If you sometimes like to taste smoked meats, then you can visit the store in order to purchase such dishes there. However, you will be able to cook them yourself, with the help of a smokehouse. Before you begin to build this structure, you need to understand the varieties of smoking, which can be two, namely hot and cold.
The first variety is a fairly quick method, which is most often used at home. The smoking period can last from 12 to 48 hours, while the temperature of the smoke is in the range from 35 to 50 degrees. In this case, the products do not lose moisture and are well saturated with fat. Such products can be stored for a short time. The dimensions of the smokehouse sometimes do not have to choose, since the basis of these designs, as a rule, are cylinders or refrigerators that are out of order. However, if you want to make such equipment for commercial purposes, you can use metal sheets or a barrel, the volume of which can be quite impressive.
Cold smoking is a longer process. The products do not heat up very much, since the smoke has a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. The smoking period can last from 2 to 3 days. This type of treatment involves the removal of moisture from products whose surface dries. Such products can be stored for a sufficiently long time, especially when compared with hot smoking. In support of the foregoing, it can be argued that the cold process is more time-consuming and lengthy compared to hot smoking. Let's get to know him in more detail.
What is a cold smokehouse?
In the process of manufacturing a cold smoked smokehouse, you will need to make a device in which cold smoke will be directed from the product to the side. Smoke should be continuous and even throughout the processing period. Its temperature is not more than 25 degrees. In order to ensure such conditions, the smokehouse must be divided into two separate parts. One of them will be a firebox, while the other will be a tank. The first part should be 2 meters away from the other, and between them should be a chimney.
Principle of operation and design of a smokehouse for cold processing
If you are interested in the design of a cold smoked smokehouse, you should know that it consists of several elements, among them there is a chimney, smoke generator and a smoking chamber. The design works according to the following principle. The chips are placed in the smoke generator, the fuel begins to smolder, and forms smoke. In the process of this, a draft arises, due to which it enters the chimney, is cooled in it, penetrating into the smoking chamber, where there are products that are intended for processing. The main function in this type of processing is performed by a smoke generator, which provides a continuous flow of smoke into the smoke chamber. This element is automated, the owner will only need to monitor the amount of sawdust.
Fuel preparation
Cold smoked smokers should work on a certain kind of sawdust. In no case should you use coniferous wood shavings, namely pine, spruce, etc. This rule is due to the fact that this fuel contains resin. The best smoking solution is sawdust of fruit trees. The best option would be cherries, apple trees and pears. In the absence of sawdust of this breed, you can replace them with shavings of alder, willow or oak. In order for smoked meats to look very attractive after the completion of the process, at the last stage of processing it is necessary to put a juniper branch in the smokehouse. To process products by cold smoking, you can use cassettes and briquettes, which are sold in stores.
Self-made smoking technology
If you decide to start manufacturing cold smoked smokehouse, then you do not need to have certain skills. Before starting work, you should prepare a certain set of tools and some materials. At the bottom of the furnace, sheets of iron should be laid, thanks to which the coals will smolder evenly. Now the master digs a chimney, the depth of which should be equal to the bayonet of the shovel, while the width is equivalent to the width of the shovel. After that, you need to use slate or a sheet of iron in order to close the chimney, filling it with earth. This is done to eliminate smoke.
Before you begin, you need to familiarize yourself with what smokehouse designs are. This knowledge can help you in the process of carrying out manipulations. Next, you need to prepare an ordinary barrel, in the lower part of which a lattice is fixed. This is necessary for laying a filter that protects products from soot and tar. Burlap can act as a filter. A steel pipe is fixed in the upper part, products for smoking will be attached to it. Stainless steel will be a very good material for such a pipe. When choosing a hook, you need to be guided by dimensions that should not be less than 10 millimeters. On top of the smokehouse should be covered with a sheet of iron.
Box making
If you are going to make a cold smoked home smokehouse, you can use a barrel or a box. After this element can be found, a smoke generator should be fixed to it. On this, we can assume that the product is ready, it will be convenient enough to use, and if necessary, you can move it to another place. When using a smokehouse, smoke should flow evenly, so you need to especially take care of the correct manufacture of the chimney.
Methodology
Be sure to choose the most suitable place for the smokehouse, there should not be any flammable objects nearby. The craftsman should consider the distance from neighbors who may not like the smoke. In the process of arranging the chimney, you need to use cords and pegs. Initially, it will be necessary to make markings along which a trench is excavated. On the walls of the latter, you need to install bricks, laying them on the edge. In the process of work should use a solution that is prepared from sand and clay.
Wizard Tips
When a cold smoked home smokehouse is being run, it may be necessary to cool the smoke. This problem can be solved in one of several ways, as one of them is the extension of the hose through which smoke is fed into the structure. The length of this element should be such that the smoke gradually cools as it passes through it. Some experts advise using running water. For this, it will be necessary to assemble the simplest water-based cooler, which is made of copper and brass tubes. If firewood is used in the smoking process, pipe bending can be used to cool the smoke.
Smoking tips
If you purchased an industrial smokehouse or completed the construction yourself, you should always ensure that the temperature inside is within the permissible norm. It is best to start this process in the morning. In bad weather, smoking should be discarded. You should not often look into the camera, but inside the device you must definitely install a pan in which the fat will collect.
Making a smokehouse from a gas cylinder
Smokehouse at home can be done using a gas bottle. For work, you will need a grinding machine, drills, a welding machine, two canopies for doors, a metal rod, the diameter of which will be 10 millimeters, as well as pipes that will form the basis of the legs. Among other things, prepare a metal corner, a forged handle in the amount of 1 piece, welding electrodes, spanners, an electric drill and, of course, an old gas cylinder. If you are going to carry out a smokehouse from a gas cylinder, it is important to think about whether the size of the future structure will fit. To carry out these works, you can prepare the product of the required dimensions, taking care of this in advance.
Recommendations for work
At the first stage, the master must inspect the cylinder from all sides, if it is rusted, then it will not be possible to use it for work. If there is a certain amount of gas inside, this indicates that the product is in working condition and is suitable for the manufacture of a smokehouse. Smokehouse at home from a gas cylinder can be made only after careful preparation of the product.
To do this, get rid of gas residues by turning the product over and unscrewing the valve. This will eliminate the possibility of gas ignition. Even after such a procedure, propane residues will remain in the form of condensate. It is worth considering the fact that they are dangerous. It will be quite difficult to get rid of the oily liquid that has settled on the walls. For this, water is most often used.
After you can get rid of the gas residues, you will need to draw a line on the body with a chalk, along which the cut will be made. The cylinder should be divided into two parts, which are then connected by hinges. In the next step, you will need to install the handles, weld the legs and install the grill inside. On this we can assume that the design is ready. According to this principle, a smokehouse from a gas cylinder can be assembled, which, if necessary, can be easily transferred from one place to another.
If you decide to make stationary equipment, then you need to start work from the fact that you must deviate a certain distance from the edge. After a line is drawn three centimeters below the weld. This will allow you to get two circles. Straight lines should divide the cylinder in the middle. After that, the tank is filled with water, which does not need to be drained during the first cut. The water that flows out can extinguish sparks, preventing the occurrence of fire. After it was possible to make holes, it will be possible to drain the water, continuing to carry out the cutting. After one semicircle has been obtained, it is possible to carry out such work on the other hand. Semicircles should connect with each other. This will allow you to get the finished cover in a closed form, which will help ensure that the flame is protected from the wind.
Final work
If you will be cold smoked at home, then you can make a design for this using any of the above technologies. After completing the above manipulations, you need to check the stability of the product. If it has long legs, then it will be quite difficult to achieve reliability. Therefore, you need to install additional corners, which will be located at the bottom of the legs. After completing the legs, you can drill several holes in the wall. Coals will wake through them, penetrate the air, which will contribute to better burning. After you can complete the basic steps, you can begin painting the structure. However, quite often home masters exclude this stage.
Features of manufacturing a smokehouse from an old refrigerator
At home, you can make a smokehouse from the refrigerator. To do this, remove all the elements that are located inside the household appliance, leaving only a steel box with a door. After the inner chamber with thermal insulation is removed, the old seams will need to be removed from a special sealant, which can take quite a lot of time. On the back side, where the heat exchanger is located, a sufficiently large hole will be formed. It can be covered with a metal plate, which should be cut from previously removed parts. If you have a stove-potbelly stove, which, as a rule, is made from segments of a water pipe, then it can be used by installing inside. It is important to ensure the exit of the pipe, with which the master may have certain difficulties.
When a smokehouse is being made from the refrigerator, it will be necessary to draw a circle with a pair of compasses, the diameter of which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the pipe. After you should drill holes around the perimeter of the circle using a five drill. This element can be brought to the desired size with a semicircular file. Stepping back from the top of the box 20 centimeters, you should install two corners that will act as holders for the grid. On this shelf will be exactly the products for smoking. Having retreated 10 centimeters below, you need to fix two more corners, which are necessary for installing the pallet. Fat will accumulate in it. The shelf can be used from the same refrigerator, and the pallet can be borrowed from the stove.
Supply of smokehouse with additional elements
If you purchase an industrial smokehouse, you don’t have to worry about its design features, since this device already has everything. Whereas if you yourself decided to carry out such equipment, you can provide it with additional elements. One of them is a thermometer, which is equipped with a bimetallic plate in the form of a spiral. It must be removed from the same old stove. You can independently decide in which place to install this thermometer, but experts advise to place it in the immediate vicinity of the product that is supposed to be smoked. Such a smokehouse, reviews about which often enough are only positive, should have small holes on the side wall for attaching a thermometer. The indicator must be placed outside. After dismantling, only a handle and a nameplate with a name will remain on the refrigerator door. You can save yourself from manipulating the door, in the closed position it can remain thanks to an ordinary hook.
Such smokehouses for home smoking should be tested after completion of work, for this the camera needs to be calcined to eliminate extraneous odors. The stove can be heated for several hours, from time to time tossing firewood. The door does not have to be completely closed. The appearance of the refrigerator case after such use can be slightly changed: the paint will go away or turn yellow. If you are not afraid of these metamorphoses, then the smokehouse does not need to be decorated.
Of course, a cold smoked smokehouse, the price of which is about 20,000 rubles, can be purchased in a specialized department. However, many home craftsmen prefer to make such designs on their own. During operation, you will receive great pleasure from using the product, and the minimum amount of money will be spent on the manufacture. Some experts do without shopping at all.
Conclusion
Smokehouse, admittedly, is a fairly simple design. It can be made even by an inexperienced master using improvised materials and tools. If there is a need for welding, then you can always contact a specialist whose workload will not be too large. Therefore, you do not have to overpay, which indicates the possibility of savings. But meat and fish can be cooked as much as your heart desires. Some masters even use such designs not only for their own needs, but also for cooking meat, which goes on sale. You can ensure that the design is sized to suit your needs. This should be considered at the time of designing the device.