers and I know many people that also Love these smokers and win. The Lang is a Log Burner that requires maintaining the fire and the Stump has a gravity feed charcoal shute that allows you to start it and go to sleep.

The bottom line is getting the smoker that fits you for comp cooking that you can afford.

Good Luck.
 
I find that both have their advantages. The ideal situation would be something that combines both.
 
Alan
My comp teammate and I recently picked up two Superios Smokers SS-2's (veritcals). I was wanting a new smoker and I looked at a LOT of cookers, Klose, Gator, Pits by JJ, Horizon, Yoder, Stumps, Superior, DW Kountry Cookers, etc.

My choice was veritcal - less fuel consumption, less baby sitting, insulated (I fired it up here in KC in 7 degrees yesterday with half a chimney of briquettes, was at 300 in an hour), and can have a stoker / guru placed on it pretty eash to mind temps.

For the vertical, they're three main manufacturers, Stumps, Superior and DW Kountry Cookers. There is history between the three owners, and a lot of people could chime in on it, but there were reasons we chose Superior. First was having the firebox on the back vs. the side - this lets the door open all the way vs. stoping half way on a Stumps. Second, space between shelves. Stumps runs 3 inch spacing, Superior is closer to 5-6. Big difference getting things in and off shelves. Third, we really like the removeable grease deflector and how its setup.

Let me know if you've got any question, I'll be happy to answer them
 
Alan, first, welcome. Something tells me that we'll run into one another here n
there. The comp you're referring to would be the GON cookoff, yes? We missed it
last year, darn it. RGC the year before...

Being from around here, you're probably referencing Bubba Grills 250R. I can tell
you, Lonnie makes a great smoker. You'll want to also look at Lang smokers (from
middle/south GA). They're 2 of the best offset reverse flow cookers out there
at reasonable prices. They're slightly different; you'll want to decide which one
you like best. Lang can be found at pigroast.com.
 
crd26a said:
Alan

Stumps runs 3 inch spacing, Superior is closer to 5-6. Big difference getting things in and off shelves. Third, we really like the removeable grease deflector and how its setup.

Let me know if you've got any question, I'll be happy to answer them
Click to expand...

All of the verticles mentioned above are good units. Stumps Stretch model, which I just ordered has 7" spacing between shelves. Do your homework before you make a decision and if possible, go to a comp and look at the units in use. You can't go wrong with any of them. As you can probably tell, I'm partial to verticles.
 
Ron is correct, the new Strech does have the space between shelves, but for what we could haul with, size of the width was an issue. Stumps makes a great smoker, w/o a doubt
 
Ron,

How is your verticle working out? I use two UDS's and a 18" WSM noticed that for your comps you were using mainly WSM's. Do verticles maintain heat like a WSM? I have an offset as well but much to much work over the verticles.

We are looking to enter a few comps in CA this year and I am considering either an American BBQ Systems Pit-Boss or one of the verticles (they look very tempting).

I've never seen one in action so this may be a silly question to some but am I understanding correctly that to add "smoke wood" you put it in from the back under the coal chute (the little door with the valve)?

Thanks and I hope this thread isn't dead....
 
I'll chime in and let Ron come in behind with anything further. The veritcal's will maintain heat better than the WSM - they're an insulated cooker. Mine (a Superior) has 2" of insulation between the interior and exterior skins of metal. This helps make them very efficient, around 1 lb of briquettes per hour. For mine, when adding wood, I'll knock the grate the charcoal sits on, get all the ash out I can, dump the ash, then throw in wood in the ash pan. Within minutes the wood is smoldering letting off the smoke.

The ABS systems are a nice smoker (they're built in the town I live in) and I considered them as well. I wouldn't anticipate nearly the amount of efficiency from a fuel consumption standpoint, but can produce some great BBQ.
 
Fat Daddy's Franks said:
Ron,

How is your verticle working out? I use two UDS's and a 18" WSM noticed that for your comps you were using mainly WSM's. Do verticles maintain heat like a WSM? I have an offset as well but much to much work over the verticles.

We are looking to enter a few comps in CA this year and I am considering either an American BBQ Systems Pit-Boss or one of the verticles (they look very tempting).

I've never seen one in action so this may be a silly question to some but am I understanding correctly that to add "smoke wood" you put it in from the back under the coal chute (the little door with the valve)?

Thanks and I hope this thread isn't dead....
Click to expand...

I don't have my verticle yet, it's on order. I do currently use 3 WSM's which have served me well, but I wanted larger capacity so I ordered the Stumps Stretch. The method mentioned above is pretty much the way the wood is added as I understand it.
 
you might want to look at R.J. cookers as well i lover mine should never have sold it
 
BigJimsBBQ said:
Hello Alan,

I have been using my Lang (Horizontal) for 3 years and Love the smoker. Ben Lang is South of you in GA, almost to the FL boarder.

There are many choices, and many features for each smoker type and manufacturer. You mentioned Stump Smokers and I know many people that also Love these smokers and win. The Lang is a Log Burner that requires maintaining the fire and the Stump has a gravity feed charcoal shute that allows you to start it and go to sleep.

The bottom line is getting the smoker that fits you for comp cooking that you can afford.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...
I've had my Lang for almost 3 years as well and wouldn't let her go for almost any money.
crd26a said:
Alan
My comp teammate and I recently picked up two Superios Smokers SS-2's (veritcals). I was wanting a new smoker and I looked at a LOT of cookers, Klose, Gator, Pits by JJ, Horizon, Yoder, Stumps, Superior, DW Kountry Cookers, etc.

My choice was veritcal - less fuel consumption, less baby sitting, insulated (I fired it up here in KC in 7 degrees yesterday with half a chimney of briquettes, was at 300 in an hour), and can have a stoker / guru placed on it pretty eash to mind temps.

For the vertical, they're three main manufacturers, Stumps, Superior and DW Kountry Cookers. There is history between the three owners, and a lot of people could chime in on it, but there were reasons we chose Superior. First was having the firebox on the back vs. the side - this lets the door open all the way vs. stoping half way on a Stumps. Second, space between shelves. Stumps runs 3 inch spacing, Superior is closer to 5-6. Big difference getting things in and off shelves. Third, we really like the removeable grease deflector and how its setup.

Let me know if you've got any question, I'll be happy to answer them
Click to expand...
With the simple addition of a blanket, you can accomplish the same thing on a Lang.

Being in Chicago and cooking year round, we often cook in cold weather. In fact with the moving blanket on mine, we did a cook in -17* windchill and only had to feed her every 2 - 2 1/2 hours and she was keeping temps within 5* from end to end.
 
Divemaster, intrigued by your use of a blanket on the stickburner. Is it a standard blanket (safety issues?) or insulated similar to hot water heater blanket? I know that you wouldn't put over firebox but it sounds like it might be a good way to boost efficiency regardless of weather?
 
Dale in GA said:
Divemaster, intrigued by your use of a blanket on the stickburner. Is it a standard blanket (safety issues?) or insulated similar to hot water heater blanket? I know that you wouldn't put over firebox but it sounds like it might be a good way to boost efficiency regardless of weather?
Click to expand...

Hopefully Divemaster will answer, however, I believe he uses a
welders insulated blanket.
 
On my Char-Griller I used a welding blanket from harbor freight. Rated around 1000 degrees and it def helped with the very thin metal. With the thickness of the Lang, I'm sure it helped on it as well.
 
Dale in GA said:
Divemaster, intrigued by your use of a blanket on the stickburner. Is it a standard blanket (safety issues?) or insulated similar to hot water heater blanket?
Click to expand...

Lake Dogs said:
Hopefully Divemaster will answer, however, I believe he uses a
welders insulated blanket.
Click to expand...
I started out using an old wool army blanket which worked surprisingly well. I then moved up to a heavy moving blanket. If I recall Phil has and does use a welding blanket on his cooker.

Dale in GA said:
I know that you wouldn't put over firebox but it sounds like it might be a good way to boost efficiency
regardless of weather?
Click to expand...
No, you don't put it any way near the fire box. I normally start it at the stack and then all the way down the cooking chamber.

Using the moving blanket at -17* windchill, I still only had one damper open about 1/4 of full and was feeding the Mistress about every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Sometimes a bit longer. The temperature difference from the fire box end to the far end averaged about 5*. This was after I let her warm up for about an hour.
 
One more thing, if you do use the blanket, 'tuck' it behind the handles because they may get a little warm... Don't ask me how I know this.....
 
have to 250 LP's we use them some in FL yes it gets cold here once in a while they will run 225-300 all day long.
 
Amazed that Spicewine wasn't mentioned in the Vertical category. I cook on mine in my business almost daily. And can get 12-15 hour cooks regularly without refueling.
 
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