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.
Fire safety
The grill is a source of fire, and to prevent this fire from causing trouble, you need to follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations:
- There must be at least 5 m from any buildings, trees, bushes to the brazier;
- There should be no hanging branches over the brazier;
- There should be no flammable objects on the site;
- Combustible materials must be removed 2 m from the fryer (this also applies to furniture);
- Smoke should not blow into buildings and recreational areas (this also applies to neighboring houses);
- Do not leave a lit grill unattended;
- Do not use “Ignition” liquids and their analogues for ignition;
- When preparing barbecue, place a container of water or a working fire extinguisher nearby;
- The site must be free of grass and made of non-combustible materials.
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.
Availability of additional options
Additional options do not particularly affect the final result, but they radically simplify the smoking process itself. This is very important when the device is used in the kitchen and not in another room where there is good ventilation.
Such models differ in the following factors:
Smokehouse Khankhi and reviews about it
- The smoke generator is integrated or removable.
- Presence of a water seal.
- Availability of a platform for convenient and safe placement on a household stove.
- Availability of a device for use in an apartment. It allows you to significantly minimize smoke and odors.
- Ability to select modes.
- Availability of digital thermometer and timer. Although recently almost all models have been equipped with them.
In automatic electric storage facilities, the minimum capacity is 40 kg, the maximum is 500 kg. Therefore, it is logical to use them in a professional environment.
The range of home devices, as a rule, is filled with versions from foreign manufacturers. Their prices are serious. Their main advantage is ease of use. There is a power supply here. Thanks to him:
- All smoking is carried out at stable temperatures,
- The smoke settles evenly, thus shortening the cooking period.
Household modifications save resources. 220 V is enough for them to work. For professional models you need 380 V
Home units may have a closed or open heating element. In the first case, the heating zone has a large surface. The device does not require a lot of fuel. In the second case, the heating zone is modest in size. Here you should use sawdust or small wood chips.
Industrial modifications have many functions. They smoke products using different methods. They are also used as smoking ovens. Stationary models are found in this category. These are impressively sized cameras. They can work without breaks for several days. At the same time, several operations are carried out simultaneously here.
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.
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.
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.
Constructions
Among other things, you need to decide whether your design will be mobile (portable, transportable in a car) or conditionally stationary (intended only for the site).
The design and durability of the barbecue with smokehouse depends on this choice.
Lightweight models are made as collapsible as possible. They have 2 mm iron on them.
On the contrary, constructions for the site are made more reliable (without quickly dismountable elements) and heavier. Which has a positive effect on service life. In addition, they are usually more spacious.
Based on the type of manufacturing, one can distinguish between welded and forged smokehouse grills.
Welded models are supported by a lower price and speed of production. But they turn out to be very utilitarian in appearance. A forged version can come out of the hands of a master with a very original look.
There are already ready-made versions of barbecues with a smokehouse on sale (almost all for hot smoking). We cannot guarantee that you will be 100% satisfied with these models. Making a barbecue with a smokehouse with your own hands is a way to bring your ideas to life.
Non-standard and decorative solutions will cost significantly more if ordered externally.
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.
What can you cook
The smoking function significantly expands the capabilities of the owner of a barbecue - a smoker made from gas cylinders. Kebabs, sausages, and steaks are fried when a family or a group of friends has gathered together.
And when the guests are full, you can slowly start smoking, which lasts much longer than cooking barbecue.
What can be smoked:
- meat, lard, poultry;
- sausages;
- fish and seafood;
- cheese;
- mushrooms;
- fruits, for example prunes, olives.
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.
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.
Place on site
Earlier we learned that the grill-smokehouse can be moved around the site. This is very convenient: now the sun is blinding here or an unpleasant wind is blowing, but in the evening the place will become pleasant and hospitable (and in some places it’s the other way around).
It is important to follow fire safety rules and not tease your neighbors.
If there is a gazebo nearby, the chimney should be higher than its roof so that smoke does not blow inside.
It is recommended to make the barbecue area level and lay it out with tiles or some other hard and non-flammable covering.
