DIY cold smoked smokehouse: how to make a homemade device with a smoke generator, diagram, drawings, dimensions, photos

Many people love different types of smoked meats, but not everyone has special equipment for smoking. If you buy smoked meats in stores, they have a completely different taste, because some cunning producers use liquid smoke during cooking.

But some enterprises smoke meat and fish for real, but it is quite difficult to find a conscientious manufacturer in the store.

That is why in this article we decided to tell you how you can make your own smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse.

What is cold smoking?

This type of smoking is considered the longest, because the products must be smoked for 2-3 days. Smoking occurs when treated with smoke at a temperature that is approximately 20-25 degrees Celsius.

At this temperature, the product gradually dries out, while the meat or fish is well soaked in its own fat.

To create a smoking oven, you can use an old gas cylinder, a refrigerator, or simply weld a closed steel structure. Now we will introduce you closer to the process of making a cold smoked smokehouse.

How to make a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands - we analyze the algorithm

A device for processing food by smoking seems quite complicated, but making it yourself will not be difficult.

How to make a cold smoked smokehouse, algorithm:

To organize smoking you will need: a barrel, an iron mesh and grate, a piece of tin, fasteners and a bag made of natural material.
It is important to carefully study the drawings before work and choose the best option for the area of the site. You cannot change the location of the component parts of the unit at your own will; this can negate all efforts.
To arrange the firebox, a shallow hole, about fifty centimeters, is dug. Its bottom is lined with tin. Metal will ensure even combustion.
For the chimney, a ditch is dug no more than thirty centimeters wide and about four to five meters long. This trench is covered with flat slate or metal and covered with earth. If the smokehouse is intended for frequent and constant use, you can line the trench with bricks. The main thing in this part of the device is tightness, which will not allow smoke to escape in vain.
A barrel without a bottom is installed at the exit point of the trenches. A metal mesh is fixed at the bottom of the container and a piece of burlap is laid out. This will be the simplest device for filtering soot. From time to time, the burlap is shaken out or washed.
Fasteners are installed inside the barrel to secure the products. Fish and meat can be hung on hooks or placed on racks, as you wish. The top of the barrel is covered with a wet, well-permeable cloth.

A simple diagram of a barrel device

Smokehouse design

A barrel is suitable as the main structure of the smokehouse, but it is important to install sheet steel partitions inside. This is necessary so that the smoke travels a long way, as a result of which it will cool well.

For better cooling, you can create a metal pipeline. The smoke will pass through a container of cold water and cool to the required temperature.

The principle of operation of a home smokehouse

Any cold smoked smokehouse consists of the main parts:

Smoke generator.
Chimney.
Smoking chamber.

In the smoke generator, wood shavings are set on fire or otherwise heated. Its smoldering produces a large amount of smoke, which subsequently enters the chamber through the chimney.

The chamber can contain any meat, fish or even fruits and vegetables. They are processed with smoke and gradually prepared; you only need to periodically add shavings to the smoke generator.
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For example, you can see below a photo of a cold smoked smokehouse made by yourself.

DIY cold smoked smokehouse: video and photo examples

Before you get started, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with examples of smoking devices in the video and photo. A do-it-yourself cold-smoked smokehouse is sometimes made of brick, stone or wood.

Sample device from a barrel

For your information! Brick is considered not the best material for smokehouses, since it actively absorbs smoke, and after cooling, moisture from the atmosphere. As a result, mold may form in the chamber, which will hopelessly ruin the taste of the food.

Brick smoking oven with barbecue and oven

The simplest smokehouses can be made even in camping conditions. Fishermen and hunters on long trips use simple devices made from scrap materials.

The following video describes in detail the manufacturing process of the device.

Installation of the smoking chamber

The dimensions of the smokehouse may vary, since this parameter does not particularly affect the functionality. You can use an ordinary wooden barrel as a camera.

A hole should be made at a distance of 15 centimeters from the bottom, after which a fitting should be mounted into it. This is necessary to connect the pipeline coming from the chimney.

After this, you need to dig a hole in the ground and install a barrel in it. A hole is also made in the lid of the barrel, then a small pipe is installed into it to remove smoke.

We recommend making holes using a feather drill, since in this case the structure of the wood will not be damaged.

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Making different types of smokehouses

Any homemade meat smokehouse, the drawings of which you can find on the Internet, consists of the following elements:

fireboxes;
smoking chambers;
chimney.

The materials for their manufacture can be varied. Depending on the choice of material, the design scheme is selected.

Brick and block smokehouse

The brick smoking structure is reliable and durable. This is its advantage and at the same time disadvantage.

If you intend to use the smokehouse often, then it definitely makes sense to build it.

However, if the oven is rarely used for smoking meat, it will simply take up space in the garden and raise many questions from guests who have no idea what purposes such a structure can serve.

The walls of the chamber must be made of red bricks made of clay or fire-resistant blocks.

The method of laying them is “on edge”. The adhesive solution will be a mixture of sand and clay. A barrel lid or any similar material (pallet, metal mold) is placed on the bottom. It is best to build a smokehouse one and a half meters high.

Before you build walls, as in any construction, you need a foundation. To make it, you will need a reinforced concrete slab or a metal mesh filled with a solution of sand, crushed stone and concrete. Pouring the base takes place in several stages:

Digging a small pit.
Filling the bottom with crushed stone and sand to form a cushion.
Tamping the first layer.
Laying out a mesh or slab.
Pouring concrete solution.

You can begin building walls only after the foundation has completely hardened.

What you need to know before you start building

The construction of a cold smoked smokehouse has a number of features that you should familiarize yourself with before starting work.

You cannot be careless when choosing a place for construction, since it will be permanent. If you choose the right place, you can even connect a water supply and sewage system to the smokehouse, and also build a smokehouse, which, if necessary, can serve as a barbecue.
Before starting bricklaying, it would be good to think through and even draw a diagram of the construction of each row of walls.
You can mix the sand-clay solution yourself. However, it will be easier to do this with a concrete mixer.
When pouring the foundation, it is better to follow all the rules, for example, use wooden formwork and a concrete pad.
If the structure is high, then the foundation should be poured in several layers.
The filling of each successive layer must be started only after the previous one has completely dried.
To make marking easier, the first row of bricks is laid out without using mortar.
Laying out blocks must begin from the corners. To enhance the strength of the corners, wire should be used.
A door should be built to a large smokehouse. It can be made from wood and coated with clay to increase fire resistance. When building walls, you must remember to leave a doorway.

Drawing of a cold smoked brick smokehouse.

Attention!
Some supplement the drawings of a cold smoked smokehouse with a compartment for storing a supply of firewood and other combustion products.

Wooden smokehouse

Wood is an environmentally friendly material that will not adversely affect smoked products. To build a smokehouse, you should choose wood that is dense and strong, but at the same time does not contain toxic resins.

For example, it could be pear, alder, apple or oak wood.

The optimal size of a cold smoked wood smokehouse is 80x45x45 centimeters. The drawing of a home smokehouse requires the following materials for implementation:

Frame beams measuring 5x5 centimeters. To make them you need 800 centimeters of timber.
Sanded boards with a width of 10 centimeters and a thickness of up to one centimeter. It should be taken into account that the boards will be laid out in two layers to make the walls of the smokehouse airtight and impermeable to smoke. The first row is laid out vertically, and the second row horizontally.
It is also necessary to prepare the lining for the roof of the chamber.
In order to ensure the waterproofness of the smokehouse, you can install a layer of roofing that protects from moisture and water. However, this is not a necessary step; you can get by with timber.
For ease of use, you need to prepare the door mount and handle with a latch.
To build the base you will need red bricks.
In order to protect the wooden walls of the chamber from burning, protection from heat-resistant silicate bricks will be required from the inside.
To lay out the blocks you will need cement and sand.
The roof requires a layer of waterproofing and sealing elements for the joint and pipe.
Metal or ceramic refractory pipes with a diameter of 8–10 centimeters (with a length of 200–250 centimeters, and 10–12 centimeters (with a length of 50 centimeters).
A sheet of high-quality metal that will serve as a flooring for the firebox.

The following is a step-by-step instruction, during which a drawing of a smokehouse with dimensions will turn into a real structure:

Choosing a suitable location for construction.
Digging two pits located approximately 200 centimeters from one another. The foundation pit should be located on a small hill, its depth should reach approximately forty centimeters.
The other one should be dug lower and about 25 centimeters deep.
A small trench is dug between the pits, into which a smoke pipe is later installed.
The pit for the firebox is well compacted. Then sand (up to a height of about six centimeters) and crushed stone are placed in it. After this, you need to pour a mixture of cement and gravel there, which will secure the first and second layers. When the concrete dries, a mesh for reinforcement is mounted on it. Then you need to pour the cement-sand mixture to a height of about four centimeters.
It is necessary to compact the surface of the bottom of the trench. A pipe with a smaller diameter is installed there. Its end should end earlier than the trench, about eighteen centimeters.
After this, one edge of the pipe is covered with concrete, and a wider pipe is mounted on top. It should extend onto the narrow pipe by about ten centimeters. This step will allow the smoke to cool down better.
The wide part of the pipe extends into the combustion chamber of the smokehouse (about fifteen centimeters). You need to place two brick blocks on both edges of the pipe. The construction of the combustion chamber begins with them. The thickness of the walls should be equal to half the brick block.
The pipe needs to be covered with boards for a while, and the pit in which it is located must be filled with concrete solution.
When the two rows of the combustion chamber wall are ready, you can prepare the combustion door (a small one, measuring 30x19 centimeters, will do). However, it is better to start doing this from the first row.
A slab of refractory ceramic or metal is installed on top of two temporary bricks.
After erecting the walls of the combustion part, you can leave it to dry and proceed to the construction of the smoking area. The foundation is laid with brick blocks. One row will require six blocks, the distance between which is one centimeter, and the total perimeter of the row will be fifty centimeters. To make the walls even, you need to use a level.
The height of the plinth is approximately nine rows of bricks, more than half of which will be above the soil surface (about five rows). When walling up the pipe entering the smoking chamber, it is necessary to properly close all the holes and gaps around it in order to block the access to moisture and ground dampness
.
When pouring concrete into a trench with a chimney pipe, you need to leave about seven centimeters for the top layer of soil.
When the solution dries, all holes and gaps that remain near the walls are filled with clay or soil and compacted tightly.
The next step is to check the smoke permeability. Brushwood and paper are placed in the combustion chamber and set on fire. If smoke enters the smoking section without problems, you can finally cover it with soil and compact the trench with the pipe.
The timber is cut into four parts of eighty centimeters each, as well as eight parts of 35 centimeters each, three parts of 55 centimeters each, and two parts of twenty centimeters. Installation is carried out with nails or wood screws (seven centimeters).
First you need to complete the front and back parts of the frame structure. Boards (35 cm) are mounted on the edge, located between the bars of 80 centimeters. This creates two frames of equal size, connected at the bottom.
The frame is mounted in a vertical position and secured with a board, the size of which is 55 centimeters. The bars extend beyond the frame by about five centimeters. These projections will later be the basis for installing the roof.
The upper front and rear frames define the middle. A twenty-centimeter beam is attached to it (pointing down). A third section of the board is mounted on top of them, also protruding on both sides by five centimeters.
A board is nailed in the middle of the ridge beam (this must be done on both slopes). The finished frame needs to be covered with even boards, which will be the last layer of the roof.
Then the walls of the building are covered with wooden boards.
The doorway should be half a centimeter larger than the door itself along the entire perimeter to ensure free opening in any weather and after possible deformation of the wood due to frost or moisture.
While one side wall is not stitched with a board, crossbars for smoking are mounted through it. When they are ready, you can complete the wall covering.
According to the left doorway, the door is made and attached.
To improve the quality and durability of the smokehouse, it is better to cover it with a layer that protects the wood from moisture.

Drawing of a cold smoked wood smokehouse.

Some also practice building a place to store firewood near the smokehouse, for example, by raising a small canopy from the roof. Using the same principle, you can create a drawing of a metal smokehouse with dimensions.

Cold smoked smokehouse options from a barrel

The design of a cold smoked smokehouse from a barrel is simple. The barrel should hold from one hundred to two hundred liters. You need to cut off the lid from a clean container. A hole is made at the bottom for the chimney. The lid can be used to make a container for fat. Its size must be made no smaller than the diameter of the barrel.

You also need one (or more) grate for laying out smoked products. It can be made from willow branches or wire. Another option is to install fittings at the top of the barrel on which the meat will hang on hooks. If you use several grates, you need to leave about fifteen centimeters between them.

The pallet is mounted using reinforcing bars. It needs a loop for easy removal and cleaning. The lid for the barrel can be made from wooden boards. Several small holes are left in it through which excess moisture will escape.

Smokehouse made from an old refrigerator

An old refrigerator will make an excellent smokehouse for cold smoking fish with your own hands. Its drawings are simple. The entire frame is already ready, and the smoked products will be laid out on the grates. All that remains is to equip the bottom of the refrigerator as a fire chamber and make a chimney. You can also use an old refrigerator to smoke any other products.

Portable mini-smokehouses for semi-hot smoking

You can make a portable smokehouse with your own hands from a bucket or metal box. Its drawings are also elementary: you just need to install a grate for food in the container, and pour alder shavings on the bottom. The structure is placed over hot coals for a period of half an hour to a couple of hours (depending on what’s inside).

You can make a box for cold smoking with your own hands. The plans will include five sheets of metal to be welded and a cover for them.

Drawing of a cold smoked smokehouse made from a metal box.

Assembling the smoke generator and chimney

The best pipe for a smoke generator is one that is used to create chimneys.

To make a smoke generator correctly, we recommend using the following instructions:

Using welding, you need to weld 2 steel sheets to the upper and tender part of the pipe.
Using a grinder, cut out a small door for filling in sawdust. Then weld the hinges, then it will be very convenient to open the door if necessary.
Drill two opposite holes in the upper part of the smoke generator, and do the same in the lower part.
A metal pipeline is connected to the first upper hole through a fitting. And a compressor is connected to the second upper one, it is advisable to install a low-power one, in which case thick smoke will slowly come out.

At this point, the assembly of equipment for cold smoking is considered completely completed.

Next you can see photos of finished smokehouses of different designs, then you can choose an interesting idea for creating a smokehouse.

Smokehouse from a barrel

To make a simple smokehouse for cold smoking with your own hands, you need to take:

metal barrel;
metal mesh;
sheet of tin;
grate;
burlap;
a couple of bolts;
shovel and other tools.

Having dug a hole under the firebox, you need to put a tin sheet on the bottom: it is needed for uniform smoldering of sawdust or wood chips.

After the preparatory stage is completed, you can start constructing a chimney - a shallow trench 25 cm wide and 2 to 7 meters long. To make it airtight, it must be covered with any non-flammable material that is at hand (for example, slate will do) and sprinkled with soil.

Then you need to work on the smoking chamber. The easiest way is to make it from a metal barrel, from which you need to separate the bottom and attach a metal mesh underneath. To filter the soot, you will need to lay burlap on it. A durable grate is attached to the bottom of the barrel, on which you can mark the filter.

Then place another strong grate in the upper part of the barrel, retreating from the edge by about 20 cm. It is on it that the products for smoking will be placed.

In this case, we are talking about a simple smokehouse, so choosing a grate is the most rational option. In a more complicated design, it can be replaced with rods with hooks.

That's all, we have a working do-it-yourself cold-smoked smokehouse.

How to use a smoker

Place a metal grid in the barrel to place food.
Then close the lid of the barrel and plug in the compressor.
Fill the smoke generator with sawdust; you can purchase ready-made packages in the store.
Use a torch or autogenous lighter to ignite the sawdust through the lower holes of the smoke generator. After this, smoke will enter the chamber and the smoking process will begin.

For fire safety purposes, we recommend installing the smoke generator on the ground without vegetation; you can also lay a base of bricks.

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Now you know how to make smokehouses at home. We wish you success in production and bon appetit!

Photo of a cold smoked smokehouse

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