smoke house

[jml]

anybody have pics of their smokehouses or tips on how to build one

[Live Oak]

I just built a box that is just shy of 4'x4'X4'. Used a 4'X4' piece of ply wood for the lid and made the box fit under it. Used 2"X2" for the corners, strips, and slats to support the bottom. The bottom slats are up 6". I just cut a hole that a one 110 AC would fit in. and screwed it to the plywood. On the other end I cut a round hole that a stove pipe would slid in. Two sections of pipe and an elbow directed the smoke in. I dried sausage in it a couple of years. Put it together with drywall screws. When I was done took it apart, it stacks flat to store for next year. It would hold 100# of sausage single hung.

[Jasonmac]

I would like to see a pic of that smokehouse.

[uglydog]

Yes Me Too, wanna see pics as we are getting ready to make some homemade sausage too, and looking to build a smoke house too.

[Live Oak]

Been working and have not had time to get on the Board. I will try and find some pictures to post this weekend. We did not make sausage this year so I did not put it up.

[shawn]

yeah id like to see pics of it too, thats one of my future projects

[Bar M]

we had an old barn wood chicken house. probalby 3ftwide by 5ft long by 6ft tall.
We siliconed the cracks, put a 2x4 wood floor in it. left a spot out of the floor about 1ftx2ft
and put gravel rocks there, and thats where we build our fire.
We put old wire fridge shelves in it. We hang our jerkey on toothpicks hangin from those shelves.
We did the cheap way. haha. But it works!

[Live Oak]

I guess I lost the better pictures. Here is a top down view. You can see the main construction. Length ways, one end has the AC unit, it can be seen in the picture. The other end I just cut around hole and stuck a length of stove pipe with an elbow on the other end in it.

[Bar M]

thats pretty cool!!

[jdt]

liveoak , do you use the natural casings and cleanthem yourself, or do you buy them?

[dabutcher]

you can buy bulk natural casing from L.E.M.  all you have to do is rinse them.   

[Live Oak]

I have always used natural casings. Most meat shops have them, cleaned and packed in salt and brine. I use pork, but you can get beef ( heavy duty) and sheep. They use sheep for wieners and meat sticks. The old time picnic sausage places use beef because they stand up better to long time boiling better.( Gruenua, Lindinau, Garfield, and such) All you have to do is wash them. I like to turn them and check for holes, just some thing the folks that taught me did.

My City does not allow Smoke houses in the City limits. That is why I built a box. Put it up, take it down, stores flat against the shop wall.

[uglydog]

FYI there will be a booth at the Wild Boar Expo -Heinshons is local market that carrys any and all supplies for sausage making and processings, they have a large variety of seasonings and casings and grinders and such in their store I bet they will have plenty of the stuff needed for this kind of stuff too.

Want to see more pictures and plans PLEASE

[shawn]

stupid question but what is the ac unit for?

[Live Oak]

Mostly just to keep the air moving. It does help cool a little on those hot humid mornings when I try to dry. More pictures on the way.

[Turbo Jet]

na not a stupid question i was about to ask the same thing

[Live Oak]

Without putting it up, I hope these help. I made the thing 38” W X 47” L X 48” H. I was given the plywood and this is how it came out! I ripped several studs length ways for the 2X2s.

This is the end with the AC. I wanted a dehumidifier but settled for an AC because I had one. You can see how the 2x2s are screwed on.


I put up three sides and screw two 2X2s short ways and set the bottom on them, notice the notches in the corners.


The sides are just plain plywood.

I just cut a round hole for the stove pipe and cover it with a piece of plywood with two drywall screws when not in use. You can see the 2X2s on this side also.

 
The top is just a little larger than the box, I used four short 2X2s to keep it aligned when not screwed down.
 

The next ones are how I do the smoke part. The pipe is left over 20”. I dig a small trench under the edge of the pipe and a hole in the middle of the pipe. I cover the hole with old expanded metal this lets air under the briquettes and the smoke to go up and out. The plate on top is just some left over but works perfect.




I did this in Word so, Hopefully is will copy over.

[Live Oak]

I use a hand full of briquettes on the expanded metal. When they are white with ash I cover them with smoke wood. Live Oak of coarse. I have access to tons of it. I like to get old stuff, not rotten, that the bark and sap wood is gone from. I use a chain saw to cut slices but catch the saw chips.  Add litte water and mix, you want it moist not wet. You can use a old cast iron skillet or heavy pie plate on a hot plate also if you do not have room for the stove pipe and stuff. About four hours of smoke after drying over night and you will have a smoke ring that will make a Brisket cooker jealous!

[riverbottomhoghunter]

that looks like a good smoke house