What kind of air compressor is needed for a smoke generator in a hot smoked smokehouse, where to buy a fan, the cost of assembling it yourself, MT3608 diagram, cooler adjustment

The fourth review of necessary and useful things for crafting meat delicacies The first part Thermostat for a home sausage “workshop” or sous vide from improvised means The second part A wireless thermometer for a sausage maker or carbonated meat in an air fryer The third part A ten-segment LED indicator (for a smokehouse) – a kit for self-assembly

Today I will assemble a design that is already quite well-known and popular among smokers on the Runet - a compressor for a smoke generator. As I understand it, this similar design was initially proposed on the resource inpast.ru, then it was modified by Vitaly Pavlov. Well, I’ll bring something of myself so that it doesn’t look like pure plagiarism. Initially it was planned to make two sets, but then two more joined in as the play progressed. Therefore, some spare parts did not arrive in time for everyone, and some did not arrive at all. They collected whatever they could. The happiest part of the day was running around the city and looking for components. Since four compressors from different kits were assembled at the same time, there may be different boosters in the photographs. Do not pay attention: I chose more or less high-quality photographs that depict the assembly stages in as much detail as possible

How does a smoke generator work and why do you need a compressor?

A smoke generator is a vacuum box with regulators, a hole for sawdust or wood chips and a pipe for removing smoke. There is a limiter inside the smoke generator, which allows sawdust to be dosed onto the heating element.

A compressor is needed to ensure a continuous supply of air to the smoke generator. A directed air flow, passing through the wood chip combustion chamber, mixes with smoke and forces it into the chamber with the products, ensuring their high-quality smoking.

Smoke generator diagram

Selection of raw materials

The smoke generator can effectively smoke food on sawdust. Their sizes should not be very small. Softwood sawdust is not suitable. When they burn, they create smoke, which spoils the taste of the food.

The use of large sawdust does not prevent smoke from passing upward

The temperature data of the resulting smoke can be varied. For this task, the length of the tube that connects the smoking compartment to the smoke generator is adjusted.

Smoke generator without compressor

A smoke generator without a compressor, which is a metal box with sawdust, with smoke exhausted through a pipe, is used for cold smoking. In this case, the smokehouse itself is located on one side, and the fireplace on which the smoke generator is installed is on the other side. In this case, it is difficult to monitor the temperature regime and you have to frequently add fuel, but there is another option for a smoke generator that does not have these disadvantages - this is a smoke generator with an electric spiral from the stove. When it is heated, the sawdust smolders, emitting smoke, and the control unit allows you to control the temperature.

Chimney

This component is a set of standard metal pipes. They have a small diameter. They can be mounted by welding or threading.

Chimney position options:

How to make a hot smoked smokehouse

On the bottom side of the firebox. This version is good for a cold smoked smokehouse that is modest in size. Smoke may be supplied intermittently. For this reason, an accurate calculation of the firebox height is necessary. If the calculation is poor, the automatic operation of the unit will last less. With this position of the chimney, smoke will not circulate normally. Reason: the smoking and combustion chambers are arranged parallel to each other. No traction. The smoke is directed into the smokehouse only thanks to the compressor. This is often not enough for the system to be productive. And if the pump turns off, no smoke is supplied at all.
At the combustion chamber cover. With this position there are no indicated disadvantages. The draft forces the smoke into the smokehouse automatically. Only here the smokehouse should be positioned above the smoke generator firebox. Therefore, it is usually placed on a stand.

Is it possible to make a compressor (for a smoke generator)

It is quite possible to make a compressor for a smoke generator yourself at home. You will need a plastic container. Drill two holes in it to mount the fan (you can use turbines from an old computer)

The canister receiver normalizes the air flow and will produce it in a uniform, intense flow.

Compressor for smoke generator

A tablet charger or laptop power supply will pass for the power supply of a homemade device. Attach the hose hermetically to the neck of the plastic container and connect it to the smoke generator with the other end. The discharge pipe can be easily made from scraps of water pipes.

The resulting effective design, which does a good job of supplying smoke to the smoking chamber, will cost you almost nothing.

Other nuances

Before being placed in the machine, the product must be processed, soaked in salt and coated with spices. It needs to be dried. If it is too damp, the smoke will cool too much and the smoking process will be seriously delayed.

The smoke generator must be equipped with an automatic shutdown mechanism. It will work if there is a problem with the device.

Thoroughly protect all wires and other fragile elements from moisture and overheating. These components should be kept away from the heating component. It is better to place them in a special casing.

Heat-resistant thick steel is used to construct the combustion compartment. The unit can be coated with fire-resistant paint. This way you will extend its service life and improve the reliability of its operation.

The device must be placed on a surface that is resistant to extreme temperatures. Suitable options: concrete layer or brick stand (brick is fire-resistant).

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS FOR SMOKING HOUSES

Aquarium compressor

As mentioned above, an aquarium compressor can fully cope with the role of a smoke generator. Connect the hose and it is ready for use. The ability to regulate the air supply to the smoke generator is an important advantage of this compressor.

Aquarium compressor

When choosing a compressor, pay attention to the optimal air flow parameters, which should be from 3 to 10 l/min.

Refrigerator compressor

Such a compressor, having significant power, will allow you to work with a larger smoking chamber and a larger volume of products.

Refrigerator compressor

You can go further and create a more universal device by connecting a compressor to a receiver in an automatic system. The clear advantage of such a system is that if you pump air into a 10-liter receiver once, the air supply will last you for another 10 minutes.

Compressor from cooler

Its home production has already been mentioned above. It is perfect for cold smoking small amounts of food. The performance of such a compressor can be easily adjusted with a potentiometer.

Compressor from cooler

And for it to work you only need 1.5 V of current, which can easily be provided by a charger or power supply

How to assemble a fan unit with your own hands

If you still decide to make a compressor for a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands, you should choose the simplest and most effective method by converting a computer cooler. This option is preferable to a ready-made aquarium one due to energy savings and budget. In addition, the computer fan can be selected according to the size of the device.

Manufacturing technology of such a device

You will need:

computer cooler;
a plastic canister or other sealed container of approximately 10 liters;
water tees and fittings, as well as a pipe with a diameter of 25 mm;
screwdriver and bolts;
variable resistance resistor;
jigsaw;
soldering iron;
drill;
gas key.

If you have a used gas cylinder, then you can make many useful things out of it, for example, a barbecue or a potbelly stove. Read here what other available materials can be used to make a potbelly stove.

Assembly technology

The cooler is inserted into a hole cut to its size in the wall of the canister with a jigsaw and secured with bolts. It should “sit” in the slot as tightly as possible. It is better to install the device on a narrow edge of the container, this will provide greater strength and reduce noise pollution.
An outlet pipe is inserted into the neck or into an additionally made hole. It also needs to be carefully sealed to avoid air leakage. A flexible hose will go from it to the smoke generator itself. Sometimes rigid air ducts are used, especially if the smoking device is high-power.
Does the device smoke efficiently enough? Attach another cooler or replace it with a more powerful fan.
It is very important to equip the compressor device with a speed regulator. When operating at full capacity, the device may produce too much smoke. To control this, you need to include a variable resistance resistor in the power system.

If this circuit is complicated for you, you can make a device using a simpler technique:

Take a plastic bottle of mineral water or lemonade from 1 to 5 liters.
You need to make a hole in the bottom (or remove it completely).
The computer cooler is inserted into the hole so that it can blow air into the bottle.
The plugs on the fan wiring are cut off (the device will run on battery power).
A hose leading to the smoke generator is hermetically attached to the neck of the bottle.

With these methods of assembling the compressor yourself, you can use an unnecessary fan from a conventional vent hood.
A smoke generator in the household is a useful thing. In addition to preparing smoked meats, site owners use the device they assembled with their own hands to fumigate trees and protect plantings, especially tomatoes, peppers and berries, from frost.

Factory smoke generator compressors and where to buy them

Piston air compressor

Factory compressors already have a built-in control system. The only thing you have to do is buy a filter, a throttle and an air hose. The filter in factory compressors plays an important role, preventing oil from the lubricated piston pair from entering the receiver. You can purchase factory compressors profitably and at attractive prices in the online store or at the compressor production plant itself.

Smoking options

There are two main methods of smoking - cold and hot. Designs of smoking installations are being developed for these methods. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it is very difficult to say for sure which method is better.

For example, with hot smoking, the temperature is usually in the range from 50 to 120 degrees, and the main advantage is the speed of cooking. But, at the same time, such processing cannot be called “gentle”, since high temperature can destroy most of the beneficial vitamins and microelements contained in products.

Cold smoking, on the contrary, allows you to cook food in a more gentle way, preserving nutrients, unlike hot smoking. The smoke temperature at which cold smoking occurs ranges from 20 to 35 degrees, but the cooking time will not take 2-3 hours, but from one to three days. Such a long processing period allows the products to retain their freshness longer and be suitable for consumption for another 3-5 weeks after smoking. Therefore, people who want to cook food immediately for a long period of time choose the cold smoking method, and a homemade smokehouse with a smoke generator is suitable for this.

Useful tips

All materials used in this article for the design and assembly of the smoke generator are average, that is, approximate. Let's say, if you haven't found a steel pipe, you can use a milk can, an old fire extinguisher, a deep saucepan or any metal containers, even the lightest and softest metals.

The same applies to sizes. The drawings are approximate dimensions and you should refer them to your specific application. Everything will depend on the design of the smokehouse itself.

Also, do not forget that if your smoke generator is connected to the smokehouse with a long hose, then condensation will accumulate in it. The smoke comes out of the device hot and cools as it moves through the hose, so it will inevitably release moisture. If you do not remove it, it can completely clog the hose! Therefore, provide a tee on the hose through which water will flow into the bottle.

Rules for safe operation

Despite the fact that the compressor is easy to use, you need to know and follow basic operating rules.

The device is an electrical appliance, so when handling it you must adhere to electrical safety rules.
It is important to place the device away from the smoke generator (as a source of smoldering) in accordance with fire safety standards.
You need to make sure that the wires do not heat up; to do this, it is better to put them in a heat-resistant casing.
If a receiver is used, it is worth remembering how to work with pneumatic equipment and pressure vessels.

So, a compressor for a smokehouse is an easy-to-use device that you can purchase or make yourself. Homemade devices are usually more functional, because during their manufacture you can take into account all the important nuances and ultimately make the compressor exactly the way a person needs it. And if you have doubts about your own abilities, it is better to purchase a ready-made device in a store, but you will have to spend money separately on the purchase of a pneumatic hose, an oil separating filter and a throttle.

What are the benefits of a fan?

The blower for the smoke generator of the smokehouse is of great importance:

regulates the intensity of chamber filling, which affects the taste of products;
controls wood fuel consumption, because the stronger the air flow, the more sawdust or wood chips will be required.

In order for the unit to perform at the proper level, it must meet the following requirements:

Ability to last long battery life. Cold smoking is a long process, taking up to several days, so the compressor must withstand such loads.
Economical. Electricity consumption should be moderate. It is also important to select a device for which it is easy to find components if they need to be replaced.
Availability of control devices. Controlling the flow of supplied air is important, since it affects fuel consumption and the taste of the products to be smoked. It is also important to have an autonomous shutdown system to prevent overheating and fan failure.

If the fan you assemble with your own hands meets the listed requirements, then there will be no complaints about its operation. Such devices are considered functionality and reliability.

Description of assembly from different components

Depending on the chosen method of manufacturing a fan for a smoke generator, the technology will differ. But all options have general rules and principles, since the essence of the supercharger’s operation does not change.

From PC cooler

This method will require a cooler from a computer or laptop of any size. The larger the parameters, the higher the performance, so if high performance is required, it is better to give preference to a fan with a larger diameter. The build procedure is as follows:

In a plastic canister or bottle (volume from 5 to 10 liters), use a jigsaw to make a hole, the size corresponding to the size of the cooler.
The fan is inserted into the prepared hole and secured with glue or hardware.
A hole is made in the cap of the bottle or canister where the fitting is placed.
A tube is inserted into the adapter for connection to a smoke generator.
The cooler is connected to a power source. An AC resistor is installed between it and the fan.

The connections of all elements must be completely sealed, so it is better to use seals and check the reliability of all joints.

Advice! If you need to make a fan with increased power, you can install 2 coolers at the same time. In this case, the air is distilled more intensively.

From the vent fan

The algorithm for assembling a compressor from a vent fan or a bathroom cooler is similar to the previous one. In this case, the power source is a 220V network. As a device for regulating speed, you can purchase a special regulator. Its cost is low, and the efficiency and savings when working with a smoke generator are noticeable.

From an aquarium compressor

An aquarium compressor is a ready-made supercharger that just needs to be connected and started correctly. For these purposes an active compressor is required. A submersible one is not suitable for a smoke generator. The supercharger has one or two outlet tubes. If there are two of them, then you will need to combine them and then connect them to the smoke generator of the smokehouse.

The best option would be a fan with a speed controller. This will allow you to change the intensity of the smoke supply.

From the compressor from the refrigerator

A refrigerator blower is considered more powerful and efficient. When connecting it, you will need to additionally connect a receiver, which will normalize the air supply and supply it when required. Installing a pressure switch will help control the operation of the fan and perform autonomous switching on and off when the maximum permissible pressure values set by the user change.

From an auto compressor

This fan works in a similar way to a refrigerator compressor. It also requires installation of a receiver, since with constant operation the supercharger will overheat and may fail. If you connect a storage device to the device, the device can turn off when filling, cool down while the air from the receiver is consumed, and then start up again. A pressure switch, which controls pressure and responds to its changes, will help you complete this scheme.