Horizontal Offsets w/ Vertical Chambers?

Wesman61

Wesman61

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I'm curious to hear from owners of horizontal offest smokers that have a vertical chamber also. I don't need to get an expensive offset but I'm not sure how long I can keep my self from pulling the trigger on one. How useful are the vertical Chambers? How do temps differ from the temps in the horizontal chamber? Is it easy to use in conjunction with the horizontal chamber or does it just get too complicated?

If I were to pull the trigger on one I'd like to know if the vertical addition would be worth it or not.
 
I've been stalking either a Lone Star Grillz with slow smoker or a Shirley with warmer box for quite some time. My understanding is that they give you a layer of versatility by giving you a cooking zone with distinctly different (usually lower) temps. I'm here to learn from you guys too so do tell !
 
Shirley's warmer can run at any temp by adjusting the damper. Run it the same temp as the cook chamber or lower or higher. I don't think the same can be said for cookers with the vertical on the opposite side from the firebox.
 
Pjtexas1,

That's an excellent point that the Shirley warmer can indeed run hotter than the main cook chamber. You're right that, to my knowledge, all the slow cookers on opposite side of firebox are going to run cooler.
 
You asked how difficult. I got my shirley last weekend. In one cook so far I can figured out how to use the vertical as a warmer, cook the same as the main, cook at a higher temp than the main, how to cook just in the warmer and how with a smaller fire to cold smoke in the warmer. I feel after the one cook I could do all of the above situations with the minimal amount of fiddling. Just have to play with it and get the general concepts. I would not consider one without a warmer personally
 
Does the vertical opposite the firebox impact how the smoker drafts and how the main chamber cooks?
 
Mine drafts wonderfully. It's heavy enough steel throughout that the draft doesn't steal too much heat from the horizontal chamber, though.

Wesman, Horizon makes a combo unit called a Ranger, if you're looking for options. I'm sure a Shirley with a warming cabinet offers primo temp flexibility and quality, if you can go that route. I'm sure you know Paul & Co. are first class!
 
Problem with many of the traditional ones with vertical opposite the firebox is they give you a small cook chamber and the vertical is 100* lower temp.

The reverse flows can be BadAss like the Shirley's if it has a port from firebox to warmer.

I just skip the horizontal part altogether. I REALLY Like Paul Shirley's new personal smoker....
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=240569
.

 
Notorious Q.U.E. said:
What are the specs on Paul's personal cooker?
Click to expand...

18 Hams.

"The driving force behind this one was I have cooked hams for the last several years and give out to random people.... My buddy's cooker that I use just sold ( he's ordered a whopper)... So Tyler talked me into building this one he has one like it but smaller.... I finished it yesterday at 1:00pm and at 2:00 pm I was cooking hams... It had not been sandblasted or painted because I am going to add a fold down stainless shelf.... Fenders.... And a fold down burner....1 man can easily flip it up... And one can rock it over and lay it down.. Although it is easier when you lay it down to have 1 person give a push for the initial tilt.. It is mobile and you can run the roads with it.. 5 ft tall.. 30
Wide.. 27 deep... It performed flawlessly.... I love it.... There will be a couple little things to do... But seriously I just loved the way it cooked.. I put 200#s of hams on it.... And could have put 50 more... There was not a hot spot as far as I could tell.. I don't us those funny looking digital things.... When I finish it.. I will add a video... And a better description of how it works...."
 
I've got a Lone Star Grillz vertical offset with the warming oven. SSV3 has the same smoker and all his posts pretty much sold me on adding the warming oven and after having it for six months, Im really glad I did. It adds a ton of versatility to the smoker. On a normal cook, the temp in there with all the baffles closed off is probably 50 degrees less than the main chamber so its really does act as a good "warming oven". You can start messing with the baffles and get it hotter in there.

It also functions as a mini cooker when you don't want to use the entire thing. You can use it as more a grill cooking at hotter temps or as mini smoker if you are only cooking one thing like a brisket. Ive got a BBQ guru so if I want to cook a pork butt or a brisket and one really have the time to mess around with a fire, I will just load up the charcoal basket, hook up the guru, and smoke it in the warming oven. Next thing Im gonna do is buy a pizza stone so I can try out some pizzas in it.

This doesn't exactly address what you asked about but similar to the Shirley design, its a different spin on the vertical pert. The horizontal LSGs can be setup with the same warming oven I have or with a vertical box on the opposite end of the firebox that looks similar to my main chamber.

bTZ11xLl.jpg
 
Gorgeous pit JacksBBQ! I think having the warmer over the firebox is the most efficient and logical placement. If I can follow on, what made you pick vertical over horizontal for your main chamber?
 
Notorious Q.U.E. said:
Gorgeous pit JacksBBQ! I think having the warmer over the firebox is the most efficient and logical placement. If I can follow on, what made you pick vertical over horizontal for your main chamber?
Click to expand...

Biggest factor was the overall foot print. I am in the process of building an outdoor living area and I wanted a smoker that can sit on that that won't take up a huge amount of space while still offering a huge cooking surface. This one is about 4 1/2 ft wide by 2 ft deep not including the push handle. I think the main chamber has ~4200 sq inches of cooking surface which is double what my old horizontal offset has which takes up way more space. Adding the warming oven just added to that without adding any extra foot print.
 
JacksBBQ said:
I've got a Lone Star Grillz vertical offset with the warming oven. SSV3 has the same smoker and all his posts pretty much sold me on adding the warming oven and after having it for six months, Im really glad I did. It adds a ton of versatility to the smoker. On a normal cook, the temp in there with all the baffles closed off is probably 50 degrees less than the main chamber so its really does act as a good "warming oven". You can start messing with the baffles and get it hotter in there.

It also functions as a mini cooker when you don't want to use the entire thing. You can use it as more a grill cooking at hotter temps or as mini smoker if you are only cooking one thing like a brisket. Ive got a BBQ guru so if I want to cook a pork butt or a brisket and one really have the time to mess around with a fire, I will just load up the charcoal basket, hook up the guru, and smoke it in the warming oven. Next thing Im gonna do is buy a pizza stone so I can try out some pizzas in it.

This doesn't exactly address what you asked about but similar to the Shirley design, its a different spin on the vertical pert. The horizontal LSGs can be setup with the same warming oven I have or with a vertical box on the opposite end of the firebox that looks similar to my main chamber.

bTZ11xLl.jpg
Click to expand...
Man, I could see that smoker in my BBQ area. I let's your friends know you take BBQ serious LOL.
 
I have a LSG HOS with warmer. I can run the warmer completely closed off 75 to 100 degrees cooler than the CC or open up the butterfly vent to the FB and the temps go way up or remove the plate between the FB and warmer and can get screaming hot temps. It is pretty versatile. It is not an external controlled vent/damper system like the SF but has not been an issue.
IMG_20160706_194158325.jpg
 
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