Types of smokehouse for meat and fish: hot and cold smoking

How does it work

Smoking is carried out in a special device - a smokehouse. The principle of operation is identical for all types of smoking equipment - sawdust or chips of deciduous trees are poured onto the bottom of a sealed container, and products are placed above them on grates, hooks or skewers.

To prevent the fat and juices melted from the meat from getting into the sawdust, and the smoke from their burning being absorbed into the future dish, a tray is installed under the meat. When heated over an open fire or electric heating elements, sawdust smolders, and the smoke they emit saturates the food, and a temperature of 90°C or higher inside the smoking container speeds up cooking.

When hot smoking, meat, fish or seafood turns out juicy and tender. This is achieved thanks to the cooking time - from 20 minutes to several hours, during which time moisture and fat do not have time to melt out of the meat before it is ready.

Another advantage of this smoking method is the accessibility and simplicity of preparing the dish; you can smoke meat or fish in your garden, in the courtyard of a country house, while fishing, or even in your apartment. But in order for the result to meet expectations, it is important to choose the right equipment. This review presents the types of devices for household hot smoking.

Preparing fish for smoking

The fish is smoked, both fresh and salted. Small ones can be smoked ungutted; medium ones must be gutted, cleaned, and the head and fins separated. Large fish are divided into two parts along the spine or cut into pieces.

When pre-salting a fish carcass, coarse salt is used. Fatty fish is wrapped in foil or parchment and pressed down with a weight of 1-2 kg. The salting process can last from 3 to 24 hours, after which the fish must be hung until the brine drains. Then it is thoroughly washed with cold water, dried and spices are rubbed in.

Mini smokehouses

Popular and common type. They are compact, lightweight and easy to use. Another name for this type is “portable”. Mini-smokehouses are in demand by tourists, fishermen and hunters, and are used in dachas, private houses and city apartments.

The smokehouse is designed for constant heating, so the quality requirements for the material from which it is made are high. The material used for manufacturing is stainless steel with a thickness of 2 to 3 mm.

This choice is due to the fact that stainless steel, due to its resistance to corrosion and regular heating to high temperatures, is more durable than ferrous metals.

A smokehouse made of stainless steel will last an average of ten years, and one made of ferrous metal will last one to two years. The thickness of the steel for its manufacture is at least 2 mm, otherwise it will be subject to burnout and deformation. At the same time, a thickness of more than 3 mm is impractical - this will increase the cost and weight of a portable smokehouse without improving its characteristics at all.

The design of the mini-smokehouse is universal - a sealed box, onto the bottom of which wood chips or sawdust are poured; installed inside: a tray for collecting fat melted from meat, but not preventing smoke from accessing the products; above it, in one or two rows, on grates or skewers made of the same stainless steel, products for smoking.

The simplicity of the design makes it possible to make a mini-smokehouse at home. A saucepan, bucket, roasting pan, etc. are suitable for this.

The mini-smokehouse is heated on a fire, gas or electric stove. The temperature inside is 90°C and above. Therefore, preparing the dish, depending on the type of meat, takes from 20 minutes to one hour. Essentially, this is an oven, inside which the product is saturated with smoke, and cooking occurs due to heat treatment.

True, the shelf life of products prepared in this way is limited - in the field they are suitable for immediate consumption, but at home, hot smoked meat is stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Electric mini-smokers resemble a microwave oven in appearance and size. They are intended for smoking at home.

The advantage of this type of device is its compactness and ease of operation. The disadvantage is the small amount of food prepared in one batch.

Budget segment (up to 5000 rubles)

Inexpensive models of these devices, which are specially designed for non-professional use, are perfect for preparing aromatic smoked dishes in the garden. Such devices are small in size and easy to use. This list contains popular product models and the best manufacturers. With its help you can solve problems such as “what kind of smokehouse?”

Smoke Dymych 01B UZBI

Household version for cooking products using cold smoking, which are processed with steam from 19 to 40 degrees. In just 5-15 hours you can get the desired dish.

The device is a conventional smoke generator, equipped with a fan for forced supply of smoke into the chamber and a 50-liter food container, which is closed with a lid. All elements are made of carbon sheet steel 0.8 mm thick, painted with hammer enamel.

The delivery set also includes an air compressor, a corrugated hose for supplying smoke, a silicone tube with a tee, a hairpin for hanging products in the amount of 4 pieces, an instruction manual and a warranty card.

Additional information: capacity – 2.5x2 l/min, compressor pressure – 0.012 MPa, power – 2.9 W, power supply – 220-240 V.

Smoke Dymych 01B UZBI

Advantages:

• Inexpensive;
• Cooks deliciously;
• High quality materials and workmanship.

Flaws:

• Not identified.

The average cost is 2900 rubles.

Smoke Dymych 00-00003099

The small-sized stainless steel device operates from a 220-240 V network. The 50-liter container for products weighs 3 kg 700 g. Under a pressure of 0.012 MPa and a compressor power of 2.9 W, the products are processed at a temperature of 19-40 degrees Celsius. within 5-15 hours. Smokehouse productivity – 2.5x2 l/min.

The one-piece cylindrical structure measuring 30/30/60 cm with a wall thickness of 0.8 mm weighs only 7 kg 200 g. It is equipped with a lid, compressor, corrugated and silicone hose.

Smoke Dymych 00-00003099

Advantages:

• Prepares any food;
• Durable;
• Compact;
• Easy to use.

Flaws:

• Not identified.

The average cost is 4000 rubles.

Smokehouse DYMOVICH 32 liters (UZBI Smoke Dymych 01M)

This type of device is intended for use in a small family, as it can hold up to 32 liters. Products can also be placed on two levels or suspended. The total weight of the device is 3.7 kilograms, which makes the device easy to carry.

Smokehouse DYMOVICH 32 liters (UZBI Smoke Dymych 01M)

Advantages:

• durable material of the case and fasteners;
• there is an anti-scratch coating;
• small size;
• low price;
• ease of assembly.

Flaws:

• no stand for the device included;
• thermostat made of plastic;
• may begin to rust over time;
• there is no handle on the lid.

The average price is 3,290 rubles.

Smokehouses for apartments

The simplicity of the design and the size of hot smoking smokehouses allow you to cook smoked meat or fish even in the kitchen of a city apartment. With their help, your favorite delicacy is prepared regardless of the time of year, the presence of a country plot or the opportunity to go out into nature.

For a city dweller, this is the best option for preparing meat or fish delicacies.

The principle of operation of the “apartment” device is similar to other types - the tightness of the smoking container, external heating - in this case a gas or electric stove, the mandatory presence of a tray for collecting fat and juices from meat, grates or skewers inside for placing food.

But the design used in the smokehouse apartment has a number of mandatory features designed to eliminate inconvenience during operation:

• Smoke removal . To prevent smoke from entering the apartment and neighbors' apartments during smoking, it is diverted outside the premises - to the street. To do this, there is a fitting in the lid onto which a rubber hose is placed, which is led out the window. With this design, excess smoke from the container goes out into the street, and not into the apartment. The use of a hose to exhaust smoke outside is mandatory, because if you use a household hood, then the smoke entering the ventilation will pass through it into the neighbors’ apartments, which will cause them inconvenience.
• Water seal . Another design feature of equipment intended for use in an apartment. It is needed to prevent smoke from entering the smoking container into the room. The water seal is a groove between the lid and the wall of the smoking container that is filled with water. The water layer prevents smoke from penetrating between the lid and the wall.
• A sealed lid is used in the design of apartment smokehouses. In it, the lid is “tightly” rubbed against the wall using a gasket and screws. This eliminates the leakage of smoke between the lid and the wall and makes the presence of a water seal in the design unnecessary. But even in such devices there is always a smoke outlet to the street.

Smokehouses for use in a city apartment can be factory-produced or made at home. Factory ones are made of stainless steel, medical or food grade, with a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. Their service life is 10 - 12 years. The most affordable equipment is of a conventional design with a water seal.

With an airtight lid - positioned for preparing gourmet dishes. You can independently make a smokehouse for your apartment from suitable materials at hand - buckets, pans, casserole dishes. In this case, making a water seal is a complex procedure; it is much easier to take care of the tightness of the lid using rubber gaskets and screws.

Electric household smokehouses are also used in city apartments. Due to their popularity, separate sections of this article are devoted to these devices.

Manufacturing materials

The most basic option is to smoke food in a metal container on a gas stove.

The sawdust is placed in a bowl, a container is placed on top to collect fat, the product is secured, covered with a lid and the structure is placed on the fire. In the resulting mini smokehouse it is impossible to cook a large amount of food at one time.

You can make a smokehouse from an old refrigerator. To do this, remove all internal plastic lining, freezer and compressor. A chamber and a chimney are installed in the resulting housing.

At the very bottom there is sawdust, which can be heated using an electric stove.

In such a design it is very difficult to maintain the required temperature regime.

You can also make a smokehouse from an old washing machine. The tank becomes a smoking chamber.

It is very convenient to make a small portable smokehouse that you can use while relaxing in nature.

If desired, you can equip a smokehouse above the grill. This will make it possible to simultaneously grill shish kebab and smoke food. The best material for this is iron.

Electric smokehouse

Using an electric smokehouse is a convenient and quick way to prepare hot smoked dishes in a city apartment or in any other room.

To smoke meat or fish with its help, there is no need to make a fire or light a barbecue - just add sawdust, add food, close the lid and plug the device into an outlet.

The advantages of this type of hot smoking include:

• Compact design. The household electric smokehouse is small in size and easily fits into a kitchen cabinet. Those used in cafes and restaurants are also compact and do not take up much space;
• Ease of use. You don't need any special skills or experience to cook food in an electric smoker. It is enough to select the required temperature according to the attached instructions;
• Quick cooking. Products in such devices are cooked in an average of 30 minutes. This is ensured by tightly rubbing the lid against the walls of the container. This design ensures complete retention of heat inside the smokehouse;
• Fully equipped by the smokehouse manufacturer with the necessary accompanying equipment, including smoke removal;
• Manufacturer's warranty;
• The product is prepared without uncontrolled temperature changes. If necessary, the temperature is adjusted manually or automatically;
• Affordability of household options for electric smokehouses.

This makes this type of equipment optimal for use in preparing homemade hot smoked dishes in a city apartment.

Features of cooking fish

Smokehouses designed for smoking fish have a small chamber, but can perform all stages of processing: drying, smoking and boiling.

In order for smoked fish to be truly tasty, juicy and aromatic, it is very important to prepare it correctly.

As a rule, fish products are pre-salted and left for quite a long time. After this, the salt is washed off them. The fish should be dried a little to remove excess moisture. Then you can begin the smoking process. The fish is laid out on racks if pieces of the product will be processed or hung by the tail if the whole product is processed.

Automatic smokehouses

Automatic hot smokers are modern devices for smoking meat, fish, sausages, cheese, seafood and vegetables. The source of thermal energy for them is electricity.

They are used in food production and restaurant business. This is due to the fact that the effective mode of using such equipment is a one-time loading volume of 40–200 kilograms of products, which is impractical in domestic conditions. But there are also household models of automatic smokehouses:

• Only for cold smoking;
• Universal smokehouses for cold and hot smoking;
• Multicookers - smokehouses;
• With open electric heating element. When using such household appliances, only fine heating material – sawdust or wood chips – is suitable;
• With a closed heating element. They have a wide heating surface. These models are less demanding on the size and quality of the heating material.

Industrial automatic smokehouses include:

• Multifunctional devices. They smoke food using cold and hot methods and use them as ovens;
• Smoking ovens. These devices can operate continuously, performing several processes simultaneously.

Automatic household smokehouses are easy to operate and do not require special skills from the smoker, as well as constant attention during operation as on an open fire.

All that is required to work with such equipment is to add sawdust or wood chips, install a tray to collect fat and moisture, and place the food to be cooked on grates or skewers. After this, select the desired program and turn on the smokehouse.

Depending on the selected mode, cooking the dish will take a short time - from thirty minutes to one hour.

From the point of view of ease of use, automatic smokers are the best option for preparing smoked meats at home. The disadvantage is the high cost of household models.

What characteristics should you pay attention to?

The important tasks of the smokehouse are to ensure that the food is directly smoked and not cooked in the smoke, and that soot does not stick to the food during the process. Based on this, when choosing a device you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• the device must be of sufficient size to ensure that there is free space between the fuel and the smoked product itself;
• the lid should close as tightly as possible;
• It is necessary to have ventilation to maintain the required temperature inside the smokehouse;
• the smokehouse must include a tray for collecting fat;
• appropriate size depending on your needs.

You should look at the functional characteristics of the smokehouse:

• the material from which it is made;
• thickness of the walls of the apparatus;
• what fuel is loaded;
• loading volume;
• water seal, shelves, temperature sensors;
• operating modes;
• automatic cleaning function;
• manufacturer's warranty.

Smokehouses with a water seal

A household smokehouse with a water seal is designed for smoking food over an open fire. This is a universal smoking equipment - it is used outdoors, and the water seal makes it possible to use it in any room - even in a city apartment. The very design of this type, with the exception of the water seal, is no different from a standard hot smoked smokehouse.

It consists:

• Rectangular container made of stainless steel 2 mm thick;
• A flat tray made of the same steel to collect dripping juices and fat from meat during cooking. The tray is installed inside the container above the heating material, sawdust or wood chips, in such a way as not to impede the access of smoke to the products;
• Stainless steel grates or skewers inside the smoker above the drip tray. They contain products for smoking;
• The lid fits tightly to the walls;
• Fittings on the lid. It is designed to remove excess smoke. For indoor use, put a rubber hose on the fitting and take it outside.

What is a water seal, and what is its purpose?

A hydraulic or water seal is a gutter made of the same material as the smokehouse itself and located along the perimeter of the upper edge of the container.

When closing the smokehouse, the lid rests with its edges in this groove. Before heating begins, the gutter is filled with clean drinking water. The water does not reach the edge by two to three centimeters. When heating the smoking container, the water boils and evaporates, so you need to control its level and add it to the gutter.

The purpose of the water seal is to seal odors, fumes and smoke inside the smoking container. Water prevents them from getting out. Blocking smoke leakage allows the meat to smoke better and become more aromatic and tasty.

And if smoking is done indoors, then the entry of smoke and odors from the smoking container into it is extremely undesirable. For this reason, a water seal is a prerequisite for the operation of smokehouses of a similar design in city apartments.

The water seal prevents the penetration of oxygen into the smokehouse during its operation, preventing the ignition of sawdust heated to a high temperature. The water seal acts as a stiffening rib on the smoking container. It strengthens the structure, preventing deformation when heated.

Example of a smokehouse for cold smoking fish

You need to take 2 meters of thick plastic film, for example, for greenhouses, and sew up its sleeve on one side so that you get a bag.

Choose a flat area about one meter square and dig stakes 2 meters high at its corners. Connect the tops of the stakes with transverse strips so that the entire structure is stable. Connect the opposing stakes with 2-3 rows of strong rods.

Hang the pre-prepared fish carcasses on the rods so that they do not touch each other. Stretch the plastic film to the middle of the resulting structure, and from below, place half a bucket of hot coals on the platform and cover them with a layer of fresh grass.

Lower the film to the ground and press it so that the space inside the smokehouse is hermetically sealed.

After about three hours, the fish will be smoked and ready. For a thicker smoke, herbs can be added , and large fish, if necessary, can be smoked for an hour the next day.

Stainless steel smokehouses

The material from which the smokehouse is made must meet operating requirements - the need for repeated heating to high temperatures, immunity to moisture, ease of cleaning from combustion products, and compliance with food safety standards.

The most suitable material for these conditions is stainless steel. Its brand must fully comply with food safety standards. From this point of view, stainless steel used in the food or medical industry is suitable for the manufacture of any type of smokehouse (as an option, grade 12Х18Н10Т; GOST 5632-72). The advantages of stainless steel products include:

• Corrosion resistance. This quality of stainless steel is valuable when used outdoors. Ferrous metals that are susceptible to moisture are subject to corrosion, which “eats through” the walls of the product. And with frequent heating, rust accelerates the burning of the walls;
• Immunity to carbon deposits. Unlike products made of ferrous metals, carbon deposits do not form on stainless steel products, which does not create difficulties in removing combustion products;
• When heated, food grade stainless steel does not emit substances harmful to human health;
• Over time, a smokehouse made of stainless steel does not lose its external aesthetic properties.

The optimal thickness of the steel sheet from which smoking equipment is made is 2 or 3 millimeters.

A smoking container with a wall of less than 2 mm is subject to deformation due to frequent and strong heating and, as a result, rapid wear. A steel thickness of more than 3 mm does not in any way improve the functional properties of the smokehouse, but it increases its weight and cost.

The internal structures, flat tray and grates on which products are laid out are also made of stainless steel.

The designs of stainless steel smokehouses are varied. A popular option is a rectangular smokehouse with a water seal. It is easy to use, compact, suitable for use on hikes, fishing, in the country and in the apartment. Home smokehouses with a tightly ground lid without a water seal are also made from stainless steel; they have a cylindrical shape.

Stainless steel is used in the manufacture of automatic and electric smokehouses.

Popular brands on the market

You can find quite a few different models of industrial smokehouses on sale, with which you can process large volumes of products at a time. The designs will differ from each other not only in the functionality offered, but also in cost.

Kocateq DSHS04

The professional smoking device Kocateq DSHS04 has the appearance of a large cabinet, which is made of high-quality stainless steel.
The smokehouse is equipped with four shelves and you can cook more than 10 kilograms of smoked meats at a time. At the bottom of the device there is a heater with a power of 1.5 kW. It has a fairly wide voltage adjustment range. The pan on which the fuel is located can be heated from 37 to 135 degrees. The fat that drips off during smoking will completely evaporate. At the top of a professional smokehouse there is a special pipe through which excess smoke comes out. A thermometer is attached to the door, with which you can control the temperature in the smoking chamber. Other advantages of the Kocateq DSHS04 industrial smokehouse include the following.

• A control panel is built into the smokehouse body;
• The device has light indicators;
• The doors are secured with hinges and have tight latches;
• All handles are insulated;
• The shelves are wide enough to support heavy weight;
• The design includes a timer;
• The set includes 4 hooks for hanging large smoked meats;
• There is a built-in smoke generator.

The approximate cost of the Kocateq DSHS04 industrial smokehouse reaches 27 thousand rubles.

TTM big smak

The hot smoking device is popular because it differs from many other smokehouses in its high performance.
The TTM big smak design has four built-in wheels that can turn in any direction. There are also five shelves on which you can even smoke whole carcasses, such as chicken.

To prevent smoke from escaping outside, a seal with a high heat resistance rating, a latch handle and durable hinges is used. Additionally, the smokehouse contains the following.

• Large tank that holds fuel;
• Grease trap;
• Timer.

The disadvantages of the unit include the fact that the smoking chamber takes a very long time to heat up, and during the smoking process you cannot handle the handle with bare hands due to the high temperature. The cost of an industrial smokehouse TTM big smak can reach 50 thousand rubles. The price is affected by the equipment, as well as the presence of additional functions.

Izhitsa 1200m2

The smoking process in the industrial smokehouse Izhitsa 1200 m2 occurs as a result of achieving the effect of electronic wind.
Products are cooked several times faster and practically do not lose their weight. The unit also comes with 4 grilles, 2 skewers, a smoke generator and a control unit. With the help of a professional smokehouse Izhitsa 1200 m2 you can prepare 600 kilograms of smoked meats per day. The unit can smoke not only fish and meat products, but also cheese products. The disadvantages of the unit include its rather large weight and high prices, which can reach 140 thousand rubles.

Smoke generator

A smoke generator is a device designed for uninterrupted supply of smoke to the smoking chamber. It is advisable to use a smoke generator during the cold smoking process, due to the length of the cooking period, sometimes stretching for several days. But even with hot smoking, the use of this device can be useful.

Advantages of using a smoke generator:

• Uniform and uninterrupted supply of smoke to the smoking chamber;
• Saving fuel material to produce a sufficient amount of smoke;
• Constant smoke temperature;
• Automatic operation of the smoke generator, which does not require constant human intervention.

The smoke generator device is quite simple.

It is a structure connecting a chamber in which smoke is produced by heating sawdust, with a smoking chamber.

This connection occurs using pipes or flexible hoses, and the smoke is forced into the chamber using a household compressor. Constant smoldering of sawdust in the combustion chamber and an uninterrupted supply of electricity is all that is needed for the smoke generator to operate. This is the basis for the work of factory-made and homemade smoke generators.

The simplicity of the design makes it possible to manufacture such a device at home, thereby saving money on purchasing a factory model. And the effect of its use will exceed all expectations.

Advantages and disadvantages

This design has both advantages and disadvantages. There are much more of the former.

Advantages of a hot smoker:

• ease of self-production;
• Possibility of installation anywhere;
• ease of transportation and compact design makes it possible to take it with you on a picnic;
• fast smoking process.

The only disadvantages include a larger number of carcinogens formed compared to cold smoking.

When used in the manufacture of thin sheets of metal, the structure will have a rather short shelf life.

This option is suitable if you want to make a budget smokehouse from scrap materials for several years. The drawings of smokehouses are very simple and do not require any special construction skills.

Smokehouses with thermometer

A special thermometer is an essential attribute of a home smokehouse. Without it, it is difficult to control the temperature of the meat in the smoking chamber, but the quality of the final product depends on it. The thermometer is designed not only to measure the temperature inside the smoking chamber, but also to measure the temperature inside the product - beef, pork or chicken.

The design of the thermometer consists of a probe inside a heat-resistant tube, 15 cm long, which is stuck into the cooking meat or lowered inside the smoking container. An electronic display or indicator is attached to the other end of this probe. The temperature measurement range of this thermometer is up to 400°C.

The probe is passed inside the smoking container through a hole in the lid, and the display remains outside, insulated from the hot surface with heat-insulating material.

Each type of meat has its own degree of temperature readiness:

• Beef is done when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 75°C;
• Pork and lamb – 85 degrees Celsius;
• For the poultry to be ready, 90°C is enough.

It is advisable to have two thermometers in your arsenal - one for permanent mounting on the lid, the second for manually measuring the internal temperature of meat.

During the smoking process, each smoker develops his own secrets for preparing signature dishes.
And in this process, the thermometer will be an indispensable assistant, allowing you to select and control the optimal temperature regime, both in the smoking chamber itself and inside the prepared product. Advertising from sponsors: // // //

The importance of a thermometer in the smoking process

Each stage and type of product requires its own regime. For example, first the fish is smoked at a low temperature of about 40 degrees.

At the second stage of smoking, the temperature is increased to 90 degrees. At the end, the fish must be smoked at a temperature of 130 degrees. Without accurate knowledge of the temperature, it is impossible to carry out the process correctly.

It is very convenient to place a thermostat on the smokehouse. Installing it will help regulate the temperature value.

Multicookers with smoking function

A multicooker can be found in almost every kitchen, because with its help you can prepare a wide variety of dishes. Now there are special multi-cookers on sale that can be used to smoke food without any problems.

Polaris PMS 0529 ADS

This device is available for sale in silver and black colors.
On the front of the case there is a display with all the necessary information. You can control the multicooker using buttons, which are also located on the front of the device. The multicooker can be used for both cold and hot smoking. The standard kit contains:

• Vertical heating element;
• Removable lid for smoking;
• Grids for products.

When the food is placed in the bowl of the device, it must be closed with a lid. A heating element is inserted into the central hole of the multicooker, with sawdust, which is previously poured there. After this, you can start the smoking process.

Brand 6060

This multicooker model has many advantages, the main ones of which include the following.

• You can use the device even indoors;
• The lid is completely removed from the multicooker;
• The unit is very simple to operate;
• Smoked meats are prepared in a short time;
• The multicooker bowl has a volume of six liters;
• It is very easy to care for the device; you can use ordinary detergents for washing.

This multicooker will not take up much space in the kitchen and can be used to prepare a wide variety of dishes, in addition to smoked meats.

Redmond RMC-M110

The slow cooker has a very strong design and is easy to operate.
A distinctive feature of this device is that it has 55 different cooking modes, so you can make not only delicious homemade smoked meats, but also many other dishes. It is worth noting that the kit does not include a special container for wood chips. In this regard, the products will be smoked using liquid smoke or a baking bag. In the second case, you need to use the “baking” program.