Home smokehouse: device and varieties

Smoked meat, fish, and even more so sausages are quite expensive if you buy all this in a store. Fans of treating themselves to delicious things can get out of position by building a home smokehouse. At the same time, a properly equipped unit will not take up much space. Its own home-made smokehouse, made taking into account modern technologies, will allow you to cook dishes according to new recipes even within the walls of an apartment.

In order to determine the features of this device, we will analyze the methods of smoking sausages, bacon or fish. Recipes are either hot or cold. Experienced specialists prefer the hot smoking method. A home device will allow you to cook deliciously many types of meat and fish.

At the same time, the smokehouse itself has a number of advantages:

• simple configuration, because the unit is easy to make at home;
• lack of large financial costs in manufacturing;
• the ability to cook anywhere: in the country on a hike, at home in the kitchen;
• quick and easy smoking process;
• there is no need to further process smoked products.

When using cold smoking technology, products need to be additionally prepared, for example, salt. The salting of the products will take from one to two days, depending on the volume. The smoking process itself will take a longer period of time. However, cold smoked products can be stored for a long time without a refrigerator. One of the disadvantages of hot smoking is the short shelf life of the product.

The manufacture of both types of units is not particularly difficult. The designs of home smokers are varied. When creating it, it is important to ensure the correct smoking of products, therefore, the unit must meet certain requirements.

The device of some successfully operating home smokers makes it possible to smoke products in different ways. All the visible variety can be combined into several basic schemes.

Installations are:

• vertical type;
• horizontal;
• chamber.

Homemade smokehouses can combine elements of several schemes. Before disassembling the device diagrams, you need to know the principle of operation of the units. To do this, let's figure out what happens inside the devices.

During smoking, products are saturated with substances, resulting in a specific taste and aroma. The action of the acids contained in the smoke makes the products resistant to long-term storage. Moreover, it is not even recommended to freeze smoked products, since after defrosting they lose their original taste.

Smoke treatment already reduces the number of naturally occurring bacteriathat are in all products. The development of microflora is thereby reduced, as well as the content of various microorganisms in the product. Therefore, the longer the smoking method is used, the better the storage result is achieved. If we consider the internal processes taking place in the unit, then we can compare them with the canning process.

Each smoking option has its own characteristics and subtleties. The taste and aroma of the finished product will be directly related to the method of processing raw materials before smoking using one or another type of wood.

The principle of operation of cold and hot smoking apparatuses is different. If the unit is hot, then fuel is placed on the bottom of a sealed container, and food is placed above it on the grates. To prevent the melted juices and fat from dripping onto the wood chips, a pallet is placed under the products. The fuel is heated with an open fire or, if the smoker is electric, with tenami. Smoke is emitted from the smoldering fuel. The higher the temperature inside the container, the faster the food will cook.

If the device is cold smoked, then the products are smoked in it at low temperatures. The smokehouse device implies that the smoke reaching the product must already have cooled down.

The principle of operation of a cold smoking device is different from a hot one. Fuel must be placed in the firebox compartment. Depending on the type of wood chosen, the aroma of the finished dish will change. It is believed that fruit species of wood (apple, pear) contribute to the best taste. Willow, alder, and linden wood are used more often. Coniferous wood is not at all recommended for use.

The smoke must pass into the chimney by natural draft. In the chimney, it partially cools down, and only then enters the chamber.

The greatest variety was received by devices made of steel. A popular option is a rectangular shape with a water seal. This unit is easy to operate and compact. It can be used in field conditions, fishing, as well as in an apartment. To reduce volume, homemade smokers are often cylindrical in shape. Stainless steel is used in industries for automatic and electrical designs.

One of the most versatile smokers is the mini version. It is a sealed box with sawdust and chips at the bottom and a pallet in the middle. In this case, the pallet must be made of a material that does not impede the access of smoke to the outside.

This configuration is easiest to implement yourself from a bucket, pot, or similar items. You can heat a mini smoker over a fire or on a stove. There will be sufficient temperature inside for cooking. The process will take from 20 minutes to an hour.

Standard designs include the following main components:

• smoking chamber;
• smoke generator or furnace;
• chimney.

The device can be a single closed container. The smoke from the fuel envelops the food, and then is discharged outside, like in a stove.

Self-made smokehouses for an apartment can be made from a goose pan or a bucket. When arranging, it is important to consider the tightness of the cover, using rubber gaskets and screws for this. Manufacturing materials for home smokers can be completely different sources.

Special requirements are imposed on the properties of the smokehouse material. Usually it is stainless steel up to 3 mm thick. If you use steel less than 2 mm thick, then the smoking container will deform, as a result, it will quickly become unusable. If you choose steel with a thickness of more than 3 mm, then the functional qualities of the unit will not increase, but its weight will increase.

In general, the materials for the manufacture of smokehouses must meet the following requirements:

• the possibility of multiple heating;
• immunity to moisture;
• ease of cleaning;
• compliance with food safety requirements.

Stainless steel is the most suitable material for smokers. If the structure is made independently, then the steel must be of a grade that complies with the SES standards. For any type of aggregates, steel used in medicine or in food enterprises can be considered without fear of consequences. For example, type 12X18H10T, GOST 5632-72 or other similar options.

Products made from such stainless steel will have characteristic features.

• Corrosion resistant. This property of stainless steel is especially valuable if the structure is planned to be used outdoors. For example, ferrous metals are very susceptible to moisture and therefore corrode more often. Moreover, if there is rust on the product, then it will accelerate the burning out of the walls.

• Carbon deposits do not form on the surface of the stainless steel. If we compare with products made of ferrous metals, then there will be carbon deposits in them. It will create difficulties in the purification of combustion products.
• Food-grade stainless steel does not emit harmful components when heated, unlike other materials.
• The external aesthetic qualities of food steel can remain unchanged after several years of intensive use of products.

This is a popular and common option. The devices are compact and lightweight, as well as easy to use and DIY. Such devices are often outdoor or portable.

Smoking devices in an apartment differ in a number of characteristics that eliminate the inconvenience of cooking. The main feature is the smoke evacuation system. To exclude the ingress of smoke into the rooms or to the neighbors, a fitting is provided in the lid of the apartment smokehouse. A rubber extension is placed on it, which is displayed through the window. The design allows excess smoke to be outside. Turning on a household hood to remove smoke is not always acceptable, since it will get into the ventilation, and then to the neighbors.

Apartment models are equipped with a water seal. This element will prevent smoke from escaping from the device.

This unit is designed to discharge smoke into the smoking chamber. Its use is convenient in the cold smoking process.

The advantages of the application are as follows:

• uniformity of smoke intake;
• efficiency in terms of fuel consumption;
• constancy of temperatures;
• no monitoring of the process is required.

The smoke generator device looks like an element connected to the chamber. Tubes or hoses are used as connection elements. A conventional compressor is involved in the injection of smoke. The simple design makes the craftsmen take up the manufacture of this element with their own hands. The efficiency of the design is quite high.

Devices equipped with a thermometer allow better control of the smoking temperature. The taste of the finished product depends on this parameter. Some thermometers measure the temperature of the inside of meat or fish being cooked.

The design of the device is a probe inside a tube made of heat-resistant material. The probe can be inserted into the product being prepared. The temperature measurement range of factory devices is up to 400 degrees. Outside the smoker, there is a display that can be used to determine readiness. For pork or lamb, for example, it is 75 degrees, for poultry - 90. In the process of preparing each product, a specialist has his own secrets. In any case, such a thermometer is an indispensable attribute for a smoking chamber.

People have been smoking for a long time. Both on sale and among home-made options there are a variety of smokehouses, differing not only in the principle of action, but also in appearance. The appearance of these devices is often associated with localities and regional traditions.

Modern manufacturers come up with new designs to attract customers. However, experts advise to prefer traditional types. Designer models are usually chosen for exclusive smokehouse cafes. In them, beautiful smoking devices are located in a conspicuous place, and the owners thus increase the interest of visitors to their institution and menu.

Kitchen models usually do not differ in design delights, since this factor does not affect the cooking result. It will be a round smokehouse or a mini-version, the main thing is to take into account the production chain and the method of operation.

You can consider an interesting modern solution - a combined grill-smokehouse. The device allows you not only to smoke, but also to cook traditional kebabs. A wide range of options for freshly prepared finished products served is very important for a catering enterprise.

Positive feedback from owners is common with regard to electric smokers. In their opinion, they are convenient, since they do not need to light a fire to launch them. For the device to work, it is enough to put sawdust, food inside, close the device and connect it to electricity.

Advantages of electrical options:

• compactness;
• ease of use;
• fast cooking;
• affordability.

The advantages of a gas stove device are compactness, portability and ease of use. In addition, well-made models are safe for home use. One of the main disadvantages of such options is their small volume. However, if the equipment is supposed to be used for personal purposes, then this is just an advantage. A small smokehouse will save you time, effort, and consumables.

Automatic smokehouses are modern devices that allow you to cook delicious food at home. The automatic unit is a multifunctional device that allows you to smoke in different ways. Also, the device can be used as a regular oven. Smoking ovens can operate in a continuous mode, performing several processes at the same time. Given the variety of species, it is worth considering in more detail the criteria for choosing such a unit.

The best models are made in Germany and Russia. The devices of the following manufacturers are very popular, which can be presented in the form of a small rating:

Plus the models are of high quality. They make delicious homemade smoked products. The device is versatile, suitable for meat, fish and even vegetables.

The company produces good quality steel units. Some devices require improvement. For example, a pallet needs to be replaced, and many also complain about the lack of handles.

The company's devices are suitable for use in nature. The main range of products is combined grill-smokehouses. According to user reviews, all components of the units are made of high quality materials.

The company's devices are quite large, suitable for use in the country. Users note not very neatly welded seams of the device. However, the price-performance ratio matches their quality.

The company offers versatile devices suitable for both hot and cold smoking of various products. The units can be used both outdoors and at home.

The advantages of the units of this company are lightness, mobility and spaciousness. The company offers budget options without any special frills.

The company is known for devices made from thick and durable iron. You can cook at the same time a sufficient number of products for a large company on several levels.

A domestic manufacturer that offers good devices for home use.

The company offers options for devices suitable only for hot smoking. They are quite budgetary, do not differ in design delights. The devices of this company are suitable for use by beginners.

Doorz smokehouses are distinguished by their reliability and good workmanship.You can cook a large number of products by arranging them on several tiers. Smokehouses of the company are quite heavy, but they are distinguished by an exquisite design.

As noted above, units for an apartment are structurally different from those used on the street.

For an apartment, devices with built-in autonomous elements are more convenient. (temperature sensors, thermometers, etc.). Home appliances must be portable. It is good if the home unit does not produce smoke at all. Indoor configurations typically include systems that provide externally smoldering heating without oxygen. Another way to remove smoke will be a special chimney.

Home smokers use only dry fuel. Wet shavings will spoil the taste of the product.

Home appliance options should include an insulated chip compartment. If this is violated, meat, lard, cheese or fish will be saturated with the components of the burning fat, and not with smoke from the wood.

A homemade smokehouse should include the following elements:

• frame;
• sides on the sides of the case;
• removable element;
• lattices for placing products;
• a cover with a tube that will act as a chimney.

Drawings of devices with a water seal can be made on paper. This will help determine the choice of suitable materials for the product. The sources can be purchased from the hardware store. Start assembling the elements from the body. A simple option is a regular drawer with side handles. Match the cabinet parameters to suit your smoked food needs. Practice shows that the optimal dimensions are 500 * 300 * 300 mm. Choose a thicker sheet for the bottom of the drawer.

The main component of the device is a water seal. This is a small groove located along the entire upper perimeter of the body, approximately 2-3 cm wide.

The unit cover must exactly match its parameters. The sides of the lid should fit easily into the odor trap. A flue pipe is required in the lid. A flexible hose can be easily slipped onto the tube.

The second bottom is also performed with the sides bent up. This is a tray onto which fat will drip during cooking. The second bottom can be made with legs and provided with handles. So it will be convenient to install and take out.

When preparing food in your home smokehouse, keep the following points in mind:

• on the bottom of the device, you need to lay sawdust and special chips;
• place the second bottom on top of the chips (fat container);
• on top of it, install a special barbecue grill on which the products will be stacked;
• pour water into the side of the water seal and close the lid tightly;
• do not open the lid during 30-40 minutes of cooking.

For information on how to make a do-it-yourself smokehouse in 30 minutes, see the next video.