Horizantal or Vertical?

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Horizantal or Vertical?

  • i use a vertical smoker

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • i use a horizantal smoker

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • i use a reverse draft

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • i use somthing else

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
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wildrooster

Newbie
Original poster
May 21, 2011
20
10
Valley Spring Ca.
I was watching the smoke stream in the fire box the other day and started thinking on a horizontal smoker the smoker and heat would seam to come in from one side and cool as it rises toward to other side vs having hot air rises as it fills the smoker I'm thinking this may give a vertical smoker a small advantages in more consistent even heat as the heat go's past the racks and exits

what do you think?
 
Well I don't have a vertical ( although I'm being promised a WSM ) but I would think that with all the mods you can do from tuning plates to chimney extensions it would level the field? IMHO
 
On most horizontals you do have temperature differences as the heat leaves the firebox, passes across the grill and exits the stack.  That is why reverse flow pits are becoming or are so popular.  The heat passes under a thick steel plate before entering the chamber and passing back over the grill.  That extra distance allows the smoke to cool a bit and also heats up the plate giving a more even heat distribution.

As far as vertical grills go why would the professional BBQ guys have those large smokers that rotate the meat if there wasn't a temperature difference between the top and bottom of the smoker.  I would think the bottom of the smoker is still hotter and even more so that the heat is impeded by the lower levels of meat as it tries to rise up and exit the smoker.
 
Then again, why aren't the professional guys using uprights?

Uprights are more fuel efficient and require less fire tending in general terms.  Horizontals commonly give larger cooking areas and the ease of getting product on and off.

Seems there are always compromises.

Good luck and good smoking.
 
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