Smokehouse with your own hands — instructions for beginners. How to make a smokehouse of cold and hot smoking?

Many of us dream of having our own smokehouse, but for various reasons postpone the implementation of this venture. The main reason is the price. A cold-smoked smokehouse will cost a considerable amount. It's cheaper for hot, but we still prefer cold smoked dishes to the bowl.

We are stopped by the complex technology of cooking such dishes. Nevertheless, the quality of everything that is prepared with your own hands, of course, can not be compared with anything. Therefore, we often dream of having our own smokehouse on a country plot.

From my experience, I can say with confidence that everyone can create this technically simple unit. On the Internet there are a wide variety of options for a homemade smokehouse for every taste and budget.

Summary of the article:

Those who have never encountered such a device should take into account that different technologies are used for cold and hot smoking. Accordingly, the smoking equipment will also be different.

For hot, you can use a small iron box with a lid of any shape. The tighter the lid, the faster the process will go. A grid with small holes is placed at the bottom of the box. Wooden chips made of alder, oak or aspen are placed under it. Almost any tree can be used here.

Pine and spruce are not recommended because of the high content of resin, which gives a strong resin flavor.

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There should be a sufficient distance between the grate and the bottom so that the grate does not touch the tree. We cover all this with a tight lid and put it on the fire. You can go outdoors, you can use a gas burner, or you can use ordinary coals for barbecue.

Nothing can burn here, since the chips are pre-soaked in plain water so that the process of smoldering, and not gorenje, goes on. In no case should the tree be allowed to burn.

Everything will take from twenty to forty minutes. On the Internet, you can then post a photo of a smokehouse made with your own hands and discuss recipes for your own cooking. All this, of course, is worth doing yourself.

And the answer to the question cold or hot is quite simple. Who likes what. For example, I have two smokehouses of my own design at my dacha, which have been satisfying my culinary fantasies for many years.

Features of cold smoking

For cold smoking, a more complex device is used, which can be made by yourself. First of all, the question arises — what to make a smokehouse out of.

The most optimal made of stainless metal. However, it should be borne in mind that such an aggregate consists of three main parts. The main part is the smokebox itself. Then the so-called smoke generator, which produces smoke for smoking.

The smoke enters the smokehouse, where the process of cold smoking takes place. The process can be called cold conditionally, since for high-quality preparation of the product, a plus temperature of about twenty degrees is needed.

If everything happens outside in the cold season, it is necessary to provide heating of the smokebox. An ordinary lighting lamp is suitable for this. The LED lamp will not work, it emits insufficient heat.

An important element for high—quality cooking is a drying cabinet. This device removes excess moisture from the product.

The drying process can be carried out outdoors. In this case, it will be necessary to fulfill all the necessary conditions for drying the product in the open air. It is possible to combine a drying and a smoking cabinet in one space.

The most stable option is an ordinary barrel, which is found in almost every household. The larger it is, the more productive the smoke generator should be. For home production, a smokehouse from a barrel of fifty to one hundred liters is quite suitable.

If there was no barrel in the household

In fact, any metal box from household utensils will do. For example, an old refrigerator. A smokehouse from the refrigerator is quite an acceptable option. Here you can combine a smoking chamber, a smoke generator and a dryer in one housing.

For those who like to build for the ages

It is quite possible to build a brick smokehouse with your own hands. Here the flight of imagination is unlimited and all the equipment can be combined in one space.

It is best to build in the same place where the barbecue is located or nearby. This is the most reliable and durable option.

From my own experience

I have my own step-by-step instructions on how to make a hot smoking smokehouse with my own hands. I made the main and most bulky part of the structure from glued wooden panels bought at a hardware store. The pine tree was quite suitable for this.

With the help of screws, I assembled a cube measuring 80 by 80 centimeters, one meter high — this is the size of the finished panels. On top there is a tight lid made of the same wood. From the inside, the entire space was covered with thick aluminum foil, since wood, especially pine, emits a lot of resin, which is not very good for food.

I drilled a hole in the lid with a diameter of 50 millimeters for the chimney. An ordinary plastic water pipe came up. A smoke generator was attached to the side.

We will focus on its construction separately

I followed the most optimal path and bought a ready-made device. It was easier because the kit included a small compressor that helps to pump smoke into the smokehouse. The compressor can not be used.

If the design is made correctly, then the smoke will come in sufficient quantities and without additional devices. But it's more reliable with a compressor. It is not difficult to make such a generator yourself.

How to assemble a smoke generator

Any metal pipe with a diameter of 80-100 millimeters will do. In its lower part we make several holes. Then, on a metal surface, an old frying pan is suitable for this, pour a little pre-soaked chips and ignite it.

When the tree catches fire, or rather begins to smolder, we cover it with a pipe. The openings should provide the necessary air supply to maintain the smoldering process. Ideally, the bottom of the pipe should be brewed and one large hole should be made to fill with wood chips and air inflow.

In the side of the pipe, you must first make a hole at the level of two-thirds from the bottom and insert a horizontal metal pipe there so that it connects the smokebox and the smoke generator.

Cover the upper part with a tight lid and make sure that smoke does not ooze out of loose joints. If everything is done correctly, then all the smoke will flow into the smokehouse and the process will take place efficiently and quickly enough.

How to install an additional compressor

An ordinary aquarium compressor with a plastic tube through which air passes under low pressure is suitable for this. This tube must be inserted into the transverse pipe that connects the generator and the smokebox. It is best to provide an additional fitting. All connections must be very tight. Now you can smoke.

Drying cabinet

It is best to use a special drying cabinet, which will rid our product of excessive moisture. It is also quite possible to make it yourself. I bought a plastic box with a tight lid with a volume of 20 liters. A small fan was inserted into the side of it. Any of those that are found in your household will do.

We put, or rather hang, the pre-salted product in the drying cabinet. Turn on the fan and wait 2-3 days until completely dry. Now it is not customary to do this outdoors, it is better in a drying cabinet of any design.

It should be borne in mind that the stronger the air flow, the faster the preparation for smoking will take place. It is also important what the ambient temperature is. In the summer, you can not put the dryer in the sun, but it is better to find a cool place somewhere in a shed or cellar. If everything is done correctly, the smoking process will take about 40-50 minutes.

You can smoke for a longer time, but here you can overdo it and then your dish will get a bitter taste. There are an infinite number of recipes, how and how much to smoke a particular product on the Internet.