In stores and supermarkets you can find a large amount of smoked meat or fish at an affordable price, however, most products are smoked with the help of liquid smoke, therefore it is potentially dangerous. That is why in this article we will consider factory and home-made smoking machines. We will tell about the principle of work and their variations.
Principle of operation
Since the article deals with two types of smokehouse, we consider the principle of operation of the device for hot and cold smoking.
Hot or real smoking. Small chips or large sawdust of alder, oak, apple or cherry are laid on the bottom of a special metal container (other breeds will not give the desired flavor). The layer is leveled, after which the apparatus is put on fire.
Since wood does not directly contact with fire, it cannot catch fire, but the heat causes smoke. Actual sawdust or wood chips slowly smolder like wet wood. As a result, a large amount of smoke is emitted, but at the same time the material is consumed gradually and in small quantities. 
Cold smoking. Remember that cold smoking and using liquid smoke are two different things. It will be about the same with the above process, but with a few changes. That is, the processing is also performed using smoke, which appears in the process of smoldering wood.
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The very structure of the apparatus for cold smoking assumes the presence of three components: a chamber in which there are products, a smoke generator and a connecting pipe. To get cold smoke, you need to distance the camera with products from the source of smoke for a relatively long distance.
Smoke, passing a certain distance, is cooled. As a result, the products are not baked under the action of high temperature, but smoked slowly and efficiently. 
The product chamber is a straight iron cylinder covered with a lid. In the lower part of the cylinder there is a safety grille, and in the bottom there is a hole for the supply of the pipe.
At a distance of 2-2.5 m there is a pit for the fire, which is also covered with an iron lid. The pit is divided into 2 parts. In the first place they put firewood for the firebox, and in the second - sawdust for getting smoke.
The pit for the fire and the smoking chamber are connected by a tin or iron pipe. The pipe passes over the ground with a slight deepening. The pipe is cut into the upper part of the fire pit so that the smoke goes along it, and not up through the lid. Ultimately, traction is created, which delivers smoke into the desired chamber.
Important! All parts of the smokehouse must withstand high temperatures, as well as precipitation and frost.
Video: the difference between cold smoked and hot
Types of smoking
Consider the main differences between cold and hot smoked. Tell about the pros of each option.
Cold smoked
Fresh fish or meat can not be smoked with cold smoke. Be sure to require preliminary salting or boiling. This is the main difference between cold and hot smoked.
The temperature of smoke that enters the smoke chamber is within + 20 ... + 30 ° С. This temperature is not able to soften the meat or kill the bacteria, and the process itself takes several times more time - 3-5 days. In some cases you have to smoke for about 1 month.
It would seem, why would someone spend so much time on smoking, if you can get the finished product in a few hours. It's all about taste and aroma. The longer the fish or meat smoked, the tastier and more aromatic they become. Also during processing with cold smoke, the product is dried, so it can be stored for a long time. 
Hot smoked
The name itself suggests that meat or fish are heat treated with heat. All the time smoking takes no more than 2-3 hours, so for a short period you can get a lot of ready-to-eat products.
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At the same time, during smoking, meat or fish can warm up to + 120 ... +150 ° С. This temperature kills the lion’s share of all disease-causing organisms, removes most of the moisture, and also softens the product.
The main problem of hot smoking is overheating. If you smoke fatty fish at such a high temperature, then all the fat will simply drain, and the product will become dry. Meat during long-term hot-smoked just crumbles, and the taste is not so bright and saturated. 
Smoke Varieties
Consider the main types of devices that can be purchased or manufactured independently. Tell about the differences.
Stationary
The stationary smoking shed is a capital construction and, despite time and financial expenses for its construction, it will serve you for many years. The advantage of this construction is that it can be erected absolutely anywhere in your site, exactly where you will be comfortable. In addition, this compact structure and does not take up much space.
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The stationary smokehouse necessarily has:
- capacity (chamber) for smoking;
- bake;
- a device for the removal of smoke (chimney).
First you need to prepare a project to provide everything you need and stock up on the necessary amount of materials. Constructing the foundation, immediately take care of the chimney, for which they dig a special trench at a distance of not less than 1.2 m from the smokehouse itself. The chimney from the furnace to the chamber is made of metal or ceramic pipes.
Find out which wood is better, as well as how to make wood chips for smoking.
For smoking products use wet shavings or sawdust of hardwood trees, for example, alder, oak, beech, apple or cherry. In such a smokehouse you can make homemade sausages, balyk, fish, meat. Apply to cold and hot smoked.
Mobile
This is a mini-smokehouse, which looks like a small "box" of a rectangular shape. The unit is small, light, so it can be used both at home and in nature. 
Portable smokehouse is a small hermetic structure, inside of which there is a pallet for sawdust and grease, as well as grooves for grates. The lid is closed with special bolts or works on the water seal. A bonfire, gas or electric stove is used as a heat source.
It cannot be said that this is a full-fledged smoking machine, since the meat is cooked quickly, and therefore is stored for a short time. If the processing is done in nature, then the products should be consumed immediately, if at home - you can keep it in the refrigerator for several days.
Important! The thickness of the walls of the structure and the lid must be at least 3 mm, otherwise the material will begin to deform and fade during operation.
Electric Smokehouse
This unit looks like a microwave or electric oven. This device allows at home to smoke fish or meat products in small quantities. 
To get smoke, all the sawdust is used, but they are heated not by igniting a fire, but by glowing a relay. As a result, the smoking procedure itself is no different from other options. In this case, the smoke at the exit passes through several filters, which eliminates the smoke in the room.
We advise you to get acquainted with the technology of smoking fish.
The electric unit allows you to get hot smoked products for a short period of time at home. In this case, you do not need to have any knowledge or skills, as the device is equipped with a panel on which you can choose the type of product and the duration of the heat treatment.
Automatic smokehouse
In fact, this is a copy of an electric smokehouse, but with a few changes. This unit allows you to smoke large enough volumes of meat, fish, seafood or cheese. Also, in some models, a cold-smoked or multicooker function is available. 
Automatic smokehouse is used both at home and in production. It can load from 40 to 200 kg of products. Sawdust or wood chips are used for smoking. As in the case of the above device, this unit does not require skills or knowledge.
It is enough to read the instructions, fill in sawdust, select the desired program, after which you can go about your business. The sensors inside the device monitor the temperature and the degree of smoke, so if the sawdust "burn through" ahead of time, the smokehouse will not idle.
Smokehouse for the apartment
This device which is intended for smoking of extremely small volumes of products in the conditions of the apartment. It may look like a deep pan or a pan of various volumes. In the lid of the device has a pipe for the discharge of smoke, which is worn on the hose.
This unit allows you at any time of year to quickly prepare the product at home without large initial costs, as the smokehouse itself does not have electronic filling, and the heating is performed by a gas or electric stove. 
The “flat” smokehouse does not provide the same convenience as an electric one, however it costs about the same as a deep fryer. In this case, you have a complete device, which is made of temperature-resistant materials. In the case of entry into nature, such a smokehouse can also be used to process meat or fish.
Important! The smokehouse for an apartment should be equipped with a water lock or a special airtight lid so that smoke is discharged through the hose to the street and not flowed into the apartment.
Smokehouse with water lock
They represent a steel structure of a rectangular shape, which can be used for smoking both outdoors and indoors. The unit differs from analogs in that it is not equipped with an electric heater, so it must be placed on a gas stove or a fire under it. 
The design consists of a monolithic steel block, the wall thickness of which is about 2 mm. Inside there is a chip / saw tray, a grease tray and a grate for laying out products that will be heat treated. From above, the smokehouse is tightly closed with a lid, in which there is a nozzle for exhausting smoke.
If smoking is performed indoors, then a hose is put on the fitting to bring the combustion products to the street. A distinctive feature of this unit - water seal. At the top of the block there is a groove in which water is poured. After closing the lid, the water seals the smokehouse.
As a result, the smoke does not pass through the gap between the lid and the unit, and is displayed only through the nozzle. This is what makes it possible to use the device at home without the risk of smoke from the room. Such a smokehouse does not have software, therefore, requires skills and experience. Temperature and smoke control is also absent.
Video: review and preparation for the operation of the smokehouse with water trap
Important! In the process of smoking water must be constantly refilled to maintain tightness.
Smokehouse with thermometer
These are units that do not have electronic filling, and therefore need at least minimal control. For this purpose, special thermometers are used, which allow to measure the temperature both inside the chamber and inside the meat or fish.
The thermometer is a rounded display with a long "spout", which is protected by a special heat-resistant material. It can be placed either inside the camera or inserted into the product, or mounted in the unit cover. When mounting, any heat-insulating material is placed between the thermometer and the surface to the cover so that the device values are correct. 
The thermometer has not only a temperature scale, but also symbols that allow you to adjust the temperature for a particular type of meat or fish. This allows even a novice to smoke a product at the correct temperature in order to preserve its structure and taste as much as possible.
Smoke generator
The smoke generator is a small electrical device for producing smoke with minimal consumption of raw materials (sawdust or wood chips). Such a device is sealed and has small dimensions, which allows it to be used indoors.
It works as follows: chips or sawdust are placed inside the device, after which it is closed with an airtight lid and heated with electricity. On the outer part there is a fitting, on which a hose is fitted, connecting the smoke generator with the compressor, which injects smoke into the smoke chamber. 
The smoke generator allows you to provide cold smoking at home with a minimum consumption of sawdust / chips. At the same time, the device itself controls the process of generating smoke, which allows you to go about your business during smoking.
Used for cold smoking of any products. Most often used for heat treatment of oily or delicate fish, as well as tender meat, to preserve the structure as much as possible.
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How to make a smokehouse with your own hands
Consider making your own smokehouse using cheap scrap materials. An iron barrel of 200 liters is used as a smoking container. You can take the capacity of another displacement, it is better if it is made of stainless steel. 
It should be borne in mind that the smaller the capacity, the fewer products you can smoke for one approach. Start by fixing the legs on which your smoke chamber will stand. For this you can use iron pipes or corners. They need to be welded to the bottom of the barrel with high quality to make the construction sustainable. You can use fasteners. 
After fixing the legs in the lid of the barrel, you need to make a round hole, then weld a pipe with a diameter of about 50 mm to it. Taking a pipe with a larger diameter is not recommended, as the smoke will leave the chamber too quickly. 
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Next, using chalk, we draw two horizontal lines on the sides so that they visually divide the barrel into two equal parts. Then on one of the sides we draw three vertical parallel lines that divide the barrel into three identical segments. 
Between the segments need to leave about 5 cm of free space. With the help of the grinder, we cut out the upper segment, which is located near the lid. The same is repeated with the middle and lower segments. The result is 3 "windows" with vertical partitions. 
Further, at the level of the lower partition inside the barrel, we weld the rods, which will serve as the basis for further fixing of the iron plates. 
The lower compartment will be used for making a fire, so at its level around the entire circumference of the barrel you need to boil small holes to ensure good traction. 
Did you know? With cold smoked products are stored many times longer for the reason that they are not only dried, but also saturated with natural preservatives.After that, the metal circle must be welded to the rods so that it completely separates the lower compartment from the upper one. You can use several sheets of metal. The main thing is that there are no large gaps or holes.
At the final stage, take the rounded segments cut from the barrel and attach them so that you get the door for the compartments. To do this, you can use small iron hinges, and that the doors held, on the opposite side of the welded gate. 
For convenience, additional rods can be welded at the top of the barrel, onto which meat or fish can be laid, or small grooves can be welded to put a grid on them. You can also simply weld a small-diameter pipe directly under the barrel lid to hang products on the hooks.At this construction smokehouse is over. The presence of the pipe allows you to use it for frying or boiling in a cauldron. During smoking, the pipe can be covered with a container to reduce the loss of smoke.
Did you know? During smoking, the fats that are contained in the product retain their unchanged form, and do not turn into trans fats or dangerous compounds, as during frying. This is true for both cold and hot smoked.
Video: how to make a smokehouse from the barrel Nowadays, finding or making a smokehouse with your own hands is quite simple. Готовые аппараты позволяют даже новичку качественно прокоптить продукты, а простая конструкция даст возможность из подручных материалов сделать агрегат любого размера.
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