Electrostatic smokehouse: what are there and how to do it yourself

The process of home-smoking seafood and meat has always been associated with great hassle due to the fact that this procedure is quite long and requires expensive equipment. In addition, it was necessary to constantly be near the smoked products in order to correct the correctness of the process and check the readiness, because fish and meat can be easily overdried. Today, there are devices for home use on sale, but their price is quite high.

Many people believe that an electrostatic smokehouse cannot process products as well as classic smokehouses. In fact, the difference between these designs is only that the first has a special unit that increases the speed and depth of smoke penetration into the product fibers. The very process of smoking according to the technology resembles steaming meat and fish, but with moist smoke instead of hot steam. Electrostatics only increase the diffusion rate of the smoke particles, which reduces the cooking time to just a few hours, when with a conventional smokehouse the process can take several days.

The advantage of the electrostatic smokehouse is its ease of use and the ability to make aromatic delicacies right on your balcony or in your garage. Such a unit does not take up much space and weighs up to 10 kg due to the fact that it is made of stainless steel. The use of this anti-corrosion material is not only safe, but also has a decorative function - such a smokehouse will perfectly fit into any modern kitchen. In an electrostatic installation, you can cook aromatic meat and tasty fish without standing near it all the time, and eating foods cooked without the use of fat is very beneficial for the body.

You can often hear the opinion that the taste of the product after a classic smokehouse is much richer.but this judgment is highly subjective. In most cases, there is no significant difference in the taste of meat or fish cooked in conventional and electrostatic smokehouses. The only drawback that can be noted is the high price, as well as the lack of versatility of compact models.

The electrostatic setup is fairly simple. As in other types of smokers, in the electrostatic version, the products are placed in a special section. Most often, meat, bacon or fish are suspended on special hooks in an upright position so that excess fat and moisture can drain freely.

The principle of operation of such a device is also quite simple. In the smoke regulator, using an electric heater, smoke is obtained from sawdust and chips of various types of wood, which is charged by passing through a charged grate with a high voltage pole. Ions rapidly penetrate the workpieces placed on the negatively charged pole, due to which the product is smoked much faster and to a greater layer thickness. While the smoker is working, excess smoke is freely released through the chimney.

Depending on whether it is possible to move the smokehouse from place to place, there are:

• portable devices;
• stationary;
• folding smokehouse.

Depending on the purpose of the smokehouse, it can be divided into two types:

• household appliances used for the home;
• industrial options for use in large-scale production.

According to the temperature effect, electrostatic installations can be divided into cold, hot or semi-hot smoked smokehouses. The more common way to prepare food is hot smoking. The temperature ranges from 45-150 degrees, and the process itself takes only two hours. At the end of the event, a bright golden hue appears on the surface of the products. This method does not require drying and drying meat and fish after smoking itself.

Food must be thoroughly salted before cold smoking.which can take anywhere from one to fourteen days. Smoking itself is carried out at a temperature of no higher than 30 degrees for quite a long time: the process can take from five days to a whole month. Cold smoking insignificantly changes the color of the finished product - meat and fish are similar in color to dried ones.

There are two types of smokehouses with an electrostatic circuit that can be made at home with your own hands:

• on an old television transformer;
• on an old two-stroke engine or ignition coil.

They differ from each other only by those blocks by means of which the smokehouse generates the field, and the body itself and the appearance can be the same.

To make a smokehouse, you need to clearly understand exactly how it should look and what the final result of the work consists of. On the general diagram of an electrostatic smokehouse, you can find all the necessary elements, in particular the oven itself, the body of which can be made of both metal and wood or even dense plastic. A voltage generator should be attached next to it.

The voltage in the smoking installation should vary between 20-30 kW, for which a high-voltage generator is used. It can also be made by yourself.

• From the ignition coil and engine switch. The high voltage block, assembled with a coil and a battery, is a simple circuit with a power supply and a key. The generator driving the pulses should be with a frequency of 1-2 kHz, and the voltage of the entire circuit should be 12 V, which will require about 1-2 A.
• From a line transformer. As in the first circuit, here the pulses coming from the generator drive the transistor. The result is 20-25 kW of constant voltage. Both the first and second versions of the circuit assume the presence of generators operating at certain frequencies. In the first case, you need a frequency of 1000-2000 Hz, and in the second - 14000-16000 Hz. It is still better to use a generator from a TV sweep, as it accelerates the movement of smoke particles more, and the process ends earlier.

After selecting the voltage source, you must proceed to the manufacture of the steam generator. The best case for it will be a cast iron brazier or a stainless pan with thick sides and bottom.A 2-3 cm layer of granite or limestone is poured onto the bottom of the container and a heater is laid.

A hole drilled in the cover covering the generator is equipped with a fitting and flexible plastic or metal corrugated hose. The other end of such a hose is connected to a smoke cooler. This cooler is made from a small water tank of a copper tube at least 150 cm long. Copper is coiled so that it fits into the tank, and hoses from a smoke generator and a fan are connected to its terminals.

A homemade smoking cabinet is best made of wood or metal, but in the latter case, it is more difficult to equip insulation, and this option is more expensive.

It is assembled in dimensions 70x50x100 cm with a hinged door, which should adjoin very tightly and not leave gaps. The anode (positively charged electrode) is made of galvanized sheet. Such a sheet is supplied with points that are directed towards the product - this will create a greater field strength. The points are made using a corner notch and a bend. Instead of tin, it is also possible to adapt a metal mesh grill.

To prepare the finished smoker for work, you need to place the chips in the pressure cooker or brazier and turn on the heater. Lard or fish is loaded into the smoking cabinet and the fan is turned on. As soon as the smoke begins to flow in an uninterrupted mode, the cabinet door can be closed and the generator turned on. After the smoking process is completed, the generator must be turned off and wait two minutes so that it remains without voltage. Before touching the cabinet, the steam generator and the fan are turned off, the device is unloaded, and only after that all soiled surfaces are wet cleaned.

The smokehouse can not only be assembled, but also purchased ready-made, based on reviews on the Internet or the rating of selling companies. For private use, small household electrostatic installations are perfect, presented in the lines of electric smokers from American firm Greentechs or Finnish manufacturer Muurikka... Installations have a compact size with expanded functionality and a democratic price in the range of 4-6 thousand rubles. These smokehouses are perfect for working even in the smallest rooms.

If you need to purchase a multifunctional smoking installation, you should opt for devices Anuka brands from New Zealand... Models with smoke generators cost in the range of 10-12 thousand rubles.

Will handle great daily food preparation Korean electrostatic smokehouse brand Kocateq or German Landmann... With their help, you can harvest meat, sausages and fish in large batches in streaming mode. Such electrostatic installations are more reminiscent of large industrial devices, but, in addition to their large size, they have no restrictions for home use.

Since when smoking fatty products such as lard or fatty fish, stains and smudges remain in the smoking cabinet, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning of the installation in a timely manner. It is better to clean the collapsible structure immediately after cooling with the help of "Shine", Sorti or similar detergents. The generator must be kept dry and clean.You should always touch it with caution, since an electric charge may remain in it for a while even after it is turned off.

If you need to quickly get access to the cathode or any other live parts of the installation, you need to short-circuit the elements using a 5-10 kOhm wire and a handle by which you can safely move this wire. The introduction of various toggle switches and buttons into the system is meaningless, since they will immediately be blocked by a spark when the generator is started.

The humidity of the room in which the smoking installation is located should not exceed 80%. All electrical parts must be well insulated and the smoker itself must be on a dielectric base. You cannot touch the switched on smokehouse, and the food inside should also not come into contact with anything other than the hooks on which they hang.

For the installation of the body of the smokehouse, you can use both blanks made of metal or wood, as well as ready-made spaces obtained from the body of a refrigerator or an old kitchen cabinet. Finished products should be stored in a dry, cold cellar, pantry or refrigerator.

Smokehouse owners, who collected them on their own, talk about different times for the preparation of products. Therefore, the time required to complete the process in a particular assembled model can only be determined experimentally.

How to make a folding electrostatic smokehouse with your own hands, see the video below.