Delicacies are always on the table! Construction of a smokehouse for cold smoking at home

Cold smoking is a rather lengthy process (from 2 to 7 days) the impact on products of smoke having a low temperature in 18-25 degrees.

During the smoking process, excess moisture evaporates, and the product becomes more resistant to mold and rot. its shelf life is extended.

Smoked food has a delicious aroma and excellent taste.

What is cooked in a cold way

As a rule, the following are prepared using the cold smoking method:

• large fish;
• salo;
• meat;
• sausages;
• cheeses;
• plums;
• cherries;
• some varieties of apples.

Turns out, you can prepare delicacies at homeTo do this, it is enough to buy a smokehouse or make it yourself.

Construction of a cold smoking smokehouse for a country house

The cold smoking process is quite labor-intensive, as it requires preparatory processing of the blanks and takes several days, or even weeks.

It is not difficult to make a smoking device yourself. The principle of operation of the smoking system is that the smoke, moving to the products, cools down. To organize this process Some distance is left between the firebox and the food compartment. It is desirable that the smoke flows evenly and continuously throughout the entire smoking period.

The main components of a cold smoking smokehouse:

1. Firebox. It looks like a deep square hole, usually made of red brick.
2. Chimney. It is a wide pipe connecting the firebox with the food chamber. It is laid in the ground.
3. Smoking chamber. A place where products prepared for smoking are placed. It can be metal or wooden. Stainless steel lattice shelves or hooks are placed inside, on which the blanks are placed.
4. Filter made from a metal grid with a small cell diameter. It is located where smoke enters the food compartment. Prevents soot from settling on smoked products.

The whole structure will be of the size about 5 meters.

How to make a device with your own hands

First, we select a place on the site to place the unit - this is perfect sloping area.

Construction scheme:

• The firebox is located in the lowest part of the valley., in which the sawdust will smolder.
• From the firebox to the smoke chamber the chimney goes up at an angle of 20-40 degrees. Smoking chamber — the highest point of the structure, includes grates or hooks and a tray.

The cost depends on the scale of construction and the materials used. Regardless of the materials chosen, all cold smoking smokehouses have the same components.

Firebox

We dig a hole at the site of the future firebox 50 cm deep And dimensions 75 x 75 cm. We lay it out with fireproof bricks. You can put a sheet of iron on the bottom or concrete it. Be sure to install a door and make a reliable overlap.

Chimney

It is laid from the firebox to the room where the delicacies will be prepared. It should enter the firebox under the very base. A metal or asbestos pipe will do for this purpose. diameter 25 cm. If there is no pipe available, you can get by with a budget option. To do this, dig a trench from the firebox up to 30 cm deep, and cover it with a sheet of iron and sprinkle it well with earth. The chimney can be made of brick. Its length is usually 2.5—3 m.

Camera and filter

The second end of the chimney must be included in the smoking part of the building. It is made from various materials. Everything depends on your imagination and financial capabilities. It can be made of wood, a metal barrel is often used. You can find a camera made from an old refrigerator.

It is important to use non-toxic material. At the entrance to the pipe, it is necessary to make a so-called filter. It will prevent soot from getting on the products.

For this purpose they use a metal plate with many small holes or burlap.

The smokehouse itself will need removable grates and hooks for laying out and hanging products.

It is necessary to provide for presence of a pallet, which is easy to pull out and wash, since brine, juice and fat from the smoked products will drip into it. The chamber should be securely fastened and have a door, as well as an opening for the smoke to escape.

To build a budget version of a cold smoking smokehouse, you will need the following tools:

• shovel;
• construction trowel;
• metal shears;
• container for mixing clay solution.

For the fastest and most economical construction you will need:

• sheet metal;
• metal barrel on 200 l;
• iron rods or reinforcement;
• pieces of slate.

You dig a hole in the lowland area depth 50-60 cm for the hearth and cover the bottom with a metal sheet. The hearth is covered with a damper. From the pit, at an upward slope, dig a ditch the depth of a bayonet shovel and at least 2 meters long. The ditch will serve as a chimney. It needs to be covered with slate sheets and covered well with earth on top so that smoke does not leak out.

At the end of the ditch a metal barrel is installed, in which the lid is cut off and there is a hole for connecting to the chimney. In this place, a filter is made from fruit twigs, preventing soot from getting in. The place where the barrel connects to the chimney must be airtight. The barrel is covered from above with a wooden lid or burlap soaked in water.

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Pallet

It is made from a metal sheet or from a cut-off part of a barrel. The diameter of the pallet should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the barrel.

It is placed on iron rods at the bottom of the barrel or special legs. It should be easy to remove and install.

Lattice

Suitable as a grate for a smokehouse iron rods or reinforcement. You can use ready-made grates, placing them at a distance from each other not less than 15 cmMetal hooks can be used instead of a grate.

Well, that's it - the unit is ready.

How does the home smoking process work?

The smoldering wood chips in the firebox contribute to the increased formation of smoke, which, moving along the long pipe, has time to cool down to the required temperature, and all the harmful components contained in it precipitate during this time. It enters the chamber with the blanks already purified. It affects the products and comes out through a special hole. Often this hole is covered with wet burlap, which helps to retain the smoke.

How to get smoke?

For this purpose, dry wood chips are taken:

• aspen;
• maple;
• alders;
• oak;
• any fruit trees.

Sawdust is poured into a pile on the bottom of the firebox and set on fire.

Difficulties and problems

To prevent smoked foods from acquiring a sour or bitter taste due to exposure to smoke, you need to use only alder chips or sawdust from fruit trees.

Photo 1. Packing of alder chips for smoking meat, fish, cheese. It is best to buy ready-made chips in stores.

The taste of smoked meats can deteriorate if the smoking chamber is poorly maintained - the tray is in it after each smoking It needs to be cleaned of accumulated fat and washed.

When smoking, you need constantly make sure that the sawdust smolders and does not catch fireThe process of decay should not suffocate due to lack of air supply.

Features of the cold smoking method

Ready-made cold smoked products:

• are stored for a long time - up to 6 months;
• have a unique taste and aroma;
• retain all the beneficial properties and vitamins.

The resulting delicacies cannot be eaten immediately - they should lie for a few days in a well-ventilated area.

Operating conditions of the device

Cold smoking smokehouse is stationary — a special place is allocated to it on the site. It requires constant supervision: it is important to moisten the burlap in time, preventing streams of smoke from leaking out, and to constantly maintain the process of smoldering wood. Depending on weather conditions or due to the accumulation of condensate, the ground under the smokehouse may become soggy, and then the products will have an unpleasant taste during smoking. Therefore, between bookmarks, it is imperative ventilate the building And give it time to dry.

Before cold smoking you need to prepare the food in advance, soaking them according to special recipes in saline solutions.

Having built a cold smokehouse on the site, you need to learn to work with it. Any changes in technology affect the quality of the product in their own way. For example, the presence of a golden crust and a memorable taste depends on the humidity of the sawdust used.

By approaching the construction of a smokehouse thoroughly and carefully considering the details, you can make the device the highlight of the site, which will harmoniously fit into the overall picture.

Useful video

Watch the video for a recipe for a versatile marinade for smoking.

Household smokehouse for an apartment

In apartments, hot smoking smokehouses are most often used, which are installed on the stove. To smoke using the cold method, it is best to purchase an electric smokehouse. An excellent option is the device The Only Indoor Pressure Smoker, it combines the functions of a multicooker and a smokehouse that can smoke with cold smoke.