Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: The Real Difference Between Downward bbq Smoker Baffles and Upward Deflectors in Your Smoker

thesmokinredneck
May 9
4 min read

Updated: Sep 1

It's become a very common question and I'm gonna dig straight in with some answers you may find very helpful. With all the buzz about upward deflectors/baffles, and downward baffles, one may be lead to ask. What actually works, and works good for you?

If you’ve spent any time behind an offset smoker, you know heat management is everything. Whether you're dialing in temps for brisket, beef ribs, or just trying to avoid turning your sausages into charcoal near the firebox, how your smoker distributes heat can make or break your BBQ.

Traditionally, many offset smokers use a downward baffle—a metal plate that is slightly angled down from the firebox opening into the cook chamber or it can extend from the firebox across the bottom cook chamber (these are called convection plates), forcing heat and smoke downward and over to the center of the cook chamber before it rises back up. While this system helps spread heat away from the firebox, it still has limitations. On the flip side, the upward deflector—a newer, smarter design—changes the game entirely.

Let’s break each of them down.

🔥 The Downward bbq Smoker Baffle and Convection plates: Bottom-Up Heat With Possible Hot Spots

The downward bbq smoker baffle directs heat into the cook chamber under the grill grate. That means the cooking process starts or is more intense from the bottom up, particularly more intense near the firebox side for smokers with an angled down baffle. The further you monitor temps across the smoker cook chamber toward the smokestack, the more evenly things start to cook, but even then, only half of the grill grate gets what could be called a “decent” top-down effect. Due to the heat and smoke finally rising up towards the center of the grill grate. Unless of course you toss in one of those convection plates that run almost the full length of the cook chamber in the bottom. But you're still cooking from the bottom up.

Here’s the problems you could have:

Hot spots right by the firebox can burn food or cook fast. Causing bigger meats to not render fat properly and become tough or undesirable.
Uneven cooking across the grate. (This usually applies only to smokers with just an angled down baffle right at the firebox throat inlet, unless you're using a convection plate, which can even out your pit. But this still means you're cooking from the bottom up)
Limited bark development due to bottom-heavy heat. The heat isn't coming from where it needs to be to create amazing bark or bite through skin.
You’re wasting grate space trying to avoid those hot zones.
You're still cooking from the bottom up

See below for some examples.

Angled downward baffle credit: ants bbq youtube channel.

Downward baffle with convection plate. credit: smoker gurus.

🔥 The Upward Deflector: Full Grate Use and True Top-Down Cooking

Now enter the upward deflector—an innovation inspired by the kind of heat flow you’d find in massive, professional-grade restaurant smokers (think 250, 500, even 1000-gallon rigs). These things are so massive most of the heat goes straight up into the cook chamber right away allowing at least 3/4 of the cook chamber to have true top down cooking. And i say 3/4 because these things draw heat so well that near the firebox area on the cooking grates its almost unusable space. So how would you mimic that in a backyard pit? Ok, now we queue the upward deflector. Its a simple semi-circle (half moon) piece of steel with some precisely sized and positioned holes in it. It sits near the firebox opening on the bottom of the cook chamber standing up vertically and pretty close too, maybe 3 inches away just sitting there acting as a kind of wall. Instead of forcing heat under the grate, its job is to push and redirect heat up and over the meat across the entire cook chamber! It also allows heat to pass through the holes in it to even out the bottom of the cook chamber. It's actually pretty darn cool, and so simple.

This means:

True top-down cooking—just like the pros do it.
No hot spots, even near the firebox.
Even heat distribution across the entire grate.
Maximized cooking space from end to end on the grill grate.
Unreal bark on brisket, beef ribs, and pork shoulders.
Better smoke rings on your meats

Another view of the deflector by The Smokin' Redneck

So in conclusion, if you've ever admired the airy, crispy, absolutely wonderful bark or bite through skin on some delicious bbq from a high-end well known BBQ joint using big offset smokers, it's the result of the larger pits accumulating the heat at the top of the pits. The upward deflector replicates that same environment inside a smaller backyard pit.

Which One’s Right For You?

If you’re fine babysitting your brisket and juggling hot zones, or cooking from the bottom up the downward baffle/convection plate will get you by. But if you're serious about restaurant-quality results, even heat, more grate usage and effortless bark, the upward deflector is a no-brainer. It transforms your offset smoker into a much more efficient, predictable, and professional-grade cooker.

It’s not just an accessory—it’s an upgrade to your entire BBQ game.

Upgrade your pit with the Upward Deflector today and finally get the results you’ve been chasing. We have deflector plates for many smokers like old country bbit pits, oklahoma joe, workhorse, horizon, and we can even do custom sizes. Shop now at thesmokinredneck.com and bring restaurant-quality BBQ to your backyard.