Vertical BBQ: the differences and design features

Traditionally, when cooking kebabs, our compatriots use the classic horizontal model of barbecue. Meanwhile, marinated meat is no less tasty in the modernized model of barbecue, where skewers stand vertically around the coals. Alexander Loginov invented a brazier of an unusual form - such a construction is differently called an “eco-brazier”. People's craftsman was looking for a way to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful substances on meat, because the fat dripping on the coal was actually converted into a volatile mixture of carcinogens, which then absorbed the meat. Consider a vertical grill, figuring out its structural differences from other analogues.

The vertical barbecue hut has a number of undeniable advantages. It combines the features of ceramic tandoor and standard metal barbecue.

The advantages of this design a lot.

• Environmental friendliness and safety (due to the vertical location, the meat is not in contact with smoke, carcinogens are not released during such frying).
• A larger amount of meat that can be cooked in one go (in a small-sized brazier it is 4 kg of products at the same time, and in a large-sized one - 7 kg).
• The presence of several vertically arranged temperature zones (in such a grill, you can cook several types of kebabs at once in one approach - from fish, vegetables, meat, poultry, arranging them taking into account the required temperature conditions).
• The compactness of the vertical design (even in a small brazier, you can place up to 20 skewers).
• The possibility of transporting collapsible design in a small car.

• Minimal risk of body burns or burning of nearby objects, as the coals are enclosed in a metal grid.
• The ease of maintenance of the structure, since the ash through the grid cells enters a special ash receiver.
• The presence of a pan for the fat at the bottom of the grill, which provides ease of cleaning.
• Original and aesthetically appealing look.
• The speed of cooking products compared to the usual horizontal structure of the barbecue.
• Functionality and reasonableness (at the expense of special notches at the top, you can move the meat closer to the fire or further from it).
• Reliability (vertical brazier is made of steel not less than 2 mm thick with galvanic parts and heat-resistant paint on the surface).
• Improved taste of meat, as it is not fried, and baked in its own juice.

All types of vertical barbecue merge a single principle of operation, when the skewers are attached to the sides of the fire. Such a roaster visually has the shape of a well, where coal residues surrounded by a steel casing smolder. It is in this space that the kebab is languishing until it is ready. Partitions inside such a well protect meat from carcinogenic smoke. In addition, it is worthwhile to fix an additional grill over an open fire, where you can lay out vegetables on the grill or put something to cook (for example, pilaf in a cauldron).

Vertical grill works as follows. In the firebox kindle a fire and put firewood.When coals remain from them, you will feel how the walls of the body are warmed up, and the heat emanates from them. Then it's time to install skewers with meat and vegetables strung on them. The skewer is fixed in a special hole at the top of the wall and rests with a tip at the bottom. Pay attention to the fact that the temperature in the corners of the barbecue is lower, so place the products that cook faster (for example, vegetables) there. Vertically located skewers next to hot coals allow the meat to browse not only from the side of heat, but also from the opposite side, which is affected by the hot metal wall of the brazier, as well as the air heated from the inside.

There are 2 types of vertical grills - stationary and portable. A more common and compact option - folding. It consists of side walls, a grill covering the fuel and a pan for grease. Please note that in this design you will often have to turn the skewers over so that meat and other products are evenly cooked from all sides.

If you plan to make an experimental grill with your own hands - use an open-type construction without an external case. Each man can try to build a functional barbecue with his own hands or improve the design at its discretion. The minimum number of welds will make the manufacture of barbecue from steel a simple task even for inexperienced craftsmen. The stationary variant is a structure welded to a monolithic surface.

Inside the brazier there is a closing mesh for fuel, the air duct and openings for skewers are located below. The sides of the stationary device are monolithic, so that the hot air is trapped inside as long as possible. This contributes to a uniform and fast cooking products. Up to 30 skewers can be placed in such large stationary braziers, which is much more than in a classic horizontal design.

The vertical brazier has a super-reliable design. The base is made of durable forged elements, which makes the structure stable. In the manufacture of the heating unit is used three-millimeter steel, the remaining parts have,typically 2 mm thick. Additional galvanic processing of a brazier considerably increases the term of its service.

In fact, the design of the vertical barbecue reminds of the principle of the samovar. Only instead of water, products are exposed to high temperatures. There are also electrical analogs of such a barbecue maker, for example, an electric grill or a device for cooking shawarma. Only skewers for meat here are located in the central part, and not at the edges, like in a vertical barbecue.

Regardless of whether you have a portable or stationary design, you can arrange a comfortable barbecue area next to the country house. This is also necessary in order to protect the grill from precipitation if necessary. Since the vertical grill does not smoke and does not distribute a pungent smell around it, it is quite possible to install it in the ready-made gazebo.Here you can use the brazier not only for its intended purpose, but also as a full-fledged source of heat in the cool season. You can also build a covered terrace with a shed, where you can think out a place for a barbecue, arrange a table and benches.

If you care about health and proper nutrition, reduce the risk of consumption of harmful substances with meat, using a safe innovative version of the barbecue - vertical. Subject to compliance with the manufacturing technology according to verified drawings, a vertical grill will serve you faithfully for many years, even with very frequent use.

On how to cook barbecue on a vertical charcoal grill, see the following video.