Delicious and aromatic smoked fish on the table, and even cooked with your own hands, is the pinnacle of the celebration. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to smoke fish and what devices are needed for this. At the same time, not everyone realizes that it is not at all difficult. The main thing is to understand the type of smoking and smoking technology. And then be patient and prepare everything you need.
The device of the smokehouse is so simple that anyone can make it. Here's what you need to do this:
- The smoking chamber is installed on bricks or wooden blocks embedded in the ground. Since condensation is possible, the soil may drift to the side.
- Wood chips or sawdust can be used as fuel. Very little firewood is needed (20%). Firewood falls in the center, and everything else is poured around. This will allow the fire to not burn, but smoke, as a result of which the food will acquire a pleasant aroma.
- It is necessary to provide a normal draft from the fire to the camera. Naturally, this is not easy, especially since it is difficult to guess with the temperature. For this, a long chimney is installed so that the smoke has time to cool down to the right temperature... Fans can be installed to ensure excellent draft, and distributors for cooling.
Unfortunately, this is no longer simple construction, but will look more like an industrial design.
Design
A metal or wooden barrel is suitable for such a device. As a rule, a large amount of smoked fish is not required for a house, and such a smokehouse design may well provide a family with smoked fish. A chimney is mounted between the firebox and the barrel. Its role is played by a trench dug in the ground, up to 2 meters long. The trench is reinforced with iron or slate, after which it is covered with earth. The container (barrel) is installed on a sheet of iron, in which holes are made. This is necessary so that the smoke from the trench penetrates into the barrel.
Another option is also possible: a barrel is installed on the stove. The hearth is kindled in the stove, and the fish is smoked in the barrel. The main thing here is to ensure the required smoking temperature (40 ° C), and what kind of design it will be does not matter. The smoking process under such conditions can last up to several days.
In any case, such a do-it-yourself smokehouse will cost much less than bought in a store. The finished product can cost from 3 thousand to 7 thousand rubles. Made independently, from unnecessary scrap metal, such a product will not stand anything at all.
Smokehouse for hot smoked fish
The device practically does not differ from the cold smoking device. The only difference is that there is an appropriate temperature in the smokehouse chamber (from 60 to 100 ° C). As you can see from the condition, there is no need for a cooling channel, but otherwise everything is exactly the same. There are many simple and elementary constructions, for example:
- Take an enameled bucket or saucepan.
- Wooden chips are placed on the bottom of the vessel.
- The container is divided in half (in height) and the grate is installed.
It is so easy that the smoker can be cooked up in a few minutes. Despite its simplicity, the result is the same as if it were a complex structure. Naturally, the device is not so productive, but this is quite enough for a family.
In such a smokehouse, the fish is cooked for about an hour. First, the temperature is set somewhere around 60-70 ° C, and then rises to 100 ° C.
If you buy a similar in performance, then it will cost from 6 thousand to 10 thousand rubles. There are smokehouses using new technologies.
- First you need to decide on suitable place... Since all technology is associated with fire, the smokehouse will have to be installed away from residential buildings.
- In this case, you need to take into account the distance to neighboring buildings.
- First of all, they are engaged in marking the chimney, after which it is laid out of bricks.
- It is better to use clay and sand for the solution.
Smokehouse from a bucket
To make a simple smokehouse, you will need an old bucket. Here you can cook both fish and meat, but very little, although it is quite enough for a family.
Products in such a smokehouse are cooked for about an hour.
Smokehouse from a barrel
it good decision, because at one time you can cook as much food as in the smokehouse from a bucket at a time.
Smokehouse from a gas cylinder
Such a device, if purchased, is not cheap. For such a purpose, suitable gas bottle, with a capacity of about 50 liters. But before using a gas cylinder, you should do the following:
- Release all gas from the cylinder, if any. Be sure to check by cleaning the hole with soapy water. After that, the cylinder is rinsed with water to remove any remaining gas residues.
- After that, the top of the balloon is cut off.
- At the next stage, the legs are welded to the cylinder. It is very important that the structure is stable, because the balloon weighs a lot.
- In conclusion, the firebox and chimney are mounted.
- The firebox and chimney are made of metal.
This is how the smokehouse should look like:
Desirable! The gas cylinder should not be too old (rusty), and before use it should be calcined to burn off the remaining gas.
The fact is that no matter how thoroughly the balloon is washed, it will emit an unpleasant aroma for a long time. This means that products cooked in an unprepared container will emit the same smell.
Smokehouse made of bricks
- First, a trench is laid in the ground, which will serve as a chimney. All work should be done only with red bricks.
- At the end of the trench, there is a smoking chamber, no more than 150 cm high.
All masonry is done on the edge using clay mortar.
At the beginning of the trench there is a firebox.
5 advantages of home smoking
- As a rule, home cooking is only fresh produce.
- There is a possibility independent decision about additional ingredients.
- The cost of homemade products is several times less than that of store products.
- Guaranteed quality of finished products.
- Smoking is prepared only from natural ingredients, without the use of "chemistry".
What could be better than a pleasant stay in your own summer cottage, when the hearth is divorced in the open area, and you enjoy unity with nature in the sincere company of relatives and friends. For full of happiness all that remains is to taste a dish of smoked fish or meat prepared with my own hands... To diversify your table with dishes with an unforgettable taste and exquisite aroma, you just need to make a smokehouse for the dacha.
Many people know that there are two ways to prepare smoked meats: cold and hot.
Cold smoked foods retain their texture and density. The technology is quite lengthy, but it is not worth rushing things, since not fully cooked fish or meat can cause poisoning.
Hot smoked products are cooked by the heat emanating from the coals, impregnated with a pleasant smoke aroma and acquiring a richer taste.
The cold method involves smoking products for several days at a temperature of 30 °. The products are simply suspended from the smoke of a smoldering fire and kept there for 5-7 days.
The hot method involves smoking fish or meat for several hours at temperatures between 90 ° and 150 °. The lower the temperature in the installation, the longer the product is smoked
The main principle of smoking is that with optimal heating, wood chips, without igniting, gradually smolder, while releasing a large number of smoke.
The main thing when arranging a smokehouse is to maintain the temperature, creating conditions under which tree branches and sawdust do not catch fire and char, and the dish turns out to be tasty and healthy
The optimal smoking method in the absence of special thermometers at home can only be determined empirically.
The lid must fit snugly against the body of the smoking chamber, otherwise, instead of smoking, you can get burning. Since the metal tends to warp with reusable use to ensure a tight fit, the lid can be pressed down with ordinary brick.
The design of the smokehouse is determined by the smoking method.
During the construction of a device for cold smoking, the pit for the hearth is placed to the side, connecting it to the smoking chamber with a special pipe
During the construction of a hot smoking device, a hearth with coals is placed directly under the smoking chamber
Smokehouse Option # 1 - Hot Smoked Design
There are many options for constructing smokehouses that you can make with your own hands. It all depends on the availability of free time necessary for the manufacture of materials and skills of the master.
The simplest version of the smokehouse is a structure made of two hundred liter metal barrels.
Wood chips are poured at the bottom of the container. Slightly above the middle, a reinforcing grid is placed, the thickness of the rods in which is 8-10 mm
The top of the barrel is covered with a burlap cut that prevents smoke from escaping. The structure itself is covered with a wooden shield. The barrel is placed on posts made of bricks, and a fire is made under it.
The same principle of arrangement can be applied when making a smokehouse from a metal bucket. To arrange the lattice, we used willow rods, from which we formed a ring and braided with wire so that a coarse mesh was obtained.
The moment is also important the right choice sawdust. In no case do not take coniferous sawdust, otherwise you will get a guaranteed failure option. It turns out not tasty when cooking with aspen sawdust.
For smoking, it is best to use shavings and ground branches left over from autumn pruning fruit trees: cherry, sea buckthorn, apple tree, apricot
A delicious dish can be obtained by applying branches of birch, bird cherry and dry alder. But they must first be cleaned of the bark, since it gives bitterness.
Smokehouse Option # 2 - Cold Smoke Design
To provide yourself with a variety of delicacies, you can make your own smokehouse.
Choosing a location
On the one hand, the place should be convenient for where to lay out the food and sit down, waiting for the completion of the process. On the other hand, it is better to place a flammable structure away from green spaces and buildings, since the raging flame can cause irreparable damage.
When choosing a place to install a smokehouse, it is important to consider not only the convenience for those who are engaged in cooking, but also the safety of the structure.
It is also necessary to provide enough space for arranging an underground chimney with a length of 3 meters, the average height of which is 25-27 cm, and the width is 30-50 cm.
Procurement of materials
A metal barrel or iron box is ideal for a smokehouse chamber. For work, it is better to use a container whose area does not exceed one meter, and the height is one and a half meters. You can make it by cutting and bending a sheet of metal, and then welding a box from it without a bottom and a roof.
When arranging a smokehouse, it is better to use natural materials which, when heated, do not emit substances harmful to human health
Chimney arrangement
The upper wall of the channel can be decorated with the same brick or covered with a sheet of thick metal. On top of the chimney we place a damper that will block the exit of heat and smoke. It is better to cut it from a piece of sheet metal that has a thickness of 4 mm.
We lay the chimney channel above the level of the smokehouse. We lay out the walls of the chimney with bricks, installing their ribs and fastening them with clay mortar
We connect the chimney with the smokehouse so that the entrance is 20 cm, ensuring uniform distribution and timely removal of smog outside. The joints of the walls of the smoking chamber and the chimney are sealed with clay mortar.
Installation of a smoking chamber
To arrange the firebox, we dig a hole in the ground 40 cm deep and 70 cm in diameter, providing for the presence of space for air intake.
We lay out the smoking chamber out of brick, using a sand-clay solution, or use a metal box for this purpose
Since we will kindle the fire for heating sawdust directly on the ground, we completely remove the bottom of the box. We construct the smoking compartment itself from a grate made of iron rods. An excellent addition to the design will be metal hooks, on which it is convenient to hang fish carcasses and pieces of meat.
During the smoking process, meat and fish begin to secrete fat. So that there is where to drain it, we place a shallow pan under the grate, leaving gaps between the walls of the box and the edges of the pan for the passage of flue gases.
A wet burlap stretched over the firebox will allow smoke to pass through without hindrance, but at the same time protect the food from contamination by ash and foreign substances.
To be able to control the process, we fix a mechanical thermometer on the wall of the structure.
First test of the device
Inside the smoking compartment, lay out the fish or pieces of meat so that they do not touch.
We fill the sawdust department with chopped wood of any fruit tree and we light up the stove. We close the damper, waiting for the smoking chamber to warm up and fill with smoke. Preparatory stage takes a quarter of the entire cooking time and lasts from 10 to 15 minutes.
You don't have to limit yourself to smoking fish alone. Chicken stuffed with garlic pork neck and bacon can be used
When the temperature rises to the required level, open the outlet. You can determine the temperature in the smokehouse using a mechanical thermometer or using the water method. To do this, you need to drip water onto the lid and observe: if it does not sizzle during evaporation, the smoking process is proceeding correctly. If it is necessary to lower the temperature, it is enough to just move the coals a little.
It remains only to wait until the product is completely smoked, becoming hot to the touch and acquiring a golden hue.
The first times you can check the readiness of the product right in the cooking process, removing the lid for a fraction of a second and returning it with the same speed, thereby somewhat disrupting the production technology. With the acquisition of experience, the need for this will disappear, and you will be much better oriented, creating culinary masterpieces in the fresh air.
Any fisherman, hunter or summer resident can make a smokehouse without outside help... Fish, game, homemade sausages, meat products are cooked in a properly constructed device. There are electric smokehouses suitable even for a city apartment. This is a simple design for making with your own hands, but there are nuances that you should know in advance.
Types of smoking
A homemade smokehouse must meet some requirements. Firstly, fumigation and heating must be uniform, otherwise the taste of the finished product will deteriorate. Secondly, light smoke is needed, because heavy smoke will precipitate before it reaches the semi-finished product. Bleeding takes a lot of time and haze delay. As a result, gradual penetration is important. Before figuring out how to make a smokehouse with your own hands, you should decide on the preferred type of smoking.
Cold
The most exquisite bouquets of aroma and taste in combination with the shelf life give cold smoking, which is carried out at t 30-50 ° C. A smoked pork leg will lie in a cool dry cellar for more than a year, retaining its aroma and taste. The disadvantage of the cold method is the duration of the process. For small fish, it will take up to 6 hours of time, and a pork leg will be fumigated for up to 3 days. The design of cold fumigation is simple in the device. Installation will be appropriate at any cottage. How to make a cold smoked smokehouse will be described and shown in the photo below.
In terms of appetizing smell, taste and appearance, hot smoked products are inferior to cold ones. The procedure is performed at t 70-120 ° C, after which the smoked meats are stored in the open air for no more than 36 hours at room temperature... Fumigation lasts from 15 minutes to 4 hours. There is no need to prepare the product in advance. In the refrigerator, dishes freeze quickly, which is why they lose their taste. How to make hot smokehouse do it yourself, experts will tell in the video at the end of the article.
Semi-hot
The smell and appearance of a semi-hot product is the same as that of hot smoked. The procedure is carried out in cold or electric smokehouses at t 70 ° C. This is a great "fast" option. It is used when you need to quickly prepare smoked meats from fresh products for a festive table. The semi-hot method is also used by fishermen-hunters, who carry the catch after processing immediately to the market.
How to make a smokehouse at home
Home smoking devices are small in size. Professionals recommend looking for drawings of structures that involve the use of bricks. A brick chimney will impair the taste of the finished products, so the masonry will only support the smokehouse. The basis of any model is metal sheets (stainless steel) and high-quality welding. How to make a smokehouse with your own hands so that it lasts for many years and is low-cost? The simplest to implement is the cold fumigation home smoking device.
Do-it-yourself cold smoked smokehouse
It is very easy to prepare a portable mini-structure. The simplest do-it-yourself cold home smokehouse is this:
- Three grill grates and two metal rods curved with the letter P.
- Weld three pairs of rings to each rod, which should be equidistant from each other.
- Weld four bars (3 cm) vertically to the grates to insert into the rings on the rods.
- The grid must be firmly and easily fixed so that it does not fall under the weight of fish or meat during the process.
- Dig a fireplace in nature with a chimney, and feel free to cook meat and fish delicacies.
Do-it-yourself hot smoked smokehouse
If you want to know how to make a hot smokehouse with your own hands, then building it is a little more difficult than a cold one. The smoking cabinet should be located in a smoke casing, which tapers at the top. This is required for uniform consumption of the smoke entering the hole. The structure must have a closed bottom to prevent dripping grease from getting onto the smoke hood or fuel. Hot smokehouse scheme:
- firebox;
- layer of shavings;
- tray for collecting fat;
- lattice.
It is better if the cover of the structure is with a water seal, so that pressure is created inside and the semi-finished products are evenly smoked. It is easy to do it with a hose dipped in a container of water. An important addition will be a smoke generator, because hot smoking requires a lot of smoke. If the structure is stationary, then it is better to overlay it with bricks and cover it with refractory clay.
Video tutorials: how to make smokehouses for home smoking
Watch a video that clearly shows how to make a smokehouse from a 100-200 liter barrel, a grill smokehouse from bricks or gas cylinders, on which it is easy to make a barbecue. Learn how to build a stationary smoking oven from an old refrigerator. Professionals will point out the nuances of making a smoke generator, tell you which material is better to choose for the production of this or that device, what to use as a compressor, and what improvised means are suitable for construction.
Do-it-yourself hot-smoked smokehouse is a rather uncomplicated process, but there are certain nuances.
Mostly, the smokehouse is used to smoke fish or meat, but other products can also be smoked, such as lard and much more.
Hot smoked fish and meat have a delicate taste and exquisite aroma.
But in order to fully enjoy the unique taste, certain subtleties of smoking should be taken into account.
An electric smokehouse, which can be bought at any store, is quite expensive, so many hobbyists try to create a device on their own.
How to make a hot smoked smokehouse yourself from a brick, bucket, refrigerator or barrel will be discussed in this article.
Hot Smokehouse Features
Sometimes it is difficult to decide which type of smokehouse is better to make with your own hands - hot or cold smoking?
If the goal is to get tasty fish in a short time, then there is no need to waste time building a cold smoked smokehouse.
Hot smoking will allow you to cook fish quickly and tasty. With this type of smoking, the fish will be ready within 40 minutes.
Cold smoked fish will take longer. Cold-smoked fish quality preparation takes three to five days.
Also, the construction of a cold smoked smokehouse takes a lot of time. The meaning of cold smoking is that the resulting smoke passes underground, while losing temperature.
For a cold smoked smokehouse, the length of the chimney should be about 10 meters so that the cooled smoke reaches the fish.
Also, for cold smoking, two chambers are needed - in one smoke is formed, in the other there are products. Therefore, cold smoked fish can be smoked for several weeks.
Cold smoked products have a more sophisticated taste.
The basic principle of smoking is that when optimal temperature When heated, the wood does not burn, but smolders, and a lot of smoke is formed.
For proper hot smoking, the bottom of the smokehouse should be heated to 300-350C.
When this circumstance is fulfilled, the sawdust slowly smolders, and when the temperature rises even by 50 degrees, the wood at the bottom of the smokehouse burns out and releases carcinogens.
Soot settles on the products and they become unsuitable for consumption. The point of smoking is to prevent the wood from charring during fish smoking.
The smoking temperature of the products themselves is 70 - 120 degrees.
In large-sized smokehouses, fish smoking is more correct, since the volume and mass prevent overheating of the smokehouse, which negatively affects the taste of the fish.
Light smoke is another prerequisite for proper smoking. Do not allow large fractions of smoke to get onto the food.
As in the process of cold smoking, when smoking hot, the products are processed with smoke. Gradual penetration plays an important role in the hot smoking process.
Light smoke should linger near the fish, only then the aroma will penetrate into the fish evenly.
The smoke concentration for hot smoking is considered optimal if the fish is completely shrouded in smoke and poorly visible.
All these tips are relevant if you decide to create such a device yourself. But if there is no time, then an electric smokehouse will suit you, which can be bought at any themed store.
Do-it-yourself smokehouse
To make a smokehouse, you need to know its structure and principle of operation.
The smokehouse should have two chambers: one for placing products, the other for sawdust. In most types of smokers, these two chambers are combined in one container.
Before you start making a smokehouse with your own hands, you need to make drawings, and then do all the work.
The most simple option is an electric smokehouse that does not require any manufacturing effort, it can simply be purchased at the store and start the smoking process.
Homemade smokehouses are more advanced, however. If you make a smokehouse yourself, then the smoked meats will surprise you with their extraordinary taste.
The article presents drawings and a process diagram of how to make a smokehouse from a brick, a bucket, an old refrigerator and a barrel.
Smoker from a bucket
If you plan to smoke a small amount of products, then you can make a mini-smokehouse with your own hands. Manufacturing of this kind will fit for those new to this business.
This will require an ordinary iron bucket (maybe another container) and a lid.
At the bottom of the bucket, you need to install a grate, and on top make holes for rods with hooks on which the fish is suspended.
Make sure to make holes in the lid for the smoke to escape.
Sawdust and wood chips are poured at the bottom, then the smokehouse is put on fire. When heated, sawdust and wood chips begin to smolder, after which the products are suspended.
The fire under the smokehouse is only necessary to maintain the temperature, so it should not be too large. Cooking takes 30-40 minutes.
A small flame is allowed only in rain or simply in cloudy weather.
Smokehouse from a barrel
When you plan to smoke a large volume of products, you can make a smokehouse from a wooden or metal barrel. from the barrel is a fairly popular smokehouse option.
When making a smokehouse from a barrel, first of all, it is necessary to clean the barrel from paint, if it is metal. To do this, it is enough to hold it at the stake for 60 minutes.
In the presence of wooden barrel- it needs to be washed and dried in the sun.
Then make holes in the walls of the barrel for attaching rods, for hanging products.
Now you need to make a glass of metal pipe, the dimensions of which are 40-50 cm in length and 0.5-0.6 cm in diameter, the wall thickness is not more than 3 mm. The glass is inserted into the hole through the bottom of the barrel.
The height of the barrel is determined by the ease of installation of the glass. When using a wooden barrel, the glass is protected from overheating with an asbestos cloth.
You also need a cover, for which a sheet of plywood is used. For a snug fit of the lid, you can put a load on top of the smokehouse.
Now you need to warm up the chimney for one hour (the period of combustion of sawdust) using a blowtorch or gas burner. The flame must be controlled to avoid excessive smoke.
After the smokehouse has cooled down completely, you can take out the food. It is advisable to let them ventilate in the air to remove unburned sawdust.
Smokehouse from the refrigerator
A homemade smokehouse with your own hands is an unpretentious thing and you can even make a smokehouse from an old refrigerator, the main thing is to make the device correctly.
First you need to remove all plastic parts and aluminum freezer... It is necessary to leave only the metal case and shelves-lattices.
If the body of the refrigerator is cracked, then they need to be patched up with pieces of iron sheet.
An electric stove is placed on the bottom of the refrigerator and connected to the mains. It is necessary to turn off the stove after 3 minutes.
Chips are poured onto the spiral in a layer of about three centimeters. The fish is smoked with the refrigerator door closed for about 6 hours, the meat takes longer to cook.
Fish and meat for smoking are laid out on shelves or hung on rods.
Brick smokehouse
The principle of operation of a brick smokehouse is no different from others. The brick device is similar to a Russian stove, since a wooden door is used instead of a lid.
The door should be covered with clay, and the clay should be covered with a sheet of iron to avoid shedding.
For a brick smokehouse, you need to make a strong foundation.
The dimensions must be planned in advance and the laying of the smoking cabinet must be made of ceramic bricks.
The size of the brick smokehouse chamber depends on the amount of products that are planned to be smoked. However, the chamber should at least be twice the size of the firebox.
It is necessary to create an air duct at ¼ of the height of the smokehouse and protect the connection with a collar. Above the inlet of the air duct, you need to arrange a drain of the same type as for the firebox.
Around the brick smokehouse, it is necessary to compact the soil.
A home brick smokehouse can also be made with a lid, which can be made from a metal sheet or board. The walls are built of bricks.
Burlap is laid under the lid for tightness.
For smoking, you need to remove the lid, put firewood and make a fire. The cover is put back in place, but you need to leave a small gap for air to enter.
Smoke enters the smoking cabinet through the duct. After the coals have formed, add the fruit chips.
Then fish or meat is placed in the cabinet, and after the cabinet is filled with smoke, the lid must be closed. It takes about an hour to smoke.
Smoker from a gas cylinder
If a gas cylinder remains in the household, then the device can be built with your own hands even from this unnecessary thing.
At first glance, making with your own hands may seem complicated, but in fact, everything is much simpler.
Before starting any work, it is necessary to release the remaining gas from the cylinder. For what it is necessary to take it to the wasteland and saw off the valve.
To check that the cylinder is empty, you need to apply soapy water to the valve, and if there are no bubbles, then the cylinder is safe.
Now the cylinder needs to be rinsed, for this it is enough to fill it with plain water. In a cleaned container, you can start making a smokehouse.
You will need a large door to store fish or meat, so the walls must not be cut completely. The next step will be to weld the hinge of the future door.
When the hinges are ready, the doors can be cut to the end. Then you need to cut off half of the bottom. You need to make a firebox from thick sheets of iron and then weld it to the cylinder.
Before the first use, it will be correct if you heat the cylinder with wood.
Smokehouse for hiking
A large catch of fish makes you wonder what to do with it before the fish goes bad. The easiest way out of the situation is to smoke the fish.
After all, a hot-smoked camping smokehouse with your own hands is not difficult to make.
Making a smokehouse will require a hole in the ground with a diameter of 35 cm and a depth of 45 cm. This is the smoke hole.
Now you need to dig a trench, which will be the chimney of the smokehouse, then another hole for the fire. Thus, 2 pits are obtained, which are connected by a trench.
The smoke from the first fire pit will pass through the chimney into the second pit, which contains the fish. The trench must be closed with branches, preferably wet, and sprinkled with earth or sand.
The smoke outlet in the ground needs to be raised a little, using the ground, so that the smoke will not scatter to the sides.
After creating a semblance of a pipe on the outlet pit, all holes must be covered with sand or earth. This is how a do-it-yourself camp smokehouse is made.
For smoking, you need to light a fire in a deep hole and warm it up. After warming up, close the well. After a couple of minutes, smoke will begin to emit. We put the fish on the outlet.
Smoke for about 40 minutes.
The right choice of sawdust
Sawdust plays an important role in the smoking process. Therefore, it is important to choose the right sawdust. The taste of smoked products depends on the choice of sawdust.
But the best taste and aroma will give fruit trees(apple, apricot, pear, cherry and others).
Juniper chips are an excellent choice.
The color of the finished smoked meats also depends on the choice of wood species. For example, mahogany sawdust will give the fish a beautiful golden color.
Alder and oak chips will give a brown or dark yellow color. Hornbeam shavings will give fish and meat a unique color and taste.
Dry wood is predominantly used. Dry sawdust increases the moisture content of the smoke, burns slowly, as a result of which the soot settles on the products. That's why better wood wet a little.
The amount of sawdust depends on the size of the smokehouse and the amount of food.
You need to adhere to the following rules: use one handful of sawdust for 3 kg of fish or 40 liters of smokehouse volume.
This dosage is sufficient, since the smoke takes place within 15-20 minutes and during this time the wood has time to fulfill its purpose - to be absorbed, after which the fish acquires a unique aroma.
Sawdust should not be abused, as this will negatively affect the taste, and exceeding the norm is harmful to health.
Smoked products are among those products that almost everyone loves to enjoy. The aroma of smoked meat or fish, giving off a light smoke, brings back memories to someone from childhood, while someone recalls a pleasant trip from a romantic student age. Not surprisingly, at the slightest opportunity, the owners country houses or summer cottages strive to make their own smokehouse.
Some believe that the smoking process is complex and requires large material costs to ensure it. But this is far from the case. Here, by and large, only desire is required, and the natural ingenuity inherent in us by our ancestors (they certainly knew how to build a smokehouse) will wake up in the right moment and will help you complete the work you have started. The main thing is to decide which product you prefer: hot or cold smoked?
For hot smoking, you can use any metal container, such as a bucket or saucepan. The main requirement for the container is the presence of a sealed cover, which will prevent the free exit of smoke to the outside. The container must be of sufficient height so that the grate and pallet can be placed in it. Pieces of fish or meat, previously seasoned in brine, are placed on the wire rack.
At the bottom of the container, sawdust is poured, and a pallet is installed under the products, into which fat and juice flows during smoking. The container is installed on an open fire or on an electric stove. From the elevated temperature, the wood begins to smolder and emit smoke, this is how hot smoking of products occurs. The smoking temperature can be from 40 to 70 degrees.
The principle of operation of a cold smoked smokehouse is based on the fact that the smoke, before entering the smoking chamber, must travel a long enough way to cool down to a temperature of no higher than 30 degrees. For such a smokehouse, it is necessary to dig a hole, which is used as a hearth. A pipe up to 4 meters long is laid from the pit.
The end of the pipe must go into a box, the capacity of which must be at least one cubic meter... The container is made of steel and lined with bricks or wood structures. Hooks are evenly placed in the box, on which the products are suspended, and the top is closed with burlap. Smoking is carried out when sawdust smolders in the hearth, the smoke from which enters the box and envelops the products, gradually bringing them to a state of readiness. Cold smoking is carried out for at least 72 hours, provided that a constant temperature inside the box is maintained no higher than 30 degrees.
The above options for the smokehouse device are simple to perform. However, such smokehouses are far from presentable, which can spoil the impression made by aromatic products. Owners of private country houses today want to have such buildings on the site that will be interesting appearance and carry a specific purpose.
In this case, it is better to stop your choice on the construction of a smokehouse, which looks like an ordinary wooden wardrobe house. The body of such a cabinet is made of wooden beam and sheathed from the inside sheet metal... A rack with hooks and grates for bacon, loin, sausages and fish is installed inside.
Cabinet doors must be sized to accommodate Free access into the smokehouse. It must be washed periodically and kept clean.
The floor of the house provides an entrance for smoke, and in the upper part of the structure - an exit. The design is provided with an external thermometer, with which you can monitor compliance technological process smoking. The stove is made in the form of a stove with a horizontal exhaust pipe for smoke, and it is located at a distance from the smoking house-cabinet at a distance of 4 meters. The finished building should be checked for tightness of the chimney and smoking cabinet. To do this, you can carry out a test kindling of the furnace.
Tricks
The success of smoking and obtaining a final product with excellent taste depends on seemingly insignificant conditions, for example:
- For smoking, it is better to use sawdust of alder, oak, apple, maple, aspen or cherry.
- Do not use poplar, birch or softwood sawdust to smoke products.
- To obtain a golden hue of the products, a small amount of sugar is added to the sawdust.
- When smoking large volumes of products, small bars and chips are used, which must be dry.
- The smoking oven must be equipped with a lid with which the air supply is regulated.
- The wood in the stove should only smolder, and not burn with an open flame.
Video
This video shows the process of making a smokehouse.