Best Offset (Direct or Reverse) other than Shirley (2 years is too long of a wait)

[toys4dlr]

It just depends on the size and budget. For me, I love my Shirley, but I get pit envy often. A Jambo is high on my list of wants, just so I can play with the cool kids at comps. lol

Right now I really like the looks of the hybrid Outlaw smoker. Kinda a patio and trailer smoker in one. Good luck on your search

[jdtTX]

Originally Posted by Rockinar

I would get a Built Rite Smoker. Donnie Boston does a good job (just kidding, he's a crook and a thief).


After having a Klose for a year. Here's my opinion.

I would pick a properly designed and drafting pit over fancy welds. I think these traditional pits like Gator and Klose are well built, but poorly designed. By "poorly" I mean they do work, but there's better designs out there. They (gator/klose) just have not evolved. Going forward for me, any traditional flow pit with that needs tuning plates or has the exhaust on top is a deal killer. The tuning plates kill convection and draft so you're now cooking with radiant heat. Might as well get a reverse flow. At least with a reverse flow you would still get convection and a draft. Then, the exhaust on top sucks all your draft right out the top instead of evenly across. That might be OK on larger pits. I'm convinced its a bad on small backyard pits.

For backyard pits my choices would be:

Moberg (he quit making them just now), the new LSG (even though I think its ugly as hell), Pitmaker Hitman or Sniper, Jambo, Outlaw Smokers. Im sure theres others out there. Maybe even keep an eye out for the new Franklin pits. I'd look for topflow design with side exhaust. I have not seen a Lang in action, but think a poorly built Lang might perform better than a well built Gator full of tuning plates.

Just my opinion.

my kinda post. first thought was "get the body bags" with the built rite rec, then you repeated what I was gonna say. hell, i even contacted moberg recently about a smaller patio pit and he said they were on hiatus for now. :(

i scour craigslist and facebook daily looking for a deal. for me, i dont really need a giant pit because 99% of my cooking is for 4, but I want one big enough to not swing temps tossing a decent-sized split on the fire. for those few times i do cook for more, it needs to be deep enough to handle a rack of spares or a brisket front to back.

[TedW]

I really examined the airflow of the offset, and commented on this in other threads. There's a lot to the air movement in terms of baffles and exhaust.

I saw the Outlaw and saw that they had all the latest thinking incorporated. Excellent intake control, as it's very windy where I am. I would buy it all over again.

And I only waited a week for mine

[dummy que]

i love my LANG i don`t know where all the talk of poor quality fab. comes from the welds on my 60org. are proper and the construction is of good quality they cook like a champ if you want extras talk to them they do a lot of things they don`t advertise and i repeat I LOVE MY LANG

[NYC ‘Que]

If I didn’t go with Moberg then it would’ve been either LSG (not those new ones) or Jambo.


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[Rockinar]

Originally Posted by Inthewoods

That's a very interesting opinion ya just threw out there...and know I'm not being sarcastic.

I'm assuming ya have experience with both "direct flow" and "reverse flow"? Please expand if ya could! It's these types of opinions and discussion that really bring out the experience and the "been there, done that" of the forum!

For example...
I'm getting ready to throw a deposit down on a traditional smoker, something around 72" long. I'm not interested in even grate temps hence..."direct flow".

With that said, ya seem to have some thoughts on the designs of such and I doubt I would be the only one who would like to hear yers and others.

-D

I don't have experience with a reverse flow, but curious to try one. I have a 24x60 Evie Maes reverse flow trailer on order. I should have it in the next month or so. So I will see what I think then.

I also cooked on a 500 gallon Austin Smoke Works traditional flow a couple weeks ago. It was sickening how evenly and perfect it cooked and the draw was crazy. I had never seen anything like it. It was howling. Even with the door open it ripped. Perfect even color on the meats and perfect even cooking. I got home and look at my Klose and think "What a poorly designed, no drafting POS". Austin Smoke Works does not do 250 gallon smokers so I put a deposit down on a 250 gallon Moberg which is the same design as Austin Smoke Works.

Any backyard offset I buy in the future will be top flow with side exhaust (new LSG, Jambo, Outlaw) just side exhaust (Franklin? Old LSG), or reverse flow with center exhaust (Evie Maes). The old school traditional flow with top exhaust no longer makes sense to me. I asked David Klose in person "why the funky top/backside exhaust location?". I dont remember the answer, but it was some weird answer that made no sense. I don't think even he knows. I have seen people online ask Rich Robbins (Gator Pit) the same thing. His response was something like "a properly designed pit does not need a center/side exhaust". I don't agree anymore and find it strange he does not want to evolve his designs while his competition does.

These are just my opinions.

[IFlyEm]

Thanks for all the replies!

Looks like hes leaning towards a Lone Star 24 x 48:
https://lonestargrillz.com/collectio...=8146192367720

Now 1 door or 2 doors? I have never had a 2 door only a single. Do the racks get "confining" trying to put every thing on 2' squares? I move stuff around all over my Yoder 1500.

[NYC ‘Que]

Originally Posted by Rockinar

I don't have experience with a reverse flow, but curious to try one. I have a 24x60 Evie Maes reverse flow trailer on order. I should have it in the next month or so. So I will see what I think then.



I also cooked on a 500 gallon Austin Smoke Works traditional flow a couple weeks ago. It was sickening how evenly and perfect it cooked and the draw was crazy. I had never seen anything like it. It was howling. Even with the door open it ripped. Perfect even color on the meats and perfect even cooking. I got home and look at my Klose and think "What a poorly designed, no drafting POS". Austin Smoke Works does not do 250 gallon smokers so I put a deposit down on a 250 gallon Moberg which is the same design as Austin Smoke Works.



Any backyard offset I buy in the future will be top flow with side exhaust (new LSG, Jambo, Outlaw) just side exhaust (Franklin?), or reverse flow with center exhaust (Evie Maes). The old school traditional flow with top exhaust no longer makes sense to me. I asked David Klose in person "why the funky top/backside exhaust location?". I dont remember the answer, but it was some weird answer that made no sense. I don't think even he knows. I have seen people online ask Rich Robbins (Gator Pit) the same thing. His response was something like "a properly designed pit does not need a center/side exhaust". I don't agree anymore and find it strange he does not want to evolve his designs while his competition does.



These are just my opinions.

100% agree. I will not buy a top exhaust offset for those same reasons.


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[jdtTX]

Originally Posted by Rockinar

I don't have experience with a reverse flow, but curious to try one. I have a 24x60 Evie Maes reverse flow trailer on order. I should have it in the next month or so. So I will see what I think then.

I also cooked on a 500 gallon Austin Smoke Works traditional flow a couple weeks ago. It was sickening how evenly and perfect it cooked and the draw was crazy. I had never seen anything like it. It was howling. Even with the door open it ripped. Perfect even color on the meats and perfect even cooking. I got home and look at my Klose and think "What a poorly designed, no drafting POS". Austin Smoke Works does not do 250 gallon smokers so I put a deposit down on a 250 gallon Moberg which is the same design as Austin Smoke Works.

Any backyard offset I buy in the future will be top flow with side exhaust (new LSG, Jambo, Outlaw) just side exhaust (Franklin? Old LSG), or reverse flow with center exhaust (Evie Maes). The old school traditional flow with top exhaust no longer makes sense to me. I asked David Klose in person "why the funky top/backside exhaust location?". I dont remember the answer, but it was some weird answer that made no sense. I don't think even he knows. I have seen people online ask Rich Robbins (Gator Pit) the same thing. His response was something like "a properly designed pit does not need a center/side exhaust". I don't agree anymore and find it strange he does not want to evolve his designs while his competition does.

These are just my opinions.

Where'd you cook on the Lewis smoker at? I wish they would do a smaller one.

[Rockinar]

Originally Posted by jdtTX

Where'd you cook on the Lewis smoker at? I wish they would do a smaller one.

I did a class with Dylan Taylor in his backyard.

[ruger35]

Originally Posted by IFlyEm

Thanks for all the replies!

Looks like hes leaning towards a Lone Star 24 x 48:
https://lonestargrillz.com/collectio...=8146192367720

Now 1 door or 2 doors? I have never had a 2 door only a single. Do the racks get "confining" trying to put every thing on 2' squares? I move stuff around all over my Yoder 1500.

If you are dead set on the LSG get a single doo. I had that same size smoker with a double door and I always said if I ever got another one it would be the single door. I can definitely attest to the tuning plates adding radiant heat and cooking things faster. I went with reverse flow this time and couldn't be happier.

Like one of the earlier posts said, if you're looking for a patio model check out the Shirley's at the St. Louis BBQ store. I always cooked on my LSG with the door cracked open. To me the draft on it compared to my new Shirley isn't even close.

I also considered Moberg because I knew I wanted a trailer, but I think his current lead time is around 19 months.

[NYC ‘Que]

Originally Posted by IFlyEm

Thanks for all the replies!

Looks like hes leaning towards a Lone Star 24 x 48:
https://lonestargrillz.com/collectio...=8146192367720

Now 1 door or 2 doors? I have never had a 2 door only a single. Do the racks get "confining" trying to put every thing on 2' squares? I move stuff around all over my Yoder 1500.

I like single door and insulated firebox. I wouldn’t want that grill top firebox.


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[Rockinar]

Originally Posted by NYC ‘Que

I like single door and insulated firebox. I wouldn’t want that grill top firebox.


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Id skip that grill top also. Never used mine once and now it's just a source of rust, leaks and squeaks. A cheap 22" inch Kettle is better.

[NYC ‘Que]

Originally Posted by Rockinar

Id skip that grill top also. Never used mine once and now it's just a source of rust, leaks and squeaks. A cheap 22" inch Kettle is better.

I like to have specialty tools. Smoke in my Stumps, grill on my PK or Kettle.


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[NYC ‘Que]

The more I look at LSG the more I feel lucky to have made Moberg’s list. LSG are beautiful but really expensive compared to Moberg, although Sunny is about to raise prices.


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