offset bbq smokers and custom offset smokers are one of the most popular styles in BBQ.
They are well known because they produce great tasting barbecue with the traditional smoky flavor that people love
Offset bbq smokers and custom offsets have a firebox on one side of the cooking chamber, separated by a thick wall, which is used for combustion and to radiate heat. An opening called a ‘flue’ in the thick wall allows exhaust gasses to leave; The hot flue gas heats up the ‘offset’ in an offset bbq smoker or custom offset smoker (the part between firebox and chimney), which in turn heats up the cooking chamber… this style is considered “semi-direct” because there’s no need to shoot flames into the cooking chamber, but it does generate some radiant heat. The meat sits near the firebox, so it’s cooked with indirect heat – the flames never reach the meat, but the hot gasses flow around it.
This method of smoking meats has been used successfully by many people throughout history
Southern plantation owners were using “offset” bbq smokers or custom offsets back in the 1700s. Today this style is known as ‘pit barbecue’ and while offset bbq smokers and custom offsets have a lot going for them, they have one drawback: you can’t easily use wood chunks or logs to add smoke flavor because they aren’t positioned directly over a heat source. This is where a pellet really shines…
custom offset smokers and offset bbq smokers are also known as ‘stick burners’ because their shape resembles a stick.
Offset bbq smokers and custom offsets are becoming more popular as people discover their great tasting food, low price and simple design.
Custom Offset Smokers and BBQ Smokers – What Are They and How Do They Work?
The basic construction is the same though… a firebox on one side of the cooking chamber, separated by a thick wall, which is used for combustion and to radiate heat. There’s also an opening called a ‘flue’ in the thick wall that allows exhaust gasses to leave.
The meat sits near the firebox so it’s cooked with indirect heat – the flames never reach the meat, but the hot gasses flow around it. This method of smoking meats has been used successfully by many people throughout history – Southern plantation owners were using “offset” bbq smokers or custom offsets back in the 1700s. Today this style is known as ‘pit barbecue’ and while offset bbq smokers and custom offsets have a lot going for them, they have one drawback: you can’t easily use wood chunks or logs to add smoke flavor because they aren’t positioned directly over a heat source. This is where a pellet really shines…
Custom offset smokers and offset bbq smokers come in all shapes and sizes… basically any size firebox can be used to make a cooker! Many builders will use the same basic design for anything from a small backyard offset smoker up to huge competition offset smoker or custom offset smokers that produce tons of barbecue daily.
