Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker Review
An offset vertical smoker is prized by many people who want to be able to produce their own competition level barbecue. It’s also a handy thing to have it you like to make your own link and ring sausages or smoke your own slabs of bacon. An offset, vertical smoker can also be used to add a pleasing smoky accent to jerky before dehydrating.
Given this level of versatility and popularity, the world of smokers has been flooded by a lot of different variations in recent years. Finding the one that is right for you calls for a careful eye and taking the time to think about what you will do with it the most.
The Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker offers 5-cubic feet of smoking space in its primary chamber. This can be distributed between six adjustable, removable racks. Each is capable of supporting up to 25-pounds of food.
The smoker box has a somewhat unique design. There is a built-in ash pan that is easy to remove. A porcelain coated wood box sits above it for holding charcoal and smoking woods. An adjustable side damper and an adjustable smoke stack at the top of the primary chamber give you the ability to control the air flow and heat.
The door on the main smoking chamber latches tightly and has a chrome-plated quick release handle. The entire unit is made from 14-gauge steel with a protective powder coating. Just keep in mind that things need to be seasoned and the entire unit needs to be broken in properly. Take the time to read the manufacturer’s recommendations for doing this correctly.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The 14-gauge powder coated steel is a little on the thin side, but not so thin as to be considered cheap. It ultimately saves on weight and cost, which is part of the appeal of a smoker like this. You just have to keep in mind that this can also impact heat loss. In really cold weather, below 32-degrees, this grill can struggle to maintain a consistent temperature above 200 degrees.
Once everything is seasoned properly and broken in according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, the smoker should do just fine for many years to come.
It’s relatively easy to assemble, considering there are very few moving parts. It might be nice to have a helper with a few things. Still, it shouldn’t take you more than an hour maybe an hour and a half to get it fully assembled.
Grilling Performance
As long as it isn’t very cold outside, the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker will be able to handle just about anything you throw at it. One complaint worth noting is that the size of the grates is a little small. It could be an issue if you want to smoke multiple racks of ribs or a full-size flat brisket.
If something is tall, like a ham, a turkey, or a big pork shoulder, you can simply remove one or two of the grates from the primary smoking chamber. If you like to make your own link or ring sausages, you can simply remove all but the highest rack, and then tie the sausages on with some butcher’s twine.
Just keep in mind that the rack is rated to handle up to 25 pounds of food. That’s whether it’s laying on top of it or hanging below! Too much weight could potentially bow the rack and cause it to fall out of its grooves during the smoking session.
The way you set up the charcoal and smoking woods can also be a factor in the temperature the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Smoker maintains. Ideally, you want to use chunks of wood instead of wood chips. Chips can burn out faster, and they have a knack for getting stuck between the coals, causing a less efficient burn.
You should try starting a single charcoal chimney. Once it is rocket hot, dump them into the charcoal box. Then you can layer your smoking wood on top of it, allowing for a little extra air space. This will help keep them from collapsing and limiting air exposure later. Soaking some of the wood chunks overnight in water will also help them smolder longer, and reduce the chances of a flare-up.
Grilling Areas
The Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker offers 5-cubic feet of smoking space. It’s six grates can each hold up to 25 pounds of food for a staggering 150 total pounds. However, if you have it fully loaded to the max, you will need to rotate the grates every hour or so to make sure that each rack is receiving the same total amount of heat and smoke in the session.
Special Features
The pull-out ash tray isn’t necessarily special, but it sure helps with cleanup. The porcelain coated charcoal fire and wood box also allow you to reload the smoker quickly during long smoking sessions.
Ease to Clean
The wisest move to help with cleanup is to line the bottom of the primary chamber with heavy duty aluminum foil. You can then place your drippings pan on top of it, with water for added steam. The pull-out ash pan also helps you dispose of spent material without the scraping and scooping you find with other offset smoker boxes.
The grates don’t have a protective coating. This means you have to take the time to season and maintain them. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in the instruction booklet.
Warranty
The Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker has a 1-year limited warranty which is just a little bit below what some of the competitors offer. Still, as a smoker, it’s relatively simple and if it’s going to have a problem it will likely show it in the first year. Beyond that, it’s up to you to do things like maintain the grates and clean it properly.
Conclusion
This vertical offset smoker comes with a friendly price point and the capacity to handle pretty much everything you’d expect it to do. Just be mindful the season and break it in properly and take the time to clean and maintain the grates.
