Building a walk in smokehouse

[.264winmag]

Most smoked sausages have to reach an internal temp of 156 and then they can be frozen again..

For hot smoke that's about right, I'm interested in the cold smoke. Meat starts to cook around 86 preventing smoke from penetrating any further. If you want a true cure you need low, cool, dry smoke and lotsa salt. You can always give em a quick shot of heat to cook through at end, sound recipes call for a quick boil. Landjager is one of my favourites that is not cooked but completely preserved not requiring refrigeration.

[Salty]

I like the idea of building it into a bank D the design you show there would work well concrete blocks or even form and pour concrete for the part that'll be buried. Could easily plumb the fire box and pipe underground too so that a certain fire will give consistent results be it winter or a hot day in summer. Cedar would be the bomb but maybe expensive out your way.. dunno. If using cedar I wouldn't finish it let it go gray I think. Cool project bro.

Oh and good fly screen for the openings and otherwise pest proof so bugs and critters don't make a home.

[.264winmag]

Ya a bunch of plans I've seen use pvc pipe ran underground and uphill to middle of smokehouse floor around ten feet or so away. And fine screen on exhaust as well as sealed unit otherwise a must with all the damn bugs round here in summer lol

[Salty]

I've seen it done with just cheap steel stove pipe. Suppose it would rust out eventually but that'd take a while..

[randymac]

The pics I posted are of A smoker I built out of an old fridge I can cold smoke with it. Using a pid I can control my smoker temps to within 1 degree of what I set them to. This size units will do 16 sockeye. Any questions just ask.

so with a pid I'm assuming electric heat? what do you use for heat? where is a good place to get the pid?

[markomoose]

I see its your birthday 264winmag?Congrats you made it this far and the rest of the way should be unforgettable? Cheers Mark

[.264winmag]

Thanks Marko
another bday spent working graveyards on the rigs. Thinking it might be time to do something with my life!

[Elkchaser]

Great thread - thanks. Hope to do same on-slope smoker now that we have made our 'last' house purchase this past fall. Be great if you post updates of project and your learnings along the way. Only comment I will add is my planned design will not use any plastics like pvc piping - all wood and metal, but not planning to only cold smoke. Buried pipe will be stainless chimney insert. Thinking that would last a long time but might still add a tin roof cap over pipe (all under ground) to drain surface water from pipe. I gotta build a dog kennel/run and a deer proof garden enclosure before tackling smoker but will make sure to make strategic extra material purchases along the way before declaring to Mrs that 'I should build a smoker with these extra materials'. Yeah I know, who am I kidding, she'll figure it out. I will post project updates when I start, hopefully next summer. Good luck.

[Gumsehwah]

Use reclaimed materials and the costs will be within your $5 hundred.

[338Schulz]

Your idea of cold smoke is a good one,I build a few in my days and found that staying away from metal works the best for cold smoke moisture is deadly and condensation builds bacteria which you don't want.The best one I had was a little square house 8x8' with a tiled floor all wood walls (fir) 2x10 vertical with 1/4"gaps between the board and fly screen covering the gaps,stainless steel beer keg cut in 1/2 lengthwise placed in the center on the floor used as a fire pit this way the smoke would just hang inside cool depending on material used to fire. I found hardwood sawdust mixed with solid hardwood worked best,the gaps between the boards would let out the smoke and let in fresh air and give you a nice clean smoky flavour without the pungent taste.These type of smoke houses have been used in the Alps for hundreds of years and are still in use today
After smoking is completed let the product in there for several weeks depending on temperature ond let the air breeze through the gaps.Fish should be taken out asap.
Good Luck
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