We build a smokehouse for fish from improvised means, simple methods

Buying a smokehouse is a simple matter. But why part with money if you already have the materials for the smokehouse on hand? A homemade smokehouse, made with your own hands, is a real joy for the owner: it makes the meat 100 times tastier!

A smokehouse is also convenient. Imagine, you have a gardening project, and you need to devote a couple of hands to turning the kebab. With a smokehouse there is simply no need for this: you put the meat inside and after a certain time you take out the delicacy. Fragrant, tasty, and most importantly – natural.

Medical Bix

A medical sterilization container, bix, is a metal container that is used for sterilization and storage of instruments, gowns, dressings, and surgical linen. Bix has a cylindrical body that closes with a lid that is secured with a hook.

To make a fish smokehouse you need the following materials:

metal medical box with dimensions 39x19 cm;
stainless steel grill of different heights;
metal tray for collecting fat.

You need to assemble a smokehouse for fish like this:

Wash the bis and grates thoroughly and dry.
Adjust the dimensions of the gratings so that they fit tightly into the bix. To do this, their edges need to be trimmed.
Place the grid in the sterilizer - fish will be placed in it.
Place the tray below.

To smoke fish in such a smokehouse, you need to pour wood chips, previously soaked and slightly dried, into the bottom of the device. Place the fish on the grill. Close the smokehouse with a lid and place it on low heat - for example, on a gas stove burner or on a fire. The fish will be ready in 25-30 minutes.

Safety precautions when using a smokehouse in an apartment

The danger of smoke in the apartment forces owners of mini-smoking houses to resort to various tricks. The main one is the use of a large number of seals. But seals will not help remove flue gases. Many owners run the pipeline to the hood in the kitchen and calm down. However, the hood does not have a mechanical inflow, so the draft may overturn, that is, the smoke will simply flow back into the apartment.

In order to minimize the effects of smoke, the flue gas tube is passed through a water seal. Water cleans exhaust gases. To reduce the likelihood of the draft overturning, a check valve or mechanical fan is installed on the ventilation grille.

There is nothing difficult in making a smokehouse with your own hands, but the removal of flue gases poses a huge problem. It is the solution to this issue that will make using the smokehouse comfortable and safe.

Bucket

To make such a smokehouse you will need a metal bucket with a lid. You cannot use a galvanized steel bucket, as when burned, the material releases oxide, causing smoke to become hazardous to health.

To make gratings, you need a sheet of stainless steel or stainless wire. You will also need a stand on which to place the bucket over the fire.

The smoking device is made like this:

Gratings are made. If you use a stainless steel sheet, then you need to drill many holes in it over the entire area. If wire is used, then you need to weave 2 meshes with large cells from it. The circumference of the mesh should correspond to the inner diameter of the bucket.
The gratings are installed inside the bucket. The first is installed 10 cm below the top edge of the container, and the second - at the level of a third of the height of the bucket. There should be sufficient distance between the grates so that the food placed on them does not touch each other.
Select a container to collect fat.

To smoke fish in a device made from a bucket, you need to do this:

Wood chips are placed at the bottom of the smokehouse.
Place a container on top to collect fat.
Grates are installed and food is placed on them.
Close the bucket with a lid and put the structure on the fire.

Instead of wire gratings, you can install the following design: take 6-7 wooden sticks and make a lattice out of them, tying them together with wire. You can put fish on them.

Mini smokehouses on the market

You can find a variety of portable smokehouse options on sale. They all differ in characteristics and cost, so you should take your choice as seriously as possible. It is necessary to take into account the conditions under which smoking will take place and what products will be processed.

Smokehouse Bravo 10 liters

The Bravo smokehouse with a capacity of 10 liters is especially popular.
The structure is made of high-quality stainless steel, which will not be subject to deformation or corrosion over time. The Bravo mini-smokehouse has many advantages, the main ones of which include the following.

The lid has a dome shape, so all condensate will drain directly into the hydraulic lock.
Using a water seal into which ordinary water is poured, smoke will not penetrate outside and cause an unpleasant odor if the smoking process takes place indoors.
There is a bimetallic thermometer in the lid, with which you can control the smoking process without opening the structure.
The device has a quick-release handle, so removing grates with finished products is not only convenient, but also safe.

Smokehouse Khankhi 10 liters

Cooking smoked meats in the Khankhi mini smokehouse with a capacity of 10 liters is very convenient due to a huge number of advantages.

The water seal makes the structure completely sealed. Excess smoke will exit exclusively through a special hose.
A variety of stoves can be used as a heating source. The smokehouse is also convenient to use outdoors.
The design contains the most accurate measuring instruments, so you can cook smoked meats according to the recipe.
A removable pyramid handle with trays where wood chips are poured and food is placed makes the mini smokehouse practical and easy to use.
The kit includes an additional nozzle that allows you to smoke whole chicken carcasses at once.
It is possible to install additional grates in order to cook even more smoked meats at one time.

Smokehouse Merkel

Merkel portable smokehouses have a special device in their design that allows them to capture tar and ash, which can be contained in large quantities in the smoke produced.
All excess impurities will settle in the condensation chamber. In order for the smoke to cool faster to the desired temperature, the Merkel mini smokehouse has a special plate cooler. Thanks to the presence of several tiers, the cooling process is accelerated, and the smoke becomes cleaner, because harmful impurities will additionally settle on the plates.

It is not necessary to buy a factory-made mini smokehouse, because the structure can be assembled with your own hands from scrap materials. The resulting smoked products will be no worse than store-bought ones, and at the same time they will be more healthy, tasty and aromatic.

Saucepan, cauldron or duckpot

A good material for making a smokehouse is an old saucepan, duck pot or cauldron.

The structure consists of the following elements:

large thick-walled saucepan;
a rectangular metal stand - an old barbecue can serve as it;
2 bricks;
lattice;
metal dumpling maker with round holes.

Installing a smokehouse from a pan looks like this:

The grill is placed directly on the ground. Bricks are placed in it, which will serve as a support for the pan.
Install the pan.
Wood chips are poured into the bottom, a grate is placed on top, and a dumpling maker is placed on top of it.

The smokehouse is ready, after the fish is placed on the grill, the device must be tightly covered with a lid and put on fire. You can use a cauldron or a roasting pan in the same way.

Variation in land

This is a homemade HC unit. To assemble it, you need a small area in a suburban area. First a trench is dug. Its approximate depth is 40 cm. The width is suitable for laying a pipe that will become a chimney. The length of the trench being created is 120-130 cm. On both sides you need to dig recesses for the combustion chamber and smoking section.

Example:

The pit for the combustion compartment must be strengthened: the bottom is tamped, a slight sand layer is created here, and metal rods are laid. All these elements are filled with concrete.

The chimney pipe is being laid in the trench

To avoid soil subsidence and accidental damage to the pipe, it is covered with planks. Another option is to lay out a brick chamber

To create a combustion chamber you need fire-resistant brick. It needs to be laid out on the prepared bottom (example in the photo). The pipe enters the combustion compartment, and an adjoining element from the composition is formed. Here, complete sealing is ensured to prevent smoke from being eliminated.

The door option is cast iron. It is usually used for stoves. It needs to be built into the firebox.

In the second recess, the bottom is also filled with concrete. A small pedestal is formed here. Its material is fire-resistant brick.

The pipe should be buried with earth and compacted well.

Next, the head of the smoking compartment is assembled. This is where you need to smoke your products. Wood is used to assemble the head. The frame shape is rectangular. It is lined with wooden clapboard.

Example:

It turns out to be the shape of a house. Its parameters are determined by the parameters of the pit and the created pedestal. Door installation is the final stage. At the same time, a small pipe for smoke exit is installed.

An example of the created structure:

. After this, you can light the fuel (sawdust) and test the new smokehouse. Its assembly is not an extremely difficult job. And the result the device produces is amazing.

Pipe

The basis for such a smokehouse will be a metal pipe with a diameter of 30 cm and a length of 50 cm. In this case, the smokehouse can be made with both vertical and horizontal orientation.

Horizontal smokehouse

To make a horizontal smokehouse from a pipe you will need the following materials and tools:

Pipe with the above parameters. The material from which it is made must be thick enough - in this case, the smokehouse will last a long time.
Stainless steel sheet.
Metal corners. Their total length should be equal to four smokehouse lengths.
Metal grate.
A tray for collecting melted fat.
Bulgarian.
Cutting disc for working on metal.
Welding inverter.
Ruler.
Chalk for marking.

The length of the smokehouse should be calculated based on the parameters of the firebox on which the smokehouse will be installed. A barbecue or brick installation can serve as a firebox.

The smokehouse can be without a firebox, but in this case the legs need to be welded to the bottom of the chamber. The fire can be lit directly under the smokehouse body.

The smokehouse assembly looks like this:

First, 2 circles are cut out of a sheet of metal. Their diameter is equal to the cross-section of the body. One circle is welded tightly to the bottom of the pipe. The second circle will serve as a door, so it needs to be placed on a hinge and welded to the body. Weld a closing hook and a handle to the door.
Weld the corners inside the body; they should be located slightly below the center. The length of the corners on each side should be 3-4 cm shorter than the length of the product. The function of the corners is to guide the grille. If you plan to install a pallet, then you need to weld the corners for it as well.
Weld corners at the bottom to stabilize the structure. They should be welded 1 cm below the level of the most protruding area.
Weld the grate and tray together.

Wood chips are placed at the bottom of the smokehouse and the fish is laid out on the grill. The smokehouse is placed on the firebox and a fire is lit in it.

Vertical option

In a vertical orientation, this smokehouse can only be stationary.

For production you need:

pipe, height can be any, diameter from 40 cm;
handle for lid;
metal corners;
metal gratings;
metal tape with a width of 5 cm;
fittings;
metal chimney with a diameter of 10 cm;
sheet metal.

You need to assemble a smokehouse from a vertically oriented pipe like this:

Weld one edge of the pipe with a circle cut from a sheet of metal. The circle should be thick enough so that the bottom does not burn through.
Cut a circle whose diameter will exceed the diameter of the body by 2-5 mm. Weld a ribbon around the circumference - this circle will serve as a smokehouse lid.
Cut a hole on the lid for the chimney, the length of which will be 15-20 cm.
Weld a chimney into the hole.
Weld the handle to the lid.
Fasten metal gratings using reinforcement. It needs to be bent in the shape of the letter P and welded along the depth of the smokehouse to the grates on both sides. Cross-weld the other part of the reinforcement. The distance between the gratings should be 20 cm. Place the formed structure inside the housing.
Weld the legs to the bottom. Their height should be 20-30 cm.

The fire must be lit under the bottom of the hull.

DIY smokehouse: camping variety

As mentioned earlier, the best option is a smokehouse located in the soil. It has a very simple design and allows you to smoke food without harming it. Unlike reusable devices made of brick or metal, such a smokehouse absorbs all the carcinogens contained in the smoke. It is possible to organize such a smokehouse at home, but such a solution is not always advisable.

Helpful information! The walls of a chimney dug in the soil absorb not only harmful substances, but also excess moisture.

For lovers of homemade smoked meats, a mini smokehouse will be the ideal device.

Thus, this natural smokehouse is almost the best option for preparing delicious smoked dishes. But such a smokehouse has one big disadvantage: it is not suitable for reusable use. It is used by hunters, fishermen and tourists on hikes (hence the name).

How to make a camp smokehouse yourself? The process of setting it up is quite simple. First of all, you will need to find a suitable area of the area. This should be a small slope. A small area for the firebox is excavated at the bottom of the slope, and a groove of the required size is made at the top. Both holes are connected by a channel made in the soil.

A smokehouse is placed on top of such a groove. It may have a different structure, but, as a rule, it is a metal box that is convenient to transport from place to place.

Barrel

The simplest version of a barrel smokehouse, a hot smoking apparatus.

The manufacturing process looks like this:

Using a grinder, cut the top out of the barrel. It is important to check that no flammable materials are stored in the barrel. Do not cut off the lower part - wood chips will be placed there.
Weld the hooks inside the barrel - they will hold the mesh for storing products.
To obtain a larger volume of output, install several floors of grids.
At a distance of 20-30 cm from the bottom of the barrel, also weld hooks that will hold a metal sheet to collect draining fat.
Cut the lid to close the barrel.

The structure is placed on bricks and a fire is lit under it. Smoked in the usual way.

What is the difference between hot and cold smoking?

Among all the smoking methods, two stand out, which differ in the temperature of the smoke and the duration of its effect on the product.

Hot smoking – processing of meat or fish at a temperature of 45-60⁰С for an hour. The result is like a fried product, but with a smoky flavor. With the cold method, the temperature is almost 2 times lower (20-25⁰С), and the process itself takes up to several days. The meat after this treatment is tender and juicy, more natural in taste, imbued with smoke.

Fatty pork is cold smoked, but the beef turns out dry and tough. The hot method is also better suited for poultry. But the fish’s paths diverge: herring and mackerel like the hot smoking method, and noble sturgeon prefers languishing for several days in a “cold” smokehouse.

Obviously, few people will dare to dance around a “cold” smokehouse for several days, so let’s focus on the hot method.

Milk flask

Milk flasks (cans) are made of food-grade aluminum, so they are suitable for safely smoking products. The flask has a cylindrical shape, so you can make a smokehouse out of it in the same way as in other chambers with a similar shape.

Sawdust is placed at the bottom of the flask, and a container is placed on top to collect fat.

Instead of gratings, due to the narrowness of the flasks, a cross is used, on which the fish are not laid out, but hung. They fasten it in this way: drill 4 holes below the neck of the flask and insert steel rods or wooden sticks into them.

The can is placed on bricks, a fire is lit under it and the smoking process begins.

Choosing firewood for the smokehouse

To obtain a tasty, high-quality smoked product, you need to learn how to choose the right tree species that produce a special aromatic smoke. Raw wood is used to produce good smoke. If there are no raw materials, the logs are slightly moistened.

You will be interested in this article - Do-it-yourself barbecue made of brick and metal.

A homemade smokehouse of any design works great when burning almost all hardwood trees.

Important! If you intend to use birch logs, the bark is first removed from them. It is not advisable to use only birch logs; the finished product may have an unpleasant aftertaste.

It is best to add cherry leaves and juniper branches . Coniferous wood is never used for smoking due to the high content of resins in it.

Good access of oxygen and incomplete combustion of wood produce light smoke, which significantly improves the quality of the finished product.

Important! Do not fan the fire in the smokehouse. Chopped logs are placed in the firebox, and sawdust is covered on top. The wood smolders, but does not burn.

Your cold smoker works great if you can clearly see the smoke product through the concentration of smoke. When hot smoking, the product in the chamber should not be visible through the smoke.

If you want smoked meat to have a golden color, use mahogany . To obtain products colored dark yellow, you need alder and oak firewood . Firewood from deciduous .

Some effective tips

To operate the smokehouse, use old garden trees or branches after pruning. The most pleasant aroma is from the smoke from pear, cherry and apple tree shavings.
Large firewood is used only to produce coal. Place wood in the stove and set it on fire. Place a tray with chips on top.
To get good smoke, close the pipe valve after the coals appear. From this moment, sawdust begins to smolder and produce smoke.
High-quality smoking depends on many factors. Large pieces will have to be smoked longer. Smoking smaller pieces of meat and fish will take less time. The main requirement is a constant supply of smoke until the product is ready. Sawdust or shavings will have to be added to the tray to maintain the smoking temperature.
There must be moderation in everything. Too long a smoking process can also spoil the taste of the finished product. It is necessary to periodically check smoked meats for taste and readiness.
To shorten the smoking process, many experts recommend pre-boiling meat or lard in water with spices and salt.

From the article you learned about different types of smokehouses, the rules for cooling smoke, and the choice of firewood. We wish you good luck in building your own smokehouse and preparing new dishes for your family.

Old refrigerator

An old refrigerator can be an excellent material for making a smokehouse. Thanks to the dimensions of the refrigerator, you can get a large amount of smoked meats at the outlet. This unit can be used for indoor installation.

A smokehouse for hot smoking from an old refrigerator can be made as follows:

Remove all plastic lining from the inside of the refrigerator. Leave the magnetic seal between the door and the housing.
Wash and thoroughly dry the refrigerator racks and install them back. They should not be located too close to each other.
Attach a hook to the door to close it.
If there are holes in the case, they must be covered with tape to seal it.
Cut a hole in the top of the refrigerator body. It is intended for installing an exhaust fan, as well as securing a pipe that will remove smoke outside.
Install the fan into this hole. Connect the pipe and take it outside.
Place a drip tray on the bottom shelf to collect grease.
Place an electric oven on the bottom. For its cord to connect to an electric oven, you need to make a hole in the housing in advance.
Place a thick-walled container filled with wood chips on the stove as a smoke generator.

During the cooking process, you should not open the door: this will violate the conditions for cooking smoked fish.

How to make a brick smokehouse at home?

The unit, made of brick material, can be classified as a professional device. This design requires the organization of a foundation, which affects the speed of its production. It is stationary and cannot be moved from place to place, like more compact models.

The first thing you need to do before assembling a brick smokehouse is to draw up a sketch. It is worth immediately determining the type of future structure. For example, brick grills and smokehouses are very popular. It’s quite difficult to make them with your own hands, but it’s still possible.

Ready-made drawings of brick structures can be easily found on the Internet. The stationary device for preparing smoked meats has the longest service life, which is its main advantage.

A brick smokehouse is a stationary structure and cannot be moved from place to place

Note! It is important to note that ordinary brick is not suitable for assembling such a structure. In order to assemble a brick smokehouse with your own hands, you need to purchase a material that has fire-resistant properties.

Refractory brick is the most suitable material for installing stationary hot-type smoking structures. A very important point in this case is the selection of the location in which such a device will be located. In this case, fire safety rules should be followed. The distance from the smokehouse to any buildings (especially those made of flammable materials) must be at least 2 m.

Self-assembly of a stainless steel smokehouse

Externally, this unit is similar to a suitcase or box. In order to assemble a small steel structure, you need to familiarize yourself with the sketches of these devices. To assemble a smokehouse for an apartment or house of this type, it is not recommended to use sheets that are too thin (less than 1-1.5 mm).

A small smokehouse can be taken hunting, fishing or just out into nature. The compactness of the device makes it easy to transport it from place to place. It is recommended to weld corners inside the metal box on which the grill grate can be placed. When drawing up a smokehouse diagram yourself, you need to take into account all the small details and indicate them in the drawing.

One of the main advantages of stainless steel smokehouses is the low likelihood of carbon deposits appearing on their inner surface.

This unit is one of the most common and is used everywhere. In this case, hot smoking is most often used. However, there are similar models that process food at a lower temperature (semi-hot smoking). Such options are often suitable for use in the country. A semi-hot smoker is usually portable.

The main disadvantage of a smokehouse made of metal is the inability to determine the temperature inside the chamber. Because of this, the meat can become baked and acquire an unpleasant aftertaste. This negative point is explained by the fact that this design does not provide for a unified smoking technology. To ignite stainless steel units, wood chips from different tree species are used.

Gas cylinder

It is not difficult to make a smokehouse from a gas cylinder; for this you need:

Unscrew the valve from the gas cylinder, first making sure that there is no gas left in it. This can be done using a pipe or ring wrench. After the valve is removed, leave the cylinder to ventilate in fresh air for several days.
After removing the valve, you need to fill the cylinder with water: this will help displace the remaining gas. It is best to repeat this manipulation three times.
In the container, cut a hole for the chimney and two holes for connecting the cylinders. This can be done with a hole saw, but it is better to use a plasma cutter.
Cut the door along the cylinder.
Make a system for regulating the flow of air and smoke. To do this, weld a plate with triangular holes to the chimney. Attach another similar plate to the top of the smoke chamber.
Weld the smoke chamber with the stove.
Install the door. Weld a steel strip (35 mm) along its edges. Weld a handle to open the door.
Install gratings inside the cylinder, welding iron corners to secure them.
Install a tray at the bottom of the chamber to collect fat.

Place the cylinder, light a fire under it, and start smoking.

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.

Food foil

If the need for smoking occurs quite rarely, you can make disposable smokehouses from food foil. This material is non-toxic, goes well with any product, including fish, making it an ideal camp smoker.

Smoking fish this way is quite simple, you need to do:

Take food foil (roll) and 10 green leaves from any fruit tree or bush.
Cut off the head of the fish and remove the entrails. There is no need to clean: the scales will protect the fish from burning. Rinse and dry the fish for 20 minutes.
Cut a sheet of foil measuring 40x40 cm and place the leaves in the middle.
Pack the sheet with an envelope to form a pillow. Its joints must be carefully pressed.
Cut off all the corners on the foil pillow - these will be smoke vents.
Tuck the edges of the foil pillow, it should look like a boat.
Place the envelope on a large sheet of foil and place the fish on top. Fold the bottom edge of the foil to the left and right, cover the product, then wrap it with foil from the bottom and top.
Put on fire.

Smoking recipes: fish, chicken, lard, meat

To prepare low-fat products, it is better to use the hot smoking method with a smoke temperature of at least 43 °C. Meat and fish of fatty varieties are cold smoked, in which the smoke temperature does not exceed 25 °C.

During smoking, products become colored and acquire an unusual taste and aroma. The upper part dries and becomes shiny. The finished product must be cooled and left hanging for at least 5 days.

Smoked fish

For hot smoking, the fish is first cleaned, washed well and rubbed with plenty of salt. After a quarter of an hour, the workpiece is washed and placed on a wire rack in a hot smoked smokehouse.

Recipe No. 1. Buy fresh or frozen mackerel at the store. Carcasses must be intact, without damage. Thaw frozen fish and gut it. Rub the carcass with salt, sprinkle with spices and leave for 24 hours. Use alder shavings or wood chips for smoking.

First place small apple tree branches, currant and raspberry leaves on the grill of the smoking chamber. Place prepared fish carcasses on top. It only takes 20 minutes to cook mackerel.

Recipe No. 2. To get a high quality product from this recipe, you will need an electric smoker . Clean the mackerel and rub with salt both inside and on top. Place the dish with fish in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Place fruit or alder sawdust moistened with water on a tray in the electric smoker. The highlight of this recipe for cooking fish in a smokehouse is adding a small amount of black tea, a lump of sugar and juniper berries to the sawdust.

Blot the salted fish with a napkin and drip lemon juice into the cut belly. A piece of lemon placed inside will give the fish a piquant taste. Grease the carcass with vegetable oil. Place on a wire rack.

Cooking mackerel in an electric kettle begins without a tray with sawdust. 10 minutes after the start of cooking, place sawdust in the chamber. Cook the fish for another 20 minutes with smoke. Turn off the device and leave it closed to cool. After 30 minutes you can taste the amazing taste of fish.

Smoking mackerel in a smokehouse, video:

Now you know how to smoke fish in smokehouses of different designs.

Smoking chicken in a smokehouse

The most important point when preparing smoked chicken is marinating . Wash the carcass well and remove excess fat. Dry with napkins. Make small cuts in the skin and push the cut garlic cloves into them. Mix your favorite spices with salt and thoroughly rub the chicken inside and out with this mixture. Prepare foil, wrap the chicken in it and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.

Remove the chicken and let it come to room temperature for at least 2 hours. Prepare your home smokehouse for use. Free the carcass from the foil, tie the legs and wings together so that they do not stick out to the sides. Place the chicken in the smoker and begin cooking. When hot smoking, one hour is enough to cook chicken.

Recommendation! Check the chicken carcass for doneness by making test cuts. If the meat is ready, clear juice will be released without blood. Before use, remove the skin from the carcass - it has absorbed many substances harmful to the human body.

First, the fire in the smokehouse must be stronger in order to reach the desired smoking temperature and make the wood chips smolder. Then you just need to maintain the smoke formation process and the cooking temperature until the meat is cooked. Now you know how to smoke chicken in a homemade smokehouse.

Smoked lard

You already know how to build a smokehouse for cold and hot smoking. Now the time has come to get acquainted with recipes for making lard. The marinade will help add flavor and a special aroma to the lard. It is best to make a dry marinade. For 2 kg of lard you will need 250 g of coarse salt, a spoonful of ground black pepper, chopped dry bay leaf (1/2 pack), 5-6 cloves of garlic and fresh dill. You can take dry dill.

Cooking steps:

Cut the lard into strips . The width of the pieces should be no more than 6 cm.
Mix salt with dill, bay leaf and pepper.
the resulting mixture well onto the pieces of lard on all sides.
Place strips in a row, skin side down, and sprinkle seasonings on top. Place chopped garlic cloves between the pieces of lard.
Cover the lard on top and press tightly with a weight.
After 3 days, remove the salt from the lard and hang it on hooks to dry. The lard should not be exposed to sunlight.

This smoked lard recipe is the simplest. To prepare the product by hot smoking it will take only 20 minutes.

It takes longer to smoke lard in a smokehouse using the cold smoking method. Sometimes the smoking time reaches 36 hours.

Recipe for smoking homemade sausages:

Make homemade sausages using your favorite recipe. To prevent the sausages from leaking juice and losing their taste, they must be smoked immediately after filling. Smoking takes about 3 hours. All this time, you should maintain a small flame in the hearth and sufficient smoke production. It is best to use firewood from fruit trees.

Smoked meat

To prepare delicious pork, make a brine. Add 50 pcs to 11 liters of cold boiled water. black pepper, 0.5 liters of coarse salt and 15 pcs. bay leaf. The salt should completely dissolve.

Pieces of meat are placed in a cold marinade. In the cold season, the preparation for smoking is kept in brine for 5 days, and on hot days the meat is soaked for 3 days.

Important! Be sure to ensure that the pork pieces are completely covered with the brine. The dishes must be intact, without chips.

The meat, ready for smoking, is stuffed with garlic and tied with twine. The time has come to learn how to smoke meat in a smokehouse yourself. If you have a barrel smoker, hang the meat on hooks at the very top of the chamber and cover the barrel with burlap.

DIY wood lathe. - there is more useful information here.

Place a bucket of water next to the barrel to periodically wet the burlap. During the entire smoking period, swap the pieces several times.

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.

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.

How to choose wood chips for smoking

The best fruit trees in terms of smell and taste are apple, pear, cherry, and apricot. The grapevine gives a very pleasant aroma. Among forest trees, alder, beech, and oak have excellent smoke quality.

It is not recommended to use coniferous wood chips. It is too resinous and gives the product a bitter taste. In addition, burnt resin is unsafe for the body.

Certain recommendations are given for smoking various products. For example, apple and pear are considered ideal for pork, and pear and beech for lamb. But this is all individual, so make a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands and choose to your taste.

We study the features of the smoking process

The man began to smoke food out of necessity. It was noticed that after smoking they can be stored without spoiling for a longer time. This allowed ancient man to take some of his provisions with him in smoked form, rather than relying on luck while hunting or fishing during long trips.

We smoke products at home mainly to give them a different, unique taste. To do this, you can use hot or cold smoking. And the smokehouses themselves come in two types. Their design is almost no different. It is necessary to equip a fireplace, a chamber with hooks where the products will be hung and smoked, and a device for collecting fat that will be released during the smoking process. The smoking chamber must be located in a hermetically sealed housing.

What is the difference between hot and cold smoking? After all, both processes involve the presence of products located in a limited space in smoke from smoldering sawdust or shavings. The main difference is the distance separating the chamber in which the food is smoked from the hearth. For hot smoking, the smoke temperature should be high enough, for cold smoking – 35°C. A mandatory requirement is that smoking cannot be carried out over an open fire.

Smokehouse for gas stove

This homemade metal smoking apparatus can be used even in a city apartment, in the kitchen. However, it is intended only for hot smoking. Its design is even more complex than previous versions. You will need metalworking skills, a welding machine and plumbing tools.

To make such a smokehouse with your own hands, it is advisable to use stainless steel - after all, you will use it at home, and not in country or camping conditions. From a steel sheet we make a simple box the size of your gas stove. We weld the corners and provide carrying handles on the sides.

We make an internal grid from steel wire or welding electrodes. The design can be very different. In this photo, the grill holder and grease tray are a single structure. Putting it inside the drawer and taking it out is, of course, convenient, but it may not be convenient when you have to clean it all from grease.

Next you need to make a water seal. It is designed to seal the interior of the smokehouse so that air does not penetrate there and smoke does not escape. It is visible in the photographs. This is a simple groove along the entire top edge of the box, it is welded from a U-shaped profile so that a continuous groove is formed around the entire perimeter. Water is poured into it during smoking.

Finally, we make the lid. As can be seen in the figure, its edges should fit into the water seal. At the top of the lid we make handles and a pipe - a fitting to which you will attach a tube to remove excess smoke. Lead the end of this tube into the kitchen ventilation or just into the window.

How to use:

at the bottom of the smokehouse we pour a layer of sawdust or chips from deciduous trees, willow or alder,
put a grate with a tray on the wood chips,
place pre-prepared products on the grates,
close the lid, pour water into the water seal, attach the smoke tube to the fitting on the lid,
We put it all on the gas stove.

The design of a smokehouse for a gas stove is described in more detail here.

Stationary smokehouse for a summer cottage

This is no longer just a functional item for smoking something and treating friends. Such a smokehouse is essentially an architectural structure and an element of decoration for your dacha. A qualified stove-maker will be required, full-scale construction work will be required, with the development of drawings, preparation of the foundation, and so on. What can happen in the end, you can see in the photographs.

It is clear that the functionality of such a smokehouse is limited only by your imagination. The structure can be combined with a stove, which will be used for everyday cooking. A stationary grill may be provided. A fruit drying chamber can be equipped. And so on.

Here is a wonderful video of how a master makes a smokehouse for a gas stove:

Smoke generators

Smoke generators are often used as a source of smoke, which can be purchased ready-made or made by yourself. They are more compact and economical - sawdust for smoking requires 2-3 times less. The reason for the high performance of the smoke generator is the creation of forced air movement using a compressor or fan.

You can build a smoke generator yourself from scraps of metal pipes, a grate for an ash pan and a compressor. Thrust is created in the pipe due to holes in its lower part and a compressor at the outlet. The smoke from the smoldering wood chips moves upward, where it is regulated in the outlet socket using an ejector. The lid is removable for loading and cleaning.