Smoking generator. Smoke generators for smoking

Smoke fish or lard in a hot way at the dacha, in hiking conditions or even in a city apartment, everyone can do it, but with cold smoking everything is much more complicated. Here you cannot do without a stationary smokehouse and strict adherence to technology. And how many different subtleties need to be taken into account in order to end up with the “correct” ham or fish delicacy! Many Forumhouse users We have successfully mastered smoking with a smoke generator and are happy to share our acquired experience and successful recipes.

How to make a smoke generator

There are now a lot of smoke generators and fully equipped smokehouses on sale for every taste. But a good purchased unit is quite an expensive pleasure; it’s easier to make it yourself from scrap materials. The main thing is to know how to do it correctly. A proven working option is offered by the user Vital.

– The smoke generator is made in the form of a long pipe for a number of reasons. The main one is the slow burning of sawdust. You can extend one charge over the entire smoking process, just after some time, slightly rearrange the lamp or burner along the length of the pipe. The heating spot on the pipe will be optimal. You can’t achieve this with a saucepan/stove, and the smoke will come out in bursts (as it warms up, it starts strong, then gradually declines). You will have to monitor the sawdust and change them quite often (the cold process is a protracted one). Then, with a fire (or potbelly stove) it is not very convenient to monitor the temperature; you constantly need to monitor the combustion processes.

No matter how good the recipes for smoking meat are, a smoke generator made from junk can ruin everything.

An iron barrel (and not some box lined with insulation) also plays an important role in cooling the smoke. It is advisable to make the joints on threads - the structure must be disassembled, especially the back cover, through which the smoke generator can be charged. All that remains is to make a couple of holes in the barrel and buy a temperature sensor. And everything is ready for use. This version of the smokehouse is a winter one, for the cold. With more high temperatures You also need to make an additional smoke cooler (either on the pipe or in the chamber itself, i.e. the barrel).

And here is the version from the user Captain777. Tested - cold smoking with a smoke generator works perfectly.

Captain777:

– The generator is connected to any cabinet or barrel with a pipe, corrugation, etc. There is no need to build meter-long chimneys for cooling; the smoke at the outlet is slightly warm. A rectangular metal container into which sawdust shavings are poured, at the bottom there is a hole with a plug for ignition and a second one for supplying air from the compressor (can be used from an aquarium or, as in my photo, from an old refrigerator). The “charge” lasts for several hours.

Offers its simple but effective smoke generator design Semur. The unit, according to him, was assembled literally on the knee - cheap and cheerful.

– The generator runs on chopped wood chips: in vertical pipe I poured wood chips, set it on fire from below, a hose from an aquarium compressor - i.e. air pulls smoke through horizontal pipe, at the same time creates a draft, the chips smolder, and the smoke pours out cold. Works for 4-5 hours. It’s not enough - I lengthened the pipe, and the time lengthened, it will smoke for 8-10 hours. The asking price is five electrodes, a plumbing fitting + a pipe + a pipe, preferably one hundred square meters in diameter (chips will not get stuck).

Smoking with a smoke generator: recipes

Cold smoking is a serious and labor-intensive business, and to learn how to cook delicious products and to minimize the harm to health from their use, forum members are advised to carefully study all stages of the process. It would also be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the sanitary requirements for smoking ovens and cold smoking technology. Nothing can be simplified here; it is important to strictly observe the temperature and time regime. Well, know the “correct” recipes. This is how a forum member smokes poultry and meat DeRenardNez.

DeRenardNez:

– Cold smoked duck. For a kilogram of meat - a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of red pepper. Place the thoroughly washed and gutted bird under oppression for 48 hours in a cool place (2-4°C), after rubbing it with lemon juice and salt. To make the meat softer, I recommend beating the duck before salting. Press down from above to break the bones and give them a flat surface – this way it will be better salted. After, before smoking, roll the outside and inside thickly in pepper. The bird should be thickly boned both outside and inside. Smoke the bird for 48 hours. It can be longer - you have to watch to understand how long. When smoking, I recommend using oak, maple or cherry sawdust.

Pork tenderloin and brisket. For 5 kg of meat: a glass of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, ½ glass of lemon juice, a teaspoon of allspice, 4-5 chopped garlic cloves. The meat is rubbed with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices and kept in a cool place under pressure for 72 hours. Washed cold water, dried and rubbed lemon juice. Smoking time ranges from 24 to 48 hours (depending on the thickness of the pieces). Smoked meat ham is hung in a cool, dry place (1-4°C) for several days (as long as you can stand it) - it should dry out.

User Roman261076 mastered cold smoking of fish, and having gained experience, added lard and meat to the assortment. Here are his recipes for cold smoked smoke generators.

Roman261076:

– We clean the silver carp, remove the gills, rinse well and remove the black inner film. Salt with dry salting (the amount of salt per 10 kg of fish is 1.5 kg) and under pressure, for 3-4 days. Remove and taste for salt. If the fish is too salty, soak and rinse. Soak at the rate of one hour per day of salting. Then we ventilate for 3-5 hours - and off to smoking. The time for cold smoking fish with a smoke generator on alder, oak and pear wood and sawdust is usually a day at a temperature of 30 degrees. We also tried smoking perch, catfish, small carp, and pike.

How long to smoke cold smoked fish with a smoke generator depends on the preparation. Preparation of products – important stage. According to many members of the forum, it is better to salt and dry fish well beforehand for cold smoking - then it will not be smoked for a couple of days, but only about 12 hours, and this is not so long.

The main role in the smoking process is played by smoke, which “fumigates” the product in the smoking chamber. The richness of the aroma and taste of the future dish depends on it. The smoke generator, a device located in the smoking section, is responsible for preparing smoked meats. It can be purchased in specialized stores or made by yourself.

Features of the smoke generator for a smokehouse

A smoke generator is a simple device that allows you not to stand at the smokehouse for hours and control the cooking process. For example, a smoke generator in a smokehouse with a small loading chamber, supplying smoke moderately, ensures constant smoking for 24 hours. It all depends on the design of the device, technical capabilities combustion chambers.

A smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse works on the following principle: sawdust heats up and smolders. The device creates smoke, which goes into the food smoking chamber. After a certain time, depending on the type of product (fish, meat, lard), smoked meats can be eaten. When the generator operates in autonomous mode, the cooking process is greatly simplified - there is no need to constantly check the raw materials for readiness, supply air, etc. We already wrote about this earlier and advised you to bookmark the site.

Characteristics of a smoke generator for a smokehouse

You can make a smoke generator for a smokehouse yourself, but before starting work you need to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of the device:

• The generator operates from the mains power supply. The device is connected to a regular 220 Volt outlet.
• The sawdust bin should not be large. The optimal size of the loading compartment accommodates 2 kg of sawdust.
• The power of the heating element is 1 kW. Typically, an average smoke generator consumes up to 4 kW per day. The device heats up and, having reached a certain temperature, turns off.
• The average volume of the combustion chamber is 1 cubic meter. m.

We previously wrote about and advised you to bookmark the article.

Tools and materials

Any smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse consists of a container, a pump (compressor) and an ejector. To make this device yourself, you will need the following available tools:

• a cylindrical fireproof container (fire extinguisher, thermos, milk can, metal tube, etc.);

Advice! The most optimal container for a smoke generator would be a container 45-50 cm long and 8-10 cm wide.

Before starting work, you need to prepare everything you need - wood chips, a metal container, tubes, etc., so that all the tools are at hand.

• metal tubes;
• tees;
• sweeps;
• unnecessary pump, computer cooler, aquarium compressor, plastic bottle, etc.

Manufacturing technology

A smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse is made with your own hands in stages:

• First prepare everything necessary materials, raw materials for smoking, sawdust in accordance with the selected design of the device. Drawings of a smoke generator for a smokehouse can be found on the Internet.

• A small hole is made at the bottom of the container or combustion chamber. It is enough to cut an opening with a diameter of 1 cm. It is necessary to provide oxygen supply and support the combustion process.
• A small spring is installed in the receiving section of the container to move smoke through the sawdust. It plays the role of a chimney, allowing smoke to pass freely through small chips. This part is not needed when using large sawdust.
• The top of the refractory container is tightly closed, creating a vacuum space. During the process of cooking smoked meats, air should not escape from the device.
• Metal tubes are connected to each other by soldering or welding. Threaded parts are also suitable. They are used to make a smoke generator ejector. It is placed either at the top or bottom of the container.

Video: making a smoke generator for a smokehouse with your own hands

Important! If you place the ejector at the bottom of the device, then there will be no natural traction air, since the food chamber and sawdust bin will be on the same level. With this placement, the ejector often fades. Therefore, experts recommend placing the tubes in the upper part of the container.

• A homemade smoke generator is assembled and connected to the smoking chamber. It can also be made from available materials - a cabinet, a wooden container, an old refrigerator, a metal box, a barrel, etc.

Advice! To get thick and dense smoke in a cold smoked smokehouse, use sawdust. Under no circumstances should you load sawdust from spruce, pine, fir, etc. The smoke from such wood makes the food taste bitter.

• Prepared products are loaded into the smokehouse; they must be salted and dried, otherwise the smoking process will drag on for several days due to excess moisture in the raw materials.
• The device is installed on a flat, fire-resistant surface away from flammable devices and materials. The device is connected to the power supply and enjoy the process. Sawdust should be added periodically. The smoking process is fully automated; preparation of “cold” smoked meats lasts from 12 hours to several days.

• It is better to smoke in dry, non-frosting weather.
• The optimal temperature for cold smoking is 35 degrees Celsius.
• To speed up the cooking process, install a heating element(heating element from a stove, etc.).
• If added to sawdust grapevine, the taste of smoked meats will become more vibrant.
• To regulate the temperature of the smoke supply, you can make the pipe longer/shorter.

The smoke generator makes the smoking process easier. After connecting the device to the network and downloading products, you can go about your business. The only thing you need to keep an eye on is the amount of wood chips in the chamber.

You can make a smoke generator for a smokehouse with your own hands from available materials. Despite the simplicity of the design, the generator device is very functional. Thanks to this device, the smoking process becomes even simpler.

Small smokehouses, designed for small portions of food, usually consist of a box in which both food and wood chips are placed together. Wood chips smolder at the bottom of the box, and food lies on the grates above it. This solution is the simplest, but in fact only involves hot smoking - the products hang directly above the fryer, and therefore it is difficult to cool the smoke. For cold smoking you need a separate smoke generator, structurally separated from the smoking chamber itself. You can buy a smoke generator for cold smoking in a store, but this article is about how to make it yourself. There are drawings in the article, although these are more like sketches, for a better understanding of the essence.

In general, this is a closed container in which wood chips or sawdust smolder. The flow of air inside the smoke generator is limited, so the wood chips cannot ignite, they only smolder, emitting smoke. The container heats up as more convenient for the owner: it could be gas stove, electric heaters, wood stove or just a fire. In the last two cases, of course, it is not very convenient to regulate the heating temperature, and therefore the smoke output, but in general it is acceptable. This article describes a smoke generator for a smokehouse, in which wood chips can simply be ignited inside, without any additional heating from the outside.

The smoke generated inside is discharged through the pipe into smoking chamber. Along the way, this pipe may pass through some kind of smoke cooler. You can make a simple long chimney, or bury it in the ground. Cold smoking is carried out at a temperature of 20-30 degrees, which is why an external smoke generator is needed.

Making the body

Now let's see how you can make such a device yourself.

It is convenient to use for the smoke generator body steel pipe. (In these collages you can see two homemade devices made from tin cans, but they can burn out quickly; a pipe is more reliable.) You can also take an old fire extinguisher, or gas cylinder, but this article describes a homemade smoke generator made specifically from a pipe, round or rectangular. A pipe diameter of 80 - 100 millimeters will be sufficient.

To begin, seal the bottom of the pipe tightly with a steel plug. At the very bottom of the smoke generator, you need to provide a place where the ash will fall, with a height of, for example, 3 centimeters above this plug. Therefore, we drill a hole for igniting wood chips and accessing air a little higher, for example, at a distance of 4 centimeters from the bottom. A hole diameter of 7-10 millimeters is quite enough.

grate

We take a steel tube or rod, drill a hole in the disk and weld it to the rod at a distance of 3 centimeters from the end. These 3 centimeters will be the volume for collecting ash. Please note that the rod should pass through the disk not in the center, but slightly to the side. This is shown in the top picture. Why this is necessary is explained below.

It is often recommended to put a steel spring on the rod, see drawing above. It is needed so that a passage is formed along the rod for smoke from the lower part of the wood chips. This is especially true if small sawdust is used, that is, when the escape of smoke may be difficult. If you are going to use large chips, then the spring can be neglected.

Top cover

It can be made from a piece of pipe with a slightly larger diameter. Or, if you made the body of your smoke generator from a rectangular pipe, then you can weld the lid from square pieces of metal. Try to ensure that the lid fits tightly to the body. The less air passes through it, the better.

We drill a hole in the lid to pass the central post (on which the spring) through. It is useful to cut a thread at the upper end of the stand, and then it will be possible to secure the lid with a nut before starting smoking. Let's say once again that the spring is needed only so that the wood chips do not fit tightly to the rack, and there is a passage along it for smoke. If you want, you can do without it.

Ejector

This is perhaps the most important detail smoke generator. Often, the smoke generated in it does not just pour out of there, like from a samovar, but is extracted using a compressor (about which below). This is exactly what the ejector serves for.

How the simplest ejector works should be clear from the figure.

A hole is drilled in the wall of the smoke generator housing, onto which an exhaust pipe is welded from the outside. On the other side of the body, another hole is drilled, into which another tube of smaller diameter than the first is fixed. As can be seen in the drawing, it passes through the entire body exactly in diameter, and enters the exhaust pipe with some clearance. It will be great if you do not secure the thin tube tightly, but for example with a nut, so that you can adjust its length inside the housing.

Now, if air from a compressor is supplied into a thin tube, the smoke filling the housing will be captured by it and carried out through the exhaust pipe. If it is possible to adjust the length of the thin tube, then you can configure your generator for maximum smoke output.

Now it’s clear why the central pillar should not be in the center, but shifted to the side.

Here's what it looks like in real life:

Where should the ejector be placed, on top or bottom of the housing? There are no clear recommendations on this matter. That is, whoever is more comfortable. Depending on the design of the smoking chamber, next to which your smoke generator will be located. But from experience it is known that the upper location is preferable - the generator will be less capricious and will not often go out.

Compressor

The easiest way is to use a pump to ventilate an aquarium as a compressor. Buy it in advance with plastic tubes, and it will be clear to you what diameter metal tubes will need to be used for the ejector.

You can, however, make a compressor yourself, for example, from a computer cooler. Take plastic bottle, cut a hole in its bottom and insert the cooler there. And you can glue a pipe into the bottle cap, onto which the tube leading to the ejector will be placed.

How to work

The procedure for working with a smoke generator is simple:

• remove the cover,
• pour wood chips inside,
• connect the ejector tubes,
• close the lid
• ignite the wood chips inside using, for example, a blowtorch or gas lighter,
• turn on the compressor and wait for smoke to come out of the exhaust pipe.

After finishing work:

• disassemble the entire structure, disconnect the tubes,
• pull out the central rod with the grate,
• shake out the ash and clean everything,
• Treat yourself to some goodies from your smokehouse. 🙂

» from the presented material you will learn how you can make a smoke generator for cold smoking yourself, we will also look at drawings, diagrams, videos and photos step-by-step assembly DIY generator. Well, let's go... The cold smoked smoke generator is a fairly new invention, but has already won respect from experienced smokers) The fact is that the design of this device It’s simple to the point of genius and any interested craftsman can make it for himself. Big advantage smoke generator in its mobility, lightweight, convenient, compact, unlike wood-burning stationary smokehouses.

Device and principle of operation cold smoking smoke generator is as follows, namely, the body made of a pipe with a diameter of at least 10 cm and a height of about 50 cm plays the role of a hopper into which sawdust is poured, in the upper part there is an injector that sucks up the smoke and delivers it directly to the smoking chamber. Air is supplied to the injector through a flexible hose from an aquarium compressor. The top cover is tightly closed and does not allow air to enter, but in the lower part there is a special small hole of 7-10 mm for the formation of draft. An ash pan and a grate mesh are also installed in the lower part to keep sawdust and coals from falling off. Inside the hopper there is a spring along the entire length from the ash pan to the injector tube; it is necessary so that smoke can rise along it like a spiral through a dense layer of sawdust.

In addition to the smoke generator kit, you will also need to make a smoking chamber or a house, see how to do this correctly

Smoking occurs precisely through smoke, unlike other smokehouses where there is exposure to temperature, the smoke enters the smoking chamber where products (lard, meat, fish, chicken, cheese, etc.) are pre-placed; the process lasts from several hours to several days, unlike the type and quantity available product. The result is the most delicious smoked meats. homemade, tens of times better than store-bought analogues, and most importantly, an order of magnitude cheaper, because you yourself know the price of smoked food today...

And so friends! Let's move on to the drawings and diagrams of the smoke generator made .

Below is a diagram of two types of smoke generators, namely with a lower ejector and one installed in the upper part of the body. In principle, both designs are successful and are respected, but today we will look at a smoke generator with an upper ejection

Schematic diagram of the operation and design of the generator: the hopper is filled with wood chips, sawdust is slowly smoldering in the lower part, the smoke, under the influence of the ejector, rises upward along a spring spiral through the thickness of the sawdust and is directed through a squeegee into the smoking chamber, where the process of smoking the product itself takes place.

For self-made smoke generator you will need: professional pipe " square section"or round... there is not much difference. A pair of connectors, fittings, adapter, tube, flexible hose and an aquarium compressor for pumping air into the ejector.

A hole is drilled at the bottom for air access.
You need to make a tight-fitting lid from a piece of pipe.


We install the ejector.

The air will be supplied by the aquarium compressor.
You can also make a compressor yourself, well, something like this in the photo by taking a plastic bottle and attaching a computer cooler or a suitable-sized fan to it.
So guys.. now let's figure out the spring, where, how and why is it installed inside the loading hopper of the smoke generator? The fact is that it is quite difficult for smoke to rise to the top through a layer of sawdust on its own, which is why a metal spring is installed through which the smoke rises to the top as if in a spiral. This spring has a length from the ash pan to the ejector tube, this can be clearly seen in the photo below.
Now let's move directly to the ejector itself, it consists of a tee, a drive, thin and thick metal tube. When air is supplied from the compressor, a vacuum is created at the junction of the tubes, which helps raise smoke from bottom to top and feed it into the smoking chamber.

The bunker is filled with sawdust almost to the top and one filling is enough for 1.5-2 hours of continuous smoking, after which the sawdust is filled again.
We set fire to sawdust from the treasury, that is, in the lower part using gas burner, and then we put it on the ash pan and connect the flexible hose from the compressor. for supplying smoke to the smokehouse.

We insert the squeegee into the hole in the smoking chamber.
Several options for hand-made smoking houses.



That's basically all I wanted to explain to you.

Smoking is one of the methods of heat treatment of various products using smoke from the pyrolysis (smoldering) of small wood. As a result of processing, the shelf life is extended and partial preservation occurs.

The product acquires an incomparable aroma. Preservation occurs under the influence of dehydrated alcohols (aldehydes), acids (acetic, formic).

What is a smokehouse, design

The refrigerator is now the main component of food preservation. But in those days when there was no electricity, smoking food was almost the only way to prepare it. First of all, in this way they extended the shelf life of meat and fish. Smoked, dried fruits, vegetables still in Ancient Rome were considered delicacies. Each state has its own recipes and smoking technologies. For example, the famous English bacon, French carbonate.

In Rus', the tradition of preparation by smoking has been preserved in ancient times. The proof is provided by archaeological excavations that have survived old recipes. In the manor's estate, the estate had its own stationary smokehouse. Every hunter knew how to smoke food. And the most common way in Ancient Rus' there was hanging food wrapped in rags near the bathhouse stove, which was heated “black”.

Before moving on to a description of the smokehouse structure, it is necessary to dwell on smoking methods.

The products are distinguished:

• hot smoked;
• semi-hot smoking (temperature 60-70 degrees);
• cold smoked.

Cold smoking gives the best effect in terms of food preservation.

Features of hot smoking

This is a method that involves quick cooking product at higher temperatures.

Two modes can be distinguished:

1. Temperature: 35-55 degrees, time from 12 hours to 2 days.
2. Temperature: 80-90 degrees, time from 20 minutes to several hours.

Cooking time depends on what exactly is being smoked. The shelf life of food after hot smoking does not exceed 3 days.

The principle of the device is quite simple. You need a container (smoking chamber) in which grates and hooks are installed for storing and hanging supplies. The shape of the chamber can be round or square. A fireplace is arranged under the container in which the sawdust should smolder. The smoke from them rises up, enveloping the suspended, laid out supplies. The top of the chamber is covered with damp burlap and a lid. In camping conditions, you can cover it with fresh tree branches. It is better to make a small hole in the lid to allow excess smoke to escape.

A smoke generator will provide a universal smoking method.

What is a cold smoked smoke generator, its design

Smoke is the main component of the smoking process, so if you create a source of it, you can connect it to the smokehouse. In this case, the intensity and t of the feed are adjusted. This device is called a smoke generator.

You can make a cold smoke generator for smoking yourself. For this purpose, metal, galvanized pipes, tin tin cans, other materials that can be found in the yard, in the garage.

Smoke generator diagram for cold smoking.

From the diagram of a smoke generator for cold smoking it is clear that the main element is a long container, pipe or square. Wood chips are poured into it, which smolders and smoke rises.

A built-in fitting with a pipe for supplying a stream of air from the ejector is connected to the smoking cabinet. The air flow from the compressor directs the smoke into a tube that is connected to the smoking chamber.

At the bottom of the structure there is an ash pan for collecting combustion products and two holes: for ignition and creating draft. Cover the top of the container with a lid. The ejector with a connecting tube can be located at the top or bottom. The design of a smoke generator for cold smoking with top air supply is considered the best.

Important! In order to additionally clean the smoke from carcinogens using a tee, a pipe of the same diameter is installed in the connecting tube that goes from the smoke generator to the smoking chamber. A container for collecting resins is attached to its end. It is called a scrubber - a device used to clean solid and gaseous impurities. The larger the scrubber, the better cleaning. Therefore, it can be made in the form of a square chamber with filters. In addition, this will contribute to additional cooling of the air for cold smoking. A steam generator with a scrubber is also called “ the right smoke generator", as it significantly improves the quality of the smoke.

Do-it-yourself smoke generators for cold smoking (step-by-step instructions)

Making a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands requires certain skills. Its dimensions depend on the volume of the smoking chamber and the products that will be smoked.

Before answering the question of how to make a smoke generator, you should describe preparatory stage– selection of materials and tools.

Required materials:

1. Galvanized metal square pipe, round shape. You can use a ventilation corrugation with a diameter of approximately 100 mm.
2. Connecting metal pipes, with a diameter of 30-40 mm. The longer the connecting tube, the better the smoke is cooled.
3. Triple connections.
4. An aquarium compressor for a smoke generator, or another ejector.
5. Thermometer.

Subsequence:

1. First, take a pipe (10 mm), cut a piece from 50 to 80 cm. sheet metal, galvanized we make the lid and bottom. The lid should tightly cover the top hole to prevent additional air from being sucked in. We calculate the bottom in such a way that the structure is stable. It would be better if it had sides.
2. We drill two holes at the bottom of the pipe: to ignite the fire and create draft (7-8 mm). We install a mesh for the ash pan at the bottom. You need to attach a handle to the lid. It is advisable to weld the handles to the side surfaces. This will make the generator easier to carry.
3. From top edge generator we make an indent (8-10 cm). Next, drill a hole in the pipe according to the diameter of the connecting tubes. On one end of the fitting you need to screw the thread intended for the fitting. The other side of the fitting is welded to the body using welding.
4. We attach two pipes to it. One of them will discharge smoke into the smoking chamber, the second will be led to the ejector.

Pay attention! Sometimes a spring is mounted inside the generator on a vertical support. Practice shows that this improves smoke circulation.

Making a smoke generator

When answering the question of how to make a smoke generator for cold smoking yourself, you need to know what is used as an ejector for this device.

A compressor for a do-it-yourself smoke generator can be a device for supplying air to fish in an aquarium, a cooler (fan) from a computer, or other devices for pumping air.

It is preferable to purchase an adjustable ejector. Then it will be possible to control the intensity of the smoke supply and temperature conditions. The average air supply power is approximately 8 liters per minute.

What kind of firewood is suitable for smoking, chip size

The choice of wood for smoking plays a role decisive role. It will depend on them taste qualities, color of products. Each type of wood has special properties.

For the smoke generator, wood chips are used, but not sawdust. They are too small and do not allow smoke to pass through well. The size of the chips should be such that when smoldering, smoke passes freely through them. The wood chips may be a little damp, but not wet. In this case, it gives a pleasant tart smell, more rich color. Dry wood chips make the product more tender and add a golden hue.

Most suitable for smoking:

1. Juniper is considered the best for the formation of taste and aroma.
2. Hard woods: oak, beech, alder.
3. Fruit varieties: apple, pear, apricot, plum, cherry.

Birch firewood gives the product a tarry taste. It is better to remove the bark from all types of wood.

Not suitable for smoking coniferous varieties due to the resin content of the tree.

What can a smoking chamber be made from?

Smoking chamber in homemade smoke generator can be made from various materials.

To make the smoking chamber look beautiful on the site, it is often made in the form small house with exhaust pipe. The height of the pipe regulates the draft.

The interior space can be lined with wood (hard varieties). It is more convenient to clean a stainless steel chamber. A wooden barrel is suitable for a smokehouse.

Prices for wooden boards

construction board

A special thermometer with a remote sensor is installed on the smoking chamber to control the smoking temperature.

The main part of the structure is made from scrap materials, such as:

• old refrigerator (case);
• washing machine body;
• gas cylinder;
• made from a frame that is wrapped in thick film.

Everyone uses the items and materials that are available.

Methods for cooling smoke generators

There are two ways to cool smoke generators. For the most part, the air method of cooling smoke is used. The longer the pipe through which smoke flows from the generator to the chamber, the better it is cooled. In this case, it is suitable for cold smoking. In order to reduce the amount of space occupied by the pipe, it is made in the form of a coil of various shapes.

The second cooling method is water. To do this, the pipe or expansion container through which the smoke passes into the smoking chamber is placed in another container. The latter circulates running water. This way the smoke is cooled.

How to use a smoke generator, purpose

Smoke generators for cold and hot smoking are designed for heat treatment products.

What products can be smoked:

• meat, lard;
• all types of fish;
• bird;
• seafood;
• meat of wild animals, poultry obtained by hunting;
• hard cheeses;
• fruits, vegetables.

Applewood will give smoked meats a pleasant sweet taste, which is suitable for pork and poultry. Ash wood chips make the taste richer and can be used for fish. The nut is suitable for game, as it has a characteristic pungent aroma. It is also suitable for fish, it eliminates the smell of mud. Maple chips enhance the taste of the product, which is why they are used for smoking meat products, cheeses, fish products. Oak is good for all types of meat products, lard, and poultry.

A homemade cold smoke generator for smoking can be used for hot, semi-hot smoking. To do this, you need to raise the smoldering temperature by increasing the air supply from the compressor. The smoldering of the wood chips will become more intense, therefore, the temperature in the smoking chamber will rise.

Pay attention! For a do-it-yourself cold-smoked smokehouse with a smoke generator optimal sizes are 1 meter in height and 50-60 cm in diameter. The best material will serve stainless steel thickness from 2 mm.

A smoke generator for cold smoking is often made from a fire extinguisher. Its walls can withstand enough high blood pressure, fit the cross-section.

Tips on how to start the unit correctly:

1. Place it on a non-flammable surface.
2. Wood chips are prepared by removing the bark from it, thus improving the quality of the smoke.
3. Fill it in the volume needed for smoking of this product. For lard meat, this can be a volume of 1 liter. Fish and cheeses smoke faster, so half this volume may be enough.
4. Then connect the generator to the smoking chamber.
5. We connect the tube from the ejector to the smoke generator.
6. Next, wood chips are set on fire through the lower hole. You need to wait a little until it starts to smolder.
7. Then turn on the compressor.

Attention! When you're thinking about how to make your own smoke generator for cold smoking, don't forget about the scrubber. This simple device will significantly improve the quality of smoking.

One of the main requirements that must be observed when smoking is tightness. It is needed to ensure that the process is controlled; accidentally entering air can create a redistribution of the smoke flow. A thermometer installed on the generator cover will help monitor the process.

Important. The main thing to remember is that the wood chips should not burn, but only smolder, that is, work on the principle of a pyrolysis boiler.

Useful video: making a smoke generator with your own hands