Building an italian offset smoker

[safety1]

VERY IMPRESSIVE and INFORMATIVE!!! This is why I spend my slow time at work here and not on some of the other lame sites. Thanks again.

 

[ryoma]

Hi Coley

At the moment I have a doubt!!!
Horizontal or Vertical???

I have a question for you:
Considering the quality of cooking:
1) Which is the best smoker between an horizontal (Lang clone) and a vertical (Stump clone or Brinkmann Smoke King clone or another!!!!)
2) Which is the easiest smoker to construct? I suppose the vertical one

I am thinking to build a vertical smoker because I think it is the easiest one

Sorry, when I will have a correct translation I'll answer to you

Thanks to all

Ryoma

 

[coleysmokinbbq]

Hi Ryoma!...

In answer to these questions...

If we consider the quality of cooking, or more specifically, the quality of the BBQ products cooked on these cookers:

1) Both the horizontal and the vertical types of smoker-cookers will make high quality BBQ.

The ability to produce high quality BBQ is dependent upon 'learning the personality' of the smoker.

Once learned, by working with the positive aspects of its 'personality', while at the same time minimizing the negative aspects, you will be able to produce high quality BBQ.


In considering the ease of construction...

2) Generally, the box type smoker, whether vertical or horizontal, is of a more straightforward design resulting in it being easier to design, as well as being easier to construct.

One important consideration of any smoker-cooker to be used at home is the 'footprint' of the smoker...in other words, the amount of 'floor space' that is necessary for the smoker to sit on.

In this respect the vertical smoker-cooker will have a much smaller 'footprint' than will the horizontal smoker-cooker.

With careful planning, the vertical can offer more cooking grid area in less floor space than a horizontal.

So...in general terms, I would say that a vertical box type of smoker-cooker is probably easier to build.


Hope this helps!...


Until later...

 

[ryoma]

Hi Coley

I'm not sure if the best thing will be to build a BBQ and a Smoker separately or together in the same structure.

In the first case I am thinking to build a vertical smoker because I think it is the easiest one
in the second case the smoker must be horizontal.

I haven't got problems with space so I could build both, horizontal smoker and a separate bbq-grill

I'd prefer to build a vertical smoker and a horizontal bbq-grill separately

I also need to understand how the diamond plate works; have you got a plane of this smoker?

What do you mean with "smoker personality"?

Thanks to all

Ryoma

 

[deejaydebi]

Ryoma-
Pardon il mio italiano - è stato da lungo tempo all'io spoke la lingua della mia madre. La ho persa a cielo venti sette anni fa.

Il mio fratello il più facile costruire e cuoco sopra è il verticale. Potete ottenere il gas del propano là facilmente?

Penso che siate soddisfatti con la costruzione e l'uso di un'unità verticale del propano. Faccio molti alimenti italiani - salsiccie, prosciutto di Parma, formaggio, peprone, capacollo funziona bene per me.

Spero correttamente la I detta alcune cose Se non sono spiacente che ho ottenuto l'aiuto dal programma destinato all'elaboratore.

Il dio benedice!

Debi

-----------------------------------------------------------------

English ( I hope I said)

Pardon my Italian. It has been A long time since I spoke the language of my mother. I lost her to heaven 27 years ago.

My brother – it is easier to construct and use a vertical smoker. Can you get propane gas there easily?

I make many Italian foods – sausages, prosciutto di Parma, cheese, peperoni, capacollo and it works well for me.

I hope I said some things correctly If not I'm sorry I got help from the computer program.

God Bless!

Debi

 

[zapper]

@Ryoma

Not sure that there is a better or easier because it all "depends"

Alot of folks that build their own tend to use materials that are on hand or easy for them to come by or work with. The ease of construction is relative too, some may have a whole shop full of tools and the skills to use them, while others may not.

It is kind of a little mental juggling act. Weighing the construction materials, the construction tools and skills and the end form that is desired for a smoker.

I would try to consider building a smoker that is as versitle as I could design and build and still stay within limits of what I thought would be practical. That is, I would love to be able to do whole pigs, but I don't really think that I would be doing more than one a year. I also like like compactness but think that a full rack of spare ribs would be the minimum size determinating factor. Do you plan on hanging a smoker full of sausage and how much at a time? Do you think that you would be doing more than two racks of ribs at a time and then how many?

 

[ryoma]

@ DeejayDebi

Your Italian is very clear Thank you for your answer.
I hope to understand as soon as possiblile what kind of smoker, between the orizontal and the vertical, is the best for me

@ Zapper
I haven't problem with tools or the skill to use them.
I think the best offset smoker for me in dimension is one that has a smoke chamber like a 55 gallon steel drum.
Wich is the best way to use it, in horizontal or vertical way?

The vertical way like Brinkmann Smoke King clone
The horizontal way like Diamond Plate clone 70% or Lang 40 clone 30%

I tink the vertical way (Brinkmann Smoke`N Pit Smoke King) is the best for me, but I'm not sure



Thanks to all

 

[johngil]

Awesome Coley! Thanks for all the info. This definatly helps..

 

[wavector]

I have to agree Ryoma. This type of smoke is the most versatile and easier to maintain. Only decision now is how big?

Visit this site to get some specifications on how to properly size the smoker.

http://home.nik-martin.com/smoker/Default.aspx

 

[zdave]

What an awesome post. If someone were considering building a reverse flow smoker, I would assume it would be important to calculate how low to put the drip pan. I would think that a smoker with more space below the drip pan would be capable of higher temperatures limited by how much you can open the intake, but this would come at a loss of capacity. A smoker with the pan too low and not enough space below the drip pan may not reach ideal temperature. Correct? What would the optimum ratio be for airflow? I know it's not a precise drawing but the diagram would indicate about 1/3 of the space would be below the drip pan.

 

[smoke_chef]

Wow... how did this thread come to an end over a year ago??

This thread was like a good book. I just couldn't "put it down". BUT, it feels like a chapters are the end are missing. If I'm understanding it right... Zdave posted last in March of 2008 with an excellent question.

Coley... what an outstanding job you have done with this. Please pick it back up. I'm loving it!

 

[matts]

Saw this thread linked on another recent one and I learned a lot from it.  Thought I would bring it up for more newbs like myself. 

 

[handymanherb]

Question, every link I click on take me to a fireworks page, couldn't figure what that had to do with reverse flow unit.

Don't get me wrong we love fireworks to and want to make some of them too

 

[sqwib]

Question, every link I click on take me to a fireworks page, couldn't figure what that had to do with reverse flow unit.

Don't get me wrong we love fireworks to and want to make some of them too

 

[handymanherb]

I click on link about reverse flow smoker and get this  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/55133/fireworks-store#post_60074  

 

[sqwib]

I click on link about reverse flow smoker and get this  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/55133/fireworks-store#post_60074  

Got it

Post #3 by ColeySmokinBBQ

This is a very old thread and the links could have gotten messed up, pm ColeySmokinBBQ

and see if he remembers where the link was from.

 

[gyeakle]

 Where is the best place to get step by step or how to for building a smoker/grill out of 250 gal. propane tank

 

[sqwib]

 Where is the best place to get step by step or how to for building a smoker/grill out of 250 gal. propane tank

gyeakle... this is a very old thread I think you may have better success starting a new thread

 

[coleysmokinbbq]

I think I have the links repaired now!....

........er....um....I hope!....

 

[pineywoods]

I think I have the links repaired now!....

........er....um....I hope!....

Thank you sir this is a great thread that I personally refer people to quite often