Custom Fabrication
Hybrid Offset Smoker: 28 x 96 in Horizontal Chamber Plus 24 in Vertical Cook Tower, One Fire, Two Cooking Zones
We have finished a new smoker in our Sylmar, California shop and it is now listed in the store: a fully welded hybrid offset smoker that joins a 28 in diameter by 96 in horizontal cook chamber to a 24 in diameter vertical tower. The lower section of the tower is the firebox. The upper section of the tower is a second, vertical cooking chamber with three round grills, a 22 in griddle plate position and a hangar rack. One fire feeds both chambers, and four independent draft controls let the two chambers run at different temperatures at the same time. Total cooking area is 4,925 sq in. It is a single unit, test-fired, sold bare for the buyer’s choice of finish.
This post documents the build: the specification, how the two-zone thermal control system works, and annotated photos that identify every control and feature by number. The listing itself is here: Hybrid Offset Smoker 28×96 Chamber + Vertical Cook Tower, 4,925 sq in.
Specification
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Horizontal cook chamber | 28 in dia x 96 in, two top-hinged lids with doorstops, 5 removable rack sections, 5 dial thermometers |
| Vertical cooking tower | 24 in dia, dished heads, full-height side-hinged door, 3 removable round grills, 22 in griddle plate position, hangar rack, 2 dial thermometers |
| Firebox | Lower section of the tower; two external-handle flow baffles; vertical baffle above the fire; ash cleanout at the base; humidifier tank above the inlet with external fill port |
| Smokestacks | 2: round stack on the tower crown, tall rectangular stack on the far end of the horizontal chamber; each with an adjustable flow baffle and external handle |
| Total cooking area | 4,925 sq in (racks and grills 4,345 + hangar level 200 + 22 in griddle plate 380) |
| Thermometers | 7 dial thermometers: 2 tower, 5 horizontal chamber, all at rack height |
| Cart | Welded steel tube frame, stainless steel shelf, expanded-metal wood storage rack, 4 steel casters rated 1,500 lb each |
| Hoist points | 3, welded to the chamber crown, for crane or forklift-strap lifting |
| Drains | Grease and oil drain port on the underside of the horizontal chamber; tower grill platter doubles as a grease diverter and drains to the horizontal chamber |
| Finish | Bare brushed steel, unpainted, no surface conditioning; all-welded construction; custom paint or high-temperature coating available before shipment on request |
| Fuel | Wood |
| Overall envelope | Approx. 144 x 90 x 52 in (L x H x W), approx. 1,000 lb |
| Condition | New, custom built, single unit, test-fired in our shop |
| Price | $9,999.99, local pickup in Sylmar, CA 91342, or buyer-arranged freight (we palletize and load at our dock at no charge) |
Dimensions and weight are shop figures for freight planning, not certified values. Message us with a ZIP code before purchase if you want help sizing a freight quote.
Thermal control: one fire, two cooking zones
The defining feature of this smoker is that the firebox feeds two separate flow paths, and each path has its own metering and its own exhaust trim. The firebox sits in the lower section of the tower. From there, heat and smoke can travel straight up through the vertical cooking chamber to the tower stack, or sideways through a port into the horizontal chamber, below rack level, and out through the tall rectangular end stack.
- Firebox flow baffles (2). These set the split between the two paths. Both are moved from outside the tower by handles, so the operator redistributes heat between the tower and the horizontal chamber without opening a door or disturbing the fire.
- Tower stack baffle. An adjustable flow baffle with an external handle on the tower crown stack. Closing it down holds the vertical chamber hotter; opening it pulls the zone down.
- End stack baffle. The same control on the rectangular stack at the far end of the horizontal chamber. The stack is tall by design: its height adds draw across the full 96 in of chamber, pulling smoke the length of the racks before it exits, so the far end of the chamber cooks as evenly as the end nearest the firebox.
- Firebox vertical baffle. A fixed diffuser above the fire that spreads heat across the tower section instead of letting it channel straight up the center.
Between the two firebox baffles and the two stack baffles there are four independent draft settings. In practice that means the tower runs as a hot zone for chicken, sausage and direct-heat work while the horizontal chamber holds a low-and-slow setting for brisket and pork shoulder, or the reverse. The humidifier tank above the firebox inlet adds moisture to the smoke stream entering both zones and is filled from outside through a port on top. Seven thermometers read both zones at rack height from the outside.
| Control | Location | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Firebox flow baffles (2) | Tower, external handles | Split heat and smoke between the vertical chamber and the horizontal chamber |
| Tower stack baffle | Tower crown stack | Trims draft and temperature of the vertical cooking chamber |
| End stack baffle | Rectangular end stack | Trims draft and temperature of the horizontal chamber; tall stack gives additional draw over the 96 in rack length |
| Firebox vertical baffle | Above the fire | Spreads heat across the tower section |
| Humidifier tank | Above firebox inlet, external fill port | Adds moisture to the smoke stream feeding both zones |
| Thermometers (7) | 2 tower, 5 chamber | Both zones read at rack height without opening a door |
Annotated photo 1: exterior and controls
| # | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1 | Smokestack adjustable flow baffles (both stacks) |
| 2 | Firebox flow baffles, externally controlled via handles |
| 3 | Hoist points |
| 4 | Fill port for humidifier tank |
| 5 | Doorstops |
| 6 | Stainless steel shelf |
| 7 | Grease and oil drain port |
| 8 | Wood storage rack |
| 9 | 1,500 lb rated steel casters (4) |
| T | Thermometers, 7 total |
Items 1, 2 and 4 are the thermal controls described above. The hoist points (3) are welded to the chamber crown. The stainless steel shelf (6) runs the length of the cart with the wood storage rack (8) below it. The unit rolls on four 1,500 lb rated steel casters (9).
Annotated photo 2: horizontal cook chamber, lids open
| # | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1 | Firebox |
| 2 | Firebox flow baffles, externally controlled via handles |
| 3 | Smokestack baffle handles |
| 4 | Fill port and humidifier tank |
| 5 | Removable cooking racks |
| 6 | Grill plate position (plate not shown) |
| 7 | Firebox cleanout |
| T | Thermometers, 7 total |
Two top-hinged lids, each with a handle and a doorstop that holds it open for loading. The cooking racks are removable in sections, so the chamber runs as one long surface or is partially cleared for large cuts and whole animals. Five thermometers along the front read the chamber at rack level without opening a lid. Smoke enters below rack level from the firebox and exits through the tall end stack, drawing the full length of the chamber. Grease and oil collect at the drain port on the underside.
Annotated photo 3: vertical cooking chamber
| # | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hangar rack |
| 2 | Removable grills (3) |
| 3 | Grill platter / oil and grease diverter |
| 4 | Oil and grease drain to horizontal cooking chamber |
| 5 | Firebox vertical baffle |
| 6 | Firebox |
The tower opens through a single full-height side-hinged door. From the top down: hangar rack for sausage, jerky and hanging meats; three removable round grills; the grill platter, which doubles as the oil and grease diverter and routes drippings away from the fire into a drain that runs to the horizontal chamber; the 22 in griddle plate position; and the firebox below. Two thermometers read the tower cooking zone. The tower stack exits the crown and carries its own adjustable flow baffle.
Stacks, cart and cleanout
The rectangular end stack and the round tower stack are visible above. Both carry external baffle handles near the base of the stack. The cart is a welded steel tube frame with the wood rack in expanded metal below the stainless shelf.
Ash is cleared through the cleanout at the base of the tower, below the firebox, without disturbing the racks or the fire above. The cleanout is reached from the outside with a rake or shovel.
Shop test fire. The tower was used as the hot zone for a pizza while the horizontal chamber was brought up on the same fire.
Finish and condition
The exterior is bare brushed steel, unpainted and without surface conditioning. It is left that way on purpose so the buyer can finish it as desired. Bare steel will weather and take a patina with use. Custom paint or a high-temperature coating can be applied before shipment; contact us for a quote. Construction is all welded. The unit has been test-fired in our shop and is sold as a single, one-of-a-kind piece.
Pickup and freight
Local pickup is in Sylmar, CA 91342. We load the unit onto your trailer by forklift using the hoist points. For delivery, the buyer arranges freight with the carrier of their choice; we palletize the unit and load it onto the carrier’s truck at our dock at no charge. Questions on configuration, capacity or modifications before purchase are answered by the builder. Additional photos and a walk-around video are available on request.
Questions
What is a hybrid offset smoker?
A conventional offset smoker has a horizontal cook chamber with the firebox hung off one end. This build keeps that horizontal chamber and firebox relationship, but the firebox is the lower section of a vertical tower whose upper section is itself a cooking chamber. The result is an offset smoker and a vertical smoker sharing one fire, each with its own draft controls.
Can the two chambers really hold different temperatures?
Yes. The firebox flow baffles set how much heat goes up the tower versus sideways into the horizontal chamber, and each chamber’s stack baffle trims its own draft. That is four independent settings. Seven thermometers at rack height show both zones from outside.
How much cooking area is there?
4,925 sq in total: 4,345 sq in of racks and grills across both chambers, 200 sq in at the hangar level, and 380 sq in from the 22 in griddle plate.
What is it made of?
Steel, all-welded, with a brushed bare finish. The tower is a 24 in diameter shell with dished heads. The cart shelf is stainless steel.
Where can I see it?
It is at our shop in Sylmar, California. Contact us to ask about viewing it, to request the walk-around video, or to ask about modifications and paint.
View the listing: Hybrid Offset Smoker 28×96 Chamber + Vertical Cook Tower, 4,925 sq in →
Zombie Components LLC · 13177 Foothill Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342 · +1.909.747.9984 · ahall@zombiecomponents.com