Smoking, as a method of food preservation, has been known for a very long time. Today, it has not lost its relevance, and not so much because of the long shelf life, but because of the taste that the product acquires. In this article, we will talk about how to make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands.
Traditional cold smoke smokehouse
Regardless of the type of smoking, the source of smoke is a fire. With cold smoking, the main thing is that the smoke is cold or warm, but not hot. The maximum temperature is about +40°C. To do this, a fire is bred a few meters from the smoking cabinet, a pipe is laid between them - a chimney. Passing along this path, the smoke cools down to acceptable temperatures.
The installation of a chimney is a lengthy process. The smoke path must ensure normal heat removal and must be airtight at the same time. To create a chimney, you can use a standard metal chimney (but not made of galvanized steel), but in order for the smoke to cool better, it is advisable to bury the pipe in the ground. All in all, not an easy task. That is why they prefer to make a hot-smoked smokehouse - fewer problems - they installed a barrel over the fire and smoke ...
But there is a simple smoke generator for cold smoking, which will cost literally several thousand. But to work, you also need the ability to handle it. Everything else can be bought on the market or in a hardware store. If you have all the components, you can assemble a smoke generator for smoking with your own hands in an hour or two.
A simple do-it-yourself smoke generator for cold smoking
If you do not need production volumes, you can make a small and uncomplicated smoke generator from a metal pipe. A body is made from a pipe, into which sawdust or shavings are stuffed. The shavings are lit from below, the smoke rises up, where it is discharged with the help of a welded pipe into the smoking chamber. To increase traction, a low-power compressor is connected in the upper part of the case - with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters / min. That is, you can use an aquarium compressor or a unit from an old refrigerator. If there is a choice, then the aquarium is preferable, since they can regulate the intensity of the smoke output.
At the outlet of this smoke generator, the smoke is slightly warm. The source of ignition is very small, the fire spreads slowly, the resulting smoke slowly rises through the sawdust. It cools down, the sawdust dries up. In general, everything works perfectly.
materials
For the body of the smoke generator, you can use:
- round pipe with a diameter of 80-90 mm;
- profiled pipe with a side of 80 mm or more.
The larger the cross section, the more sawdust can be placed inside, the longer the smoke generator for cold smoking will work on one tab.
The length of the pipe is 60 cm or more. Optimally - about 1 meter. Again, the larger the pipe, the more fuel can be laid. On the other hand, a smoke generator that is too large is inconvenient to fill and clean, as it turns out to be heavy and bulky.
Cold smoked smoke generator - one of the options
You will also need a 3/4 inch pipe - a piece of 30 centimeters or more. Tube 1/4 inch or so. Its length is selected already in the finished state, but 20 cm should be enough.
Still need a grid. It can be any metal mesh with a cell of 2-3 mm or a plate with frequent holes. For the legs, find small pieces of bar/rebar/metal strip. Some designs do without them, but with them the design is more stable.
You also need a compressor with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters / min, preferably with the ability to adjust performance. Aquarium compressors meet these requirements. And you need a fitting so that you can connect the pipes from the compressor through it.
Assembly
We will describe a smoke generator for cold smoking based on a profile pipe with a cross section of 100 * 100 mm. With a round pipe, the process is almost the same, but it is more difficult to weld pipes, if you have little experience in welding work, it is better to use a profiled (square) pipe.
That's all. Homemade smoke generator for cold smoking. Ready. It can be experienced. For ease of use, you can still weld the legs. And remember that coals and ashes will spill out through the grid, so you need to install a smoke generator for cold smoking on a non-combustible site.
How does it work
Dry shavings are laid in the pipe. You can use sawdust, but then a spring is put on a thin tube located in the upper part, which reaches the mesh itself in length. The condition and quality of the spring is not important. Its diameter is important - about 2 cm. Why is it needed? For activation of combustion and normal smoke output.
When the case is filled with sawdust, they lie tightly, making it very difficult for smoke to escape, the air suction is very weak, everything barely burns. The spring is also needed to activate combustion. Smoke comes out through it, a draft is created (from the grid - through the spring - to the outlet pipe.
Set fire to the bookmark from below - through the grid
After filling the body with sawdust, they are set on fire from below. This can be done with a gas burner by tilting the smoking smoke generator on its side. When the chips start to burn, put on the lid, turn on the compressor. If the shavings/sawdust are dry, the stasis smoke begins to actively enter. That's all. You made a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands.
Modernization
The design described above is fully operational. But it has many shortcomings, not very convenient. Based on the results of its use, improvements and improvements were made.
Adjustable traction
One of the main disadvantages of the described design is the poor regulation of the intensity of combustion. It can be slightly changed by adjusting the compressor capacity. An adjustable blower can be added to the design. It can be done according to the principle of the gate:
Everything, the adjustable damper is ready. Turn it, adjust the intensity of air intake, adjusting the intensity of combustion.
Ash pan
Another drawback is that ash wakes up through the grid. You can put the smoke generator on a metal plate, but you can make an ash pan. By the way, the gate can be made in an ash pan. This will be more correct, since the air leakage can be almost blocked, which you cannot achieve with a gate in the housing - air enters through the grid.
Ash pan - a small container slightly larger than the body
The ash pan is made from a piece of pipe with a slightly larger cross section than the pipe on the body. If you don't have one, you'll have to weld it. The bottom is welded to a piece of pipe, a thin strip of metal is welded to the body along the perimeter. The body is inserted into the ash pan (the legs are also welded to it).
Condensate collection
During the operation of the smoke generator for cold smoking, condensate is released. This complicates life, especially if the temperature outside is low. You can solve the problem by making a collector for condensate. For this:
With such a device, a significant part of the condensate is in the tank. The problem is not so acute.
The simplest smoke generator from an electric stove
If you need smoked meats “right now”, you can use a very simple method: you need an electric stove, a barrel without a bottom or a piece of large diameter pipe, a wire mesh with a cell of at least 10 * 10 cm, a sheet of plywood or iron. Still - sawdust and "object of smoking".
Such a cold-smoked smokehouse is usually placed on the street, in the backyard. It is necessary to clear the patch of vegetation, install an electric stove. On it - a metal container (which is not a pity to throw away). Sawdust is poured into the container.
In the upper part of the barrel / pipe, stepping back from the upper edge of 10-5 cm, we drill four holes. They are located diametrically or opposite each other. We put pins in them. You can use metal rods, you can use sticks. The choice depends on the weight of the products to be stacked or what is available. The rods themselves can be arranged crosswise or as two parallels, located approximately 1/3 of the diameter of the smokehouse body. On top of this support we lay a grid, with products attached from below. We cover the smokehouse with plywood or a sheet of metal.
Turn on tiles. After a while, the sawdust starts to smoke. The time of "work" on one tab depends on the amount of sawdust poured, but on average it is 3-5 hours. Then you have to set aside the body, add sawdust, put everything in place. Difficult, uncomfortable and fraught with "accidents". But the design is very simple, it is a "camping" option, which does not imply amenities.
Another disadvantage is to regulate the intensity of the smoke with a mono tile regulator, but doing it in this form is inconvenient - again, you have to move the case. You can get rid of these shortcomings if you make a door below. With its help, it will be possible to regulate the air flow and change the sawdust.
Smoke generator for cold smoking
If a higher capacity installation is required, a simple stove is brewed. It can be made from the same large diameter pipe or a rectangular case can be welded from metal. Weld the door, make a chimney fixed at an angle. That's all the difficulty. It is also necessary to divide the internal space with a horizontally fixed metal sheet into two parts. The bottom is bigger, the top is smaller. A fire is kindled below, sawdust is poured onto the sheet. Further, the process is known.
A pipe is laid from the stove chimney to the smoking cabinet. It should have an upward slope, albeit a small one. In this case, the entrance to the cabinet should be located at the bottom - so that the smoke envelops all products. Therefore, the cabinet is installed on a dais, legs, pedestal. To save space, you can install the smoke generator stove under the cabinet by welding the structure from a metal corner.
Smoke generator - freestanding stove
But with this design, the smoke can be too hot. Additional measures are needed to cool it down. As an option - find a pipe of a larger diameter, put it on the main chimney. Install the cooler so that the air flow is directed into the gap between the pipes.
Another option is to do something like a water jacket, getting hot water while smoking. But where to put it is the question. Although, warm water in the household is always useful.
A smoke generator for cold smoking of this type is more expensive - metal or a thick-walled pipe, plus a chimney. Moreover, it is better not to make a chimney from galvanized steel - zinc is not the metal that is good for health. Asbestos should not be used either. Firstly, it does not remove heat well, and secondly, it is even more harmful than zinc. Therefore, the choice in this regard is small - order pipes made of black steel or buy stainless steel. Here everyone decides for himself.