Home smokehouses: recommendations for choosing a design

The debate about the dangers and benefits of smoked products has been going on for a long time. However, this does not reduce the number of lovers of food prepared in this way. And although such household appliances as hot smokers cannot be classified as consumer products, recently they have become increasingly popular. This is primarily due to the fact that many different models have appeared on the market, allowing you to independently prepare your favorite dishes using the hot smoking method.

Design and principle of operation

Structurally, a home hot smoked smokehouse is a metal container with wood chips placed at the bottom, which are not in direct contact with the fire during the cooking process. Inside the smoking device there is a grate for food, and under it there is a tray for collecting dripping fat. The container is closed with a sealed lid that has a fitting to remove smoke and maintain the required pressure inside the chamber.

The smoking process occurs as follows:

• the bottom of the structure is heated using an external heat source;
• the wood chips begin to smolder (but not burn);
• The smoke, passing through the grates, thermally processes (that is, smokes) the products until they are fully cooked.

The temperature inside the smoking chamber ranges from 60 to 120 °C. Complete cooking time (depending on the weight and type of loaded products) does not exceed 1.5-2 hours.

On a note! With the help of such fairly simple and useful devices, you can prepare a wide variety of products: cheese, lard, meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, mushrooms and much more.

How to use a smokehouse in the country and in the garden

Operating smokehouses outdoors is easier than in an apartment. There are different types of such devices. Before choosing a smokehouse, you need to determine the required performance and type of processing.

Metal hot smokers

The easiest way to use smokers is from a bucket, barrel or kettle:

1. pour some sawdust and wood chips onto the bottom;
2. install a tray on the stand to collect fat;
3. place grates with products above the pallet at the required height;
4. Cover the smokehouse with a lid and place it over a small fire.

The fire heats the bottom of the apparatus, the wood chips begin to smolder and emit smoke. The duration of treatment is 30-60 minutes.

Metal hot smoked smokehouse

Stainless steel smokehouse

These devices look like a food-grade stainless steel box. The principle of operation and rules of use are similar to the bucket smokehouse. You can make such a device yourself or purchase a ready-made one.

Stainless steel smokehouse

Hot smoked brick smokehouse

A simple brick smokehouse is a brick cabinet divided into two parts - a fire is built in the lower one, and grates with food are installed in the upper one. Sawdust and wood chips are poured onto a metal sheet separating these chambers.

This installation can be part of a large multifunctional structure, such as a 5-in-1 smoker grill.

Stationary brick smokehouse

How to use a cold smoker

In a cold smoking installation, smoke is generated separately from the smoking chamber, in a smoke generator, which is connected to the smokehouse by a chimney. To prepare smoked meats, a fire is lit in the smoke generator and smoke begins to flow into the smoking chamber. As it passes through the chimney it cools down and the smoking process occurs at temperatures up to 30°C. The processing time is up to 2 days.

Such a cold smoking oven can be built from brick, wood or other materials.

Important! When cold smoking, products do not undergo heat treatment, so they need to be pre-salted or marinated.

Components of a cold smoked smokehouse

How to use a metal smoker grill

The metal smokehouse grill allows you to cook food using different methods. They differ in the location of the fire and the position of the products:

• barbecue - firewood and food are in the middle chamber, the lid is closed;
• grill - the same, the lid is open;
• hot smoking - the fire is lit in the lower chamber, and the products are placed in the middle one, the lid is closed;
• cold smoking - firewood is placed in the lower part, and meat or fish in the upper part, all lids are closed.

Cooking in a smokehouse grill is done not over fire, but over smoldering coals. Therefore, the firewood must be allowed to burn out and only then should meat or fish be placed in the apparatus.

Operating modes of a metal grill-smokehouse

How to use a barbecue with a brick smokehouse

You can make a smokehouse for lard out of brick. Such a barbecue with a smokehouse consists of two devices in one housing - a barbecue and a smokehouse:

• when frying meat on a grill or skewers, the fire is lit in the upper part, in the grill;
• For smoking, firewood is placed in the firebox, and food is placed in the smoking chamber. The smoke passes inside the smokehouse and reaches the cooled smoked meats.

Advice! To increase smoke production, wet sawdust is sprinkled on top of the coals.

The structure of a barbecue with a brick smokehouse

Types of devices for hot smoking

All hot smokehouses for domestic use are divided into two main groups:

• for outdoor use (as an external heat source, as a rule, a regular grill is used);
• with the possibility of installation on a standard kitchen stove (design features allow you to remove excess smoke through a kitchen hood or window vent).

It is the latter that are gaining increasing popularity, since you can smoke in a hot-smoked smokehouse and delight yourself and your loved ones with smoky culinary masterpieces not only in the open air during the short summer season, but throughout the entire calendar year.

What determines the taste of hot smoked products?

The two main things that affect the final taste of food cooked in a hot smoker are the recipes and the wood chips used to produce the smoke.

“Universal” smoke, suitable for almost all types of products, is obtained by using alder chips. Moreover, it is the cheapest. A package weighing 1 kg will cost you only 350-390 rubles. Fruit wood (apple, cherry, pear or apricot) gives smoked dishes a special aroma. A package of such material for producing smoke (also weighing 1 kg) will cost about 500 rubles.

Some manufacturers offer mixtures of wood from different species tested by professional chefs:

• for fish - beech, alder and thyme;
• for chicken - cherry and alder;
• for meat - alder, beech and rosemary.

The principle of operation of the smokehouse

The structure is installed away from suspected fire sources. The reused product should be prepared: remove old carbon deposits and burnt fat. The bottom of the equipment is laid with coal or sawdust. When using a gas smokehouse, the shavings are wrapped in foil with holes. A supply of wood chips is made next to the structure. Sawdust from the following trees serves as fuel:

• Pears.
• Cherries.
• Apple trees.
• Duba.
• Beech.
• Alders.

When adding softwood waste, an unpleasant smell of burning resin is released. The smokehouse is heated to 200 degrees and left to cool until the temperature drops by 100 degrees. The products are placed on grates, covered with a lid, and the valves are closed to increase the smoke pressure in the structure.

The smoking process begins. Periodically check the presence of sawdust and the readiness of the products. Experts recommend smoking large pieces at higher temperatures, periodically turning them over and brushing them with marinade. Small pieces of meat require lower temperatures .

Processing is carried out using hot, cold and semi-hot methods. Hot smoking involves smoking raw materials with high temperature smoke. The process takes no more than two hours. Meat prepared in this way should be eaten within two days. Cold processing is carried out over several days.

Products can be stored for a long time. The semi-hot method implies the presence of additional nozzles in the design. Smoking is carried out at 60 degrees.

The main manufacturers of smokehouses for indoor use

For quite a long time, only owners of dachas or country plots could “treat” themselves to dishes prepared at home in hot smoked smokehouses. This was, naturally, due to the smoke inevitably generated during the smoking process. However, recently, devices that can be used without problems in the kitchen of an ordinary city apartment have become increasingly popular. Excess smoke (which is removed through a special hose) can be easily handled with a regular kitchen hood. The most famous manufacturers of homemade hot-cooking smokehouses today are:

• Finnish Hanhi and Suomi;
• Russian Bravo and Dymka;
• German Peter Kohler, Kasseler, Fansel and Zolinger.

Tips for care and cleaning

Knowing how to use the smokehouse and properly care for it at home, you will be able to extend the life of the smokehouse. Cleaning should be done after each use. Stainless steel smokehouses are thoroughly washed and dried. You should not use aggressive detergents and cleaners. It is better to store them after lubricating them with oil. Remains of soot and ash are removed from outdoor household units.

A homemade hot-smoked smoker is a true helper that allows you to quickly create delicious delicacies at minimal cost. We choose the right machine, cook with love and pleasure, and the perfect result is guaranteed!

Models, equipment and prices

All of the manufacturers listed above offer users three models of home hot smokers with a useful internal volume of 10, 20 and 30 liters. The price of the devices is almost the same regardless of the manufacturer and amounts to 4900-5000, 6000-6500 and 7900-8100 rubles, respectively. Externally, they are a cylindrical container made of high-quality stainless steel. In order for the devices to be used on any kitchen stove (including modern induction hobs), the bottom of the housing is made of a special ferromagnetic alloy. Inside the smoking compartment there is a vertical metal rod, onto which the remaining components are mounted.

The standard package includes:

• the smokehouse itself with a lid;
• lower tray for wood chips;
• container for collecting drained fat;
• shelves with holes for smoking lump products (from 1 to 3 depending on the volume of the model);
• nozzle with hooks for smoking products (for example, fish or homemade sausage) in a vertically suspended state;
• hose (silicone) for removing excess smoke, usually 2 to 5 meters long;
• a thermometer that is screwed to the top cover;
• a recipe book that helps the user choose the right temperature and cooking time;
• instructions for use.

Some manufacturers (as a free bonus) additionally include in the package:

• 1-3 bags of various wood chips for trial testing of the purchased device;
• a roll of special jute twine;
• roll of forming mesh;
• a small package of natural casings for making homemade sausages.

A technological feature of Bravo models is the spherical (dome-shaped) shape of the top cover. According to the manufacturer, this helps the condensate formed during the smoking process to drain into the water seal.

The disadvantage of Kasseler products is the absence of a lower tray for wood chips, which complicates the cleaning of the product after use.

Types of smokehouses

Regardless of the material used to manufacture or construct the smokehouse, there are two types - hot and cold smoked. Let's take a closer look at the operating principle of each of them.

Hot smoked smokehouse

Portable hot smoker

Hot smoking is intended for various products - lard, meat products, vegetables, fish. The process itself is much simpler and easier than cold smoking. Typically, products are smoked at a temperature of 45-55 degrees for 1-6 hours. To produce all the delicacies at home, you need to get a smokehouse. The modern market offers a huge number of electric smokehouses of various sizes. But why spend huge amounts of money when you can make a hot smoker yourself? So, the main advantages of a hot smoking smokehouse are:

• simple smokehouse device;
• mobility of the smokehouse (you can use it anywhere);
• simple and fast food preparation process;
• low financial costs when building a smokehouse;
• The output product does not require additional processing.

When making a hot smoked smokehouse with your own hands, it is important to consider that all materials must be made of stainless metals. In general, any sealed containers (boxes, boilings, buckets) can be suitable for these purposes. Great demands are also placed on the lid of the device - it must not only cover the container, but also be quickly removable. This need is explained by the fact that during the cooking process it is necessary to regulate the smoke output when the sample is taken.

We advise you to read what hot smoking smokehouses exist.

Hot smoked smokehouse design

This smokehouse is very simple. A grate is placed inside the container; if necessary, several, on which products (meat, fish, lard) are laid out. To fix the gratings on the surface walls, you need to make special corners in advance; as a rule, they are welded. If you use several grates at the same time, the fat from the food will drip directly onto the coals and burn. To do this, you need to place a special tray under the grilles.

Hot smoked smokehouse device

Operating principle of a hot smoked smokehouse

A special substance is placed at the bottom of the container, which produces smoke when heated. In most cases, wood is used for this (alder, oak, apple tree, cherry). Before placement, the wood is crushed into small sticks or chips. Here it is important not to overdo it and put enough wood. For example, if the smokehouse is small, 1-5 branches are enough. When the bottom of the smokehouse is completely filled with raw materials, the tray is exposed, and the grates are filled with products, the smokehouse can be put on fire.

We recommend: Review of professional smokehouses Izhitsa

Any combustion source can be chosen, and you shouldn’t stop at just one fire. High temperature required. For these purposes, you can use a gas or electric stove. The main thing is to achieve a certain temperature in the container with grates. Approximately 30-40 minutes after the start of smoking, you need to take the first sample. This is how a smokehouse works.

Smokehouse for cold smoking

Stationary cold smoked smokehouse

Unlike hot smoking, the cold smoking process lasts much longer. During heat treatment, the steam temperature reaches 20-25 degrees, which means that it will take more time to prepare your favorite dishes, on average from 1 to 3 days. But the result is worth it. The advantage of this type of smoking is the long shelf life of products, which is achieved by long-term processing of smoke. Due to this, complete evaporation of water from the product occurs.

Read about what a cold smoking smokehouse is in the next article!

Smokehouse design for cold smoking

It should consist of the following components:

• chimney;
• smoke generator;
• smoking chamber.

Drawing of a cold smoked smokehouse

Operating principle of a cold smoked smokehouse

First of all, it is necessary that the smoke during cooking is directed exclusively towards the food. To achieve this result, the smokehouse is divided into two parts, thus creating a firebox and the main container. There should be a distance of at least 2 meters between them, and a chimney connects them.

The principle of operation of the smokehouse is based on the fact that at the initial stage wood shavings are placed in the smoke generator, they smolder and produce smoke. This creates a draft that ensures the penetration of smoke into the chimney. During its “path” through the pipe, the smoke becomes cold and enters the smoking chamber to the products. Thus, the main component when operating a smokehouse is the smoke generator. If you notice that the smoke has not reached the desired temperature, you need to increase the length of the hose.

Before you start working on a cold smokehouse, make sure it is fully operational. You should never use coniferous trees for sawdust; they give off a strong smell and can overwhelm the aroma of the finished products, and we don’t need that.

Smoked chicken

A brief overview of practice-tested recipes should begin with one of the methods of preparing hot smoked chicken in a smokehouse. After all, it is this type of bird in one form or another that is most often present on our table.

Preparatory stage:

• Pour 3 liters of water, a heaped tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar into a large saucepan;
• bring the solution to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of 3% table vinegar, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 30-35 black peppercorns, 20-30 mg of dried herbs (depending on personal preference);
• mix everything thoroughly and let the solution cool;
• Place the chicken carcass in a container, close the pan with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for 18-22 hours.

Process of cooking chicken in a hot smoker:

• 1 hour before the start of smoking, remove the carcass from the marinade and remove excess moisture using napkins;
• pour 30-40 grams of alder chips (or a special mixture) into the lower tray and place it in the container;
• then we mount a container for collecting fat and one grate on the rod;
• we put the chicken carcass on the central rod (if we use a model from Bravo, then we additionally insert a special spacer nozzle inside the carcass);
• screw on the lid, fill the water seal with water and turn on the stove (don’t forget to connect the smoke exhaust hose and fix it to the kitchen hood).

Smoking temperature - about 80 degrees; cooking time - from 45-50 minutes to 1-1.2 hours (depending on the size of the chicken).

Important! We begin to count the time from the moment the first signs of smoke appear from the fitting.

Chicken prepared in this way, with its unique aroma and exquisite specific taste, leaves no chance for competition with its oven-baked or grilled counterparts. Anyone who has ever tried a dish made from this popular bird will undoubtedly agree with this statement.

On a note! In 30-liter units you can cook 2 or even 3 chickens at the same time.

Food preparation

To smoke meat and fish, you must first prepare them. Processing methods depend on the smoking temperature.

Preparatory operations for cold smoking

Before starting smoke treatment, food must be salted. There are several types of salting:

• Dry salting. Meat and fish are covered with table salt and placed under pressure on a wire rack so that the resulting juice drips off. Salting period is 2-3 weeks.
• Wet Ambassador. Products are salted in a brine solution (1 liter of water, 100 g of salt, 100 g of spices, 10 g of sugar) for a month. Before smoking, they must be washed and dried or wiped with paper napkins or a towel.
• Mixed (combined) method. The meat is placed under pressure for 24-48 hours, then transferred to brine.

Important! Food must be salted at a temperature of 2-4°C.

Preparing for hot smoking

Before hot smoking, meat must be cut into pieces 10 cm thick; fish and poultry, if necessary, are cut lengthwise. The chopped products are rubbed with salt and spices and left in a cool place for 30 minutes.

Preparing meat before smoking

How to choose wood chips

An important factor when choosing wood chips is its size and moisture content - sawdust that is too dry or too small will quickly burn and give the smoked meat a burning smell.

The optimal humidity is 50-70%, and a mixture of small shavings, twigs and sawdust.

Wood should be chosen from deciduous species other than birch, without bark. The following table shows the recommended tree species for each type of product.

Smoked pork

Smoking pork in a hot smoker is even easier than smoking chicken. Many experts believe that the use of pre-marinating and numerous spices “kills” the taste of already quite tender and soft meat.

What need to do:

• cut the pork into fairly large pieces;
• Rub the resulting “blanks” with a mixture of salt, chopped bay leaf and ground pepper (red and black);
• Place the processed pieces of pork in a suitable container and leave for 1-2 hours.

The smoking technique is much the same as cooking chicken. Main differences:

• place the meat on 1 or 2 horizontal racks (depending on the quantity);
• as the starting material for producing smoke we use a mixture of beech and alder chips (in a 1:1 ratio);
• cooking time – 1-1.5 hours, temperature – 90-95 degrees.

On a note! You can smoke a variety of foods this way: pieces of chicken (wings or thighs), pork ribs or small fish.

Hot smoked mackerel

The taste of hot smoked mackerel is familiar to every fish lover. However, few people know that you can cook fish in a hot smoke smokehouse without much difficulty, even at home.

Prepare the marinade (based on the preparation of 4 mackerel carcasses, because this is the amount that can easily be placed in a home smokehouse):

• Pour 2 liters of water into the pan and bring it to a boil;
• add 200 grams of salt and sugar, 5-6 bay leaves, 18-20 black peppercorns, 20-30 ml of natural lemon juice;
• mix all the ingredients thoroughly and boil them for 8-10 minutes;
• cool the finished marinade;
• place 4 mackerel carcasses in it (without heads and entrails);
• close the lid and put it in the refrigerator for 18-20 hours.

Smoking fish in a hot smoker:

• remove the fish from the marinade;
• remove all excess moisture using paper towels both outside and inside;
• we tie the carcasses with a rope, leaving a loop in the tail for hanging on a device for vertical smoking;
• Moisten 50-60 grams of alder chips with 3 tablespoons of water;
• spread it evenly on the surface of the lower tray and lower it to the bottom of the smokehouse;
• Next, install a container to collect fat;
• we hook the carcasses onto the hooks of the device for vertical smoking, and install it on the central vertical rod of the smokehouse;
• close the lid;
• We attach a hose to remove excess smoke to the hood;
• fill the water seal with water;
• turn on the stove at medium power.

Smoking temperature – 65-75 degrees, cooking time – 35-40 minutes.

Nuances of choosing a hot smoked smokehouse

When choosing a smokehouse, you should pay attention to the fuel . This could be gas, wood components, coal, electricity or a combination.

A huge number of devices are produced to suit every taste and need. There are very expensive, sophisticated models with many functions. When buying a device, be sure to decide what parameters you need. For ordinary smoking at home, the simplest designs are quite suitable

An important selection criterion is the place of application . The most popular are universal models that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Dimensions are also important : for stationary devices, compactness does not play a special role, but it is better to choose mobile designs with an average ratio of light weight and smoking chamber capacity.

In addition, here is a list of the most important parameters:

• Smokehouse material - stainless steel with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm is considered the best. The durability of the structure and the ability to retain heat longer depend on the thickness of the steel.
• Tiers and volume of the chamber.
• Possibility of easy cleaning of the smokehouse.
• The presence of such functions as a thermometer, a water seal, a gas outlet tube.
• Collapsible or non-dismountable structure or its weight. So that, if necessary, the device is mobile and can be taken with you into nature (depending on the fuel used).
• Ease of use.

For those who are not well versed in the quality and functions of such devices, we have compiled a rating that presents the best models of universal smokehouses in the budget price segment.

Since the devices are similar in characteristics, we will focus on such important parameters as dimensions and case material, and we will also consider the wall thickness. The first indicates the capacity and mobility of the structure, and the second indicates durability both under mechanical stress and at high temperatures.

Smokehouses for outdoor use

The choice of hot smokers designed for outdoor use is very diverse, both in price and size.

For example, the simplest compact portable design of domestic production (dimensions 500x250x200 mm, with a tray for collecting fat and two grates) can be purchased for only 850-900 rubles. And although such a device does not have a water seal and a fitting for removing excess steam, it will perform its main purpose (to smoke food) properly. You can use a barbecue as a heat source (if you have one) or install the product on several bricks and simply light a fire under it. The lack of a thermometer forces you to carry out the cooking process “by eye”. Therefore, it will be possible to achieve a really good result only after conducting numerous experiments.

Stainless steel products with a water seal and a built-in thermometer are similar in price to cylindrical universal devices from Hanhi, Bravo or Zolinger. Therefore, their choice is justified mainly for those who live in their own country house or spend a significant part of their free time on their personal plot.

The popular model Sfera Lux 450 (Russia), made of high-quality food grade stainless steel (dimensions 450x300x300 mm with a water seal and a thermometer built into the top cover) costs about 5,500 rubles.

Standalone models

Autonomous devices for hot smoking are equipped with built-in thermal elements: electric (heating elements) or gas (burners). Both options are for outdoor use only. Due to their significant size and high price, their purchase is justified either for large families permanently living in the countryside or in rural areas; or for small restaurants or cafes.

The most famous manufacturers of this category of smokehouses are Smoke Hollow, Masterbuilt, Chair-Broil and Camp Chef. Minimum price – 25,000-30,000 rubles.

DIY option

Building a hot smoke smokehouse with your own hands will not be difficult for people with even minimal plumbing skills. There are a great many manufacturing options. Simplest:

• As the main container we use a small barrel, a bucket of sufficient size, or a tank for boiling laundry (which, by the way, almost no one now uses for its intended purpose).
• A tray for collecting fat can be made from a pot that has become unusable, cutting it to the desired height.
• It is easy to weave food racks yourself from metal wire of a suitable diameter.