Questions before I decide

jwdmccarty

New member
I am new here. I have been smoking meat for a couple of years using cheaply made smokers. My most recent was one from Tractor Supply that my parents bought me for like $200. It is an offset firebox type and has a rather large meat area. The issues with that one center around getting the meat area hot enough. Part of my concern there is efficiency which could be because the steel (if that's what it really is) is probably too thin. I used to have a Weber upright and it had no ventilation really. My questions about this one are:

1. Will it become too hot?

2. How easy will it be to regulate heat?

3. Will I need to babysit the smoker (like I have to with the cheaply made TS one)?

4. If I want to smoke more than one whole chickens for instance will they fit in here?

5. Could you potentially put more than one layer of meat (obviously rotating them from time to time)?

I know I have a lot of questions but I really appreciate the help.
 

BabelBBQ

New member
Too hot on the outside to touch? It too hot on the inside for the meat? Outside, I wouldn't advise giving it a hug while in use. But when smoking, it isn't that hot. Inside, this has huge range, from low and slow to seating hot.

2&3. One you cook with it a few times it gets pretty easy, I don't advise it, but I left it running on the fourth of July while I went and ran a four mile race two towns over. I came home and it was running about the same temp. And my igrill temp graph was steady (it was not truly left alone a babysitter was at the house but she was just told where the hose was in an emergency)

4. Yes, I've done as much as 6 racks of ribs using a rib rack. Two whole chickens as well.

5. Plan for this when you build abd yes. I did not, and where I would want to put my second rack my drum has a rib or what ever that bump is called. But others have more than one rack.
 

jwdmccarty

New member
My question concerning the temperature was supposed to be concerning the inside. The 2 smo keep R's I have used have had a difficulty in regulating the heat. The current one I have a hard time getting up to temperature. I just assumed that because heat rises an upright one may tend to get hotter. With slow BBQ such as smoking I typically want it at 225-250.
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
it will do that all day...you have to follow the tips and faqs and you have no problem...it you start with the lid off and light too many coals and have all the vents open it will exceed your desired temp and it is difficult to lower so you get a feel quickly for waht your intake settings are and how many coals you light and it is stead eddie
 

jwdmccarty

New member
Thanks Big Poppa. That was my biggest concern. Do you find that a verticle smoker is easier or a horizontal one or does it just not matter?
 

jwdmccarty

New member
I agree that it is way more efficient but if that is the case then why do so many smokers come as reverse flow? And why do many if not most of the competition bbqers and caterers use the horizontal type?
 

BabelBBQ

New member
The only time my drum needed refueling during a cook, it was -1 degrees outside with some wind to make it worse. I think it comes down to what your looking for. Do you want a versatile smoker that is highly efficient at a low cost? Then this is it. I can't speak to any other types as this is all I have. I can say have been happy with my purchase.
 
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