Homemade food always tastes especially good. The dishes that the owners prepare at the dacha are especially pleasing to the family. Sometimes you want to eat some smoked fish or meat.
And although doctors do not recommend abusing this food, sometimes we can indulge in it. To prepare dishes, make a structure such as a smokehouse for your home.
It is installed in the local area or suburban area. Smokehouses can be cold or hot smoked. We will tell you how to make the last option. Before you start work, read articles on this topic, make drawings, find materials and tools.
What are the features of the smoking process?
Nowadays, excess food can be canned or frozen for a long time. But in earlier times, in the absence of freezers and other devices, the only way to preserve fish and meat was smoking. This technology made it possible to prepare food for future use.
Using smoking technology, you can prepare products for future use Source tortini-msk.ru
Today, smoking is used as a way to add a richer flavor to foods. The technology makes it possible to prepare for future use not only fish, meat, cheese, but also fruits. Smoking is a technology for processing products using smoke. There are two types of cooking technology - cold and hot. Hot smoking occurs at temperatures of 50° and above. The limit for cold smoking is at the border of 40-50°, but usually the temperature does not exceed 35°.
A brick smokehouse can be used for several decades Source barbeku-kamin-i-pech.ru
During cold smoking, moisture loss occurs, and products processed using this technology can be stored for a year.
The smoking period varies significantly when using different methods. Hot processing time can be from 6 to 10 hours. When using cold smoking technology, the processing time for products can last from 5 days to several weeks. Cooking time depends on the products to be processed.
For cold smoking, special preparation of the smoke is used, and its cooling to the required temperature. For this reason, if you decide how to make a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands, then you should study all the requirements for this device and carefully fulfill them. This design should have two chambers - for cooling the smoke, and for smoking products.
The fire should not be very intense, otherwise the food will become saturated with toxic substances Source bestpechi.ru
The smoke is transported through a pipe 8 to 12 meters long. A smoke generator or fan is used to control the temperature and provide draft.
Advantages of smoking technology
And there are several of them:
- Products that have been subjected to the smoking process retain more useful microelements and other substances that are destroyed at high temperatures.
- Exposure to smoke kills harmful bacteria and other organisms that pose a health hazard.
- Smoke acts as a preservative on food, and as a result, its shelf life increases significantly.
When arranging a smokehouse, it is important to follow fire safety rules Source samogon82.ru
With water seal
Structurally, they are made like everyone else, but only along the upper perimeter of the body a gutter is made from the same material. When smoking, it is filled with water, but not completely, and is located under the lid itself.
When water boils, due to the formation of steam, odors and smoke are cut off; as the liquid evaporates, it must be added. Based on the principle of operation, you can determine the appearance and drawings of smokehouses.How to choose the right firewood for each product
Each type of wood has its own combustion characteristics and imparts its own flavor to products. The choice of sawdust and firewood depends on the product to be prepared. Do not use only firewood or wood chips. For proper combustion and the formation of smoke in sufficient quantities, it is necessary to take sawdust and firewood in equal quantities:
- Alder is ideal for meat, fruits and vegetables.
- Oak sawdust is suitable for red meats such as pork or beef.
- If you need to cook game or fish that lived in the swamp, you should use willow for smoking.
- Cherries or wood from other fruit trees are used to smoke berries, nuts or vegetables.
An open fire is not suitable for smoking Source build.4-u.info
Sea buckthorn, maple and juniper wood is also suitable for a smokehouse.
If you use birch, alder and bird cherry wood, you must first get rid of the bark, otherwise the finished product may taste bitter. Aspen or conifers cannot be used for smoking.
During the smoking process, you should carefully select firewood, otherwise the taste of the product can easily be spoiled Source www.dzivei.lv
It is very important to solve the problem of how to make a cold smoked smokehouse safe. To do this, it is necessary to take into account the following point.
During the smoking process, the wood must not ignite or char, otherwise the finished product will contain harmful carcinogens. To avoid this situation, it is necessary to close the chamber lid tightly to block the access of oxygen to the fire.
You can prepare sawdust for smoking yourself or buy it Source i1.ytimg.com
Adviсe
Additional recommendations:
- To light the smokehouse, shavings of branches left over from pruning trees or old firewood are suitable. The pleasant smell comes from the smoke from pear, cherry and apple trees.
- Large logs are needed only to obtain coals. Place the wood in the stove and light the fire. Then install the tray with shavings.
- To create thick smoke, close the valve on the pipe when coals appear. At this time, the chips will begin to smolder and smoke will appear.
- For good smoking, follow simple rules. Large pieces take longer to smoke, small pieces less. The main thing is that the smoke flows constantly while the bird or fish is cooking. Add wood chips to the tray and the temperature will remain approximately the same.
- Keep it in moderation. Long fumigation will spoil the taste of smoked dishes. Check from time to time to see if the food is ready.
- To speed up smoking, boil the lard in salted water.
Smoked meats will diversify your daily and holiday menu. Prepare delicacies yourself and surprise your guests with delicious dishes. Your friends will appreciate the piquant aroma and pleasant taste of homemade bacon or river fish.
Create a cozy atmosphere in your garden. The smoker will serve you for a long time and will work properly if you clean and wash it regularly. Experts advise making such cameras from durable materials.
Types of smoking structures
The vertical or shaft structure has the shape of a hut, where the hearth is located below and food is hung at the top. In such a smokehouse it is impossible to use the fumigation method and regulate the formation of smoke.
A tunnel smokehouse requires a suitable location for the hearth and chimney. Despite the installation time, this design can be used even in wet weather. The tunnel smokehouse is suitable for hot and cold smoking.
Cold smoking technology is best used in cool weather; the smoke will cool down better. In hot weather, a temperature sensor should be installed in the smoking chamber Source swoidom.com
The chamber smokehouse is large in size, and when installing it, you should ensure an inclination at an angle of 10° to 30°.
Common components for cold and hot smoked smokehouses:
- Firebox. It burns wood chips and sawdust of special species.
- Cover for smoke generator. This component can be installed on the front or side wall, or on top.
- Chimney pipe. The length of the chimney duct allows the air to cool to the required temperature.
For cold smoking, a long chimney should be installed Source krrot.net
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in grills and barbecues
- Smoking chamber. This is where the smoking process takes place.
- A metal grate with small cells of about 3 mm is installed at the entrance to the smokehouse, and does not allow soot to penetrate into the smoking chamber.
- Crossbars . They act as hangers on which you can hang hooks with food.
- Lid . It is necessary to install a chimney in it.
- Pallet . It collects fat and other liquid.
To accumulate fat at the bottom of the smoking chamber, install a tray Source img.youtube.com
Types of wooden smokehouses and their features
There are two main types of wood smokehouses.
One is suitable for hot smoking, and the other is for cold smoking. Sometimes combined structures are used on the farm. They all differ from each other in manufacturing technology and temperature conditions that must be maintained in the smoking chambers. Depending on the chosen processing option, the taste result of the finished products will also be completely different.
Typically, a wooden smokehouse is designed in the form of a hut or a compact house with a pointed gable roof. The unit is available with flat and pitched roofs. In any case, each type of smokehouse consists of three basic elements:
- smoking chamber;
- combustion device (smoke generator);
- chimney.
A wooden smokehouse is made from hardwood, among which the greatest preference is given to:
- alder,
- linden,
- oak,
- birch,
- cedar.
To create the structure, you will need bars for the frame, plywood or edged boards for lining the chamber.
Expert opinion
Valery Garmash
Chef of the Grill House restaurant, griller
Wood blanks are pre-treated with a special antiseptic. However, it should be borne in mind that the manufacture and installation of a certain type of smokehouse will require an individual approach. This is due to various operating principles and design features.
Arrangement of the smokehouse
Cold smoking technology involves saturating products with smoke as a result of fumigation. Before entering the smoking chamber, the smoke is cleared of carbon monoxide. Before organizing cold processing of meat or other products, you should carefully study the instructions on how to make a cold smoked smokehouse.
Drawings of structures for smoking Source stroylegko.com
Preparing the site
The smoking process involves the use of fire. First of all, you should choose a place where, in the event of an emergency, the fire will not harm people or buildings. There should also be a place near the smokehouse to place food.
It is also worth considering the length of the chimney (3 m), width (30-50 cm), and height (25-27 cm). There should be good traction between the fireplace and the chamber. Sometimes it can be affected by differences in the temperature of the smoke and the environment. In order to increase draft, smoke exhausters are used.
It is best to install a tunnel smokehouse on a slope Source pbs.twimg.com
Smokehouse from a barrel
There is a simple way to solve the question of how to make a smokehouse from a barrel. It involves using a trench as a chimney. The beginning of the trench is located as deep as possible in the ground. This will give you the opportunity to get good traction. The walls of the trench are reinforced with sheets of iron, slate, or lined with bricks. The top or ceiling of the chimney is sprinkled with soil. At the end of the chimney there is a barrel. At the bottom there should be a sheet of metal with holes made through which smoke should penetrate. This sheet is designed to store fat. It should be smaller than the barrel itself so that smoke can freely penetrate into the smoking chamber. In the barrel itself it is necessary to place a grate on which meat or fish should be hung. The top of the container is covered with burlap, a wooden lid or a sheet of metal. You can also use a pipe instead of a trench.
Before use, the smoking barrel must be thoroughly cleaned Source ad-cd.net
If the question arises of how to make a smokehouse with your own hands at home for long-term use, then you should give preference to a brick building. This structure can be used for its intended purpose for several years.
Place for the hearth Source i.ytimg.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in gazebos and grill houses
The design of a brick smokehouse is no different from a regular one, and consists of a place for a fire, a chimney and the smokehouse itself. The fire chamber and chimney pipe inside are lined with refractory bricks, and the upper part of the structure can be made of wood. The smoking chamber is equipped with grates for fastening products and a door. Clay is used to strengthen the chimney. A ceiling should be installed in the chimney, which will make it possible to control the draft.
Also, to solve the problem of how to make a smokehouse at home, you can use the body of a refrigerator that has failed. You can use a potbelly stove as a place for a fire. Sometimes smokehouses use an electric stove. Sawdust is placed on it and kept on until smoke comes out. This method requires special attention.
Any available materials are suitable for arranging a smokehouse Source 270076.ru
How does the cold smoking process work?
Cold smoking technology is used to prepare fatty foods. First, the meat or fish is sprinkled with salt and left for 5 days. Then the raw materials are removed from excess salt. To do this, you need to fill it with cold water and let it sit for several hours.
The soaked pieces of meat and fish are dried with a towel and hung indoors to dry a little. During this period, it is worth carefully monitoring insects that may lay larvae.
For cold smoking, 20% firewood and 80% sawdust are used. Firewood is laid out in the center of the hearth, and wood chips and sawdust are poured on top. Do not spread sawdust in an even layer on the bottom, otherwise they will quickly burn. The mixture should smolder slowly and produce a lot of smoke.
As a result of the cold smoking process, the finished products retain their elastic texture and acquire a pleasant aroma Source countrel.ru
Organization of the hot smoking process
Very often, site owners wonder how to make a hot smoked smokehouse with their own hands. The design is practically no different from the previous one, with the exception of a shorter chimney. A container with sawdust is placed above an open fire or electric oven. They should not burn, but smolder slowly. Smoke penetrates into the smoking chamber where the products are located. A tray must be placed at the bottom of the barrel or other container to collect fat. There must be holes in the roof of the structure through which smoke can escape.
Design options for hot smoking Source 1000000diy.ru
To solve the problem of how to make a hot smoked smokehouse, you can use a regular barrel, inside of which the firebox will be located.
Firebox inside the smokehouse Source stroy-podskazka.ru
Drawings and models
Below we provide drawings and models for making smokers (smokers) with your own hands. You can also contact companies that will manufacture the product to order. You just need to provide the drawing (model) file.
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 of smokehouses
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
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
Pros and cons of wood
Among the main advantages of wooden smokehouses are the ease of assembly with your own hands and the ability to give the structure any shape. The camera body can be decorated with carved decor or tinted with special impregnations.
Wooden buildings are lightweight and mobile. If necessary, they can be moved; even one person can cope with such a task.
pros:
- environmental friendliness of the wooden blanks used;
- quick replacement of damaged structural fragments;
- the ability to assemble a structure without the use of welding tools;
- low cost and availability of building materials and components.
Minuses
- Wood is susceptible to fire, but this can be avoided with proper operation of the smokehouse. To reduce the negative impact of atmospheric manifestations and sudden temperature changes, the external structure should be treated with special varnishes and impregnations.
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.
Electric smokehouse
The name speaks for itself. The use of such devices in everyday life is convenient and easy to use. It is enough to fill in the material used for smoke, place the food, and plug it into the outlet. This type of smoking has a number of advantages:
- compactness and simplicity of design;
- operation does not require special skills;
- fast cooking and control (temperature sensors, smoke sensor);
- equipped with everything necessary, including a chimney.
