Household smokehouses: camping and home for a gas stove

In order to approach the choice of device model consciously, you must first consider the key features of different types of smokehouses. The main differences between them are structural and functional aspects.

Their price also directly depends on this. For example, a home smokehouse for a gas stove will cost you less than an electric one with a whole list of additional features.

We have previously written about the rules for using a smokehouse and recommended bookmarking the article.

More advanced models have additional functions, such as temperature control

Smoking products

There are two types of smoking products:

• cold;
• hot.

Cold smoking

If the product is processed using “fumigation” with chilled smoke and is not subjected to heat treatment, then this process is referred to as cold smoking. Smoke treatment is carried out for several days, and its temperature is 20-25 degrees.

Cold smoked products are stored for a long time, but due to the length of the technological process, this method is used less frequently than hot smoking.

Hot smoking

The smoke used in the hot method of processing food reaches a temperature of 45 to 120 degrees, and after just a few hours you can eat a delicious dish.

1. Hot smoking technology for preparing meat or fish is similar to the processes that occur when frying, boiling or baking foods.
2. Hot smoking is quite feasible at home, on a hike or in the country.

Manufacturing options

There are several options for how to make a smokehouse from a gas stove. The design can be additionally equipped with a smoke generator, which will allow you to smoke food at a fairly low temperature. This processing process takes much more time, but the finished smoked meats will be stored several times longer without changing the taste characteristics.

Design with smoke generator

In order to make a structure from an old gas stove that can be used for the cold smoking method, it is worth making a chimney and separately installing a high-quality smoke generator.

A device for producing smoke can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands from scrap materials.

Converting a stove into a cold smoking device consists of only three simple steps.

1. The stove body is installed on a special stand so that it is located slightly higher than the smoke generator being used.
2. Holes are made in the side walls, both on the outside and on the inside, at a height of about 3 centimeters. They will be used to connect the chimney.
3. Next, the smoke generator is connected to the smoking chamber using a chimney. As a chimney, you can use a regular metal pipe or a special corrugated hose.

Types of smokehouses for hot smoking

Currently, you can find suitable options for household, camping or professional smokehouses on the market. It can be:

• home smokehouse;
• household smokehouse;
• camping smokehouses of various modifications.

In order to choose the right home smokehouse, you need to know what requirements it must meet:

1. A smokehouse used in residential premises should not smoke. You can only purchase a home version, which is based on external heating, but does not emit smoke. In this case, the wood chips smolder without access to air. The container where the homemade product is directly smoked must be sealed with a water seal.
2. When smoking, it is recommended to use dry wood chips. Smoking with soaked wood chips does not give the expected result.
3. The ideal smokehouse is one in which the wood chips are isolated from the product itself. This requirement is a consequence of the technology of the smoking process, in which fat and juice formed as a result of heat treatment can end up on the wood chips. In this case, the smoke is saturated not with the aroma of wood, but with the aroma from the components of fat combustion.

Thus, the home version of the hot smoking device has the necessary portability and functionality, as well as an autonomous operating principle.

Smokehouse for gas oven

Today on the market there are a number of high-quality models of smokehouses that use a gas appliance such as a stove. For all presented models, smoking occurs without external intervention. Here the chimney is the hood , and the fireplace is the stove.

The smokehouse installed on a gas appliance has the following technical data:

• material: high-strength stainless steel. Different models have different dimensions and differ in wall thickness;
• high tightness;
• complete with lid, grates, grease trays, briquettes (with a bag for carrying them). Devices equipped with a water seal are popular.

The consumer needs to know that the device, designed with a water seal, for normal operation will require a hose to be routed into the ventilation hole (possibly through a window).

To smoke food, the smokehouse is installed on a gas stove. Then water is poured into the water seal. After this, the products are stored for smoking. The presence of a water seal prevents smoke or odor from entering the room , which is an advantage of the device.

A smokehouse for a gas stove will start smoking only after the burning gas burner heats the bottom and the wood chips begin to slowly smolder. The required temperature in the device casing is set by regulating the gas supply. The stove must be turned on until the work is completed.

The smart smokehouse performs the entire home smoking process independently, without your intervention. In addition, it ensures environmental friendliness and savings in the consumption of the consumed power source.

DIY home smokehouse

You can implement a very simple home smokehouse project yourself using a gas stove and range hood.

Sequencing:

• tie smoking products to the base of the hood;
• place a dish (drip tray) below for draining fat;
• use a jar, for example, of tomato paste, as a container for wood chips. You need to place a bunch of wood chips at the bottom and light the burner of the lowest power;
• turn on the hood and gradually increase the heat. When the wood chips begin to smoke, gradually reduce the flame.

Hot smoking of a product with this method occurs due to the fact that the distance that the smoke travels to the raw product is sufficient to cool it to the required temperature. With the right technology, smoking eliminates ignition from heating wood chips, and pieces of wood of the same size make it possible to obtain products that are evenly smoked on all sides.

More complete information on the topic of a homemade smokehouse made by yourself and photos of its step-by-step execution can be found on the Internet if desired.

Connection to a gas stove

The gas smokehouse does not require any connection to the stove; you just need to place the structure on the stove and turn on the gas. The device can operate on any gas. Wood chips are laid out at the bottom . If you use a water seal, you need to pour water into a special tank.

Important! Smoking devices come in completely different sizes, so before going to the store you need to measure the dimensions of the gas stove ! Ceramic stoves are not suitable for use in smokehouses.

Installing a gas smokehouse, its correct and safe use is a simple process; it is only important to know the exact dimensions of the gas stove and the room in which you plan to place the device.

The sizes of gas smokehouses vary from 450x300x270 mm (the smallest models, ideal for a small family) to 610x310x300 mm (the largest devices).

A separate issue is the correct choice of wood chips.

The best option is fruit chips , which give the dish a special taste and aroma.

Attention! Under no circumstances should you use chips of coniferous or birch - the bitterness contained in the resins will make the smoked products bitter and harsh.

Household smokehouse and its types

Household smokehouses are classified by type depending on a number of factors:

• by type of smoking - cold or hot;
• by fuel - wood, gas and electric;
• according to the material of manufacture. The most popular material from which household smoking devices are made is stainless steel.

Any home smokehouse smokes products with chilled smoke, and each type has its own advantages.

An electric smokehouse is easy to use, since smoking does not require control. The consumer sets the required temperature and time parameters and receives ready-to-eat products.

The electric smoker is a universal device, so it can be used as an oven in the kitchen. In addition, for convenience, the device can be placed on the balcony.

A gas household smokehouse is a very easy to assemble device. The general kit includes a gas cylinder and an aluminum case. Smoking in such a device is absolutely safe, since briquettes are supplied to the smoke generator using an automatic pipe. The briquettes are heated to the required temperature, after which they fall into a container with water and are extinguished there.

The devices have a rectangular or cylindrical shape and can consist of two or three tiers. They are made in the form of suitcases, boxes and are equipped with a water seal. A household smokehouse with a water seal is convenient because it prevents smoke from escaping and prevents oxygen from penetrating the wood chips.

An ordinary stainless steel smokehouse, the fuel for which is wood, is the most popular model. It is a container in which a grid for semi-finished products is placed, and in its lower part there is space for a tray that collects fat. Smoking using fire and aromatic smoke makes the finished product from this smokehouse one of the best in quality.

All household portable models made of stainless steel are compact and easy to transport.

How to make it yourself

You can make your own gas smoking device. For this you will need the following materials:

• stainless steel sheet 1.8-2 mm thick - about 1.5 square meters will be required. m of material;
• stainless wire with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm and a length of about 10 m;
• stainless steel pipe with a wall thickness of 0.25 mm and a length of 40 cm;
• U-shaped stainless steel profile, dimensions – 3 by 3 cm, length – 2 m;
• stainless steel sheet with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm - approximately 0.2 square meters will be required. m of such material.

The indicated amount of resources is suitable for a structure with dimensions of 600x300x300 mm.

To weld a smokehouse, you will need the following tools:

1. First of all, you should weld a rectangular box with a water seal (water container) and side handles for moving.
2. Stainless steel strips are welded from the inside of the body, which serve as supports for the grilles. The bottom one should be placed 12-15 cm above the bottom, the top one should be 7-10 cm above the first, but so that it is not close to the lid of the device.
3. The water seal is a groove 2-3 cm wide and of similar depth, which runs along the perimeter of the upper part of the body. It can be made from a U-shaped profile.
4. A metal tube is installed into the lid of the smokehouse to remove smoke, the diameter of which should be about 1 cm and the length - 4-5 cm. A hose is put on the top of this tube to remove the smoke outside.
5. The bottom of the apparatus should be equipped with sides of 1-2 cm, curved upward. It must be removable.
6. Smokehouse grates are made of stainless wire.

Camping smokehouses

The biggest advantage of smoking devices is that knowledge in the field of cooking can be minimal, as well as the efforts made to obtain appetizing smoked meats, and anyone who has such a device can prepare a tasty and unique dish.

During a hike, a mobile smokehouse will allow you to process:

• fish and lard;
• chicken and meat.

Structurally, camp smokehouse models are divided into two types.

1. With a lid that fits loosely.

As a result of the smoldering of wood chips and the heating of raw smoked products, streams of steam-water mixture and smoke are formed. They pass through the gaps between the body and the cover. The temperature inside the smokehouse increases, and the emission of smoke increases.

2. With a lid that is pressed tightly with side clamps.

This smokehouse has a more universal purpose. For the cooking process, raw and dry tree branches are used. From the former, semi-finished products acquire a tart smell and bright color , while the latter give a golden color and delicate taste. The branches can be chopped into large pieces, as long as they have bark on them.

The smokehouse, even with a tight lid, allows smoke to pass through when heated, the color of which tells you how the product is being smoked. At the very beginning, the smoke from evaporating moisture is thicker. Further it will become whitish and its quantity will decrease. The yellowish color of the smoke indicates possible burning of the wood or product.

A camp smokehouse of the simplest design looks like a bucket with a lid, and the culinary process itself is very simple:

• A layer of wood shavings is poured onto the bottom of the bucket. The layer thickness is 10−20 mm;
• the grate with the product prepared for smoking is installed at a distance lower than 10 cm relative to the edge of the bucket;
• Having covered the bucket with a lid, it is placed on a fire built under the smokehouse. It is not recommended to open the lid during smoking. Smoking duration is 30−40 minutes;
• The temperature is regulated by adding firewood, and the burnt coals are raked out. The product must be tried by removing the smokehouse from the heat and opening the lid, especially at first, while there is no experience.

Cold and hot smoked smokehouses

Smoked mackerel recipe

Mackerel is well suited for hot smoking on gas. Before placing fish carcasses in the apparatus, you need to prepare them:

• You need to take 2 mackerel with a total weight of about 800 g. Clean the carcass and rinse, rub with salt outside and inside. Leave the fish for 5 hours to salt it.
• The salting time can be reduced to 2 hours if you use brine. To prepare it, you need to take 250 g of salt per liter of water, stir everything and place the mackerel in the brine.
• After the allotted time for salting is completed, the carcasses must be removed, wiped off any remaining salt, placed on a cloth or wire rack, and left to dry for half an hour.

While the fish is airing, you can prepare the smokehouse:

1. Soak the alder chips, then blot them with a cloth so that they are slightly damp. Place foil on the bottom of the smoking apparatus and wood on it. It should be evenly distributed, in a layer of 2 cm.
2. Place a tray on the wood chips to collect grease, which should also be covered with foil.
3. Place the mackerel on the grill. Close the device with a lid and fill a special container with water.
4. Place the smokehouse on a gas stove, the heat should be medium.
5. When smoke comes out of the fitting (this will happen in 5-7 minutes), put a hose on it and take it out into the hood or window so that the smoke does not escape into the room.

Design from one 50 l cylinder

The simplest scheme for a smokehouse grill from a cylinder is one 50 liter container equipped with a pipe. The minimum amount of work, time, costs for materials, and relative compactness have made this design the most popular for those who do not need a lot of smoked meats.

But pampering your guests with a barbecue, and the next day with aromatic chicken or smoky fish that you yourself cooked overnight - yes!

Features of a single barbecue smokehouse made from a gas cylinder with your own hands:

• the pipe must be longer than in the first two options,
• a damper is needed at the end opposite the pipe.

Lid

The lid is made according to the outer size of the box along with the grooves of the water seal. Its edges should be bent down so that they fit exactly into this groove. Whether they rest against the bottom of this channel or not is not particularly important; water poured into the water seal will still not allow smoke to escape.

Handles can be welded on top of the lid to make it easier to remove. You will also need a fitting for putting on the tube for removing excess smoke; in this picture it is exactly in the center. You can also buy a special pin thermometer and provide a hole in the lid for it as well.

Which wood chips are suitable for what?

In order for the smoking result to please you, the wood chips must be:

• equal in size to produce uniform smoke;
• large enough - small ones produce a lot of burning, which worsens the taste;
• moistened so that it burns gradually without drying out the product.

A few recommendations that will make your dishes even tastier or save you from disappointment:

• The best wood for successful smoking is considered to be aspen, alder, and fruit trees.
• Coniferous wood chips and sawdust are much easier to find, but it is better not to use them. They produce a lot of soot, and the product is imbued with a pungent, inedible odor.

• When preparing wood chips yourself, you need to remove bark from it, wood spoiled by fungus or bark beetle.
• Before use, part of the wood chips is soaked for 1-2 hours.
• For hot smoking, wet wood chips are loaded into the firebox and roasting pan; for cold smoking, sawdust is used.
• Twigs of shrubs and herbs will add an original aroma. Try sage, mint, rosemary, almond, eucalyptus, bay.

Which wood chips will best reveal the taste of the dish:

Conduct your own experiments, try combinations.