10 best smoke generators (smokehouses): descriptions, pros and cons, prices

Basic information

For many years, exclusively natural raw materials were used for such processing. This allowed the products to absorb the aromas characteristic of certain types of trees. However, on an industrial scale, sawdust is used to a minimum. They are mainly replaced by various flavoring additives and substitutes. One of these chemicals was liquid smoke, which is not harmless to the body. However, for personal use, a smoke generator for cold smoking using natural fuel is used, located in the courtyard of a house or cottage.

Features of heat treatment

Smoke treatment of meat or fish occurs in two ways. The first requires heating in the range of 55-110 degrees. With such hot smoking, the products ripen very quickly, but heat treatment decomposes all useful substances. If heating is uneven, part of the loaded raw material burns.

The second method is based on soft processing at low temperatures of 25-30 degrees. This is a long process, but all the vitamins remain in place. The shelf life of cold smoking is longer.

equipment requirements

In order to make a smoke generator for smoking with your own hands, you need to use information about methods and equipment. As a rule, any construction of your own smokehouse comes down to finances and technical capabilities.

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Given these features, the following rules must be observed:

• The design must ensure rapid smoke release.
• Minimal human control.
• At the same time, fire safety rules must be observed.
• Complete combustion of fuel will allow you to add it less often and thereby fluctuate the cooking temperature.
• The simpler the device, the better it works.

Smokehouse device

It is not difficult to describe the circuit of this device. In one part there is smoldering of firewood and sawdust. Open fire should not be allowed due to increased temperature. The condition for this process is a lack of oxygen.

The other part contains products that need to be smoked. A collector is laid between them for the flow of smoke. To speed up the procedure there should be as much of it as possible. In the second compartment you need to make a hole to remove excess smoke and create a vacuum in this chamber.

The disadvantage of the simplest smokehouse is the need to constantly monitor the fuel level and periodically add it. This negative point is minimized by using a smoke generator.

Features of the smoke generator device

The parts of a homemade smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse should not be labor-intensive, expensive or heavy. Available materials and existing equipment will be useful in its manufacture . Main components of the device:

• Container for sawdust with a removable lid.
• Hole with hose for air injection from below.
• At the top there is a channel leading to the smokehouse.
• Compressor.

Creation of smoking equipment

If you have a welding machine, the skills to work with it, the presence of metal components and the desire, such equipment can be manufactured in a few hours. First you need to find drawings of a smoke generator for cold smoking. Instead of developing them yourself, you can find the best options using the Internet.

Collectively, this unit consists of the following components:

• Thermal module.
• Fuel (coal, gas, firewood, but most often wood chips and sawdust).
• Smoke removal and supply system to the smoking chamber.

For personal use you will not need a large amount of products. Therefore, the body is made from a part of the pipe. A chimney is welded on top. Sawdust is poured inside.

To create thrust, air is pumped from above by a compressor. An old refrigerator or one from an aquarium will do. The second is preferable due to the ability to adjust the air flow. The smoke coming out is of low temperature. As a result of smoldering, there is no open fire, so frequent addition of a new portion of fuel is not required.

Materials for production

Reducing the cost of the generator is possible due to the available scraps of various metal products. You just need a few details:

• The pipe is round. Its length is about 1 meter, diameter 80 - 0 millimeters. The size of this component determines how much fuel will be stored in the device and how long it will take before the next portion is loaded. Here you need to come to a compromise between the weight of the generator and the possibility of convenient maintenance with maximum performance.
• A square pipe with a side length of at least 80 millimeters.
• Three-quarter pipe from 30 centimeters.
• One quarter inch pipe of any size.
• Mesh or plate with a mesh of 2-3 millimeters.
• Leg fittings. Any rod or plate will do. The main thing is that the device stands steadily on the surface.
• Compressor with a capacity of one and a half to two liters. Correction of air outlet is preferred.
• Fittings for joining pipes.

Assembly steps

If you can’t find a round pipe to make a smoke generator with your own hands for a smokehouse, you can replace it with a square pipe of the same size. This option has a slight advantage in the convenience of connecting outgoing channels. In the largest pipe, cuts are made along the diameter at a distance of two centimeters. This will be the bottom of the smoke generator. A piece of mesh cut along the cross-section of the body is inserted into them and fastened to the sides.

A 3/4 inch pipe is welded on the opposite side. Opposite is the fitting with which the compressor is connected. An important condition is the clear location of both components on the same straight line.

The most cunning arrangement is near a thin pipe . Through the fitting, inside the body, it should extend 1 centimeter into the three-quarter outlet. This design will supply air from the compressor and provide draft to support the smoldering of the sawdust. To arrange the circulation of smoke and air in a housing tightly filled with sawdust, you need to put a spring of a larger diameter on it. This is a kind of ripper through the coils of which air flows will pass.

For the lid you need a piece of iron 1.5 - 2 centimeters wider than the cross-section of the body. For convenience, you need to make a handle. It can be welded or made removable. The middle part may be wooden. It will not burn due to the low temperature of the case. To prevent the lid from moving off, at a short distance from the edge, you need to weld a rod or metal strip along its perimeter or radius.

The legs are welded from below, and the smoke generator is ready. It’s a good idea to choose a piece of metal for the stand. This will ensure equipment stability and fire safety.

The principle of operation of a homemade device

The body becomes clogged with shavings, wood chips or sawdust. The whole mass is set on fire. After active smoldering begins, the compressor is turned on and the lid is replaced. If everything is correctly assembled and connected, the fuel is dry, active smoke emission and the smoking process will begin. That's the whole working principle.

Comparison table of characteristics

After studying the rating, we suggest you pay attention to the table with the main technical parameters of all the previously described models.

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Devices with automatic ignition

Smoke generator Haze

The product was developed by the Volga Mechanical Plant, which has been manufacturing and selling similar products for quite some time. Various design elements of the equipment were repeatedly processed, important factors were taken into account, which made the products of this enterprise one of the best in the country. The body is made of stainless steel, and the wall thickness is over 2 mm, which not only prevents the occurrence of corrosion processes, but also does not allow the walls to fade over time. The period of continuous operation can be significantly increased by installing a special tank for wood chips. The smoke ultimately turns out thick and very clean, without harmful impurities, which will affect the safety of the products. The design is equipped with a fairly powerful compressor, which will distribute the smoke as evenly as possible throughout the chamber, which will allow the products to be smoked as evenly as possible.

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The total volume of the smoking chamber is 200 liters. The smoke passes through a coil whose length is more than 3 meters. The compressor power is high - it passes through about 80 liters per minute. The volume of the container for wood chips is 8 liters, and it can be increased if necessary. The power of the heating element is 1 kW, and this indicator is adjustable. The weight of the equipment is 8.5 kg, and one load of wood chips is enough for about 10 hours of continuous operation; there is also a temperature sensor on the body so that you can monitor the degree of heating in the smoking chamber.

Advantages:

• Looks good;
• Works for a long time on one load of wood chips;
• There is everything necessary for use;
• A temperature sensor is provided;
• Weighs a little;
• Spacious.

Flaws:

• The smoke temperature is quite low.

Smoke generator Haze

Smoke generator Vikhr-M

Using this design, you can smoke large volumes of food in a short time. The device is fully automated; a person does not have to interfere with the cooking process. It is generally classified as a professional product. The consumable material here is wood chips or sawdust; there is no need to purchase briquettes or tablets. One load (about 3-4 kg of wood chips) will be enough for the equipment to operate continuously for a day. The device operates on the basis of oxygen-free combustion. There is no need to ignite the wood chips, since it will go to the heating element, whose power is 1 kW, where it gradually begins to smolder. Many users note a uniform density of smoke, and its temperature will also be at the same level.

The product includes everything necessary to ensure stable and long-term operation of the equipment. The level of smoke supply here can be adjusted - the product is capable of filling a chamber with smoke, the volume of which ranges from one and a half to ten cubic meters. The model is covered with black heat-resistant paint, the body is made of stainless steel. This smoke generator consumes about 12 kW of electricity per day. The overall dimensions are not too large - 60x25x65 cm. The nominal temperature of the heating element is approximately 270-310 degrees, so the wood chips will begin to smolder immediately after they land on the heating element.

Advantages:

• You can smoke fairly large volumes at once;
• Fully automated operation;
• There is no need to control the temperature in the chamber;
• Low consumption of materials.

Flaws:

• It is strictly forbidden to use wet or damp wood chips, as this may cause the heating element to fail;
• A decent amount of carbon deposits forms; you have to clean it two to three times a month.

Smoke generator Vikhr-M

Smoke generator Summer resident

This device is a full-fledged automatic smokehouse, and it should be noted right away that the temperature of the smoke in the chamber will not be too high - about 20-28 degrees. The product is designed for products such as meat, poultry, fish, lard, cheese and so on. The product operates exclusively in automatic mode, but needs to be connected to an electrical outlet. It consumes energy quite economically - only about 0.3 kW per hour. The case is made of fairly durable stainless steel. Along with it comes the heating element itself, a cabinet where food will be loaded, and many additional parts. There is an automatic sawdust supply timer, and a temperature regulator is also provided. There is an indication of power on and operation of the electric heating element.

The ash formed during the combustion of wood chips or sawdust is discharged into a special compartment. The supply of smoke here is uniform; it fills the smoking container completely, helping the food cook much faster. The standard model can be loaded with up to 20 kg of products at a time; there are design options that allow you to smoke up to 50 kg. This automated smokehouse is equipped with an insert-pipe and a special exhaust hood, which allows you to use the equipment not only outdoors, but also indoors, venting the air duct through a window so that smoke does not get inside.

Advantages:

• Economical to operate;
• Chips are supplied in dosed mode;
• The feed speed and temperature in the chamber are controlled automatically;
• Can be used both outdoors and indoors.

Flaws:

• Smoking in the cold will not work;
• The appearance could have been more interesting.

Smoke generator Summer resident

Hanhi Zmei

The latest equipment designed specifically for cold smoking. It went on general sale last year. The engineers tried to carefully consider all the most important points, so the process of smoke formation has become as convenient as possible for the person working with this unit. The bunker with wood chips has an angular design, which allows for long-term pyrolysis combustion. In addition, it will not fade. Smoke comes out of this part of the device using special slots located on the corner plate, after which it is sent to a low-pressure zone. The ash compartment here is very convenient, and it is also accessible, so you can remove it and clean it if necessary. In general, if desired, the entire smoke generator can be disassembled and cleaned of soot and formed resins.

The smoke, heading from the combustion chamber to the products, passes through a multi-level filtration system, in which heavy resins are removed from it, especially since they can harm the products. During the combustion of wood chips, water, liquid resin and other substances may be formed that should not come out along with the smoke and get on the food. To remove all excess, you need to open a special tap. The product can operate completely autonomously; there is no need to monitor its operation at all; all you need to do is remove the ash and clean the smoke filters in a timely manner. Such a device is always in a vertical position, equipped with a fairly comfortable and stable support.

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Advantages:

• High-quality smoke purification system from harmful substances;
• All elements are made of high quality stainless steel;
• Completely fireproof equipment;
• Consumes a minimal amount of electricity.

Flaws:

• Not detected.

Cold smoked mackerel at home with a Hanhi smoke generator

Hanhi Zmei