Reverse flow vs verticle offset

[KPass]

Hey guys, so I’m looking to upgrade and build a bigger pit. Right now I just have a regular verticle smoker, and I’m looking to either build a reverse flow or a verticle offset. Looking at it at face value a verticle offset makes more sense to me because of the amount of meat you can do with the cabinet style, but I don’t see too many of them around and was wondering if that design does as good of quality as an offset. What do you think?

 

[BKING!]

You would have temp variations in a vertical offset. If you put a water pan on the bottom of the vertical chamber next to the firebox to chamber opening you will minimize that. You will be able to hang meat in a vertical but you would be able to smoke a whole hog on a horizontal reverse flow. Other than that no difference in end product imo.

 

[KPass]

That’s what I was thinking. One of my concerns with adding a water pan is that I feel that I don’t get as good of a “pop” with the bratwursts that I do on my current smoker. Do you think that that might be caused by the water pan? Or is it just the casings I use?

 

[BKING!]

That’s what I was thinking. One of my concerns with adding a water pan is that I feel that I don’t get as good of a “pop” with the bratwursts that I do on my current smoker. Do you think that that might be caused by the water pan? Or is it just the casings I use?

I’m not sure on that one.

 

[Northshore Smoke]

I voted for the vertical only because mine uses a 1/3 less wood than any type of horizontal smoker I have used. Both types have their pros and cons.