What Is A Reverse Flow Smoker?
Smoking meat is always great when you have the proper equipment and appliances to cook with. For some, a reverse flow smoker might be a little bit unfamiliar, but it is great.
When you smoke meat, you want the smoky flavor in your food as much as possible to get the best results.
The main factor in making deliciously smoked meat is the fuel. Of course, you cannot have a piece of equipment that does not use wood or any smoke-emitting fuel in it.
However, some of these fuels do not emit the same amount of smoke that we want, so they leave the meat with a bland taste and little to no flavor at all.
That is why companies have made innovative designs where the smoker combines its features with the smoke to make a more enhanced smoking capability.
Reverse flow smokers are one example where the smoke moves through the smoker very efficiently before exiting the meat’s chamber.
So if you want to know more about reverse flow smokers, you are more than welcome to read along with the post as we discuss the amazing components and features of a reverse flow smoker.
So, What is a Reverse Flow Smoker?
A reverse flow smoker is a type of offset smoker that incorporates an extra steel baffle plate used as a heat deflector and a pathway for the air.
The metal plate sits at the bottom of the meat chamber right above one side of the firebox to block the direct heat and prevent intense heat from burning the slow-cooked meat.
This plate also directs the air from the firebox into the chamber in a well-circulated pathway for the meat to get as much smoke flavor as it can get.
The metal plate is also known as baffle, and it is responsible for the name “reverse flow” since it releases the smoke to the chamber from another direction relative to where the firebox is.
They are, of course, fueled with charcoal or wood to get the smoky flavor in your food. The separated firebox is a great way to refuel the smoker while retaining heat.
The plate also creates a more even cooking since it blocks the direct heat from the firebox below and can also serve as a greased pan catching the meat’s drippings and preventing it from going straight to the fire.
How Does A Reverse Flow Smoker Work?
As we have mentioned above, a reverse flow smoker uses a heat deflector or a baffle to reverse the smoke flow in the chamber to create a more even cooking and a smoky finish on the meat.
So imagine a firebox on the side and a huge chamber for the meat. The baffle is placed in the chamber right under the racks, blocking the firebox’s direct heat.
This way, the heat and the smoke will slide underneath the baffle and go up the chamber where the meats are and then cook them through heat convection and airflow.
This way, the smoke will bounce around the chamber more before going out of the chimney. The chimney of reverse flow smokers is on the other side of the smoke’s entry point.
This means that the chimney sits on the side where the firebox is. The smoke will travel to the other side of the chamber and then back out to the chimney.
The baffle catches grease from the meat, and with the heat from the near firebox, it sears it to create steam.
This way, the meat you are cooking will have a more smoky flavor finish; it will be moist and tender from the smoke and the steam that the baffle has created.
Most baffles are made either with steel or cast-iron. This way, they can retain heat more, and with this, the heat inside the chamber gets more evenly distributed.
Vertical Offset Smoker Vs. Reverse Flow Smoker
Naturally, we think that the Vertical Offset Smoker is better than the Reverse Flow Smoker when smoking since the smoke will get to the food.
When you view it from a physics point, hot air travels upwards, so vertical offset smokers will easily win here since they efficiently use the smoke, right? Well, not so fast.
So essentially, a traditional offset smoker has its racks between the firebox and the chimney. You can say the same with the reverse flow smokers.
However, the traditional or vertical offset smoker has a single end for the smoke to enter and get out of the smoker itself. This means that the smoke passes only once through the meat.
Reverse flow smokers have baffles that redirect the smoke and let it exit the firebox on one end, go into the chamber on the other, and then find its way out of the chamber through the chimney on the other side.
Since the baffles create a more consistent heat, we say that reverse flow smokers are better when it comes to slow cooking meat because temperature consistency is key.
Advantages of a Reverse Flow Smoker
More Smoke FlavorSince the smoke gets in the chamber at a slower rate, the flavor that gets in the food is more enhanced. The distribution of the flavor is also more even and can be absorbed better.
Reverse flow smokers let the smoke roam around inside the chamber before going out to the chimney so that the chamber fills up with smoke.
Also, aside from the air that comes in from the firebox, there are no other forces that push the smoke out, so it soaks the meat with all the flavor that it can.
1. An Even and Consistent Heat
No matter how low your fuel can be, the heat that gets inside the chamber is always even. The baffle acts as a heat deflector so that the firebox cannot sear the meat closest to it.
Due to the reverse flow smoker structure, you do not need to constantly open the chamber to change the meat’s positions inside it.
Even if you put a lot of meat in the smoker, they will cook evenly and finish with the same smoky flavor and do so at the same amount of time.
2. Little to no Heat Loss
When you refuel a reverse flow smoker, you do not need to open the chamber. You can refill the separate firebox can without losing heat or smoke in the chamber.
The firebox is very convenient as you can get to it easily. Simply remove the ashes from the firebox and load it up with another set of wood or charcoal.
Due to the convection inside the chamber, you do not lose as much heat when you open it, and even when you do, the heat will return to its previous temperature in no time.
In refilling the smoker, you also do not get a heat spike on the cooking meats. The heat will still be slowly added to the chamber at an even rate and will not cause any temperature spikes.
Some Disadvantages of a Reverse Flow Smoker
Slow Heating
There is some sort of a blocker in the form of the baffle that makes the smoke travel farther to the chamber.
The baffle will also need to be heated, which is a little bit slow. This happens especially when the baffle is all thick metal or cast-iron.
Yes, it retains a lot of heat, but it also heats up slower than most heat deflectors. You will have to wait a little bit before the smoker gets to the desired temperature.
Uniform heat can be a Disadvantage.
See, when you are cooking something else aside from meat, you would want a different temperature since it will take a different amount of time for it to cook.
Reverse flow smokers produce a very uniform heat no matter which side of the chamber it may be. The even heat can be a downside if you want to cook vegetables or anything else.
Of course, you can use another cookware, but the smoker is solely for one recipe since it has the same temperature in every area that it has.
Hard to Clean
Most baffles in reverse flow smokers are permanent. This means that you are going to have a hard time cleaning them from the inside.
The baffles are the part that is prone to gather the most dirt since it catches the grease and possibly food residuals from the grates.
They also have direct contact with the firebox meaning all the heat and the soot from the fire are attached to the baffles’ bottom, making them even harder to clean.
When dirt and soot gather on the baffle’s surface, it can restrict the airway, and a restricted airway means that the burn will not be consistent.
Conclusion
Reverse flow smokers are great equipment for you to start smoking meat. They are easy to use, so being a beginner will not be an issue with these smokers.
They can cook the meat evenly, and you can take a nap while waiting for them to cook. There is no need for the meat to be repositioned midway through the cooking process.
If you want a slow and low cooking temperature inside the chamber when cooking, then a reverse flow smoker is the perfect appliance to use. They give off that amazing smoke flavor that we all love.
Since it is a type of offset smoker, you can access the firebox easily if you want to refuel. It is very easy to use, and even professionals can use it.
There are only a few limitations to this kind of smoker, so if you are looking for something that will help you bring more flavorful food to the table, it is best to use a reverse flow smoker.
Now that you know the basic components and advantages of a reverse flow smoker start cooking and let us know how this post helped you!
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