The Texas BBQ Forum

Hey guys, this is my 1st post and thanks for having me. We bought a 16" Horizon Ranger last year and seem to have a lot of trouble with it being way too hot by the box and not hot enough in the vertical chamber. If anyone has had the same issues, I'd love some input......we have a lot of vets to cook for this summer!

Thanks

Welcome. Hopefully someone familiar with the Ranger can comment

Howdy and Welcome to the Forum

I'm almost certain that you'll get some informative replies so hang in there.

There are a couple things working here. On a smaller horizontal offset, you will always have a hot spot by the firebox. To even it out, Horizon makes a head deflector with holes in it. I had one on my 16" New Braunfels Hondo and it made a world of difference.

That vertical is designed to run 70-100 degrees cooler thay the horizontal. They advertise it for slow smoking salmon, cheese, etc. If you want that hotter, you will have to build a bigger fire which will bring the temps in the horizontal portion to more of a grilling temp than a smoking temp.

Thank you TX1911

Here is a link to the piece TX1911 is referring to. I have a Ok. Joe 16" horizonal I add one to. It helps even the temps in the horizonal chamber and should help push a little more heat into the vertical. But as TX1911 said, in order to get the vertical to a true cooking temp, the horizonal is going to be a broiler. If I were cooking for a large group as you mentioned. I'd use the vertical to hold or reheat the finished product. If you were doing sausages, since they are usually fully cooked in the pack, they could be slow heated and held there as well.

http://www.horizonbbqsmokers.com/access ... tion-plate