How to make a smokehouse yourself - 100 best photo ideas

Shops, supermarkets and markets offer a huge selection of smoked fish, meat and poultry. But the attractive appearance of the products does not guarantee a feast of taste. Therefore, many lovers of real smoked delicacies, especially those who own a country house or live in a private house, sooner or later come to the conclusion about their own small smokehouse.

After all, if you take good aromatic firewood, the right piece of meat or your favorite fish, and achieve the right temperature, you can create a truly culinary masterpiece that will delight the owner, his family and guests.

Many people are put off by the price of buying a mini smokehouse, but if you love to cook and want to create something unusual, then you can make a smokehouse yourself with minimal material costs. To do this, you need a little free time, some available materials and relevant drawings.

Features and benefits of the smokehouse

Making a smokehouse with your own hands, right at home, is not difficult, and this process does not require special skills. Definitely it all depends on what kind of smokehouse you want to get as a result.

You can assemble an inexpensive smokehouse of the desired size yourself with minimal time, from almost everything that is lying around the house, has not been used for a long time, but it would be a pity to throw it away.

It is the simplicity of execution and low cost of construction that makes self-assembly of a smokehouse so attractive, especially for people who like to create something with their own hands.

Advantages and disadvantages

1. More space is needed for a separate grill and a separate smokehouse. Compactness is an absolute plus of a barbecue with a smokehouse.
2. In one device you can both fry and smoke (or you can combine it: fry and smoke to enhance the taste). This versatility is a plus of the combined design.
3. At the same time, functional models are simple in design and their manufacturing labor intensity is low. With basic skills in working with metal, it’s not difficult to do – a plus.
4. It's convenient to use one device rather than switching from one to another, or worse, having to get something out of the shed and prepare it.
5. With a few exceptions, the structures, if not mobile, are at least adapted to moving around the site. And even if at first this does not seem like a plus. But if you put your equipment away for storage during the off-season, you will agree that this is a necessary advantage.
6. Iron rusts, and heat further promotes corrosion. As a result, the metal grill can take on an untidy appearance. This disadvantage is compensated by timely processing and modern thermal paints.

Types and purpose of smokehouse

All types of smokehouses can be classified according to several criteria.

Depending on the manufacturing method and smoking temperature:

Smokehouse for cold smoking

A distinctive feature of such a smokehouse is a fairly long elongated chimney. It is the chimney that ensures 100% combustion of flue gases.

The cold smoked smokehouse model also includes a firebox and the smoking chamber itself. When smoking food in this way, all harmful and toxic substances from combustion products remain on the wall of the chimney, and the food gives off a light smoke, with an aroma from the type of wood that was used for smoking.

The disadvantage of cold smoking is the long cooking process - it can take from 3 to 7 days. However, products prepared in a cold smoked smokehouse can be stored for up to 4 months, which is a definite plus.

Smokehouse for hot smoking

Such a smokehouse has its own engineering features, since hot smoking technology involves the use of special types of wood chips, rather than firewood. Therefore, the combustion chamber is located under the smoking chamber.

The smoking chamber must be airtight so that the products placed in it can be heated evenly.

But the time spent on smoking is comparable to baking in the oven. And the finished product can be obtained in 30-60 minutes. Here everything will depend on the type and weight of the product, since fish requires less cooking time than poultry. However, the shelf life of hot smoked products is only a few days.

Universal smokehouse

In addition to special smokehouses for hot and cold smoking, universal smokehouses can also be distinguished. Such smokehouses are an average option between the two described, and allow you to cook food in two ways.

Thus, when choosing a smokehouse, you should pay attention to the pros and cons of each type: for example, smokehouses for cold smoking are bulky, but the products cooked in them are stored longer and have a brighter taste; while hot smokers are miniature and cooking food takes little time.

Any type of smokehouse is suitable for cooking sausages, various types of meat, poultry, lard, bacon and fish. The taste of the product will differ depending on the chosen smoking method.

By type of mobility, smokehouses can be divided into:

• stationary smokehouses, which are installed in one place and can be used for a fairly large volume of products;
• portable mini-smokehouses, which are a small box that closes tightly with a lid. These smokehouses are designed for hiking and outdoor recreation.

What are the features of the smoking process?

Nowadays, excess food can be canned or frozen for a long time. But in earlier times, in the absence of freezers and other devices, the only way to preserve fish and meat was smoking. This technology made it possible to prepare food for future use.

Using smoking technology, you can prepare products for future use Source tortini-msk.ru

Today, smoking is used as a way to add a richer flavor to foods. The technology makes it possible to prepare for future use not only fish, meat, cheese, but also fruits. Smoking is a technology for processing products using smoke. There are two types of cooking technology - cold and hot. Hot smoking occurs at temperatures of 50° and above. The limit for cold smoking is at the border of 40-50°, but usually the temperature does not exceed 35°.

A brick smokehouse can be used for several decades Source barbeku-kamin-i-pech.ru

During cold smoking, moisture loss occurs, and products processed using this technology can be stored for a year.

The smoking period varies significantly when using different methods. Hot processing time can be from 6 to 10 hours. When using cold smoking technology, the processing time for products can last from 5 days to several weeks. Cooking time depends on the products to be processed.

For cold smoking, special preparation of the smoke is used, and its cooling to the required temperature. For this reason, if you decide how to make a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands, then you should study all the requirements for this device and carefully fulfill them. This design should have two chambers - for cooling the smoke, and for smoking products.

The fire should not be very intense, otherwise the food will become saturated with toxic substances Source bestpechi.ru

The smoke is transported through a pipe 8 to 12 meters long. A smoke generator or fan is used to control the temperature and provide draft.

What can you build a smokehouse from?

To make a smokehouse, you can use many things that are lying around in the garage, on the balcony and in the barn. This could be an old oven, a refrigerator, or even an ordinary barrel.

Of course, the best option is a stationary universal smokehouse, which can be made of brick. In this option, you can set the required dimensions and properly organize the flow of smoke into the smoking chamber. The heating of such a smokehouse is ensured by a stove-stove, which is connected to a pipe. Such a smokehouse can be an excellent and unusual design solution for decorating a local area, veranda or guest gazebo.

For simpler or temporary smokehouse designs, a metal box or wooden barrel with a volume of up to 100 liters is quite suitable.

Portable smokehouses can be built from any household items: pans, buckets, fire extinguishers. An old refrigerator or gas stove may also be good options.

The main thing is to choose an item that can accommodate a couple of meat grates and provide space for sawdust or firewood under these grates.

When making a smokehouse from metal objects, it is important to use stainless elements, since they do not oxidize under the influence of high temperatures and moisture, are not destroyed by smoke and are easy to clean.

“Stainless steel” becomes brittle after prolonged use, so elements made from it will have to be replaced from time to time.

Fire safety

Since the grill operates from fire, precautions should be taken.

In order for the smokehouse and barbecue to be not only functional, but also safe, it is necessary:

1. Choose the right place. The installation is located away from dry grass, preferably in an open area, so that smoke and sparks do not fly towards buildings.
2. Follow the operating instructions. Carry containers of water or fire extinguishers with you in case of fire. Do not use lighter mixtures. Do not leave the device running unattended.

Simple precautions will help prevent accidents, fires and burns.

How to Prepare Smokehouse Drawings

You don't need to be an engineer to assemble a smokehouse yourself. To understand the assembly mechanism, you just need to decide on the material for manufacturing, the type of smokehouse and select the appropriate drawing.

However, even the finished drawing will have to be slightly adjusted to the size of your smoking chamber.

If we are talking about a stationary brick smokehouse, then you will have to work on the drawings yourself, or turn to professionals to develop an individual project.

Do-it-yourself two-level barbecue smokehouse

This is a cylindrical smokehouse, similar to a potbelly stove. A special feature of this installation is the presence of two fireboxes located one above the other, a removable barbecue grill and a hinged lid.

Cooking methods depend on what kind of firebox the firewood is in:

• Grill. Firewood in the top firebox, the lid is open.
• B-B-Q. The firewood is at the top, the lid is closed.
• Hot smoking. Firewood, or better yet, smoldering coals below, the lid closed.

You can make such an installation yourself from a piece of Ø600mm pipe with a length of 1000mm.

How to make a smokehouse with your own hands:

1. Starting from the bottom edge, a door for the blower is cut out in the front wall, 10 cm high and 30 cm wide.
2. A 30x50cm lower firebox door is cut out 5cm from the bottom door.
3. A 30x50cm door for the upper firebox is cut out 10cm from the top edge.
4. A circle Ø600mm is cut out of sheet metal 3mm thick and attached to the lower edge of the smokehouse body.
5. 4 legs are welded from below from pieces of pipe Ø50mm and 50mm long.
6. From a sheet of metal 5mm thick, 2 circles are cut out for grates Ø570mm.
7. A large number of holes Ø10-20mm are drilled in the circles.
8. The first grate is fixed between the blower and the lower firebox.
9. A second grille is attached under the top door.
10. The previously cut pieces of the front wall are attached to the hinges.
11. Pieces of 2x40mm strip are welded along the edges of the doors and hooks or latches are attached to secure them in the open position.
12. At a distance of 5cm from the top edge, attach 4 M16 nuts to the side walls, onto which the grill grate is placed.
13. A grill grate Ø570mm is made from stainless steel tubes or rods.
14. For the lid, cut a piece of the same pipe 100mm long.
15. Cut a circle Ø600mm from metal 2mm thick and attach it to a piece of pipe.
16. Place the lid on its hinges and attach the handle to it.

The device is assembled using electric welding or bolted connections. To adjust the draft, a damper is installed in the lid. Step-by-step instructions for its manufacture consist of the following points:

1. 3 holes Ø20mm are drilled in the center, arranged in a triangle.
2. A circle Ø80mm is cut from sheet steel 2mm thick.
3. Holes are drilled in the circle similar to the holes in the lid.
4. A Ø5mm hole is drilled between the holes in the center of the triangle.
5. A handle is attached to the edge of the damper.
6. The damper and cover are connected with an M5 bolt.

To increase the density and reduce the smoke temperature during smoking, wet sawdust and hardwood chips are placed on the coals.

Drawing of a two-level grill with a smokehouse

What does the smokehouse consist of?

Any smokehouse, regardless of what it is made of, has the required elements:

• the smoking chamber is the basis of the smokehouse, which must close tightly and be practically airtight so that the smoke remains in the chamber and it can warm up to the required temperatures;
• lattice. This is the part on which the products are laid out and which is placed in the smoking chamber. You can install one grill or several, it all depends on the number of products. It is possible to use a ready-made grill from an old oven, a barbecue grill, or make it yourself, for example, from thin fittings or thick wire. Hooks can also perform the function of a lattice - you can hang meat or fish on them;
• tray for sawdust and shavings;

• ash collection box;

• a tray for collecting juices and fat that drain from products during the smoking process;

• smoke generator. In hot smoking chambers, this function is performed by sawdust, which smolders at the bottom of the chamber, which provides thick smoke inside. But in cold smoking chambers, a more complex system should be installed in the form of an electrical element for heating, a temperature sensor, and a thermostat. This is due to the fact that to prepare cold smoked products, the smoke temperature should not be higher than 35 degrees C;

• fan/compressor. A useful, but not necessary element for a smokehouse. With its help in hot smokehouses, you can increase the circulation of smoke, which will raise the smoking temperature and, accordingly, speed up the cooking process;
• lid with water seal. To ensure better sealing of the chamber, you can create a recess around its perimeter and fill it with water. Due to this, smoke will not leave the chamber;
• heating source. Depending on the size of the chamber, the heating source can be a stationary or temporary grill, an electric stove or a gas burner.

How does the cold smoking process work?

Cold smoking technology is used to prepare fatty foods. First, the meat or fish is sprinkled with salt and left for 5 days. Then the raw materials are removed from excess salt. To do this, you need to fill it with cold water and let it sit for several hours.

The soaked pieces of meat and fish are dried with a towel and hung indoors to dry a little. During this period, it is worth carefully monitoring insects that may lay larvae.

For cold smoking, 20% firewood and 80% sawdust are used. Firewood is laid out in the center of the hearth, and wood chips and sawdust are poured on top. Do not spread sawdust in an even layer on the bottom, otherwise they will quickly burn. The mixture should smolder slowly and produce a lot of smoke.

As a result of the cold smoking process, the finished products retain their elastic texture and acquire a pleasant aroma Source countrel.ru

Smokehouse Assembly Instructions

Understanding the process of smoking products, it is absolutely not difficult to assemble a smokehouse yourself, come up with its diagram and even develop instructions. Since there are a huge number of items from which you can make a smokehouse with your own hands, there are ready-made instructions for transforming them into home smokehouses.

The simplest design of a smokehouse made of polyethylene film

The smokehouse made of polyethylene film is intended for cold smoking.

To create it you will need:

• about 2 meters of thick polyethylene film, the kind that is used for greenhouses or covering plants;
• two-meter wooden stakes;
• wooden or wire rods;
• for work you need a hammer, an awl or a gypsy needle, thick threads, fishing line or thin wire;
• and the main thing is to allocate a space of about 1 square meter for installing the structure.

The stakes, which serve as the frame of the smokehouse, are driven into the ground, and for stability they are fixed together with crossbars made of rods or wire. Additionally, the structure should be secured diagonally in several rows.

The products that will be smoked are hung on the partition rods at a distance from each other so that they do not touch.

The polyethylene film must be sewn according to the principle of a bag, which is pulled over the frame with hung products. In this case, the bag should not touch the ground, since there should be space between it and the ground.

This space is left for pouring hot coals. A layer of grass is laid on top of the coals, the smoldering of which will create smoke for smoking. Afterwards, the bag is pulled to the ground. To ensure better tightness, the edges of the bag should be secured around the perimeter with stones or any heavy objects at hand.

If the choice of products for smoking is fish, chicken or sausages, then cooking will take about 3 hours. If you plan to smoke denser types of meat, then the smoking procedure must be repeated.

Bucket smokehouse

For such a smokehouse, any old, unnecessary bucket with a lid and a couple of stainless steel grates of different sizes will do.

The bottom of the bucket is filled with sawdust or shavings. Then, a smaller grid is fixed at a height of 10 cm from the bottom, and a second one is placed above it (you can get by with one grid if there is not a lot of food).

The products are placed on the grates, and the smokehouse is placed on the fire, covered with a lid, so that the smoke remains inside the smokehouse bucket.

Smokehouse from a barrel

The homemade barrel smoker is the most popular. It can be made from either wooden or metal barrels. The structure of a barrel smokehouse is similar to a bucket smokehouse. However, the size of the barrel allows you to also use hooks for smoking.

As the basis of a smokehouse, a barrel is also convenient because it allows you to make different types of smokehouses from it:

• a smokehouse made from a barrel for hot smoking, assumes that the heat source will be located under the barrel itself;
• a barrel smokehouse for cold smoking will consist of a free-standing barrel and a 2-meter chimney that will connect it to a heat source;

• universal, multifunctional barrel smoker. For this option, you will need two identical barrels with a volume of about 200 liters. The barrels are fastened together in the shape of the letter “T”, and if they are made of metal, then the best option would be to weld them into a single whole. The upper barrel serves as a smoking chamber, into which a grate, hooks and a tray for collecting fat are installed. A firebox is installed in the lower barrel, in which you need to place a tray for sawdust. And the source of heat is the fire under the barrel. On the convenient side of the lower barrel, it is necessary to cut an opening to install the door and valve, to control the fire and regulate the flame. This design can be used not only for smoking, but also as an oven for baking, heating food, barbecuing and even grilling.

Smokehouse from an old refrigerator

A very good option for a home smokehouse is an old refrigerator. This non-working device should not be thrown away or sold for scrap. It is enough to clean it of the electrical filling and the refrigerator chamber can easily be transformed into a chamber for a smokehouse.

To do this, inside the refrigerator, using corners, grates and hooks for smoking, a tray for collecting fat, and at the very bottom a tray for sawdust are installed. A small hole is made in the ceiling of the refrigerator to install a chimney. And since the chamber of an old refrigerator is used, it is worth paying attention to how tightly the door is closed to ensure the tightness of the smoking.

Metal smokehouse

A more convenient and practical smokehouse model can be made from metal. However, this will require certain skills and a specific set of tools: namely a welding machine and a grinder with a metal disc.

The simplest and most functional form of such a smokehouse is a square or rectangle, that is, it is necessary to create a box into which all the elements of the smokehouse are built.

Metal - stainless steel (the best option for operation, but difficult to weld) or cold-rolled steel (a material that is very light and flexible in work, but is susceptible to oxidation and is short-lived).

The dimensions of the smokehouse depend solely on personal wishes.

Having decided on the shape, size and material, the metal sheets are cut with a grinder according to the selected parameters. Using a carpenter's angle, the sheets are welded together at an angle of 90 degrees to form a box. The joints of the structure must be welded both from the outside and from the inside, for better tightness of the smokehouse.

After creating the body, the bottom of the smokehouse is cut out and welded to it, also with double-sided seams.

To make the lid, cut a sheet to the size of the smokehouse box and 4 narrow strips for the sides of the lid. All elements are welded together using double-sided seams.

To make it easier to carry the smokehouse, handles can be welded on the sides.

The inside of the smokehouse is equipped with fasteners for installing grates, hooks and a tray for collecting fat.

This smokehouse can be heated either over an open fire or on an electric stove.

Smokehouse from a gas cylinder or fire extinguisher

An unnecessary gas cylinder can also be used as a home smokehouse. However, in addition to certain skills in working with an angle grinder and a welding machine, you will also have to take into account safety rules.

Before starting work on the manufacture of a smokehouse, you will have to carry out preparatory work and “neutralize” the gas cylinder. To do this, you need to open the valve and give time for the remaining gas from the cylinder to completely come out. After this, the valve is sawed off. Everything that remains in the cylinder is poured into a separate container, the cylinder is thoroughly washed and dried.

A door is cut out of part of the same cylinder (for loading products inside), which is placed on hinges and again attached to the cylinder.

To equip the firebox, the bottom of the cylinder is sawed off, and a firebox is welded from separate sheets of metal, which is welded to the cylinder.

At the end of the work, to ensure the safety of food preparation, the structure must be well calcined.

Next, you can install gratings, hooks and trays inside the cylinder chamber.

Smokehouse made of brick and stone

In this part we will talk about a universal stationary smokehouse for hot and cold smoking, which also serves as a barbecue, grill, barbecue, Russian oven and oven.

A brick smokehouse is not only an ideal device for cooking, but also a very colorful decorative element for a personal plot.

The design of such a smokehouse is quite complex, so to build it you should contact designers or look for ready-made options on the Internet. In both cases, when creating such a structure, you should strictly adhere to the construction plan, drawings and instructions, since failure to comply with them will lead to the complete unsuitability of the smokehouse, and accordingly, loss of time and finances.

First of all, a decision is made on the location of the smokehouse: whether it will be a separate structure, part of a veranda or gazebo.

The basis of any capital structure is its foundation, a brick smokehouse is no exception, and if you start laying on open ground, then under the weight of stones and bricks the ground will sag, which will lead to the destruction of the structure. Therefore, the foundation should be strengthened with reinforced concrete or reinforcing mesh, and some time should be given for the foundation to gain strength.

On top of the foundation, brick or stone masonry of the wall of the lower belt is made, taking into account a tunnel chimney with a length of plus or minus 2 linear meters. In order for the smokehouse to be universal (cold and hot smoking), the chimney pipe should be insulated with any mineral insulating material.

Before laying the wall of the second belt, the first one is filled with a thin concrete screed and reinforced. A ready-made concrete slab is also suitable for separating wall belts.

The design of a brick smokehouse involves the presence of two chambers: one of which is the smoking chamber itself, and the second is a stove, which can be used independently for preparing various dishes and is a heat source for the smokehouse. The furnace chamber should be built exclusively from refractory bricks.

Closer to the chimney, a chamber for the smokehouse is laid out. There is no open fire or too high temperatures, so any type of brick will do and no interior finishing is required. To ensure tightness, a tightly closing door must be installed on this chamber. For a brick stationary smokehouse, most often they make not a metal door, but a wooden door from fruit trees (apricot, cherry, apple tree). Such a door will give a rich aroma to the products when smoked.

A chimney pipe is installed on the smoking chamber. With its help, you can regulate the smoke draft for the intensity of sawdust smoldering and, accordingly, select the type of smoking:

• for hot smoking, sawdust combustion increases and smoke draft decreases;
• for cold smoking, the fire decreases and the draft increases, due to which the smoke is cooled to a temperature of 35 degrees.

The brick smokehouse chamber is also equipped with grates, hooks and trays. Another advantage of this smokehouse is that it can be used as a storage chamber for kitchen and yard supplies.

Making a barbecue from metal

If you need to quickly and with minimal financial costs assemble an outdoor smokehouse, a barbecue oven with a metal smoking chamber is the best option. In terms of the number of functions, this option is not inferior to a brick one, but the design will be less reliable and aesthetically pleasing.

The advantages of a metal grill-smokehouse include the following features:

• ease of making with your own hands;
• small size compared to a brick oven;
• low weight, due to which there is no need to build a foundation;
• low cost and availability of materials for manufacturing;
• mobility;
• ease of use.

If you lack experience working with metal, the result may not be a particularly beautiful stove, but it will be guaranteed to perform its tasks. Unlike a brick barbecue, a steel smokehouse can always be modified by adding new parts to it. If the modules are fastened not by welding, but with the help of fasteners, the structure can be disassembled and taken out into the wild - instead of a permanent stove, you will get a convenient and mobile multifunctional barbecue.

Preparing for work

One of the main advantages of a metal barbecue is that it can be made from almost any material with sufficient strength. Sheet metal with a thickness of 2 mm or more is suitable; size affects the weight of the structure and its durability - thin steel will burn out faster. Any type of steel can be used, but stainless steel is the best option.

If it is not possible to purchase sheet steel, you can use available materials: barrels, boilers, boilers, etc. A good option is old gas cylinders that have optimal dimensions for a barbecue. Before starting to work with them, the containers should be cleared of gas residues. This is done like this:

1. Completely release the volatile gas by opening the tap.
2. Unscrew the tap, fill the bottle with water to the brim, and drain. Repeat several times.
3. To remove the smell of odorants, rinse the inside of the container with a solution of potassium permanganate or organic solvents (gasoline, hydrogen peroxide, etc.).

The cylinder should be cleaned outside, away from residential buildings - for fire safety purposes and to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant odor, which takes a long time to dissipate.

Before work, you should draw up a drawing of the barbecue. It is recommended to include three modules in the design: a roasting pan, a smoking chamber and a removable chimney section in which the smoke will cool for cold smoking.

In addition to materials, you need to prepare tools: a metal saw, a grinder with a diamond abrasive wheel, a drill, a welding machine, a screwdriver, fasteners, and measuring instruments.

Description of assembly steps

Since the design of a steel stove can be almost any, each specific case will have its own characteristics of assembling a barbecue. The general procedure for manufacturing a sheet metal product is as follows:

1. In accordance with the drawing, the walls of the brazier and smoking chamber are cut out of steel. The sizes can be any; You should be guided by the planned volumes of cooking. It should be taken into account that the skewers are placed on the grill in increments of 8-10 cm for better roasting of the meat. In order for the smoke to enter the smokehouse, you need to make a removable sealed lid for the roaster.
2. Air holes are drilled in the long walls and bottom of the grill.
3. The parts are welded or fastened together using corners.
4. The smokehouse is attached either close to the side of the brazier (for hot smoking), or at a distance of 3-4 m (for cold smoking).
5. The legs are welded to the stove, fastenings for the fat tray, hooks for hanging food in the smokehouse and other parts are installed.

If cylinders or barrels are used instead of steel, the process of making a barbecue is similar - the only difference is that there is already a ready-made body, you just need to cut out part of the wall of the container, connect the smokehouse with the brazier and install the fittings.

When the stove is ready, all that remains is to paint its outer surfaces to protect it from moisture and place the structure away from flammable materials. For convenience, it is worth installing it next to the gazebo. A brick barbecue can be designed in advance so as to combine the recreation area into a single whole.

Smokehouse chimney

The chimney is the most important part of the smokehouse, the arrangement of which deserves special attention.

When making a stationary smokehouse, the chimney can be laid in the ground. This design will be especially relevant for a cold smoked smokehouse, since with this arrangement of the chimney the smoke cools faster; hazardous combustion products settle in the ground and are processed by bacteria; and condensation is absorbed into the ground.

To equip a smokehouse with such a chimney, you need to find a place with a slight hillock. Depending on the landscape of the site, it can be natural, or it can be created artificially, specifically for the smokehouse chimney. The slope is necessary for good smoke draft.

On the hill itself, a shallow trench is dug along the length and width of the chimney, into which a pipe is installed or ordinary sheets of metal are simply placed on top. To ensure good thermal insulation, the chimney is covered with a dense layer of earth.

The heat source of the smokehouse - the firebox - is placed at the bottom of the slope, and the smoking chamber itself is at its top, and they are connected to each other by a chimney.

The best material for a chimney is metal. However, such a chimney requires constant maintenance, since soot settles on its walls, which needs to be removed.

It is not advisable to make a chimney made of porous materials, such as brick, without additional finishing. Such a chimney will absorb moisture and smoke along with dangerous carcinogens, which in the future will negatively affect the quality and taste of smoked products.

Organization of the hot smoking process

Very often, site owners wonder how to make a hot smoked smokehouse with their own hands. The design is practically no different from the previous one, with the exception of a shorter chimney. A container with sawdust is placed above an open fire or electric oven. They should not burn, but smolder slowly. Smoke penetrates into the smoking chamber where the products are located. A tray must be placed at the bottom of the barrel or other container to collect fat. There must be holes in the roof of the structure through which smoke can escape.

Design options for hot smoking Source 1000000diy.ru

To solve the problem of how to make a hot smoked smokehouse, you can use a regular barrel, inside of which the firebox will be located.

Firebox inside the smokehouse Source stroy-podskazka.ru

Where is the best place to place a smokehouse?

This article examined options for stationary and mobile home smokehouses. However, choosing a place to install any smokehouse is extremely important, since the smoking process takes time and is associated with the release of a large volume of smoke. Therefore, using the smokehouse indoors is not possible.

Harmful substances from combustion products can also harm vegetation and outdoor pets.

Thus, when choosing a place for a smokehouse, it is worth considering many factors and choosing it taking into account the safety of people and nature, as well as the characteristics of a personal plot or recreation area.

As for the storage of portable (mobile) smokehouses, after use they can be hidden in a garden house, garage or basement; and finished smoked products are stored for a long time in any cold and dry place.

Tips for use

No special skills are required for commissioning. To start using it, you need to load fuel, ensure combustion or smoldering and place food. After waiting a certain time, you can start tasting. Simple storage and maintenance tips will help extend the life of your smokehouse with a metal grill:

1. If the unit is not in use, it must be protected from the weather. For stationary smokehouses with barbecues, roofs and canopies are built. Mobile units just need to be rolled under a canopy or into a garage.
2. Clean after each use. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the accumulated grease, as well as simply wipe the surface (if necessary with detergents) to maintain an attractive appearance.

A smokehouse with a barbecue, made by yourself from metal, is a practical and reliable installation that will help you create exquisite delicacies on your own. Assembly will require a minimum of effort, time and a correctly made drawing, and the effect of operation will be ideal if you follow the assembly rules and step-by-step instructions.

Compact options for the stove

Usually these mini-devices are designed to work using the hot method. After all, leaving the stove on for a very long time is neither safe nor economical. And these versions heat up from any stove (gas or electric). The chimney is a hood. They usually have a water seal. And the smoke hose goes out the window or into the ventilation.

The case has a strong seal. Its material is stainless steel. The density of the walls is determined by the type of model and its dimensions. The set includes grates, a lid and drip trays.

If you still need a cold method, then use the version with a smoke generator. It is usually removable and must be purchased separately.

Its main components are an ejector, a combustion compartment and a pump for air pressure. For powerful devices, it is better to take a generator with an upper ejector. For little ones - with the bottom one.

Smoke generator design:

The water seal is a guarantee of safety when the unit operates in a confined space. The shutter intercepts odors and smoke and does not let them into the living room. Smoke is eliminated through a fitting located in the lid. A smoke exhaust pipe is attached to it. Its end is discharged into the hood, ventilation or window.

Smokehouse project:

Building a brick structure

To work you will need to purchase:

• heat-resistant brick;
• materials for mortar;
• gratings;
• fittings;
• corners;
• wires;
• boards and clay.

A solid foundation is first provided for the structure. Brick laying starts from the corners. The walls of the structure are reinforced with wire and reinforcement, and the evenness is checked along the way. The lower part of the building is reserved for the firebox, which is half the size of the smoking chamber. The height of the duct corresponds to a quarter of the structure. For tightness, the joints are closed with a collar. The lid is made of wooden boards and burlap.

Design from one 50 l cylinder

The simplest scheme for a smokehouse grill from a cylinder is one 50 liter container equipped with a pipe. The minimum amount of work, time, costs for materials, and relative compactness have made this design the most popular for those who do not need a lot of smoked meats.

But pampering your guests with a barbecue, and the next day with aromatic chicken or smoky fish that you yourself cooked overnight - yes!

Features of a single barbecue smokehouse made from a gas cylinder with your own hands:

• the pipe must be longer than in the first two options,
• a damper is needed at the end opposite the pipe.

Question about thermometer

A smokehouse thermometer is an optional and very useful accessory. Temperature parameters inside the unit are of great importance. They affect the duration of smoking and the final quality of the product. True smoking masters can calculate these parameters by touch. But only a few people can achieve this method. And therefore it is wise to use a thermometer. It will help you determine accurate indicators so as not to make mistakes and spoil the quality of the product. Usually a pin thermometer is used. It determines the level of food readiness instantly.

It is mounted in a device that is equipped with electric heating or a smoke generator. More precisely: it is located in the smoking compartment. It controls the inclusion of the heating element and its power. With CC, it changes the position of the damper in the fuel combustion compartment in the smoke generator.

This appliance cannot be installed in a wood burning model. After all, it is designed for compact modifications. After all, there is no open flame in them. And it helps them maintain stable smoldering of fuel cells.

Various thermostats can be adapted for the smoking apparatus. They can be borrowed from a heated floor system, incubator, or boiler. The key point here is the organization of feedback with the executive technology of the smoking unit.

How does automatic AHK work?

This issue is analyzed using the example of the household version. Before work, the heating area is evenly covered with fuel. If the heating element is closed in the model, twigs, cones and other similar materials are used. If the heating element is open, there are only small raw materials. If there is a special bunker, then fuel is stored in it.

If you want to properly make food with golden yellow tones, then use fruit, beech, maple and linden wood as fuel. When dark yellows and browns are needed, work with oak and alder.

If you need to add a spicy aroma to the dish, add particles of grapevine, juniper or almond to the fuel. Rosemary will also work.

The prepared products are laid out inside the apparatus on a wire rack. Another placement option is on skewers. The device starts up. This is enough if it does not have a monitor and control buttons. If they are, set the type of smoking, its duration and temperature.

When the device starts working, the heating element heats up and the fuel smolders. Smoke is generated. He ends up in a container with products. The ash goes to the settling tank. When the process is completed, the device is disconnected from the network. Dishes are confiscated.

The subtleties of the process here are as follows:

• The temperature is set to about 28 degrees. The process goes a little faster, at least 4 hours, maximum – a few days.
• Products need to be marinated in brine, soaked, dried with towels, and dried a little until the moisture completely disappears. And only after these procedures are they placed in the smokehouse.

Industrial thermal smoke chamber

Thermal smoke chamber is a durable housing with a sealed door, inside of which there is a working space, heaters, a smoke generator and a cooling device. This professional equipment is closer in capabilities to industrial equipment - you can load hundreds (up to 1000) kilograms of products into it and, using a semi-automatic mode, produce large batches of smoking with minimal weight loss. The thermal smoke chamber is usually equipped with removable grilles, sides and even guides for ordering containers. Microprocessor control allows you to set the parameters of temperature, humidity, and duration of the technological cycle. Such devices can also be used for drying other products, vegetables, berries, and plant materials.

To improve the quality of products, smoke filters are installed in professional smokehouses, thermal smoke chambers and smokehouse ovens to remove impurities that can spoil the taste of the finished dish.