How to make a smoke generator for a smokehouse?

Smoke plays an extremely important role in the operation of the smoke generator. It is he who adds a unique taste and special aroma. Many still prefer off-the-shelf, off-the-shelf models, while a small percentage of people are interested in using a self-made device. This is a great opportunity to save your budget from unnecessary expenses and experience the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands.

Smoking is not a fast process. It requires special skills and abilities, and also has the following features:

• the minimum temperature regime of the resulting smoke;
• long processing process, which can take from a couple of hours to several days;
• it is recommended to exclude coniferous sawdust from exploitation, since they have the ability to impart bitterness to the smoked product;
• the product must be processed, namely cleaned, washed, salted and dried.

Building a homemade smoke generator yourself is not an easy task. To carry out your plans, you need to have free time, materials and patience. Many do not dare to try to make a generator at home and prefer to purchase it. Such a cold-smoked fan is quite complicated, but using the circuit will help you figure it out. Any smoker will perform much better with a smoke generator.

Finding a ready-made drawing for making a generator is not difficult.

To build a smoke generator with your own hands, you need to acquire the following materials in advance:

• a container that should look like a container;
• ejector device;
• compressor;
• raw materials.

Each point needs to be considered in more detail.

The container will serve as a combustion chamber where the sawdust will smolder and create smoke. There are no special requirements for the volume of containers.

It is worth taking into account several recommendations from specialists.

• In a small container, sawdust will burn quickly enough. In order to maintain the smoking process, you will need to toss them regularly.
• Any container can be used as a container. The only thing is that it must have a refractory property. For example, an already consumed fire extinguisher or thermos.
• It is recommended to choose a future container with a pipe diameter of 8 to 10 centimeters and a length of 40 to 50 centimeters.
• In order to connect the compressor with air, a small diameter (10 millimeters) hole is made at the bottom of the container.
• To avoid excessive air suction, the top must be left in a vacuum format.

The base of the generator will be made of metal tubes.They are joined to each other by welding, threading and soldering. The ejector device can be located at the lower or upper base of the container.

For a small smoker, place the ejector at the bottom of the container. Due to the peculiarities of the smoke generator, the lower ejector device goes out. Therefore, the combustion chamber requires a height limitation. The operating hours of the device are reduced. Also, if you place the lower ejector, then it will not create a natural draft, because the smoking and receiving tanks are located at the same height. When the compressor is turned off, the smoke will not enter the smoker. It will be more practical to choose the upper installation of the ejector device.

The compressor functions of the smoke generator can be performed by almost any pump. For the smokehouse, old aquarium compressors with a capacity of about five watts are used. They are an excellent replacement for purchased compressors, as they are designed for long-term operation without constant human supervision. On the positive side, you can also add the low cost and quiet operation of the compressor. Real masters of their craft make a compressor from a plastic container and a cooler, which is located in the computer system unit. But the easiest and most affordable option is to purchase a ready-made device.

In order to smoke a product at home, you will need a raw material that is responsible for the presence of smoke. In this case, sawdust will be the raw material. To smoke products, it is not recommended to use sawdust from an evergreen tree - spruce, pine or fir. Other grades are perfect for the raw material of the smoke generator. If pine sawdust or similar sawdust is used, the final smoked product will be very bitter.

First of all, it is recommended to give preference to a container with a wall thickness of more than two and a half millimeters in order to avoid deformation under strong heating.

Due to the fact that the upper part of the container maintains the optimal temperature regime (and is not subject to heating), it is quite acceptable to use a flexible hose to connect the compressor. The boss is a small protrusion on the surface that is made from Teflon plastic. Its task is to perform the insulating function and the connecting element.

The bottom base does not require a removable hole. If necessary, create a large opening with a sliding door. By moving the damper, you can adjust the draft. This method is used for large container sizes. The top cover is required to be tightly closed.

In order to avoid corrosion, the outside of the container is treated with a primer or specialized paint. Both formulations are resistant to sudden temperature changes. After the assembly is completed and the compressor is connected, you can fill the container with sawdust and check the smoke generator in action.

The smoke generator for a smoking room is designed for long-term operation, because smoking can last from one hour to a day.

The technical requirements may be optimal for home use as well.

• the consumption of electrical energy does not exceed four kilowatts per day;
• if the heating mechanism reaches the required temperature, it turns off. After cooling down, the equipment starts up automatically;
• a heating mechanism is measured with a power of one kilowatt;

• the sawdust container holds one and a half kilograms. Such a volume of sawdust will allow the smokehouse to work continuously for about two days;
• for the operation of the equipment, an ordinary household outlet of two hundred and twenty volts is required.
• with a combustion chamber with a volume of one cubic meter, it will be filled with high-quality and dense smoke;

• the smoke generator is obliged to create smoke with high intensity indicators;
• continuous transfer of smoke to the combustion chamber is required;
• the plus is the fact that constant monitoring of the equipment is not required. Therefore, do not forget about the existence of fire safety rules and their compliance;

• sawdust has a low cost, in this regard, it is recommended to prepare a small amount in advance in reserve. This will make it possible, with judicious use, to increase the intervals during downloads;
• a more complex design is at the same time less reliable. Therefore, it is recommended to choose an extremely simple smoke generator for independent construction, which, moreover, is perfectly adapted for long-term operation.

The temperature regime of the resulting smoke can be adjusted by decreasing or increasing the connecting pipes of the smoke generator and the chamber with the products. In advance, it is necessary to determine the container for the smoking chamber. For large-volume smoking, you should use an old refrigerator. Due to the fact that the doors are tightly closed, the supplied smoke will be stored inside and will process the food, keeping the optimal temperature regime. After completing the assembly of the smoke generator, there is no need to rush to use it with a large batch of products. It is recommended to put a small volume for a test run.

Having taken up the independent manufacture of a smoke generator, you should carefully monitor so that it turns out in accordance with the rules of fire safety and correct operation with power supply devices.

In the event of a malfunction in the operation of the generator, the technique must be adapted to automatic shutdown. Electrical wiring and other parts that can be damaged by overheating should be located at a safe distance from the heating mechanisms of the equipment. The most practical safety option would be a smoke generator made of durable metal coated with heat-resistant paint.

For information on how to make a smoke generator for a smokehouse, see the next video.