Learner from SoMI

[Kryptoroxx]

Not nearly as glamorous as SoCal but here I am. Currently I have a grill and an offset smoker that I will be working on. It is in need of repair and some modification as I do not like the difference in temps across the grate.

I'm looking to learn some of the plusses and minuses of building my own. I can weld decently (mostly flux but I have a mig capable Hobart) but I was wondering mostly if I could build something vertical that I could both smoke with and grill when I want to. I realize that having two separate rigs would be optimal but I grill a lot more than I smoke. I figure if I design something with a clamping lid (where the grill grates would be, and add in enough adjustment on the coals (perhaps with a slide in baffle to make the heat more indirect) I might be able to create something which smokes decently and allows me to do some of my other scratch grilling recipes.

In any case I looked through the forum and there's a lot of info here. Hoping to share some of my recipes with you guys and do a build thread of my Frankenstein grill/smoker.

Best,
John

 

[gmc2003]

Welcome to the site John, there are plenty of builders on board who will graciously help you out. Unfortunately I'm not a builder. Someone who is will chime in soon.

Chris

 

[petehalsted]

How big of meals are you grilling? if it is just for a couple of people, then most offsets have a grilling rack in the firebox. They are big enough for a couple of steaks, but that's about it.

I have seen some of the high $ vertical water smokers, that mention the ability to pull out the water pan and use the bottom rack as a grill, but I would think the way a vertical door works, and the closed in space when trying to turn the meat, and the bending down since you would be using the lower shelf would make it pretty inconvenient other than for the occasional session.

While not truly a vertical, check out The Good One Marshall, or the American Barbecue Systems All-Star, They are a unique design with a full length firebox and a damper between the firebox and the smoke box, allowing you to use as grill or smoker, and because of the full width fire box, you get more grilling space than a "normal" offset. I have had an All-Star for about a month now and love it, although I haven't used it as a grill yet. I don't do much grilling.

I am sure lots of folks will suggest getting a small Weber Kettle to go with your vertical, and that is definitely an option to consider, that would give you lots more flexibility, make it easier to do things like reverse sear, and even give you extra smoker space in a pinch.

I have no practical experience building a smoker, I will leave that to others on the list, I am just the "idea" guy, and love spending other folks $. LOL

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota

 

[Kryptoroxx]

How big of meals are you grilling? if it is just for a couple of people, then most offsets have a grilling rack in the firebox. They are big enough for a couple of steaks, but that's about it.

I have seen some of the high $ vertical water smokers, that mention the ability to pull out the water pan and use the bottom rack as a grill, but I would think the way a vertical door works, and the closed in space when trying to turn the meat, and the bending down since you would be using the lower shelf would make it pretty inconvenient other than for the occasional session.

While not truly a vertical, check out The Good One Marshall, or the American Barbecue Systems All-Star, They are a unique design with a full length firebox and a damper between the firebox and the smoke box, allowing you to use as grill or smoker, and because of the full width fire box, you get more grilling space than a "normal" offset. I have had an All-Star for about a month now and love it, although I haven't used it as a grill yet. I don't do much grilling.

I am sure lots of folks will suggest getting a small Weber Kettle to go with your vertical, and that is definitely an option to consider, that would give you lots more flexibility, make it easier to do things like reverse sear, and even give you extra smoker space in a pinch.

I have no practical experience building a smoker, I will leave that to others on the list, I am just the "idea" guy, and love spending other folks $. LOL

Generally it's just for my family of 4 but I cook for as many as 15 in celebrations. It's mostly a variety of stuff. My grill currently can fit 2 racks of ribs but I would like to be able to do a little more with some organization. Just a basket of shrimp or wings under it for example that cook more quickly and could stave off hunger till the ribs are through cooking. I would really like to keep the grates off my current grill because they are great quality and they have a good size for most of my meals as well.

I had an insulated dual wall build in mind that's about 24" to 36" deep where I could insert racks or smoke on the very top, add a rotisserie for roasts, but I could still undo the top and use it like a normal grill by moving the coals up closer to the top.

Since I grill more than I smoke, although that could change, it seems to me that separate units would probably take up too much space. That is rather limited till I get around to expanding my deck.

Let me get a little work done in sketchup and pictures are worth a thousand words. I will take a look at the units you mentioned to see if it gives me some inspiration.

 

[SmokinLogs]

Welcome to SMF from Indiana! Hope you build something awesome that works for both your needs. When you do, post some pics so we can all see how it turned out.