There are many types of smokers, and one popular type is the offset smoker. The offset smoker type dominates over the other types of smokers because it is the most popular among the different types of smokers. But before using an offset smoker, you need to know more about how it functions, its different parts, and how you use wood chips to impart flavor to the food. In short, you need to read through the offset smoker 101.

The Design of the Offset Smoker

The design of offset smokers is simple. It has a typical design consisting of a large chamber that appears like an oil drum. In this chamber, you will find the grill grates wherein you would place the food. It also has an offset smaller chamber called “firebox” attached to the side of the cooking chamber. In some cases, this firebox is placed at the back of the cooking chamber. The firebox is where the charcoal and wood chips burn. It is also the source of heat for the cooking chamber. The firebox has a vent on its side.

The cooking chamber has a chimney that sticks out of the cooking chamber. It is usually situated at the farthest end of the chamber from the firebox. You can close and open this chimney. The offset smoker is supported well by sturdy supporting posts. It also has a storage shelf underneath cooking chamber and some have casters or wheels for smooth mobility.

How Do Offset Smokers Work?

The offset smoker functions by transferring heat from the firebox to the cooking chamber. The best method to fire up the firebox is by using charcoals. You can use either a fire igniter or a chimney starter to fire up the charcoal. If you are using a chimney starter, once the charcoals burn, you can dump them out onto the firebox. Spread the burning charcoal inside the firebox.

You should put several wood chips inside the firebox if you want to render flavor to your food. At the onset, you should not position the wood on top of the charcoals. You are just heating the wood chips or logs, so you don’t want to burn them. You can also use wood chips. Once the logs are well-heated and have already dried out, you can then directly put them on top of the charcoal grills.

Wait for the fire to reach the ideal smoking temperature. While you wait for the temperature to rise, you can put another log inside the firebox to let it warm. Do this every time you put another new log onto the fire. Heated logs can readily catch fire quicker without producing white smoke.

As a caveat, you should open the vents fully as well as the firebox door while you wait for the temperature to come up.

How to Get the Right Temperature?

You can’t rely solely on the built-in thermometer of the smoker. Hence, you should have a reliable thermometer at hand. Your temperature probe should be set up at the grate level. Once you have achieved the ideal temperature, you can leave the firebox’s vents 1/3 open. You should also leave the chimney cap half-open. As you cook, however, you should carefully adjust the cap and the vents, depending on several factors like wind, outside temperature, and the wood that you are using.

You should make fine adjustments of the vents, instead of abruptly adjusting the vents. How to manage the fire and the temperature generally takes time until you become an experienced one. At the onset, it is important to know the quirks and peculiarity of your smoker. The weather can also dramatically affect the temperature of the cooking chamber. Hence, you should also consider this important factor.

Ideal Temperature for Different Types of Food Smoking

A good piece of advice for using the best offset smoker would be to check the fire every 45 minutes if you should put a new log or wood chips inside the firebox. If the temperature drops, you should add wood chips or logs inside. For cold smoking, the ideal temperature is between 68 to 86 °F. Warm smoking is between 77–104 °F while hot smoking is 126 to 176 °F.

Smoke roasting, however, requires a temperature of 250 °F and above. Wood smoking, on the other hand, requires temperatures that range between 570 and 750 °F. You should also bear in mind that there might be a difference of up to 75°F between both ends of the cooking chamber. Thus, you need to rotate the position of your meat to be able to cook them evenly. Lastly, the above-mentioned tips and ideas basically make up a rundown of offset smoker 101.

Offset smoker is a type of smokers that really lord it over other types of smokers. So, if you have already decided to buy a smoker, you should try an offset smoker for beginners. There are myriads of offset smokers on the market today. But if it is your first time using an offset smoker, it would be advisable for you to take it easy and read some of the best offset smoker reviews to figure out which brand and model is the best buy.

Things to Consider When Buying an Offset Smoker

Before you even shop around for the best offset smoker, you should first consider your needs. You should also know the factors that you need to consider when buying an offset smoker. Here are the basic factors that you need to consider when buying an offset smoker:

What is Your Need?

First, you need to ask yourself about what you will be cooking frequently. Are you going to use your smoker to cater to a crowd or you will use it only to cook your food? Do you need to cook slow or quick? You should also know your budget.

Features

Now that you have answered the abovementioned questions, you can now proceed to figure out which features you would like your smoker to have. Here, you should ask whether you would like a reverse-flow smoker or not. Do you want to have a large cooking chamber? Do you want something with a built-in thermometer? Do you want a larger firebox? Well, all these questions you need to answer before you shell out your hard-earned money for a smoker

Sturdiness and durability

You should look for a durable and sturdy offset smoker. You should also consider the thickness of the steel that is used for the smoker. Moreover, you should go for a smoker with casters or wheels so that you can move it easily from one place to another. Consider also the warranty of the product.

Top 3 Best Offset Smokers for Beginners in 2019

1. Char Broil Oklahoma Joe Highland Offset Smoker

One of the best offset smokers on the market today is the Char Broil Offset Smoker. It is obviously unbeatable when it comes to backyard smoking. This one is crafted from high-quality steel that is meant for high-temperature cooking. It comes with 619 square inches of cooking space in the cooking chamber. It is also easy to heat. Its grates are porcelain-coated wire. It can be fueled by charcoal or wood. Its secondary cooking capacity is 281 square inches. Its dimensions are 57″(W) x 33.5″(D) x 53″(H) and it weighs around 178lbs. It also comes with a two-year warranty. This one has been criticized sometimes, however, for small leaks of smoke. But based on experience, this problem is manageable.

2. Char-Griller Smokin Pro Offset Barbecue

Another topnotch offset smoker is the Char-Griller Smokin Pro Offset Barbecue. It’s perfect for newbies in food smoking and is great for those who want to have brisket and ribs without necessarily having to spend for a professional smoker. It is a traditional smoker with a side firebox. It is made of powder-coated steel and comes with nonstick cast-iron grates. It also features removable charcoal drawers for easy dumping of charcoal. It also features a double bottom for longer durability. It comes with a temperature gauge as well as storage rack and two wheels for easy movability. Moreover, it offers 550 square inches of surface for cooking and an additional 250 square inches for charcoal cooking. Its grill measures around 62″ X 29″ X 50.”

3. Char Broil Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker

Char Broil Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker features a reverse flow technology for evenly cooking of food. It features a total of 1,060 square inches of cooking surface. It also features a series of four baffles to direct heat and smoke across the main chamber. It also comes with removable baffles along with optional smokestack locations.

Its firebox chamber showcases a large stainless-steel basket with a clean-out door for easy cleaning. The cooking chamber is made of heavy-gauge steel construction with porcelain-coated grates. This one, however, is more expensive than the other two. But it is really perfect for your use. It also comes with a 2-year warranty.

Conclusion

There are other offset smoker brands on the market today and the choices are many. However, we think these three models are your best options when it comes to finding the best offset smoker for beginners. The use of offset smoker at the onset is not that easy. But soon you will be getting perfectly smoked meat if you get the hang of its use.