![]() ![]() The types of flavor compounds and the size of the particles within the combustion gases that cook our food will depend on how clean or smoky a particular fire is burning. Luckily for us, combustion within a wood fire is always partially incomplete and will also produce a variety of flavorful compounds often referred to as ‘organic wood vapor’, as well as very small particles that we see as smoke. If wood were burned under conditions of complete combustion, meaning that there is enough oxygen in the fire to completely react with every compound that makes up the wood, the reaction would produce only heat, water, and carbon dioxide - much like the fire from a propane grill. Understanding how a wood fire flavors our food requires some background knowledge on combustion - the chemical reaction that takes place when wood burns in oxygen. Let’s take a deeper dive into reviewing each of these components - the smokestack, the cooking grates, the firebox and the cook chamber - and how their design and configuration can impact the performance and cooking experience of your pit. The basic operating principle of an offset smoker is simple - wood burns within a firebox to produce the heat and smoke necessary to cook and flavor the food, and a smokestack pulls that heat and smoke through the cook chamber and across the cooking grates before exhausting out of the pit. We have drawn upon our own experience and research to provide some guidance on the most important aspects of an offset smoker including how each feature will impact the performance and longevity of the pit and how to choose the design that is best suited for you and your needs. ![]() They also span a wide range of price points. Offset smokers are available in many different build qualities, shapes, sizes, styles and with many different features to choose from. An offset smoker is a significant investment, and choosing the right look, size, design, and feature set to match your style and your plans will provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Like all passions, we invest ourselves into the equipment and tools that allow us to impart our own style and creativity into producing the best possible experience. For many of us, what may start as a hobby quickly evolves into a lifelong passion of mastering the art of wood-fired barbecue. Earning the flavor, texture, and bark achievable with an offset smoker also requires more time, attention, and skill than any other cooking style, with many hours spent in front of a firebox carefully managing a live wood fire to produce these results. ![]() Wood-fired offset smokers, sometimes called ‘stick burners’, are known to produce incredible barbecue flavor that is unmatched by any other style of cooker. ![]()
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