We make a homemade cold and hot smoked smokehouse with our own hands

One has only to look at the image of smoked delicacies, and the desire to eat it all immediately appears, which is quite natural for a person. Has your appetite also increased? What to do now? The first reaction is to go to the supermarket and buy everything your heart desires (and your wallet allows). But, alas, store-bought products are only called smoked because they are processed with liquid smoke. Opinions differ about the benefits of such nutrition, but if you have a small plot of land, you can set up your own production. In this article we will tell you how a cold smoked smokehouse can be made with your own hands from various materials.

Features of a home smokehouse

It’s not difficult to create a smokehouse with your own hands, although a lot depends on its type and dimensions. The simplest mobile mini smokehouses can be built literally in a matter of minutes and prepare a variety of dishes, unique in aroma and taste, which cannot be obtained even in megamarkets.

Smoking is a type of heat treatment; after prolonged fumigation, products acquire characteristic taste qualities.

The smoking method of processing has many advantages :

• smoke effectively destroys pathogenic microflora, making dishes not only healthy, but also safe for health;
• smoked meats retain important microelements to a greater extent, which are destroyed under the influence of too high temperatures;
• The shelf life of smoked products is much longer, because the smoke “preserves” them.

Did you know that the type of firewood used affects the taste of the finished smoked dish? After all, each type of wood burns differently and has an individual flavor. For example:

Alder. Ideal for the production of plant products and any meat.

Willow. It is better to take it for specific meat dishes (venison, wild boar, elk, bear meat). It is also suitable for smoking fish caught in swampy areas.

Oak. Suitable for cooking red meat, beef or pork.

Cherry. It is advisable to use this wood for smoking berries, nuts and vegetables.

When talking about how to create a smokehouse with your own hands, it is necessary to explain the methods of smoking. Namely, about different temperature conditions during cooking. They depend on the distance to the source of fire of the products. The most original and aromatic smoked products are obtained by cold smoking (it is carried out at +25⁰С - +45⁰С). The cold smoking procedure is lengthy and can take several days.

For the cold smoking method, products are prepared and processed in advance. And if stored for too long, the finished dishes may dry out a little, but without losing their declared qualities.

If you need to cook smoked meats very quickly, the ideal method would be hot smoking at a temperature of +50⁰С-+100⁰С. The readiness of the products is noted after 3-4 hours. But they must be consumed quickly, otherwise they may spoil during long-term storage.

Mini smokehouse

For those who are wondering how to make a small smokehouse, a bucket or metal box is suitable.

A bucket smoker can be placed above an electric stove Source o-remonte.com

The sawdust is located at the bottom of the bucket. A grate is installed above them. At the top there are hooks or a grate for food. The bucket is covered with a lid with holes for smoke to escape. The container is set on low heat. After smoldering begins, food is placed in the bucket and the lid is closed. In a mini smokehouse, the smoking process lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.

Small volumes of the smoking chamber allow you to get the finished product very quickly Source stroy-podskazka.ru

Also, a bucket or box can be placed on the grill with burnt coals after frying the kebab.

Ready-made design for smoking products Source stroy-podskazka.ru

Varieties

The most common are 2 options for smokehouses with their own design features:

1. Vertical (shaft). The easiest to manufacture, taking up little space. The smokehouse looks like a kind of cone; products are located on its top. The disadvantages include inconvenient adjustment of the smoke volume.

2. Horizontal (tunnel) . More difficult to produce, requiring a suitable site, preferably on a slope.

Manufacturing process

A pipe is laid and buried in the ditch.
Following step-by-step instructions, any master is able to build a high-quality, beautiful and durable smokehouse.

The collapsible structure is erected in the following sequence:

1. The terrain is being marked.
2. A ditch is made for the chimney. The pipe is laid and buried in it.
3. A pit is dug for the base slab. The bottom of the ditch is compacted, and a cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured onto it.
4. Slabs, bricks are installed or concrete is poured.
5. The firebox is installed and the chimney pipe is led into it.

All that remains is to make a camera, place it on a pedestal and connect the pipes.

Smokehouse with a smoke generator in the ground

A smoke generator is a metal vessel with holes for air. The product is filled with small chips, branches and sawdust. This solution allows you to achieve fuel savings with acceptable device performance.

The structure is being erected in the following order:

1. Digging a trench at least 300 cm long. Laying bricks at the bottom to form a channel.
2. Filling the ditch with steel or concrete slabs. Backfilling on top of the ground.
3. An excerpt from the far edge of the pit, installing a smoke generator in it.
4. Construction of a house starting from laying the foundation and ending with laying the roof.

In all cases, the final stage is decorating the structures.

Components of the structure

For hot smoking

The design is in the form of a container with a tight-fitting lid. It is made from almost any metal barrel tanks.

The hot smoked smokehouse consists of:

Fireboxes. It is placed under the camera and plays the role of a heating element;

Sealed compartment (smokehouse). This element ensures good heating of products and maintaining the desired temperature;

Water seal. It is recommended to install it, since the shutter helps reduce the level of carcinogenic components in smoke and regulates air flow;

Lattices. For displaying products;

Removable tray. collector of melted fat released during cooking.

For cold smoking

These modifications are constructed according to the basic law - the smoke must cool down before reaching the products. These models have any standard sizes and consist of the following parts:

Firebox

It can be made from galvanized sheets or ordinary bricks (when installing a firebox, it is additionally equipped with an ash pan and a door to regulate the smoke flow;

Smokehouse compartment

Considering the low temperature of cold cooking, it can also be built from wood;

Chimney

Combining the chamber and the firebox, metal will be a suitable raw material for its manufacture, but it is advisable not to use brick with its porous texture.

What can be used as a smoking chamber?

The design for smoking with cold smoke must contain a spacious chamber. It will be used to hang food items on metal hooks. To do this, you can use a wooden barrel or an old refrigerator.

The smokehouse barrel is pre-cleaned with detergent compounds. The volume of such a container must be at least 50 liters. Most often, products with a volume exceeding 200 liters are used to create a chamber.

The barrel can be placed in a vertical or horizontal position. In each case, it is necessary to construct a supporting structure. This will keep the smokehouse stationary.

An old refrigerator can be transformed into a smoking chamber. Unlike a barrel, such a container is sealed. Metal rods can be fixed inside the structure for further fastening of food products.

Best instructions

To make a home smokehouse with your own hands, you do not need specialized knowledge or even experience in craftsmanship. To create such devices, familiar materials and standard tools that every owner has are suitable.

Made from polyethylene film

The simplest option for cold smoking can be created from classic polyethylene (better take the film used to cover greenhouses). The action plan is:

1. We are looking for a flat area. We require an area of ​​about 1 sq.m.
2. We fence the area with long stakes (1.5-2 m high).
3. We connect the pegs with transverse beams for stability.
4. We fasten the opposite stakes with additional horizontal crossbars in 2 or 3 rows.
5. We hang food on stakes so that they do not touch.
6. We stretch polyethylene over the entire structure, leaving a small distance to the ground.

The smokehouse is ready for use. All that remains is to scatter the burning coals in the center and cover them with grass. Then the film is stretched close to the ground and securely crimped. The products will be ready after 2.5-3 hours.

When working with such a device, the finished products must be ventilated after smoking. And it is better to re-process pieces that are too large.

Made of wood

Also intended for cold cooking. It is located on a convenient piece of land with a slight slope. The construction of such a smokehouse is carried out according to the following instructions:

1. We dig a shaft in the ground for the chimney 0.3-0.4 m wide and 5.5-6 m in size.
2. We lay a pipe with a cross-section of 0.2-0.3 m in the shaft and run it from the fireplace to the smoking apparatus.
3. We lay a brick firebox (or a welded one made of metal sheets). The shape is like a cube, the sides of which will be about 3.5-4 m.
4. We connect the firebox to the pipe.
5. We install a valve on it (on the opposite side of the firebox) to create and regulate draft.
6. We make a dense chamber (without holes) from the boards, where the cooking will take place.
7. Inside the compartment-chamber we install a valve, grates/hooks for food and a tray.

From a 200 liter barrel

Creating a smokehouse with your own hands for cooking using the hot method from a barrel is the easiest. The manufacturing principle is as follows:

1. We remove the bottom of the barrel and install it in the chosen place.

2. We will equip the interior. Devices for displaying animal and poultry carcasses are attached.

3. You can also mount a pair of gratings in the barrel, one of them will be placed at a distance of 25-30 cm from the soil surface, and the other slightly higher.

4. The base of the barrel is strewn with wood shavings or sawdust.

The structure is ready. The hearth is located in the center of the base of the barrel. All that remains is to lay out or hang the food, spread out the burning coals and close the container with a lid.

Expert opinion

Valery Garmash

Chef of the Grill House restaurant, griller

There is a more complex, but improved version of this smokehouse. We will need two barrels, each with a volume of 150-200 liters. They are welded together in a "T" shape. The lower one serves as a container where you plan to place the firebox, and the upper one becomes the smoking compartment - the grates/hooks should be firmly fixed in it.

Made of brick

This is the most difficult to create, but also the most aesthetic modification of a smokehouse for hot smoking, which you can make with your own hands. To create this option, follow the instructions:

1. We prepare the foundation. Its depth should be about 0.4 m; we use pieces of reinforcement, reinforced wire, metal rods, etc.

2. We make a chimney at a distance of 2-2.5 m from the smoking compartment.

3. We lay a pipe along the trench (pull it to the fireplace).

4. We set up a sealed combustion chamber. You can use metal (take a ready-made box or weld it yourself) or brick.

5. We connect the firebox to the pipe.

6. After the foundation hardens, brick walls are laid. As you work, do not forget to build metal rods into them.
7. We equip the finished structure with a tight lid.

Our smokehouse is ready. All that remains is to add burning coals and test it in action.

Made of metal with water seal

Take a two-piece sheet (2 mm thick) and mark it: 350 mm for height, 400 mm for length and 300 mm for width. If after measurements the workpiece turns out to be larger than the required dimensions, it needs to be cut.

To bend a sheet, you need to mark and make slits about half a millimeter deep.

Substituting the profile, bend the edges up with your hands.

The first preparation is completed. Now we need the side walls. First, they should be adjusted in size to the resulting base, then placed on tacks from the sides and middle.

You need to make more pot holders so that the smokehouse does not “spread” when the cooking process begins, but you shouldn’t do too many either: 3-4 per side.

The box is assembled. The next step is to boil the seam under water so that the smoke does not escape.

Beat off the scale and grind the seams.

Make a water seal. To do this, use the 25th corner at 45 degrees.

When it's ready, put it on hold. Measure 5 mm from the outside edge of the smokehouse body.

The corner must be lowered to this distance, because the condensate that collects from the lid will go directly into the water seal, but it should not get inside. The result of the work should be a gap, a protrusion.

Then, after each “tack” (three are enough - top and bottom), check that the angle is at 90 degrees.

All 4 finished (boiled and ground under water) corners look like this:

Next we make the pallet.

First, a blank is made: for flanging, cuts are made half a millimeter deep, and the corners are removed.

Then the edges are inserted one by one into a vice (if there is none, then in any other convenient place) and bent.

Small irregularities can be dealt with with a hammer. You can place a corner to make it easier to see where problem areas arise.

Boil and sharpen the corners.

Weld racks of reinforcement 70 mm high with a distance of 30 mm from the edges on which the grille will rest. It is not advisable to use wire - ordinary knitting wire will “lead” depending on the temperature.

At the bottom there will be legs made from a 40x40 square profile pipe. Inside, they are boiled on 4 sides by about a centimeter, otherwise they may deteriorate in the future due to high temperature.

Place the tray inside the smokehouse.

Make sure there is a 1 cm gap on each side, this will make it easier for the smoke to escape.

Make a grating using a semi-automatic welding machine. To begin with, it is better to completely make blanks: for the frame, stands, handles, jumpers - all of the same size.

Apply at 90° and cook.

Place jumpers using a 20x20 profile every 2 cm.

The result should be rods.

Weld the posts at a distance of 2 cm from the edges. The grid for the first level looks like this:

On the second there are 7 cm high handles made of reinforcement, so that it is convenient to take.

Check that both grates fit easily into the smokehouse. The distance between them is 7 centimeters, large fish fit perfectly.

All that remains is to make the lid. Prepare a sheet 520x440 mm. In the middle there is a 0.5-1 mm slot. From the center - 180 mm, make a groove and leave a flange of 40 mm.

Brew the sides. Attach the sides.

The lid should look like a house. The height to the top edge is 12 cm, the height to the side edge is 4 cm. Thanks to this structure, condensate accumulating on the lid will flow to the edges.

The height of the handle is 4 cm, the length is 10 cm. It is not necessary to use fittings here.

From the lid to the water seal there will be a distance of 1-1.5 cm.

The finished smokehouse looks like this:

Universal smoking cabinet

Before choosing a smoker, you need to determine the necessary features. But there are “wide-profile” devices

They can process products in different modes, so it is equipped with an external smoke generator with a cooler, a built-in heating element at the bottom and an exhaust regulator at the top.

Different elements operate in different modes:

• Cold smoking. Smoke generator with cooler and exhaust fan.
• Hot smoking. Internal heating element on which a container with sawdust is installed.
• Drying. During normal drying, only the exhaust fan works, and during accelerated drying, a heating element is added to them.

Advice! For better performance, it is advisable to equip all electrical appliances with a power regulator and insulate the housing.

Components of a universal smoking cabinet

Chimney design features

When building smokehouses with your own hands, an extremely important step is making the chimney. Let us remind you that it is better not to use brick for its arrangement - its porous walls will actively absorb substances released during combustion and, over time, the products will absorb unpleasant odors.

The best material for a chimney is metal.

But remember that a metal chimney will have to be regularly cleaned to remove soot and soot. There is also the option of arranging a chimney directly in the ground - the soil cools the smoke well naturally (which is especially important for cold smoking) and actively absorbs condensate, and the microorganisms contained in the soil clean the smoke from carcinogens.

An earth chimney is made like this:

1. A suitable site with a slope is found (you can do it yourself by adding a layer of earth).
2. The combustion chamber of the smoking apparatus is located directly under the slope.
3. A ditch is dug on an earthen slope - it will become the future earthen chimney.
4. The ditch is covered on top with metal plates. An additional layer of earth is placed on top of them to ensure good thermal insulation. The earthen chimney is brought to the chamber of the smoking unit.

Choosing a ready-made smokehouse

Sometimes there is no time or desire to make a smoking structure. When choosing a ready-made factory-made smokehouse, you should consider the following points:

• the metal must have a thickness of at least 4 mm and be coated with an anti-corrosion compound;
• sometimes the materials for smoking structures may contain toxic impurities;
• when choosing a smokehouse, you should pay attention to the volume of the chamber;
• There are models that simultaneously support cold and hot smoking;
• if the model is equipped with a draft regulator, it will help control the temperature inside the chamber;
• each smokehouse must be equipped with temperature sensors;
• there should be several shelves inside the chamber;
• the buyer must require a quality certificate and a manufacturer's warranty for the product.

A smokehouse manufactured at a factory can be small and compact Source i.pinimg.com
You should not place food in the smokehouse for the first time. The chamber should be saturated with smoke odors, and subsequent use will bring good results.

Recommendations and drawings with dimensions

When planning to build a smokehouse with your own hands, you need to wisely choose a place for it in your local area. Such rules are relevant for dimensional modifications that cannot be moved to another area or, if necessary, removed to the basement. When choosing a site, remember that:

• during operation, the smokehouse emits a lot of smoke, and it should not penetrate into living spaces;
• the components in the smoke harm not only people, but also vegetation.

Expert opinion

Valery Garmash

Chef of the Grill House restaurant, griller

The best place to install a smokehouse is a leeward area. It will not allow smoke to enter the garden or the house itself (yours or a neighbor's).

Finished smoked meats can be stored in the basement or cellar. It is important to keep the area cool and dry. And before you start “testing” procedures, test your home smokehouse (without using products).

This is necessary so that the smoking chamber is saturated with the natural smell of smoldering coals. The products will turn out much tastier and more aromatic.

Advantages of a DIY smokehouse

Every owner of a summer house or private home has thought at least once in his life about the question of how to make a smokehouse with his own hands. Manufacturers offer a large selection of ready-made designs with additional functions. Such smokehouses are not cheap, while you can make a smokehouse from a barrel or other available materials without additional capital investment.

A barrel is an ideal container for setting up a smokehouse on the territory of a summer cottage. Source cdn.instructables.com

It doesn't take much time to make the structure. Making a smokehouse can take anywhere from an hour to a day.

All homemade devices are easy to use and do not require much effort to prepare food.

If you use high-quality materials and follow the instructions, the smokehouse will serve its owners for a long time.

All designs are very simple, they can be made from the simplest materials.

Before starting work, you should carefully study the instructions on how to make a smokehouse and follow all safety rules during installation and operation of the structure.

Smoking cabinet Source u8.filesonload.ru

Drawings and models for self-assembly

Drawing of a large grill-smoker-smoker in PDF and SLDPRT format

Drawing of a smokehouse with a lid-house and a water seal in DXF and CDR format

Drawing of an octagonal smoker-smoker in STP, IPT formats

Drawing of a simple smokehouse with a water seal in PDF format

Drawing of smokehouse No. 1 with a water seal in DXF, PDF, KOMPAS formats

All drawings and models of smokehouses