# Vertical or Horizontal



## onebad95tbird (Sep 30, 2011)

Ok, I'm hoping to invest in my first "big boy" smoker and I'm curious to hear opinions on which way to go. All I have used is El Cheapo bullet which works but is extremely limiting in what I can do. If I go horizontal I'm going with the Lang 36 for sure but I also like the idea of a vertical cabinet cooker. Any thoughts and advise would be helpful as it is a major purchase and I like to do my research before I buy. Anything in the Lang 36 price range for verticals even worth looking at?


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## raymo76 (Oct 1, 2011)

First off Welcome to the board, we sure would appreciate it if you made your way over to roll call and properly introduce yourself so we can give you a big SMF Welcome!

That being said I don't know of any vertical smokers, but I understand you about researching and researching and researching more until you make a purchase. I was in the same boat as you and I really want to make the jump to pure stick burning so I ordered a Lang 36 which hopefully should be built this week.

I'm sure others who can help give you more options to look into will be along shortly.


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## onebad95tbird (Oct 1, 2011)

I will definitely head over to the Roll Call section, thank you for pointing me there for intro. By vertical smoker I was referring to the cabinet style smoker, like the Stumps or Backwoods. I've seen some horizontals with a cabinet attachment but they all seem to be from Brinkmann which I've heard isn't the greatest of quality.


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## michael ark (Oct 1, 2011)

Here is some links.http://pitmaker.com/product/?make=BBQ+Smokers,http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=86  or http://stumpssmokers.com/products/gravity-feed-smokers/vertical-smokers


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## oldschoolbbq (Oct 2, 2011)

Bird? Why not get one that does it all
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	











Grill on the right on top of the firebox, smoke in the middle, and heat orcold smoke in the left side
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Then you don't miss out on anything
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Just sayin'..................


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## alaskanbear (Oct 2, 2011)

X2 what old said.

RIch


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## hemi (Oct 2, 2011)

Oldschool..   I am rebuilding my horizonal offset and have completed the Verticle smoker similar to yours, yours looks mighty fine by the way.

BUTT, I had planed to build a seperate grill.  My question is, I noticed a cover on the firebox and figgered it was a grilling opening.  Is it a good grilling setup? or You think I need a seperate unit ?  Mine is inna ''shop'' right now. It would be a good time ti bang it out.  My boss is kinda like my wife..

easier to just do it and beg forgiveness later than to ask permisson first.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





    Hemi..


oldschoolbbq said:


> Bird? Why not get one that does it all
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## onebad95tbird (Oct 2, 2011)

Oldschool, I have seen those and I do like the idea of the all in one. I know Brinkmann makes a couple like that but was curious about the quality. How are the seals on the doors?


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## pat king (Oct 2, 2011)

Hemi and tbird , There is a lid that raises up and you can grill on the expanded metal there , but you loose a lot of your heat to the smoker if you open that lid,To alleviate that problem I was thinking of a Baffel of some kind to divert most of the heat and smoke , but have enough to do your grilling.(Pipe dream). I guess I mean you need a seperate unit, so why not? We all have more than 1. Looks impressive when you have 3or4 cookers out and manning each as the neighbors watch?

My doors and lid are pretty well sealed,more would be fine,but I have no trouble with the way it is,I have a great variance of heat too , I have baffeled and plated the smoke chamber.  I closeed off the area from the FB to the Barrel with a 1/4" plate at 45* and several plates with different widths,along the barrel with a 5or6 " space between the cooking grate and the plates(4" is good,I just had room).Here is a shot of the plates:







The one on the extreme right is the bottom of the Baffel plate at 45 degrees to the others. This lets me hold a temp. real even across the grate(except for my obligtory hot spot at the FB side-about 5-6").

 What I have is a Tejas 2040CC :







The only other mods I've done to her is some fire brick in the FB and down the inside of the belly to the vert. area for ballast(heat retention).

I do have another Little Girl I like to play with , a Brinkman Red River model SFB model I have modded to a reverse flow using a Stainless steel plate and a funnel.







She's about 20 yrs. old and notice The exhaust on the FB side. She's a little ruff, but still delivers the good stuff.

Have fun and .................

Stan    aka    oldschoolbbq


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## hemi (Oct 3, 2011)

By the way, my name is Stan also..     What I really have in mind is to use JUST the grill  and close all the flues and passages in the verticle and horizonal smoker .  Leave the grill closed tight when the smoker is going.  My FB is 16x16x16 and 3/8 thick so it is big enough but I thought that maybe

the coals/flame was too far down..  Any Idears? Don't want to cut the top outta the thing if it ain't worth the effort..  Hemi..


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## alelover (Oct 4, 2011)

You got any pics Hemi? You want a good airspace under your fire. I raised my charcoal basket up a few inches and it really helped.


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## raymo76 (Oct 8, 2011)

I should have asked earlier Bird, but, are you limited by funds? If not then why not get it all in one shot, plenty of pit makers that can do it all.


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## onebad95tbird (Oct 8, 2011)

Just found this new little toy on Craigslist for $50. I'm going to go much bigger later but this will hold me over til that day comes. Raymo, it's not so much that I'm limited by funds as I am limited by the wife's limit on funds. lol Just put it on a test run yesterday, very little leakage around the door and holds temps like a champ. Thinking of rubbing and stuffing a couple chicken butts with beer for football tomorrow.


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## michael ark (Oct 8, 2011)

Great find.I have a wide body.


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## raymo76 (Oct 9, 2011)

I hear ya on being limited by way of the wife. That looks like a good find man!


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