Offset VS Pit direct heat

[Clove86]

My question is what method utilizes your wood the best? I see folks with pits burn wood until it is cherry and then put under the meat and it seems like you miss out on a lot of heat while its burning. Do you utilize that heat and wood better using an offset smoker? Any opinions on the quality of the end result from either method?

Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

When wood first starts burning, the white smoke has a lot of volatiles.... benzene, toluene, Poly aromatic hydrocarbons, etc... Unless a secondary air supply is added, those can affect the taste of the meat... The secondary air facilitates the burning/consumption of those volatiles... or so it says in fine print...
The extra heat, you are speaking of, is usually sacrificed for a higher quality product...

 

[JWFokker]

There are direct vertical (non-offset) stick burners. The issue with having your meat above the fire is usually too much heat. WSM, barrel/drum cookers tend to be charcoal which produces less heat than wood and still they use deflectors and water pans and require a bit of setup to run low and slow. It can be done though. Old Country Smokehouse and Johnson Smokers verticals are built for stick burning and they are completely vertical, firebox below cook chamber. That said, having the firebox offset makes hitting 200-225 easier. Fully vertical is the most efficient way to cook though.

 

[Clove86]

Thanks you guys for taking the time to chime in on this. Appreciate it