Offset Smokers Explained: What They Are, How They Work & Why You Need One
Offset smokers are a rite of passage for anyone serious about real barbecue. With their iconic barrel shape, side firebox, and unmistakable smoke flavour, they’re the choice of purists and pitmasters alike. But what exactly is an offset smoker - and is it right for you? In this guide, we unpack everything you need to know in an easy, simple guide, so you can decide for yourself.
What Is an Offset Smoker?
An offset smoker is a horizontal barbecue smoker where the firebox sits off to the side of the main cooking chamber. Unlike vertical smokers that cook food stacked in a vertical column, or kamado grills shaped like an egg with thick ceramic walls, offset smokers use indirect heat specifically from the side firebox to slowly cook food.
How Do Offset Smokers Work?
As touched on already, the heart of an offset smoker is the side firebox, where you build your fire with wood or charcoal. The heat and smoke generated here travel horizontally through the cooking chamber, where your meat rests on racks. This indirect heat cooks the food low and slow, usually between 107°C and 135°C (225°F and 275°F), allowing tough cuts like brisket and pork shoulder to break down into succulent, melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
The magic happens because the smoke envelops the meat, imparting complex flavours without burning it. Adjustable vents and dampers control airflow, ensuring a steady temperature is maintained for hours. It’s an elegant dance of fire, smoke, and patience. There really is no greater feeling than mastering an offset pit!
Features to Look For in a Quality Offset Smoker
When investing in an offset smoker, craftsmanship is everything. Here’s what you need for a smoker built to withstand a lifetime of heavy-duty smoking:
- Thick Gauge Steel: Look for 10-gauge steel or thicker. Thin steel leaks heat and causes temperature fluctuations, robbing you of both consistency and flavour.
- Adjustable Vents: Airflow control is crucial. Quality vents let you tweak oxygen levels and smoke intensity with ease.
- Large Cooking Surface: Whether you entertain a crowd or smoke large cuts, ample cooking space means you’re never limited.
- Temperature Gauges: Built-in, accurate gauges give you real-time control without guesswork.
- Rust-resistant finishes: Paint can quickly degrade, leading to flaking and rusting over time. Choose a pit with a rust-resistant finish such as linseed oil, which also helps with weather-proofing.
- Cooking Grates: Standard cooking grates made from expanded mesh warp over time and are more difficult to maintain. Look for thick (at least 6mm) carbon steel grates which are resistant to rust, warping and sagging. Trust us - you'll thank us years after prolonged heavy use when your grates perform just as well as on your first cook.
Offset Smoker vs Barrel Smoker: What’s the Difference?
Confused about the terms? The key lies in orientation, design & fuel type.
You might hear people call them “barrel smokers” because of their cylindrical cooking chamber, but there’s significant differences between the two. Barrel smokers can be either offset or vertical, while an offset smoker specifically refers to the side firebox design.
Construction
Barrel smokers are constructed from a singular barrel-shaped chamber with firebox inside, whereas offsets feature two distinctly separate areas - a firebox located to one side (hence the term 'offset') and a separate cooking chamber.
Fuel, Smoke & Flavour
Barrel designs rely on charcoal rather than wood as the main fuel source as wood tends to smoulder, affecting the flavour of the food. Smoke rises from within the barrel and circulates around the cooking chamber in a barrel smoker. The smoke has less contact with the food, resulting in a milder smoke flavour.
Offsets are designed for the smoke to originate from the firebox. Fast-flowing, convective air then flows through the cooking chamber. The longer smoke path results in a deeper, more distinctive smoke flavour, coupled with the ability to use various wood types for a cleaner burn and flavour profile.
Efficiency
Barrel smokers are less fuel efficient, due to the smaller firebox and the need to heat the whole chamber. More fuel is required to maintain consistent temperatures.
As the firebox is separate in offset models, less fuel is required to achieve and maintain temperatures.
Temperature Control
As the firebox is located within the cooking chamber, barrel smokers require careful monitoring and adjustments, with temperature control being more challenging.
In offset smokers, heat in the cooking chamber is adjusted by regulating airflow in the firebox, allowing for more precise temperature control.
Benefits of an Offset Smoker for Your BBQ Setup
Offset smokers aren’t just cooking tools, they’re a statement. Here’s why you want one in your outdoor arsenal:
- Serious Flavour: The slow burn of hardwood smoke imparts complex, rich flavours you simply can’t get elsewhere.
- Capacity for Entertaining: Large cooking chambers mean you can smoke multiple racks or whole cuts simultaneously, perfect for unforgettable gatherings.
- Authentic Experience: Using an offset smoker connects you to the deep-rooted traditions of American pitmasters, turning cooking into a craft. Many British smoker designs have been influenced by American origins, prioritising industrial rugged looks with huge capacities for statement cooking.
- Ideal for Brisket, Ribs, Pork Shoulder: These tough, flavourful cuts shine brightest with the long, slow smoke exposure an offset smoker delivers.
➡️ If you're looked for a rugged pit with spacious capacity, no compromises and is built to last for decades, check out our American style smokers.
What Wood Can You Use in an offset smoker?
Using wood as the main fuel source has a significant impact on the flavour of the food being cooked, making it critical to the outcome of both the food and your overall experience.
Hardwood vs Softwood
The structure of a hardwood is more complex than that of a softwood. As they grow more slowly, hardwood is more dense, heavy and hard wearing than softwood. It is important to only burn hardwoods as your fuel source. This is because softwoods contain high resin levels resulting in unpleasant flavours. It can also make your food toxic!
Hardwood examples
- Oak
- Walnut
- Beech
- Maple
- Hickory
- Apple
- Cherry
Softwood examples
- Pine
- Cedar
- Spruce
- Fir
- Redwood
Wood Moisture Levels for Smoking
Wood from a freshly cut tree or wood that contains moisture levels higher than 20% should not be used for smoking. Not only can it can lead to an acrid flavour but it can also create inconsistent temperatures in the pit. You can check your moisture levels with a simple moisture metre tool, but we generally recommend using pre-seasoned splits (log chunks cut and stored in a well-ventilated area for a minimum of 12 months) or kiln-dried wood.
The fun part is experimenting with different combinations of wood and split sizes to find what works best for you – this can also differ depending on what you’re cooking. Consider using log splits for longer burn times or chunks for easier temperature management and flavour bursts.
Think of wood choice are your flavour palette. Each type brings something unique:
- Hickory: Bold, smoky, slightly sweet - a classic for ribs and brisket.
- Oak: Medium smoky flavour, versatile, burns steadily for long cooks.
- Apple: Mild, fruity smoke ideal for pork and poultry.
- Cherry: Adds a subtle sweetness and rich mahogany colour to your meat.
How to Use an Offset Smoker
In short, there are four main points to consider when understanding how to use and operate your pit.
1. Wood - Use hardwood, appropriately sized splits with a low moisture content as your fuel source for maximum flavour and consistent temperatures.
2. Adjust the airflow as needed to maintain the desired cooking temperature – this also affects smoke quality.
3. If temperature start to drop, top the fire up with new splits of wood
4. Use a temperature probe or instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food.
It takes time and patience to master, but when you do, you'll be rewarded with the most delicious food you've ever tasted! Perfect smoke rings, meteorite-like bark, and tender juicy meats infused with that signature smoke. There is joy in the journey of perfecting your smoking techniques and earning your stripes as a pitmaster.
If you want a more in-depth guide that talks you through the full process step by step, we’ve prepared one below.
➡️ How to Use An Offset Smoker
Reverse Flow vs Traditional Flow – What’s the Difference?
A quick, simple comparison of the two side by side:
Reverse Flow
- Bottom up cooking
- Can achieve more even temperature distribution
- Takes longer to heat up
- Generally considered easier to use - ‘set and forget’
- Harder to clean
Traditional Flow
- Top down cooking
- Achieves a better crust
- Different temperature zones to allow for simultaneous cooking of different cuts
- Greater fuel efficiency
- Requires slightly more skill to maintain smoke & heat temperatures
- Easier to clean
Dual-Flow
Experience a more dynamic airflow system. The Leviathan Pits Fractal 90 features an advanced Dual-Flow system, giving you the power to dynamically adjust airflow depending on what you're cooking. Whether from above grate level for enhanced bark formation, fat rendering, and even temperatures, or below grate level for a more traditional cooking experience. Or you can mix it up with a balanced blend of both.
Offset Smoking in the UK
Worried about whether offset smokers work well in UK conditions? Fear not. We stock UK smokers specifically designed to withstand our great British weather, with robust construction and weather-resistant coatings.
No flaking paint, degrading performance or rust. These have been specially designed and fabricated for the UK climate, and engineered to outlive you.
The Best Offset Smoker Models
We stock only the best offset smokers in the UK. This is because we truly believe in buying well and buying once. Investing slightly more from the offset (pun intended) will give you a reliable, durable cooking machine, offering decades of delicious meals with reliable, robust performance.
Thinner, cheaper models degrade over time, eventually needing to be replaced. They’re notoriously more difficult to maintain, with issues such as flaking paint, rust spots, warping and sagging. Ultimately, you end up spending more over your lifetime on replacement parts or replacing the smoker itself.
Two of our favourite premium smokers, both designed and engineered in Britain, include:
Leviathan Element
The Element embodies American pitmaster tradition - thick steel, robust design and ample cooking space. It incorporates a proprietary airflow guide that eliminates hotspots typically found near the firebox, maximizing the usable cooking area. Designed for serious pitmasters and backyard BBQ’ers alike. No shortcuts, no compromises.
➡️ View Leviathan Element
Leviathan Fractal 90
Built like a tank, this rugged, industrial pit needs no introduction. Features include ceramic fibre insulation, XL firebox, heavy-duty steel cooking grates, and optimised heat distribution and airflow path options. The advanced dual flow internal routing system unlocks the full potential and flexibility for every type of cook. Due to the extensive levels of insulation, less wood is consumed during a cook, newly added splits catch fire quickly, and splits burn with minimum smouldering, producing the cleanest flavour.
➡️ View Leviathan Fractal 90
Both come with a host of upgrade options and customisations, so you can tailor your pit exactly how you want it.
