It's easy to combine hot and cold smoking in a DIY combination smokehouse!
A separate device for each type of smoking is often a great luxury. Preparing the site, looking for materials, assembling the structure – all this causes a lot of inconvenience.
They can be avoided, by building a combination smokehouse. The quality of smoked meat or fish will not suffer from this. But the entire procedure will become much more convenient.
Combined smokehouse for hot and cold smoking
The design of this device is successful combines the properties of devices for cold and hot smoking. This is achieved through the sequence of arrangement of the smoking chambers.
Directly above the fireplace, a cell for hot smoking is arranged, and at the end of a separately made chimney, a chamber for cold smoking.
In the first case The effect is achieved by applying heat directly to the product. In the second — thanks to the smoke falling on the food.
Smoking modes are changed using valves, which either open or close.
Other design elements include grates, openings for supplying air to the firebox and loading firewood, chimneys for cold smoking and removing combustion products.
A foundation is also necessary if the smokehouse is to be stationary.
You can assemble it from scrap materials mobile version of the device. Its main elements will remain the same. Only the materials used for manufacturing and the dimensions of the device will differ.
Smoking of meat, fish, lard
Hot smoking occurs due to the heat coming from the hearth located under the chamber. Cold smoking occurs due to the heat and smoke traveling a certain distance to the chamber. Due to the different temperatures for each type of food processing, meat, lard or fish are cooked in different times: from several hours to 2-3 days. The devices are usually made from heat-resistant natural materials that can withstand high temperatures and do not contain substances harmful to health.
Preparing to make a smokehouse with your own hands
To make a combined smokehouse, you need to do the following:
- select a location for installation;
- purchase the necessary materials;
- prepare the necessary tool;
- provide security measures.
Attention! The smokehouse should be installed in a place away from flammable items And residential premises. It is not recommended to use for construction. sand-lime brick, since it releases harmful substances when heated.
The material for the smokehouse is selected depending on the mobile or stationary type of device. In the first case, it is metal or a metal barrel, in the second - brick, wood, cement, clay mortar.
The components for assembly are also selected depending on the type of device. If it is a barrel, the main elements will most likely be iron. If it is a brick version, it can be supplemented with metal parts (pipe and valve) or wood (cold smoking chamber).
Tools that may be useful for making the device:
- shovel;
- level;
- spatula;
- hammer;
- mallet;
- hacksaw;
- welding machine;
- electrodes;
- protective equipment.
Stationary option
To make a combined smokehouse, you need to decide which option is more suitable - stationary or mobile. The most difficult option is stationary. There are several varieties of similar smokehouses. They differ in design, materials and elements. As a rule, these nuances are insignificant.
Capital construction implies pouring the foundation. To do this, a hole of depth is dug on the selected site 30 cm.
They are placed one after another in it 1 layer of crushed stone and 1 layer of sandAfter compaction and leveling, formwork is installed around the site, and reinforcement is placed inside for strength.
Based on the calculation 1 part cement to 3 parts sand The foundation solution is mixed and then poured into the formwork. After it hardens, bricks are laid on it and connected with clay mortar.
The installation begins with the firebox. The grates are installed inside, and outside - 2 doors for supplying air and firewood.
Using bricks and mortar from the opening coming from the firebox the chimney is being laid out for smoking. Extending approximately by two meters, he turns to 360 degrees, goes back and rests against the "blind" part of the firebox. On the second section it is closed by a damper, which regulates the operation of the cold smoking chamber. The bricks are laid with the help of a level and "fitted" with a rubber mallet.
On the opposite side from the firebox and at the place where the internal chimney turns, a external chimney. A wooden chamber for cold smoking with a door is installed next to the place where the internal chimney abuts the firebox. A metal chamber for hot smoking is installed directly above the firebox itself. Attached inside the chambers are grills and hooks for smoking products.
Mobile smokehouse. Can it be used in an apartment?
A compact, portable smokehouse that can be moved from place to place is made from a metal barrel. It can be easily found at almost any dacha. The bottom is removed from the barrel, and rods and grates are attached to the inside of the body. A tray is installed at the bottom, onto which fat from meat or fish flows during the smoking process. Corners for grates and a tray inside the barrel can be welded both across the walls and along them. The second option is suitable for cold smoking.
Photo 1. Mobile combined smokehouse made from two barrels. The upper one is intended for cold smoking, the lower one for hot smoking.
As a result, when the barrel is vertical with the hearth underneath it, hot smoking is carried out, and when it is horizontal, the chimney from the hearth, entering from the former bottom of the barrel, ensures cold smoking. The position and stability of the barrel is regulated by improvised non-combustible materials, for example, with bricks or earthen embankmentIf necessary, the barrel can always be moved from one place to another by one or two people.
Unfortunately, such a smokehouse cannot be used in an apartment or private house, since it too bulky And emits a large amount of smoke, which limits the use of the device indoors. In order to smoke within the walls of an apartment, it is better to purchase a small smokehouse powered by a gas stove.
Manufacturing difficulties and solutions
One of the main difficulties in making a smokehouse is its sealing. First of all, this applies to the chimney for cold smoking.
To avoid smoke leakage and premature destruction of the chimney, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the mortar for laying.
When installing bricks, it is important to ensure that the mortar joints are intact, and if gaps are found, they must be eliminated immediately. In addition, the doors of the smoke chambers must be hermetically sealed.
The construction of combined smokehouses is common and anyone can study the methods of their construction. This is explained by the universal nature of the device. On the other hand, for its design more materials need to be used And take into account more parameters. For some, such work seems excessive. In addition, many prefer one method of smoking and do not need a second.
Useful video
Watch the video, which demonstrates the process of making a combination smokehouse in the form of a slide show.
Capabilities of a universal device
The main advantage of a combined smokehouse is its universal capabilities.
By taking the time to build a brick or assemble a metal version, you can provide the perfect device for preparing delicacies not only for yourself, but also for family, friends, and guests of the house.
In addition, a stationary smokehouse with its design, if you work on it, can be used to decorate the garden area. A mobile smoking structure can not only be moved from place to place, but also taken with you on a trip.
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