Hello everybody! I decided to write about the creation of my own smokehouse, which I use all year round. In my opinion, the use electric smokehouse much more convenient compared to a conventional one, which uses an open fire to heat. I loaded the wood chips and smoking products, plugged it in, and all that was left was to wait a little. Well, it all started when an old electric titan caught my eye. Throwing away an item that has served its purpose is not a tricky thing, but it is more difficult to make something that seems unnecessary at first glance become useful. The idea came when we once again decided to smoke fish. Before that, we smoked in an enamel bucket on an electric stove. And in winter, we also had to insulate the bucket to make it easier to maintain the desired temperature inside. The water heater flask with factory insulation is almost ideally suitable for making an electric smokehouse.
We begin the rework, for which we will need:
Electrotitan
Electric heating from tiles 1kW
Kitchen thermometer
A piece of wire with an electrical plug
Corner trims
Bulgarian
Drill
Drill
Welding machine (possible without it)
Carefully remove the upper part of the casing from the former water heater, which will later become the lid for the smokehouse. We drill a hole in the lid to install a kitchen thermometer, with which it is easier to control the temperature inside when smoking.
Next, we clean the insulation down to the side walls. We weld the legs from pieces of corners or whatever is at hand - this is not important, the main thing is that the structure is stable. On the other side of our structure, we cut off the casing along with the bottom of the flask.
The result is a cylinder at the bottom, which we install an electric heater from a 1 kW tile. - this power is quite enough. To do this, drill holes in the bottom of the smokehouse to the size of the shade.
It is advisable that the electrical heating terminals be located on the outside of the flask. Inside heat and the insulation of the wires will not withstand and will melt. Even if the wires are placed in ceramic tubes, the copper wires will heat up and the contact connection with the tens terminals will be broken.
This connection is more reliable and there will be no heating of the wires.
We are looking for a container of suitable diameter for collecting fat.
In order for the bowl to be at a distance from heating element, I had to weld a cross from wire.
In the upper part of the flask we drill holes for skewers on which food will be hung in the future. The skewers themselves are made of wire with a diameter of 4 or 5 mm.
Before making a smokehouse, you need to decide smoking method products. It comes in two types - hot and cold.
Cold smoking allows you to save appearance products and their taste. The main disadvantage of this method is that it takes a lot of time. IN in this case hearth is installed separate from the camera, in which the cooking process will take place.
One option is to dig a hole at some distance from the smokehouse in which the fireplace will be built.
It is connected to the chamber using a chimney. The length of the chimney in this case is 2.5-3 meters. It is organized as follows: a trench is dug, depth which is 0.3 meters, A width — 0.5 meters.
A brick is fixed along its entire length. It should fit snugly and be held together cement mortar. A metal sheet is placed on top of the trench and covered with earth.
As an alternative to brick, you can use chimney. A damper is installed in its upper part. It is needed to control the flame of the hearth and remove excess smoke from the product.
The chimney at the junction with the chamber must have diameter 200 mm. It is necessary to ensure its tightness so that the smoke enters the smokehouse.
The process of preparing the product hot smoked takes much less time than cold. In this case, the container with shavings or sawdust is fixed straight onto an open fire. The smoke from these materials during combustion should go into the chamber with the products. A container for collecting fat from food is fixed under them. Holes are made in the chamber or a smoke exhaust is arranged through which excess smoke will escape.
When the decision has been made about who needs the smoking chamber, you can begin to create it.
Preparation of materials and tools
To make a smokehouse you will need:
- materials for making a camera. It could be wooden boards, plywood, old gas stove, etc.;
- strong fittings, the diameter of which should be not less than 6 mm;
- wire made of steel, for making gratings;
- materials to create a chimney or directly herself pipe;
- Bulgarian with a disc for cutting metal;
- welding machine ;
- nails and hammer;
- measuring roulette.
Made of wood
A smokehouse made of wood resembles miniature house. There are walls, a door, a roof, and a pipe. Products cooked in a wooden smokehouse are distinguished by their rich taste and aroma.
Case manufacturing
The smokehouse body is made like this:
- The frame of the device is a rectangular structure, height which is 2 meters, A width 1 meter. It is assembled from beams.
- Frame on three sides finished with boards that fit tightly to each other.
- On the fourth side a board is installed, also made from boards. It should close tightly without any holes.
- Cobbled together roof with hole for tube. If there is none, then it is simply done window so that it can be opened and closed at any time. After this, the roof is fixed to the structure.
- Inside the structure are organized grooves for tray and grid. For the pallet, the grooves are made at the bottom of the structure, for the grate - in the middle.
Important! If gaps form between the boards, then this is will have a negative impact on the quality of the product. The gaps need to be sealed with tow.
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How to make a lattice
To make the grating you will need unpainted wire with a diameter of 5-6 mm. From it it is executed frame, the size of which corresponds internal size smokehouses Pieces of wire with a diameter of 3 mm. The distance between them is 2 cm. All grating parts are welded together.
From metal sheet a pallet is made. Its size corresponds to the size of the grate, as well as the internal size of the smokehouse.
Smoke exhaust
The chimney is carried out as follows:
- Is being dug up trench, the length of which is 2.5-3 m, width - 0.5 m, depth - 0.3 m.
- The trench is laid out brick, which connects to each other cement mortar.
- On a brick metal sheet is fixed.
- Above the ground is filled up, layer in 15 cm so that the chimney does not freeze in winter.
Assembly
Is being dug up pit, corresponding to the size of the smokehouse. Its depth is 40 cm. Placed on the bottom of the foundation crushed stone, along the walls using reinforcement are fixed concrete blocks. Next is all this is poured concrete mortar . Installed on the foundation camera, inside which a tray for collecting fat from food and a grate should already be installed.
Attention! Assembling the smokehouse begins with arranging the foundation for it.
To the foundation chimney is brought in firebox
The final stage is installing the smokehouse. It is fixed directly to the foundation. Two structures are fastened together. The device is ready for use.
Photo 1. Possible drawing wooden smokehouse with the indicated dimensions. The arrows indicate the direction of smoke movement.
From timber
A timber smokehouse is made in the same way as wooden smokehouse, but here, instead of boards, the body is made entirely of beams.
Case manufacturing
The smokehouse body is made of timber, length 1.3-1.5 m and cross-section 20x50 or 50x50 mm. The frame of the device is formed from them. He is rectangular box. Next he on three sides covered with boards, section 20x150 or 25x150.
When making a body from beams, you need to decide on roof designs. If it is expected gable roof, then guides are made from bars, which represent an isosceles triangle. The median is taken from the top to the bottom.
Then it's done doorway. Boards are filled, 20 cm long at the top and bottom. A door is fixed into the opening, a roof with a hole for the pipe is installed on top. After this, the smokehouse body is covered with clapboard. A metal sheet is laid on the roof, but the hole for the pipe is not closed.
Inside the smokehouse are formed grooves for fixing the grille and tray. For this purpose, boards are used, the length of which is 90 cm. By using screws they are screwed onto the sides of the camera.
How to make a lattice
The grille is made of unpainted wire. First, a frame is made, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions internal space cameras. Wires are welded to it at a distance of 4 cm from each other. The grate is ready.
The tray for collecting the fat from the products, which flows out of the products during smoking, is made of a metal sheet. Its dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the grille.
Smoke exhaust
To make a chimney, you need to dig three-meter trench between the hearth and the smoking chamber, width - 0.5 m, depth - 0.3 m. It is installed chimney which is filled with concrete mortar. A layer of earth is poured on top, thick not less than 15 cm. This will allow the chimney to not freeze even in winter.
Photo 2. Smoke exhaust from old pipe leads to the place prepared for the firebox. Thanks to the refractory bricks, it is quite safe to light an open fire there.
Assembly
Before installing a smokehouse on the site, a foundation is made for it. For this purpose it is dug pit, corresponding to the size of the smokehouse, depth - 40 cm. The bottom of the foundation is covered crushed stone, concrete blocks are fixed along the walls using reinforcement, after which the entire pit is filled with mortar made from cement. On him the camera is fixed. Inside of which there should already be a tray installed to collect the fat released from the products during smoking, and a grate.
To the foundation chimney is brought in. An iron square welded from a metal sheet is fixed at one end. Its size must match the dimensions of the camera. It is installed on the foundation. At the other end of the chimney there is organized firebox. It should be made of refractory bricks and equipped with a metal door. This will be the place where the fire is lit.
The final stage is installing the smokehouse. It is placed directly on the foundation. Two structures are fastened together using metal brackets. The smokehouse is ready!
From plywood
The smokehouse is made in the same way as from wood, but here plywood is used for its lining. The disadvantage of such a device is low thermal conductivity.
Reference. In order for a smokehouse made of plywood to retain heat better, it is enough to make the walls in several layers and cover the structure clapboard.
Metal smokehouse made of stainless steel
The main advantages of a smokehouse made of of stainless steel- And safety use. Its size depends on the user's needs for smoked products. To provide delicacies big family A rectangular compact device will be sufficient. To supply a large family with smoked meats, the smokehouse must have an impressive size.
Case manufacturing
To make the body of the device, you will need sheets of stainless steel suitable for cooking, e.g. AISI 304. If we use as a basis old grill made of the same metal, then all that remains is to close the extra holes, make a lid and grooves.
Photo 3. Cut from sheet metal a mold measuring 300x300x400 is quite suitable for the smokehouse body.
Algorithm for making a smokehouse:
- Sheets of material sliced, in accordance with the selected device dimensions.
- Details welded between themselves.
- Inside the case grooves are fixed for grating or gratings.
- Made from steel sheets the lid is being made, equipped with a handle and a small hole for smoke to escape.
- Under the cover inside the device grooves are made for water.
How to make a lattice
The grille is made of unpainted wire. A frame is made from it, the size of which corresponds to the internal size of the smokehouse. Pieces of wire are fixed to the frame at a distance of 4 cm from each other. All grating parts are welded together.
Smoke exhaust
The chimney in this case not organized. The only thing that is done is a hole in the lid.
Assembly
A tray with sawdust is placed inside the smokehouse, a tray is fixed onto it to collect fat from the products, and a grate or grates are installed on the grooves. The grooves are filled with water. This smokehouse is installed on an open fire.
To do this, a hole is dug, depth 40 cm. Its width and length must correspond to the dimensions of the smokehouse. Next, it is laid out with refractory bricks. Next, fuel is placed here, the smokehouse is lit and installed. It can be used even in an apartment. For this purpose, the device is placed on the stove and left for cooking.
From an old gas stove
An old gas stove can be used to create a smokehouse. To make a device, in this case you will need minimum time and effort.
Case manufacturing
An old gas stove is ready housing for smokehouse. There are grooves for the grate and baking tray, the grate itself and the baking tray for collecting fat from food, as well as necessary thermal insulation and seals to ensure a tight seal.
How to make a lattice
Make grates for such a smokehouse you won't have to, since they are already in stock.
Smoke exhaust
To organize a smoke exhaust system, drilling is done on the side walls of the slabs. 2-4 holes. Their diameter should be 10-15 mm. The same holes are made on the side walls at the top of the slab. Thanks to this, smoke will be removed both from below and from above the structure.
Assembly
From design oven gas burner is removed. Instead, fuel for open fire . A baking tray with sawdust is placed on it. A baking tray is placed on top to collect fat from food. A grate is inserted into the center of the stove on which food will be cooked. The device is ready for use.
Photo 3. Smokehouse from old oven I've been in action more than once - traces of soot on the surface confirm this.
From the boiler
There is no need to rush to throw away your old boiler. Its body is suitable for creating a smokehouse.
Case manufacturing
The first thing to do is lids are sawed off devices. After this, the internal tank is removed. A hole with a door is cut out in the outer tank, like a damper on a stove. To him barrel is welded without bottom and external tank. This is necessary to create thermal insulation. At the bottom of the structure, above the hole with the door, there are grooves for pallets, and in the middle - for the grille.
How to make a lattice
Unpainted wire is used to make the grating. A frame is made from it, the size of which corresponds to the internal size of the structure. Pieces of wire are welded to the frame at a distance of 4 cm from each other., door hinges, metal corners, handle, hook and sheets of metal. The principle of making a smokehouse:
- From sheets 2 bodies are cut out, the size of which is equal to the diameter of the pipe section. A small hole is made on one sheet, after which it welded on one side of the pipe. On another drive loop, handles and hook are fixed. Using a loop, the sheet is secured to the other side of the pipe. It will be lid smokehouses
- Inside designs corners are welded. They will serve as guides for the location of the tray where fat flows, as well as grates for food.
- At the bottom pipes corners are welded, which will become her legs.
How to make a lattice
?
Unpainted wire is used to make the grating.
A frame is made from it, the size of which corresponds to the internal section of the pipe. Wire sections are welded to the frame at a distance of 4 cm
Yes, in the design made of wood, beams or plywood you can cook food using this method hot and cold smoked. This is the main advantage of the smokehouse. The disadvantages include the fact that the presented materials have small operational period .
Advantage of the design stainless steel is that she simple in production and transportable. It can be used both in a private house and in an apartment. Another advantage of such a smokehouse is long operating period.
Disadvantage - you can cook food.
Smokehouse from the old one gas stove do easier Total. Here all the details have already been completed. Another plus is that it can be used both in an apartment and in a country house. The design has long operating period, but you can cook food here only by hot smoking. This is main drawback devices.
The main advantages of the smokehouse from a boiler and pipe is long term validity. Flaw - impossibility of cold smoking products.
Making a smokehouse from scrap materials is a job not at all difficult. The process takes little time and does not require large quantity force ready product will last for many years, delighting you with delicious smoked delicacies.
Useful video
Check out this video that shows how to make a makeshift smokehouse out of foil.
We were going to send the old one storage water heater to the landfill? Do not hurry. It will still serve you usefully. We will tell you below how to remake an old boiler with your own hands.
Conversion options are suitable for storage models because the basis is the tank.
Useful products from a water heating tank
IN in capable hands Any item that has served its useful life is turned into a useful product for the home or garden. There are many examples of this. We will reveal the secrets of making the most interesting of them.
solar collector
In the article “” you will find materials on making a collector from other available materials. Here we will tell you how to make a collector from an unnecessary tank. It will serve as a replacement central water supply during summer period, and will also be indispensable in the country.
What you need for homemade:
- water heater tank;
- chisel;
- hammer;
- metal brush;
- black paint;
- plywood sheet;
- Styrofoam;
- glass;
- bars 50x50 mm;
- foil;
- hoses;
- polyurethane foam;
- antiseptic for wood processing.
Progress:
- To remove the metal tank, you will have to remove the lining.
- Take a chisel and a hammer or grinder. Do not spare the shell and thermal insulation, you need a completely cleaned container.
- If it becomes rusty, thoroughly clean the surface with a metal brush. Then find the leak and seal it.
- Degrease the surface, cover it with black paint for effective heating.
- To increase the level of efficiency of the product, you need to organize thermal insulation. For this purpose, a housing is made.
- Assemble the frame from stored timber. The structure should be twice as wide as the tank.
- WITH inside Cover the frame with sheets of plywood. WITH outside lay the foam and cover it with plywood again.
- Place stands inside the housing to prevent the heater from rolling. Attach the board to the base of the body, make marks and cut out supports.
- If the collector will be outdoors all year round, treat the box with an antiseptic and paint it.
- Installing reflective elements will help increase heating efficiency.
- Place the foil at an angle so that the rays hit the surface of the collector.
- Connect water hoses to the outlets.
- Cover the structure with glass.
- Seal all cracks with foam.
You can decorate the container with plastic. In winter, the water must be drained.
Brazier
What else can be made from a water heater? If you want to be original, build a grill with a stove. Initially you will need metal pipes that need to be cooked. They will serve as a firebox.
Weld a metal tank on top. Pre-cut off its top part.
Install a bar in the inlet of the pipe on which the firewood will burn.
Thanks to the rocket firebox, the grill maintains the temperature well, so the meat comes out juicy.
You can make a barbecue grill, as shown in the photo:
To do this, a smaller part of the body is cut off and placed on fastenings to another part to form a container with a lid.
A handle is welded on top for convenient use, and spacer legs are welded on the bottom.
Smokehouse from a water heater
The principle is similar to a barbecue. In this case, it is advisable to use a boiler with a volume of at least 80 liters. Cut off the top by 10 cm. Install hinges for the lid.
A handle is also welded on top, so the lid can be removable.
You need to install a plate underneath to collect fat. There are holders for hanging meat inside the structure. The ventilation hole at the bottom will serve to release smoke inside.
Potbelly stove
This useful and compact device can be installed in any room. The main thing is the possibility of bringing the pipe to the street.
- Prepare the body. Use a grinder to remove all pipes and elbows.
- Make a shallow slit lengthwise.
- Remove the casing and remove the insulating foam.
- Clean out the tank.
- Consider that the location of the heating element should be at the top.
- Use chalk to mark two openings: the firebox and the door. Cut them out.
- Weld the pipe holes.
- Install handles and latches on the doors.
- Weld three or four supports at the bottom of the structure.
- In the place of the heating element, cut a circle and install a pipe for ventilation.
Water dispenser
If your boiler is leaking, turn it into a sink. To do this, clean the tank using the technology described above. Cut off the top part with a grinder. The leads for the pipes and fittings also need to be cut. Treat the surface: clean, prime, paint. The inside of the container can be coated with white paint.
Close one pipe hole with a plug. Place the tube and faucet on the other. Attach a handle to the cut part and organize the lid. It will protect the water from debris.
Flowerbeds
By sawing the container into two equal halves, you can use them for planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables. It all depends on the size. The products can be installed in a greenhouse. To do this, weld to back side supports, and fill the inside with earth.
If parts of the body are primed, painted and beautifully decorated, they can be used as flower beds and unusual decor on the street.
Chair-bench
This is not a joke, but the idea of Greek designer Nelly Trakido. Today it is fashionable to remodel unnecessary items into unusual and useful things for the home.
Using metal tools and paint, the designer turned an unwanted tank into a stylish bench. The legs from the old stool. The seats are removable. Covers can be changed according to your mood.
If you don't know how to use unnecessary equipment, show your imagination. Every item can be given a second life. The use of a water heater is not limited to these examples. Home craftsmen make them receivers for compressors. You can watch the video for more details:
You can also organize an unusual trash can. If the tank volume is small, the product will look stylish in the interior. Create!
Smoked fish and meat are considered delicacies for a reason - smoking not only gives the product a unique taste and aroma, but also significantly extends its shelf life. Products from the store, unfortunately, cannot be called smoked - “liquid smoke” concentrate has long been used for their mass production. As a result, the taste is mediocre, and their benefits are completely questionable.
You can smoke completely different products: the usual fish, meat and lard, as well as nuts, cheeses, vegetables and even fruits and berries. Of course, they require different modes: smoke temperature and smoking duration, as well as the wood chips used for this.
- Smoking happens:
- cold, with slightly warm smoke 30-50ºС;
- hot, with a smoke temperature of 70-120ºС;
- semi-hot, at 60-70ºС.
The higher temperature regime, the faster the meat and fish cook. Giving the same smoke desired temperature- problem to be solved correct design smokehouses
We give recommendations on how to install a stove in a bathhouse with an external firebox with your own hands.
Furnace laying details long burning coal-fired, find out.
we tell you how, based on specifications, do right choice wood stove.
Cold smoked
Its main difference is the extended chimney, in which the flue gases have time to completely burn out, harmful carcinogens from them are deposited on the walls of the chimney, and the products being smoked are enveloped in a light aromatic smoke. Meat after this treatment can be stored for several months, fish - from three to 12 weeks.
In the figure -, it can be installed on an area in country house. The dimensions are arbitrary, therefore only the main structural elements are indicated in the drawing. 
A cold smoked smokehouse consists of three main blocks: the firebox, the smoking chamber and the one connecting them. The firebox can be made of blocks, bricks or welded from metal. It must be equipped with an easily cleaned ash pan - the smoking time of some products is several days, and the ash must be removed during the combustion process.
The smoke output is adjustable; when igniting and at the beginning of the fire, the wood emits dark acrid smoke, which can spoil the taste of smoked meats. Therefore, the firebox is equipped with a smoke damper, directing its flow either into the chimney or out. Most often it is made in the form of a combustion chamber lid.
For smoking, you cannot use resinous ones - spruce, pine, or those that emit tar - maple, birch, firewood. The best wood- cherry, alder, oak and apple tree.
The photo shows a cold smoked smokehouse made from a wooden barrel, equipped with removable rods.
Due to the low temperature, the smoking chamber can be made from anything, for example, metal or wood. The use of porous materials such as brick is not recommended- absorbing smoke, and after smoking, moisture, they form a sediment, which over time acquires an unpleasant rotten smell.
The simplest option is metal or wooden barrel with a hole in the bottom into which smoke will flow. It is equipped with hooks or grates for placing products. The role of the lid is usually played by damp burlap - it traps smoke inside the chamber, while absorbing excess moisture. The photo shows an example of a willow smoking chamber covered with burlap on top.
The crucial point is the installation of the chimney. It, like the smoking chamber, should not be made of brick, as it absorbs moisture and harmful substances from the smoke. Metal fits better
, but condensation and soot must be removed from it in a timely manner, otherwise an odor will form over time. The best option- chimney dug in the ground. The soil not only effectively cools the smoke, but also absorbs condensation, and the microorganisms contained in the soil successfully process carcinogens from it.
Making such a smokehouse with your own hands is quite simple. To do this, you need to choose an area with a slight slope that provides natural smoke draft. A firebox is placed at the bottom of the slope. A groove is being dug on the slope, which will serve as a chimney. It is covered with sheets of iron on top, and a layer of soil is poured on them for better thermal insulation. The chimney leads into a smoking chamber; it can be made in different ways.
Hot smoked
Hot smoking is a fairly quick process, from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the size of individual pieces of meat or fish. The smoke is hotter, about 100ºС, and it is obtained not from firewood, but from special wood chips, so the design of a hot smoked smokehouse has its own characteristics.
- First of all, the firebox is located directly under the smoking chamber. It is not necessary to make a firebox with wood; you can make it yourself from gas burner or electric stoves. The main thing is to heat the bottom of the smokehouse to the temperature at which the wood chips begin to smolder.
- The smoking chamber in hot smoked smokehouses is sealed. This ensures more uniform heating of all levels of the product - there can be several of them in the smokehouse, and also allows you to use the smoke completely, without allowing it to leak.
- Some smokehouse models have a lid with a water seal. This water seal is a U-shaped depression around the perimeter of the chamber into which water is poured. The edges of the lid fit into this recess, resulting in a barrier for air from the outside and smoke from the inside. The water seal not only allows you to isolate the chamber, but also reduces the amount of carcinogens in the smoke.
- Removable gratings or rods are placed at one or several levels for hanging hooks. Products are placed on them during smoking. You can use barbecue grills of a suitable size if you make supports for them from a corner with your own hands and cut off the handles with a grinder.
- Another required condition- tray for collecting juice and fat. If they drip directly to the bottom of the smoker, the fat will begin to burn and the food will acquire a bitter, unpleasant taste. For fish, due to the low combustion temperature of its fats, it is better to do it with an outflow from the chamber. The tray must also be removable and must be regularly cleaned of residual grease.
A drawing with options for making a smokehouse for hot smoking is shown below.
Portable mini-smokehouses for semi-hot smoking
The above smokehouse designs are great for a summer house or country house, but you won’t be able to take them with you on a picnic or fishing - they are too bulky. IN hiking conditions will successfully replace them mini smokehouse in the form of a box with a lid, as in the drawing. You can make it yourself and use it both at the dacha and transport it in the trunk of a car to a vacation spot.
The temperature in such a smokehouse is optimally maintained at 60-70ºС, which corresponds to the semi-hot smoking mode. The preparation of products for such smoking does not take long, and their shelf life is about three days.
The design of the mini-smokehouse is simple: a box with a lid, equipped with a grease tray and grates. The shavings are poured onto the bottom; when the smokehouse is placed on the fire, it begins to smolder. Smoke fills the chamber space and the food cooks quickly. If desired, the lid can be equipped with a water seal and a small diameter smoke outlet hole, as in the photo.
Material for production - sheet steel, preferably stainless. The thickness should be such that when heated the walls of the smokehouse do not move away, otherwise, due to uneven heating, it is deformed. Typically, black steel 2-3 mm thick is used, stainless steel - from 1.5 mm. In any case, the gratings must have a stainless steel coating.
Video: how to make a mini smokehouse with your own hands.
Firewood and wood chips: how to choose the right one
The key to the taste of smoked meats is properly selected firewood. It is known that smoke from different types of wood has completely different flavors. The easiest way is to use purchased wood chips in this case, choosing the one suitable for each type of product:
- alder- universal, suitable for meat, lard, fish and vegetables;
- oak- mainly for smoking game and red meat;
- willow, birch- game with a specific taste, for example, elk or bear, as well as swamp fish;
- cherry, apple tree- cheeses, vegetables, nuts and berries.
The costs of making a smokehouse are insignificant; you can use scrap materials and leftovers. A self-made smokehouse and a properly selected smoking mode will allow you to prepare delicacies that are unique in taste and will surprise your family and guests.
There are two main methods of smoking - hot and cold. Both use smoke to process food. This general principle, but the differences between the two methods are significant.
Hot smoking:
- the product is affected not only by smoke, but also by high temperatures - up to 100 degrees;
- smoking time - from an hour or even less to several hours - depending on the product, for example, small fish can be ready in forty minutes, large game - within a few hours;
- the finished product is partially baked and soft in texture. When you try to cut the part falls apart;
- The shelf life of such dishes is no more than a few days
Cold smoking:
- the product is exposed to chilled smoke, the temperature is not higher than 50 degrees, and then this is for dense meat;
- the process is long - it can last several days, up to weeks for large hams;
- the finished product is not just smoked, but also dried, dense, sometimes the structure is even denser than that of the original raw material.
The difference in smoking methods is achieved by using various designs for this process. A cold-method smokehouse involves cooling the smoke, that is, significantly moving the combustion chamber away from the container with the food. A hot smoker, on the other hand, consists of a chamber located directly above the source of heat and smoke.
There are many options for making these and other devices with your own hands. However, how to make a smokehouse suitable for cold and hot methods, that is, universal? There are still such options, although there are very few of them.
Using the height of the smoking chamber
Why don’t home craftsmen make smokehouses with their own hands? Unnecessary ones are used Appliances. These are refrigerators different models, washing machines old style (round), now water heaters are being added. And also gas cylinders... And of course, barrels, buckets and similar household items.
However, you can literally make a smokehouse container with your own hands - as in this option. You need to take two 200 liter barrels, burn them from the inside and clean them well. Then they are welded together. When hot smoking, no more manipulations are required. We hang the food and put wood chips on the bottom. Don't forget to install a grease tray. If it is necessary to carry out cold smoking, it is necessary to place moistened burlap between two barrels. The smoke passing through it will be cooled and the burlap will act as a filter.
How to choose the size of the structure? It is in order to be able to smoke both hot and cold that you need to make the container higher. In any case, its height should be at least three times the diameter. And of course, it matters what products are chosen for smoking. Small fish, game birds, domestic chickens are one thing. And when you plan to place carcasses of goats, sheep, hams of pigs, moose or bears in the smokehouse - there are such options! - then the structure should be three meters, or even more, in height.
Feature: The effect of cold or hot smoking is achieved by placing the products in the smokehouse. If you need cold, hang it higher, hot, lower. There are several options for the location of the cross, where hooks with meat, lard, and fish are hung.
Smoke separately, heat separately
To make a smokehouse for both hot smoking and cold smoking, you need to provide options for both cooling the smoke and using hot smoke. However, hot smoking does not mean hot smoke, the author of the next device decided. With his own hands, he managed to create not a simple smokehouse, where smoke is supplied by a special smoke generator, and heat, if necessary, is provided by a heating element.
However, it's better first. Capacity - large refrigerator. Conditions: integrity of the inner chamber, dismantling of the freezer, sealing by sealing all holes.
Now about the smoke generator. This is a container in which there is another fireproof chamber with three holes. One is for supplying air using a compressor; the other is for igniting wood chips; the third is for removing smoke into the smoking chamber. Chips to produce smoke are placed inside, and the smoke flows through a special metal hose into the former refrigerator, where a pipe is cut into the bottom side for connection to the smoke generator.
The smoke generator supplies smoke to the smokehouse - the smoking process is in progress. But there is another device in the main camera. At the bottom of the “refrigerator” there is a heating element with a capacity of one and a half kilowatts. It turns on when you need to achieve the hot smoking effect. There is a temperature sensor in the center of the container, and a thermal relay helps control the heating element.
With the help of heating elements we can raise the temperature in the chamber
Feature: The choice of cold or hot smoking is determined by the inclusion of a heating heating element: if it is cold, one smoke generator works, if you need hot smoking, we also turn on the heating.
Advantage: The wood chips last for several hours - at least five; thanks to the relay, the temperature in the container is regulated.
To hang products in the main chamber, there are removable crossbars, and if you place grates, then meat, fish, and lard can be laid out rather than hung.
Finally - a few important points for those who smoke food at home, including in a home-made smokehouse:
Wood chips for smoking - not sawdust! - made from alder, birch, oak, linden, and it is advisable to remove the bark from the first two, but fruit tree species, for example, apple, cherry, and pear, are considered the best.
Before smoking, the product is prepared, namely, it is kept in brine or marinade, and for cold smoking it is stronger and the aging period is longer. Immediately before placing the product in the chamber, it should be hung for half an hour to an hour to allow the brine to drain and dry easily; there is no need for excess moisture in the chamber. There are recipes where the products are boiled at the preparatory stage for smoking.
To protect products from soot during smoking, they need to be wrapped in burlap, gauze or other loose fabric.
Observing simple rules smoked, you can prepare real delicacies for your table - tasty and healthy. And a hand-made smokehouse will be an assistant in this.