Reverse Flow vs regular Offset Stick Burner

[TexasPyro]

Until recently I had only cooked on a traditional offset, my comp pit is a top flow insulated pit I built to mimic a Jambo, RO, El Ray, etc. I love it but definitely has its draw backs, for instance, you cant have multiple levels of cooking grates due to the temps higher in the pit being much hotter than the grates. Long story short, I had a buddy who wanted me to build a reverse flow, I did, he ran out of cash to finish it and I ended up inheriting it. Out of curiosity I cooked on it last week to see how it ran and was sold. The thing locks temps in and much to my surprise burns incredibly clean. Its a large cook chamber at 84" long, the thing will cook a huge amount of food. I look forward to cooking in it more.

I hope to get it painted this weekend.

[bsooner75]

Thanks Pyro. That is a nice looking pit.

I think right now I'm leaning RF due to the even temps. My holdup is the ability to have multi zone temps to do brisket at one temp and say chicken at another...........I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too

Can't remember being this indecisive about anything before.

[riseabove50]

Thanks Pyro. That is a nice looking pit.

I think right now I'm leaning RF due to the even temps. My holdup is the ability to have multi zone temps to do brisket at one temp and say chicken at another...........I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too

Can't remember being this indecisive about anything before.

actually you can have it both ways! here's my set up - i have a RF offset but my plates that direct the heat along the bottom of the pit to the far side before rising up to the main chamber are in 2 pieces and removable. the first plate closest to the fire box rests on a shelf between the bottom grate and just above the fire box opening into the main chamber. then it sits along the inner sides of the pit. the second plate is just as wide. it overlaps just about an inch or two on top of the first plate and continues almost the rest of the length of the cook chamber but leaving a gap at the end for the heat and smoke to reverse. if i want, i can create a gap between the two plates making one side hotter and one side cooler. the key is to weld some handles onto the top of those plates for easy removal/relocation if you wanted. so i basically have 2 over sized tuning plates that i'm using for reverse flow. the key is to not weld them in, and to make sure they're wide enough to reach across your pit at the right level.

hope that makes some sense.

[bsooner75]

Makes sense. So when you are in standard offset mode does the smoke still travel the length of the pit even though your stack is on the firebox side?


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[k.a.m.]

There are some offset builders in the Dallas area but the majority of them are in the Houston area. Personally for a straight offset cooker built in Texas I would look no further than Pitts by JJ in Houston. If you wanted a Shirley built cooker Paul could build you a straight offset.

[k.a.m.]

Makes sense. So when you are in standard offset mode does the smoke still travel the length of the pit even though your stack is on the firebox side?


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Twitter handle @bsooner75

You could build a hybrid like my Bahama Mama. Then just use which style you want.

[bsooner75]

Thanks KAM.

[riseabove50]

Makes sense. So when you are in standard offset mode does the smoke still travel the length of the pit even though your stack is on the firebox side?


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Twitter handle @bsooner75

Well, when you're in standard offset mode, the smoke and heat are going to want to take the easiest path. the chamber may heat up some but whatever meat your cooking that is farthest away from the fire box will be dramatically cooler, and probably get very little smoke. that's why my first tuning plate extends to half of the length of the cook chamber so the heat and smoke are traveling at least half way across before heading up the stack.

[dnoland91]

I own a reverse flow and have overcooked 3 of 4 times. Holds temp great, but temp indicator doesn't give you the rack temp.