Offset Smoker Question: Reverse Flow or Traditional ??

[Marinehead]

Looking to add to the existing Weber WSM and Kettle by going after a log burning smoker. There are reverse flow units and traditional units.
I'm looking at 3 top quality makers, and they each preach that their method is the best . Never done wood and offset, so I'm curious as to what the preference might be.

[scottranda]

Traditional. Better air flow. I don’t care much about “even temps”.

[Jerod Broussard]

Best bang for the buck, period.

[Nate]

If solid temps across the grate is important to you then you are likely to get a bit more of that with reverse flow.

However if you like cooking different proteins and foods at one time and being able to do so at different temps then I would lean towards traditional... you can add tuning plates or baffles if you need to consider consistent temps later on....

I lean towards traditional but if the price was right I wouldn’t turn down a reverse flow Meadow Creek, Lang, Shirley or any other quality cooker.

[Mr. Bones]

I've never run a reverse flow, in all my livelong days, so ain't qualified to address their advantages, or disadvantages.

Don't never have me no problems keepin my offsets at proper temps, an often achieve only~5°-10° difference between th sides of em, as has been amply demonstrated in my previous posts.

That's a tighter range than a kitchen oven will do, by a long ways, so I'm good with that.

If (when) I were to buy me another offset cooker, my Top Choices (in no particular order) would be Lone Star Grills, Lang, Yoder, Horizon. Alla them make some very High Quality cookers, an are worth serious consideration.

Pro Tip: Dont (!!!!!) go spendin a thou, or two, an buy a cooker that's too small.

Lotta mfr's have models sized like 16"X32"-36"...that's jus a ¼" thick version of my OKJ Highland, which works quite fine, an cost me $300...

There'll come a time, when yer gonna want more real estate...

Alla th above listed cookers are made to last yer lifetime, an beyond...

Jus make sure th one ya choose is th one ya gonna be happy with, fer th rest of yer life!

It's definitely a comittment, Brother!

[JeffJ]

I have a cheap offset - Oklahoma Joe Highland. With some makeshift baffle I can achieve reasonably consistent temps throughout the cooking chamber. Temps vary pretty significantly without it but oftentimes that is preferable for me as I can load 'er up with a variety of proteins and veggies that cook best at different temperatures. Further, putting food very close to the firebox produces a direct/indirect effect. It's indirect in the sense that it's not above the fire, but due to it's proximity meat develops real good sear without having to sear it directly above the fire.

That's my long-winded way of saying that I think traditional makes more sense because it seems more versatile to me.

[Dewesq55]

The answer to this question is Lone Star Grillz. Just saying!

[TripleB]

I own a Jambo offset smoker and it’s an excellent piece of equipment. A Lang reverse flow is also an excellent piece of equipment. Harry Soo has won a lot of BBQ competitions, beating others with expensive smokers and he does it on a WSM. I was competing and the team next to me got a perfect score on brisket and they were using a cabinet smoker.

bottomline - it’s you and how you use your equipment. So find one that floats your boat and master it. Whatever you buy, you’ll love it.