Juicy smoked meat or fish is an excellent dish for any party or celebration. Of course, you can always buy a ready-made version in a supermarket, but no one knows by what technology an appetizing product that was appetizing at first glance was prepared. Where it is better to do it yourself, having treated with a specialty of relatives and friends. To understand how to make a smokehouse with your own hands, you need to understand the principles of the smoking process.
Features of the smoking process
Even in the distant past, ancient people understood how the effect of hot smoke from wood fuel affects meat. Not only taste characteristics are improved, but the shelf life of smoked meat or fish is also increased. Indeed, penetrating inside, smoke gives the product a specific pleasant taste and aroma, gives the effect of a golden crust that stimulates appetite. The composition of the flue gas is a mixture of elements whose proportions may vary depending on the type of wood used. There are several types of smoking: hot, cold, smokeless and mixed. Smoked products that we buy in the store are usually cooked in a smokeless way. The technology is very simple: a fresh product is soaked for the allotted time in a solution prepared on the basis of fractions of elements contained in the smoke. If we are talking about industrial methods for the manufacture of smoked meats, then the cheapest version of liquid smoke is most often used. It can only consist of flavors, flavor enhancers, colorants and preservatives. The meat and fish delicacies created in this way cannot be called healthy.
How to enjoy smoked meats and not harm your health? Of course, cook them yourself.
Cold smoked
Cold smoked fish and meat have a delicate, refined taste and aroma. There is no effect of boiled meat, which is typical for all types of hot processing. The process of cold smoking is longer than hot smoking and can take several days.
The technology is a long-term fumigation of meat or other product with cooled smoke, which leads to its dehydration and saturation with smoke substances. The principle of operation of the apparatus for cold smoking is a continuous supply of smoke for uniform processing of the crude product. The heat-resistant container in which the wood is laid is connected with a long chimney to the food compartment. The length of the chimney can be 2-3 meters. When passing the distance from the source of fire to the product, the temperature of the smoke should drop to 20-25 degrees.
Smoking time is selected individually, it all depends on the size and thickness of the piece. Before placing in the smokehouse, the raw product is processed with salt and the necessary spices. Cold smoking machines are presented in various variations, the choice depends on the frequency of use and the amount of the finished product needed. The average cost of a camera is 6,000 rubles. The problem with the need for a large amount of fuel for the cold smoking process is solved by using a smoke generator.
How to make a smoke generator for a smokehouse? The principle of the smoke generator is simple: the heating element located inside the appliance causes smoldering the sawdust there, and smoke is emitted. The higher the temperature of the electric heater, the more smoke. It is quite easy to assemble a design according to this principle.
You will need a wide metal pipe for the body. At the top of the device, insert the hose to connect the compressor. Teflon, which will act as an insulator and a connecting element, is also needed. The teflon element fits the tubes of the desired size. At the bottom of the structure we make a door to remove ash. Weld the top cover and paint.
Do-it-yourself camera for cold and hot smoked brick
Not everyone can afford to buy a cold smoked camera in a store. Many people wonder how to make a cold smoked smokehouse with their own hands. If you choose brick from materials, then you can create not only a high-quality and durable smokehouse, but also an excellent design solution for a summer cottage. Brick smokehouse can be multifunctional and suitable for both cold and hot smoking.
First of all, we choose a place for the future smokehouse, carefully considering the details of the location, since the structure will be stationary. The ground must be leveled and a foundation laid out. An excellent option is the foundation on the blocks, this will free you from mixing a large amount of solution, and reduce the time of erection. Brick for construction should be refractory, and the mixture for masonry should be based on clay and sand.
Depending on the desired design and functionality, the layout of the masonry may vary. All that is needed is to choose exactly the option that you liked, and according to the scheme it will become clear how to make a cold smokehouse with your own hands.
DIY wooden smokehouse
For the construction of such a structure, it is not necessary to fill in a solid foundation, it is enough to dig a shallow hole around the perimeter of the smokehouse, fill up a layer of rubble and compact it with sand. How to make a cold smoked smokehouse, if you use wooden boards? It’s not difficult at all. We lay the firebox out of refractory bricks; a container of thick metal or cast iron is also suitable. We lay a pipe for a chimney 2-3 meters long and fix it in the smoking chamber. Carefully cover all joints with clay mortar. The base of the chamber can also be laid out with bricks, and the upper part, where the semi-finished product will be located directly, is made using ordinary boards.
The size of the smoke chamber depends on your needs. We build the frame, then sheathe it outside with a lining. It is important that no gaps or gaps occur during cladding. It is better to make the roof elongated from the side of the chimney location. In this place you can equip a mini-woodcutter, which will be protected from precipitation and hide an unsightly chimney pipe. Ropes are stretched inside the smokehouse, on which products for smoking will be hung. You do not need to learn how to make a smokehouse yourself, just start making it.
Hot smoking method
How to make a smoke-cured smokehouse so that it meets the necessary requirements? Heat treatment using hot smoke at a temperature of about 90 degrees is called hot smoking. Using this technology, meat, fish, poultry, cheese and even fruit are cooked. The advantage of this method is the speed of preparation and the ability to perform the procedure with your own hands. A few hours, or even less, and your dish is ready. There are also disadvantages: during the combustion of wood, heavy fractions of carcinogens can get on the surface of the product. If you make the right smoke-cured smokehouse with your own hands, then large fractions of the compounds will go down, and not concentrate in the product. The disadvantage is the short shelf life.
To ensure that the smoking process is safe, it is necessary to use wood in which there is no resin. An alder or a juniper is perfect. The wood material should be in the form of wood chips or thin branches so that smoldering runs evenly. If the firewood is large, a fire can ignite, then dark traces of soot will remain on the surface of the product.
When cooking fish, it is necessary to marinate it in a salt solution for about 10 hours, then dry it in a ventilated room for a day, and only after that you can start smoking. When the fish is covered with a bright golden crust, you can serve the dish to the table.
In the assortment of store options for smoke houses, there are currently many types for any occasion. Especially popular are mini smokehouses that you can take with you to nature. But you can not buy, but make such a smokehouse with your own hands.
DIY do-it-yourself smokehouse
If you have an old and already unnecessary gas cylinder, you can use it to make a smokehouse. How to make a smokehouse from a cylinder and what is needed for this?
For the manufacture of a smoking chamber, it is necessary to prepare the following materials:
- 50 liter gas bottle;
- 4 mm thick iron sheet;
- metal pipe for the chimney with a bend;
- hinges for a door;
- lattice;
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine and electrodes;
- door handle.
Observe safety precautions. There may be a residue of gas in the cylinder; it must be drained and the inner surface rinsed with water. We outline the place of the proposed door, with a grinder we cut out the line on which the hinges will be located. We weld the hinges, only after that we cut out the remaining sides of the door. We saw off the neck of the cylinder and weld a knee with a pipe to this place. The pipe must be provided with a baffle to further control the smoke output. On the opposite side we make a hole for connecting the camera to the roasting pan.
The brazier can be built from a smaller cylinder or metal, and the bricks option discussed earlier is also suitable. How to make a cold smoked smokehouse from this design? Simple enough: move the chamber and the roasting pan away by connecting them with a long pipe that will cool the smoke passing through it.
Do-it-yourself smokehouse from metal sheets
Stainless steel is an excellent material for making a smokehouse. You can create a unique design and shape of the device, as well as fit the required size. If you want a beautiful and aesthetic option, and think how to make a smoke-cured smokehouse with your own hands, so that it does not differ from the purchased one, then you need to choose metal sheets. If you have experience in this field, then the final result will be difficult to distinguish from the store version. Factory smokehouses are made from thin sheets of stainless steel, over time, under the influence of high temperatures, the surface can be deformed. Consider in detail how to make a smokehouse to avoid this problem. The thickness of the metal must be at least 2 mm.
As in previous versions, the following compartments should be present in the smokehouse:
- brazier;
- drip tray;
- grilles for products;
- cap.
Using this principle, you can make a mini version of the smokehouse, which you can always put in the trunk of the car and take it with you on vacation. The chimney in such a smokehouse is not provided, and the bottom of the chamber acts as a fryer, and wood chips should be located there. A hole is made in the lid for the exit of smoke.
How to make a smokehouse from metal sheets and where to start? Making a smokehouse must begin with a drawing. The more thorough the preparation is, the easier the assembly process will be. If the smokehouse is planned to be of impressive size, it is necessary to consider its location on the site, as it will be stationary.
Making the base of the box must begin with a blank 40 cm wide, 200 cm long. We measure from a strip of 60 cm and draw a vertical line, then mark 40 cm and again 60. We mark the marked lines with a grinder, but the depth of cut should be no more than 1 mm. We assemble the box, bending the metal in places of incisions, weld the seam of the free edges.
We cut out a rectangle with dimensions of 62 * 42 cm. This will be the bottom of our smokehouse. On each side we bend inward by 1 cm and weld to the base. By analogy, a lid with a handle is made, it is important not to forget about the smoke outlet. Lattices can be welded from thin metal rods.
How to make a smokehouse easy to use? If desired, you can equip the smokehouse with legs of the required height, this is true if the smokehouse is large. To avoid burns, it is better to choose a handle on a wooden base.
Do-it-yourself smokehouse from a metal bucket
Surely, any summer resident will have an enameled or stainless bucket on the farm. This is a very convenient container that can withstand high temperatures. How to make a smokehouse using a bucket with a lid? It is necessary to check whether the bucket has damage and holes, or if the walls are deformed. If everything is in order, then proceed to the manufacture of food racks. They should be round in shape with a suitable diameter. To understand which one, take measurements.
You can cut a disk of the desired diameter from a stainless steel and make a lot of holes in it, so we get a grate substitute. If there is a wire from stainless steel, it is quite possible to weave a lattice out of it. It will take more time, but the end result will look more aesthetically pleasing.
Hot smoked smokehouse is ready, we check it in business. Small slivers of alder or shavings of fruit trees are filled up at the bottom. We install lattices in a bucket, lay on them pre-cooked products, soaked in salt and other spices, cover with a lid. We set the bucket on the fire so that the heat reaches the bottom, then the wood chips begin to smolder, releasing smoke for smoking. We periodically glance and follow the cooking process. When the product is ready, remove the bucket, let it cool, take out the products and enjoy smoked delicacies.
Smokehouse firewood
We figured out how to make a smokehouse with our own hands, but a properly made smokehouse is not the key to cooking a tasty and healthy dish. The success of preparing a quality product depends on the choice of wood material. Connoisseurs of the smoking process are very scrupulous regarding the selection of wood chips, and will not use only wood for cooking meat and fish.
When wood smolders, gases are released with a high content of organic substances. The composition is different and depends on the type of wood. Properly selected wood chips in the process of burning emit neutral or weakly active organic compounds, they give a unique taste. The smokehouse should be designed in such a way that heavy molecules of gases settle before reaching the products.
Any wood chips for smoking can be bought in the store, it is packaged in bags and fully prepared for use. If you decide to make wood chips yourself, then make sure that the chips are the same size. For the manufacture of chips, you can use the planer.
What type of wood to choose? As already mentioned, it is strictly forbidden to use coniferous wood and birch for smoking, since they emit tar during combustion. Also, you can not take wood material from bird cherry, sea buckthorn, mountain ash. When these chips are burned in the smoke, an increased content of essential oils is observed. Such wood can only be used by a professional who knows all the intricacies of the effect of such fuel on the product.
The most common smoking material is alder woodchips. It is believed to be versatile and gives products a mild and slightly sweet taste. Aspen, on the contrary, will add a sharp aftertaste to your dish.
For smoking fish, poultry and lard, it is advisable to use chips of fruit trees. Hardwood chips are perfect for meat: oak, beech.
Conclusion
Whatever type of smokehouse you choose, making it yourself is easy. When you yourself smoke meat or fish, you will never want to buy smoked meats in the store, and the smoking process will complement your relaxation and become an inspiration for new culinary experiments. We hope this article helped answer the question of how to make a smokehouse at home.
Appreciate your health and eat healthy foods!