Combo Horzontal/Upright Smokers

[Heimelswine]

I'm ready for a new smoker. I have enjoyed the one I have, but I want a larger smoker to cook more at one time. I have been looking at a lot of different smokers and I really like the horizontal smokers, and I am thinking I'm going to buy a trailer model. A lot of companies offer combination smokers that are a horizontal that feeds into an upright smoker. I understand the temperature difference between the horizontal chamber and the upright chamber is 50+ degrees. This may seem to be an obvious question, but can someone tell me how this combination smoker can work? If the horizontal chamber is at 230 degrees, then the upright chamber is at, or less than, 180 degrees. They call it slow smoke.

There are a lot of these combination smokers offered, and the dual smoker is an intriguing idea. But, I just don't know how both chambers would work at the same time.

Roy

 

[Rockaway BeachBQ]

My take on the idea would be ribs and chicken in the horizontal and butts and brisket in the upright. I think a lot of people use the upright as a warming oven to hold and/or reheat cooked foods.

 

[parrothead]

Yep. Warming oven, jerky, etc.

 

[BBQchef33]

i hate to do this, but i have a bunch of long detailed answers in many places in the forum. If you use this for an "advanced" search, and search the word "versatile", you will get loads of answers about the combo pits.. if you want to narrow it down further, search "versatile" and put my name in the Username field so it only shows you post from me. They all explain the versatility of the Backyard Chef specifically. Not blowin ya off, just theres way to much to re-type.

heres one sample.. theres many more.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=213895&highlight=versatile#post213895

the combo pits like the BYC have so much capability once you master them. Thru use of the dampers, you can control vertical temps within 40-50 degrees of the horizontal. So 260 in the main can give you 210-220 in the vertical.

When using ALL of the real estate in these types of pits, you will be busy.. the stuff may need some rotations but I wouldnt give mine up for anything. its part of the fun.. and I'll tell u this.. every time i cook on a loaded up backyard chef, I keep saying, "Damn I love this pit".... Once its mastered, its a thing of beauty.

If you have any problems finding all the posts withthese discussions PM me. Also, i believe there is a roadmap link in Qtalk that has info on horizontal v. Vertical.

 

[backyardchef]

When using ALL of the real estate in these types of pits, you will be busy.. the stuff may need some rotations but I wouldnt give mine up for anything. its part of the fun.. and I'll tell u this.. every time i cook on a loaded up backyard chef, I keep saying, "Damn I love this pit".... Once its mastered, its a thing of beauty.

Enthusiastic amen to all that from another that cooks on the BYC. The design is just awesome and the versatility is remarkable. I can't imagine cooking on a pit without the vertical ever again.

 

[RichardF]

Roy - The BYC is a great smoker, but if memory serves me, it would have to be mounted on a trailer. The Langs can be set up from the factory so that the vertical can be used just to warm, or to warm and cook. There is a price differential from Lang between the warmer and cooker set-up, but with the cooker set-up for the vertical, you are not as dependant on horizontal temp as you are with the BYC.

 

[BBQchef33]

BYC can be mounted on a trailer. See pics.

Langs Warmer box is a vertical chamber welded on the top of the firebox with no feed from the main(so no smoke). I havent seen it set up for actual cooking though so cant comment.

this comment however, I disagree with.

you are not as dependant on horizontal temp as you are with the BYC.

Once you master the BYC, you can adjust vertical temps thru use of the upper damper, within 25-50 degrees of the main, without effecting temps in the main. I dont see a dependancy.

With the vents properly set, I can have my vertical running at 225-230 and my horizontal at 250-260. The BYC, once the steel is hot and you know how to use it is can do whatever you want it to do. The temp inside the vertical, on the shelves(not the extreme bottom) is actually hotter than the cool end of the horizontal, or the extreme bottom shelf of the vertical. The far lower left corner of the pit is a warming spot, the shelves above the opening are used for cooking. At competitions, I cook my chicken in the middle 2 racks of the vertical, while the ribs are in the main. Then when the time comes, move the chicken to the top of the main to get crispy.

 

[Smoker]

From BBQCHEF33.. "and I'll tell u this.. every time i cook on a loaded up backyard chef, I keep saying, "Damn I love this pit"..."

I cooked with Phil last Thursday and at the end of the day he just stood there and stared at the BYC and said... "Damn I love this pit".... He really means it.

 

[RichardF]

Nice - I hadn't seen the BYC as a trailer rig, only on casters.

 

[kcquer]

If I was getting the pit on a trailer, I would consider spending enough extra to get the 24" diameter version instead of the 20", JMO.

 

[BBQchef33]

oh, absolutly!! I think(not completely sure), but think, Dave said all his trailer pits start at 24 inchs unless ordered otherwise.

 

[Heimelswine]

Thanks to all for replying. I just jumped in here while at work to see what your opinions were, but I'm jazzed by the response to the question. When I get home I'll look for the other posts in the forum.

The pictures posted by BBQchef33 are just what I have been looking at.

You guys are great.

 

[Samichlaus]

Go big!

Here's a 42 Inch Diameter by 10 foot Mobile
with 42 x 42 Inch Upright Slow Smoker, & gas fired heat box
over the Firebox, 5 burners on the rear, & steak grill on the nose.

 

[1MoreFord]

Roy,

I've seen this discussion several times on different forums. On pits of 24" or larger diameter most folks seem to use tuning plates in their pits. Once the plates are properly adjusted, you can make the uprights run lower than the horizontal or about the same and sometimes even hotter than the far end of the horizontal. Pits less than 24" dia. seem to be pretty tough to tune with plates. That part I can personally attest to since mine's only 20".

 

[nmayeux]

From what I can tell, comparing the BYC and the Langs, is like comparing apples to oranges. The BYC looks to be designed to have different temp areas to allow for a wide range of variability, while the Langs are more simple in nature. The Lang is also a much different design (reverse flow), which is geared for consistant temps in the smoke chamber. As far as the Lang vert, Ben will make it just a warmer as the Poob said, or you can have it attached to the smoke chamber with a damper. This box will heat with both the exhaust, and the radiant heat from the fire box. However, both smokers will give you great Q!

The three major differences are:
Design: Klose is a traditional offset
Lang is reverse flow
Finish: Klose cookers are works of art
Langs are more "industrial"
Price: Klose cookers are more expensive due to finish work
Langs give you a lot of cooker for your money

 

[nmayeux]

you are not as dependant on horizontal temp as you are with the BYC.

I think what Richard is saying is that since the position of the vert is on top of the firebox, the radiant heat from the firebox is an addition to the heat from the horizontal chamber. This is why it is less dependant than the BYC.

 

[JamesB]

If your looking for a trailer pit, you should check out http://www.batespitts.com

He builds some very nice pits...

When I build my dream pit, it will be an offset with an upright. I also want a coal pan in the bottom of the upright so I can cook directly over coals when I want to... in addition to using the upright conventionaly in conjunction with the offset... if that makes any sense to ya!

James.

 

[backyardchef]

I hear ya, James...A few coals in the bottom of the upright can help you even out temps, or let you just use the vertical without the firebox as a coals-under-the-food vertical cooker.

 

[Heimelswine]

Great information from all of you. I was looking at previous posts last night and my modem went out again. Frustrating since I am excited about investigating different manufacturers and options. After my modem cools down it works for awhile, but after the second failure last night I was smokin' so I quit and made a mixer and watched mindless tv.

From what I have read, and from looking at the different manufacturer's web sites, what I need to decide is who has the options I want. A second consideration for me is that I would like to go and pick it up instead of having it delivered. Texas is next door so that weighs heavily in my decision.

I have made up my mind that I will get a combination smoker on a trailer. I looked at JamesB's web link and it reaffirms the fact that there are a lot of wonderful manufacturer's out there. I like the idea of having a firebox below the verticle so it could be used by itself. That's something I may have to inquire upon.

Thanks to all for your help.

Roy

 

[BBQchef33]

I like the idea of having a firebox below the verticle so it could be used by itself. That's something I may have to inquire upon.

Roy

just so things are clear... If your talking about the lang, in the warmer configuration, the verticle is ONLY welded on top of the firebox, with NO baffling or opening to the box itself. Its heated as a warmer by the radiant heat from the steel on the top of the firebox. Its not something that can be used by itself to cook like that.