It’s no secret that the upright barrel smoker is one of America’s best-selling grills. With its low price point and high quality, it has become a favorite among many barbecue lovers across this great nation.
There are many ways that manufacturers can pack so much performance into a smoker-grill combo. These affordable models also come equipped with features usually found only seen at higher-end grills including thermometer temples, etc. The question of how a rack with ribs can be hovering two inches over an open flame without burning is one that has been studied by many scientists and chefs. The answer is simple – they use innovative technology to pack as much performance into upright barrel smokers at an affordable price.
You can’t go wrong with a smoker that has an upright barrel. These sturdy, durable smokers start as steel drums fitted with Charcoal Basket at the bottom and are perfect for cooking food over charcoal. The vertical orientation of the food allows for more even cooking and prevents any one spot on top from burning before another part has had a chance at being cooked. The air inside the cooker enters through a vent at its bottom and leaves through small holes on top. Food cooks directly over hot charcoal with no water pan to act as its barrier you can create amazing seared flavor with little effort. The smoke from this grill is like that produced by a smoker. It’s generated when wood chips or chunks are added to charcoal, and it comes out through small holes in its lid. The smoke from the barbecue is both radiant and convection, which means that it travels more quickly when coming out of an upright barrel smoker than what you would expect with a conventional one, so the food is smoked faster.
Advantages:
- The upright barrel smoker is a space-efficient, easy-to-use device that can do direct grilling, smoking, and roasting. It’s perfect for smoking your favorite food and doing so in an extremely simple manner – making this type of BBQ machine one you should consider investing in.
- When food is cooked on the grill, fat readily drains away from it because of its vertical position. The juices produced by meats will hit against hot coals which causes them to burst with extra flavor.
Drawbacks:
- These smokers are great for cooking when you want to hold a small or medium-size gathering. They have relatively limited cooking space when compared with other models.
- The smoke flavor is much more subtle than in other smokers.
Tips:
- The bottom vent is a key component when cooking at high altitudes. The additional air will help keep your food from burning and preserve more of its flavor by keeping heat away from it, so open up vents in the grill just enough for freshness.
- To give your food that extra crispiness, open the lid of a smoker by ½ to 1 inch.
How the upright barrel smoker works:
Place the coal basket on top of three-quarters full with unlit coals so that it is centered.
Pour some hot coals from the chimney starter on top of these unlit ones.
Place a few wood chunks on the coals to generate smokey flavors.
When the coal basket has been lowered to its lowest point, insert crossbars so that you can hang up food.
Hang the food to be smoked from one of these crossbars so it can cook evenly and stay juicy. There’s an eyelet on top for grabbing that hot hook, which will keep your hands safe.
Unlike the typical smokehouse, where the meat cooks outside over glowing wood and charcoal with little to no insulation for heat retention. In an upright barrel smoker, food cooks vertically off of coals just as it would inside a traditional Indian tandoor oven.
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