What is better?:horizontal or Vertical smokers

[Kyote]

what is a better smoker? using sticks (wood chunks)
seems smoke and heat coming from the bottom up and over meats ect. would be the best, providing that the heat and smoke maintain the same from top to bottom. but most seem to use the horizontals. don't know. any thoughts?

[curious aardvark]

well from my limited experience: 1 now dead vertical and one horizontal offset.
I'd have to go for a decent vertical.
Just more efficient space wise. And best still would be a vertical with a sfb - like kelly's stained.

a small vertical will easily fit 4 shelves in for a pretty fair selection whereas to get the same amount of food in a horizontal it needs to be much larger and take up way more room.

My outlaw's an awesome grill but just a fair smoker.
I'm now looking at a metal filing cabinet type smoker.

But yeah vert over horizontal for me :-)

[morkdach]

have built bout 8 vertical and have 1 horiz. so now ya know what i think

[supervman]

I like to drink vertical, sell the program, then get horizontal! ;)

[Slanted88]

Alway's been vertical. Done em all....gas, elec, charcoal. Got this SnP for free. Doin what mod's I want....pic's later. Man...what a tough decision. What is cool, is you learn from who own's/operate's that kinda gig. May just go with what get's the job done. Still gonna do a UDS Bubba!..

[Slanted88]

I like to drink vertical, sell the program, then get horizontal! ;)

You old enuff.....old music.....horizontal bop! urock.gif

[davidmcg]

We all have our favorites. Whats best? Depends on you. Some people can adjust verts better tan horizontals and vice-versa. Get one of each and work with them. Thats the best advice I can give.

[supervman]

You old enuff.....old music.....horizontal bop! [ATTACH]1099[/ATTACH]

Oh yeah, I'm old enough.
I remember the Beatles first gig on Ed Sullivan. Michael Jackson doin ABC.
Sonny and Cher. Lots of hippie music.

My favorite, of course, is New Wave from the early 80's.
Nothin like a chick in a white mini skirt with different colored polka dots which are also different sized dots.

[SMOKE FREAK]

Another good thread gone astray...

[RowdyRay]

My sig pretty much sums it up. I haven't had any experience with a horizontal. Doesn't mean I wouldn't use one if I got the chance. Never even knew about some of them until I joined the forums. Always associated smoking with a vertical. It's what I grew up with.

Not a lot of folks big on smoking up here unless it's fish. Not until recently anyway. Never had big BBQs or funraiser chili cookoffs. It was Booya. Throw everything in but the kitchen sink and call it good.

[blues_n_cues]

they both have advantages & disadvantages.

horizontal- larger cooking area w/ distinct heat zones the way i have mine set up(375fb-250mid-200far end),but use a lot more fuel.

the vertical- even grate temps top & bottom & a lot less fuel but that water pan better not go dry or poof-greasefire.plus less room on the porch or in the trailer.

these are low end $ cookers but when ya get into langs,reverse flows, backwoods verticals,stumps,etc. ya can get all kinds of opinions & options.

personally, i'm waiting on my backwoods party or competitor w/ auto water & guru.then i can get that thing they call sleep while cooking overnight.

[gooose53]

I don't think there is a right answer. I have a custom built hog cooker that is reverse flow and two virticals (drum and 22.5 WSM). If I cook just for home use I use the drum or WSM. If I have to cook more I will use the hog cooker. I did twelve beer can chickens on Sunday for church on Sunday afternoon (I'll get pics later) and used the hog cooker. Turned out great! they would also have done well on the drum or WSM but of course I didn't use more fuel on the hog cooker. It just depends. My .02 worth.

[DDave]

We all have our favorites. Whats best? Depends on you.

What he said.

they both have advantages & disadvantages.

horizontal- larger cooking area w/ distinct heat zones the way i have mine set up(375fb-250mid-200far end),but use a lot more fuel.

the vertical- even grate temps top & bottom & a lot less fuel but that water pan better not go dry or poof-greasefire.plus less room on the porch or in the trailer.

Nicely summed up.

personally, i'm waiting on my backwoods party or competitor w/ auto water & guru.then i can get that thing they call sleep while cooking overnight.

Or build a drum -- no water pan to worry about. I get lots of sleep when the drum is cooking at night.

Dave

[Kyote]

thanks for all the replys.

I was thinking of a larger smoker. an off set that the heat and smoke came out to a vertical cooking / smoking chamber. I have looked at a couple and read about them from the makers and folks that put their cudo's up on the web site. Of course no one has said they are not any good.
But most times pictures do not do justice to the smoker or for the person interested.

I would like one that held as much meat as a lang 60. But I will not be doing whole hogs as I have other methods for doing large animals. But I would imagine that in a vertical. one could remove racks and hang, lets say a 100lb pig from his feet and smoke it. wrapped in mesh tight so the meat would stay on the animal.
I will be traveling many miles on I-10 soon. and have noticed in the past along the way several areas that have big and small smokers, yards full. and they all look very differnt from what I have seen on SM that some of you all use.

I plan on stopping at these smoker maker places and becoming educated with what they make and sell. and will be close to Ga. where the langs are made.
and plan on stopping in to check out the langs.
I want to make a decision on one.

thank you for your input. I know time is valuable.

Bill

[blues_n_cues]

if yer heading I-10 east from texas check out backwoods smokers. i believe they're in baton rouge. check out their used forum or a local dealer close to you.
http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/