It is known that smoking - the preparation of sausages, meat or fish by exposure to smoke - gives the products a particularly bright taste, and also extends their shelf life. Many smoked meat lovers understand how important it is that a portable device for cooking delicacies, which is taken with you outdoors or used in the kitchen, does not cause others anxiety from the spreading smoke.
Therefore, among connoisseurs of smoked yummy, smoking sheds with a water lock are becoming increasingly popular. What is the essence of adaptation? What are the features of his work?
About types of equipment
Specialists classify smokehouses according to various criteria:
- by type of product preparation, there are devices for the production of hot and cold smoking, as well as combined;
- according to their application, industrial and domestic smokehouses are distinguished;
- by dimensions and features of use - portable and stationary, etc.
To achieve the desired result - to obtain a tasty and aromatic product - without undue cost, experienced smokers help knowledge of the intricacies of the matter and, of course, the specifics of arranging the equipment with which it is necessary to work.
Smokehouse with a water lock: design
Smokehouses are an excellent device for smoking various products: meat, lard, fish, salads. They are appreciated by lovers of picnics and country holidays.
Hot smoked smokehouse , equipped with a water lock, is well suited for the preparation of quality products in the conditions of home cooking.
Fundamentally common design features of smokehouses of various modifications are the following:
- The device is a box, the inner walls of which are equipped with welded brackets for placing grids. They fit products intended for smoking.
- The grilles are equipped with stiffening ribs, providing the ability to smoke products of varying severity (most importantly, they must match the size of the equipment).
- A lid equipped with a smoke outlet (exhaust pipe of a small length welded to the hole) is put on the box. For indoor use (in the kitchen or in the summerhouse), the pipe is equipped with a heat-resistant hose, and the other end is let out of the window.
- A special drip tray is installed under the grates in the smokehouse.
- Wooden sawdust is poured at the bottom.
- For installation over a fire or over a gas stove there are removable legs.
- A water lock is installed at the top of the smokehouse.
How it works?
Products intended for smoking are placed on a wire rack so that they do not touch each other.
Wood chips (or sawdust) at the bottom of the tank, when heated without air, begin to smolder, thus emitting smoke.
The lid of the container must be tightly closed. Along its perimeter, water is poured for a snug fit to the grooves.
Smoke is removed by a special fitting with a pipe put on it, which is displayed in the window.
The temperature in the smokehouse usually reaches 1200, which ensures smoking. It is not difficult to determine the temperature regime: if there is no thermometer, drip water onto the lid. It does not boil, which means that everything is going fine, otherwise the product may not be smoked, but cooked.
The start of the process is counted from the moment smoke appears. To cook the fish, 20-40 minutes are enough, the chicken will be smoked in 35 minutes - 1 hour, and the lard will be ready in 30-40 minutes.
Products in the process of smoking are saturated with a characteristic smoky aroma.
Materials
Usually, steel materials 1.5 mm thick are used as materials for the manufacture of the smokehouse. Many prefer food-grade stainless steel equipment. Stainless steel is called an advantage of high resistance to rust, which is especially true for those who use the equipment in the open air, near water bodies, in areas with high humidity. A device made of stainless steel will retain its technical characteristics and appearance for a long time. In addition, a hot smoked smokehouse made of stainless steel is less prone to carbon deposits on work surfaces. From it the remains of fat and smoking products are easier to clean.
What is a water seal: device, benefits
The fixture is usually installed at the top of the housing around the perimeter of the edge of the smokehouse. Smokers who make their own equipment with a water lock sometimes have difficulties.
The water seal is a horizontal groove of a U-shaped profile located with the open part up. It should not have partitions, the design of the device is made in the form of a closed rectangle.
The shutter is welded inside or outside the smokehouse. They consider external placement of the device more justified - when heated, less water evaporates, eliminating the need to often top up it. When water evaporates, smoke can enter the room, and in addition to products, the kitchen will also become smoked.
The equipment cover enters the grooves of the shutter with its edges. The presence of water in it prevents air from entering the middle of the equipment, which is fraught with the ignition of sawdust smoldering at the bottom.
Thanks to the adaptation, smoke from the chamber is exclusively discharged through the exhaust pipe, which is especially relevant when operating a smokehouse with a water lock in an enclosed space.
In addition, the water seal also acts as an additional stiffener, which reduces the exposure of the equipment to deformation as a result of exposure to high temperatures and extends the life of the equipment.
Smoke thermometers: why are they needed and how are they used
Cooking time for smoked meat depends on the temperature inside the smokehouse.
Professional smokers know how to determine it by eye and touch, but to use these methods, experience is needed, which not everyone has.
Meanwhile, it is known that in the process of smoking it is necessary to maintain a different temperature level at its various stages. For example, with hot smoking of fish for 15-20 minutes, it should be dried at a temperature of 30-40 ° C, and then kept at 90 ° C for half an hour. At the final stage, it is recommended to smoke products at a temperature of 120-130 ° C for 30-40 minutes.
It is difficult to control this process without a thermometer, because an error of several degrees can significantly affect the quality of finished smoked meats.
In addition, visually or by touch to determine the degree of readiness of the bird is quite difficult. It is recommended to consider the meat ready when the temperature inside is reached:
- beef - up to 75 ° C;
- pork and lamb - up to 85 ° C;
- birds - up to 90 ° .
When working with meat or fish, thermometers are used for smokehouses with an elongated body (30 cm). It can be installed at the top of the smokehouse. When installing, the thermometer should be isolated from metal. A simple cork from a wine bottle is suitable as insulation. The scale of the thermometer should have a range of 0-200 ° C. Some craftsmen display temperature readings on an electronic display.
The best option, according to experienced smokers, is to install a special pin thermometer for meat, the measurement range of which is up to 400 ° C. Such a thermometer is usually equipped with a pin probe for immersion in meat up to 150 mm long. The probe is permanently installed in the smokehouse and shows the temperature in the smoking area.
It is recommended to purchase two thermometers at once: for fixing on the lid and for monitoring the readiness of meat.
Sometimes a temperature regulator is installed in a smokehouse (equipped with an electric heater or smoke generator): a sensor is mounted inside the chamber, which helps to regulate the power of the heater.
About smoking in the kitchen
The principle of cooking smoked meat both in the open air and in the kitchen is simple. Especially accessible is the process when equipping the equipment with a water shutter.
Home smokehouse on gas is of different sizes. Optimal for home cooking is considered the average smokehouse with a single load of up to 5 kg.
When choosing a device for use in the kitchen, you should calculate which one is suitable for a certain number of family members a smokehouse. The price in stores for this equipment ranges from 2600 to 35 500 rubles.
The most convenient source of heat for smoking in the kitchen is a gas stove. It provides uniform heating, simplifies the regulation of the temperature level.
Those wishing to cook smoked products in the home kitchen should know that experts do not recommend the use of ceramic, glass or metal cooking surfaces. With their help, it will not be possible to reach the required temperature to start smoldering sawdust. In addition, the smoking process can damage the heating elements of the stove.
About the advantages of the Smoke electric smokehouse
Smoked meat lovers experts suggest paying attention to equipment that even a novice will help to prepare real yummy without using special labor and time costs. This is the electric smokehouse “Smoke”, the use of which eliminates the need to light a fire, maintain it, etc. Everything is simple: pour sawdust, load products, cover and connect the device to a power outlet.
Cooking the fish will take about half an hour; lard and meat will be ready within an hour.
The device allows the simultaneous smoking of products having different levels of intensity, therefore, meat and fish will appear on the table almost simultaneously, which is very convenient when preparing a feast.
Specifications:
- power - 1000 W;
- dimensions - 465x360x200 mm (will allow not to allocate a lot of space for its storage in the kitchen);
- external anti-corrosion coating (will protect the unit from moisture and grease);
- production material - stainless steel;
- volume - 18 l;
- total weight - 4.5 kg.
According to experts and many users, “Smoke” is a very practical smokehouse. Its price (3000-5000 rubles) is fully paid off by the opportunity on holidays and on weekdays, without any effort, to please the home with delicious delicacies.
Products cooked in the smokehouse receive an unusual aroma of spicy spices and noble wood smoke. At the same time, they maintain naturalness and environmental friendliness. The presence of a water lock in the equipment simplifies its use at home, makes cooking your favorite delicacies comfortable and enjoyable.