building materials for new project

[marknb]

OK folks, here's the plan...

I have enough lumber for a 30"x30"x84" smoke house, building it out of 1x8 pine barn boards, ship lap (was cheaper than tongue and groove), with a metal roof.  Going to heat it with a 1500w 12.5amp double hot plate, and insulate it with roxul (mineral and steel fiber insulation, non-toxic, fire proof).  And, I have an Auber Instruments multipurpose plug and play controler on its way, complete with temp probe.  Also going to make it possible to mount my Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna for cold smoking.

Why am  I insulating it? Cuz its cold here, and I don't want the electric elements running all the time - I can just imagine the power meter spinning at lightning speed :)

So, items I'm looking for feedback on, how to finish the interior (I was thinking sheet metal), and how to vent smoke - either through a metal chimney with a dampner or through vent holes drilled in the sides at the top, covered with bug screen, and air controlled by metal electrical covers.

Re: interior finish, is there a particular kind of metal I should be looking for? Like, food grade stainless or something?  I'm going to avoid anything with a coating on it, but is regular sheet metal is going to do the trick or will it off-gas nasty stuff when it heats up? what are commercial smokers like my MES lined with?

Re: venting, anyone know where I can get a 4" stovepipe with a dampner and rain cap these days? Lol I like the idea of that better because I can put the vent on the roof which would do a better job of preventing creosote condensation during cold smoking than vent holes drilled at the top of the sides. 

I'm probably fretting over nothing, I should just get in there and start dirtying up my garage, but I like to have all the details worked out beforehand.  Yes, I'll take pics when the time comes!

Thanks all,

Mark

 

[mballi3011]

First off it sounds like you have done your home work on this project. Now for the inside you could leave the wood exposed (alot of folks here have done it on theirs) for it won't put off any toxins that I know of. Now don't use pressure treated lumber either. Just plain old yellow pine or spruce if you can get it. Now if you have to use metal on the inside just make sure that it is just tin and not galvanized in any way. That's one taboo for smokers. For the roof vent you can use a regular roof vent that not galv. I have seen some of the plastic and I'm not sure if that good or not. Maybe someone else here can help you on that one. I know you could use the over hang of your tin roof and then cut some hole on the wood and then out some screen over the holes for the vermin repellent thingy. So thats my 2 cent and I would like to see the fifished product too.

 

[cowgirl]

Mark for a smokehouse that small, I'd go with the stainless interior and not worry about it. It would last you a long time.

For the smokestack.. they are easy to make but if you want to shell out a few bucks Sausagemaker carries them.. http://www.sausagemaker.com/search.aspx?find=stack

I used an inverted cake pan on my stack as a rain guard.   http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2008/01/building-cold-smoker-smokehouse.html

also use a hose clamp to attach bug screen over the opening. 

Heck it's worked great... I built this house several years ago and it's still going strong.

 

[cowgirl]

Here are some cheaper dampers...  http://www.sausagemaker.com/search.aspx?find=damper

 

[marknb]

Man I can do some silly things sometimes....why didn't I check sausagemaker before I shelled out for a 4" damper (only, no pipe or rain shield) on eBay?  Thanks for the heads up Cowgirl!

 

[cowgirl]

You're sure welcome Mark. Good luck with the build!