2 ways to make a meat smoker. The products will be juicy and flavorful!

Smoking meat products requires special conditionsFor this purpose, it is better to use a wood smokehouse - other equipment will not be able to give the dish a rich taste and aroma.

The design of the smokehouse includes pallet, as a lot of juice is released from the pieces of meat during cooking. If it gets on the wood, it will worsen the taste of the product.

The tray should not interfere with cooking and at the same time not allow liquid to leak out. It is not advisable to wrap meat in foil., as this spoils its taste.

Features of the design of a meat smokehouse

The main rule when creating a smokehouse, ensure that the wood chips constantly smolder and do not allow them to catch fire. It is important to create good traction for smoke. In a design of this type the following elements are present:

• combustion chamber;
• grate;
• chimney pipe;
• meat grill;
• juice collection tray;
• loops;
• lid or burlap.

Home meat locker feature - presence of a pallet. Height and width The size of the smokehouse depends on the number of servings you are going to cook.

If you put it inside the camera several levels of gratings, there should be a distance between them not less than 25 cm.

The width is calculated in the same way. It allows you to cook pieces of meat so that there is space between them and the walls. not less than 10 cm. If you are going to smoke whole rabbits, it is better to make the chamber height about a meter.

Taking these parameters into account, the calculation is made amount of material. For example, to build a smokehouse with a chamber 1.5 meters high, approximately 500 bricks.

Selection of material

Selection of material depends on specific goals. If you need to create a structure that will last a couple of seasons, this will do. barrel or normal bucketIf you want to build a cabinet for many years of use, you should choose brickwork.

Smokehouse can be done:

• made of iron;
• from metal sheets;
• from a steel bucket;
• made of stainless steel;
• made of brick.

The choice of material also depends on the type of construction. Thus, for cold smoking most commonly used iron and steel with a thickness of not less than 0.8 mmThis is due to the fact that the corners will be located on the bottom of the device and underneath it.

Stainless steel perfect for hot smoking meat, as it is not subject to corrosion and is heat-resistant. Optimal brick a smokehouse that allows you to create a passage with good smoke draft.

When choosing a material it's worth orienting yourself on such factors:

• thickness walls (not less than 0.8 mm for steel, iron, stainless steel);
• heat resistance (firebricks only);
• absence of harmful emissions (no silicates or asbestos).

Often, materials already available at home are used for construction.

On the inside of the metal sheet there should be no paint - when heated, it releases toxic fumes. Before use, the material must be additionally cleaned and get rid of unevenness.

Options for making a meat smokehouse with your own hands

Before starting construction, it is important to draw detailed diagram future smokehouse. This will help calculate the required amount of materials, as well as choose the best place for the future construction.

Photo 1. An example of a drawing of a simple smokehouse with dimensions and indication of all important parts of the structure.

Made of brick

Construction consists of the following stages:

1. Bookmark foundation. To do this, it is worth making markings using stakes. If you do not need a very large smokehouse, a foundation with 40 cm deep. It is filled with cement and sand and covered with a metal mesh. After that, everything is covered with concrete.
2. Manufacturing corps. The mortar is applied to the foundation, and then the bricks are laid. You need to start from the corners and go to the edge, with vertical and horizontal seams should be not less than 12 ml.

3. Manufacturing fireboxes. A hole is made for it from halves of a brick. The optimal diameter is 13 by 13. They start laying out the exhaust row from level 3. After this, the doors for the ash pan and the stove are installed at a suitable height. Between the rows, brackets are attached for placing the grates with meat.
4. The top of the smokehouse body is closed sheet metalThe same sheet is placed under the meat to collect fat.

5. Lattice are made from stainless wire, which 5 mm shorter than the width of the box. The rods are carefully welded together. This also requires two long wires that will wrap around each rod. The lattice is placed on brackets that are mounted during laying.

To avoid problems with this design (slow heating, unpleasant smell), it is better to use clay mortar.

Photo 2. The finished smokehouse made of bricks: smoke rising from under the metal sheet indicates that the smoking process is in full swing.

From the barrel

Suitable for creating a smokehouse barrel with iron wallsThis version of the device construction is much easier, it consists from the following stages:

1. The site is filled with concrete mortar.
2. Fits in 1.5 meter long pipe and a diameter of not less than 12 cm.
3. It's pouring foundation.
4. The base for the firebox is laid out made of firebrick by the rib masonry method. After finishing the work, the walls are cleaned of any remaining mortar.
5. For smoking cabinet a podium several rows high is laid out. Holes are made at the bottom of the barrel, and rods with hooks for hanging meat are attached to the top. After this, a lid with a pipe and a visor. If the height of the barrel allows, the meat can be hung on several levels at once. The cabinet is built into the podium and covered with a lid. Inside, they are attached brackets and gratings.
6. It is mounted at the base of the firebox door.

When making a smokehouse, problems with lack of draft may arise. In this case, it is necessary increase the slope of the pipe.

Useful video

Check out this video showing how to smoke chicken at home using a homemade device made from a large saucepan.

Operating tips

To create meat products with a rich flavor, it is important to follow some rules. However, first of all it is worth thinking about security. Therefore, it is better to place the smokehouse in a place where there is no strong wind and objects that can easily catch fire.

To create a rich flavor, you should choose firewood from the following trees:

• oak;
• alder;
• cherry:
• pear;
• linden.

Before we begin smoking chamber heat up to 200 degrees and only after it has cooled to the desired temperature, do you begin cooking. It is important to ensure that all the valves were tightly closed — the smoke coming out will cause the meat to lose its taste and aroma. It is not recommended to open the lid often to check the product’s readiness, as the temperature in the smokehouse will quickly drop. Turn over pieces needed every two to three hours.

By following these tips, anyone can create a smokehouse at home that will delight the whole family with delicious dishes for many years!