cedar

[hfitch]

I see where people are building smoke houses with cedar. What type of cedar is it?? I was always told not to smoke with cedar because of the resins. We're looking to build our own wooden smoke house to use for both hot and cold smoking, would cedar for the walls work for that or would the resins leach out during hot smoking. Would like to use oak but pretty certain the cost of that would be sky high. Not building a huge one, just a 3 ft. by 2 foot by 1 1/2 foot deep.

 

[daveomak]

hfitch, morning.... I think, (guessing) cedar is used because it is stable... doesn't swell and shrink too much  with humidity changes...  When hot smoking in a wood smokehouse, I would be careful as to how high a temp you use... Wood smokehouses were designed for 225-250 high end temp range....  You can always smoke the product and finish in an oven or BBQ grill....  you are usually not adding smoke at those high temps anyway....   You might consider building your smoker a little taller to accommodate hanging bacon and sausage and still have room for a heat and smoke source....  Once you get into this "all consuming" hobby, your first smoker is never big enough....  Just relating my personal experiences....  Good luck on your build and good smoking....  Dave

 

[hfitch]

thanks Dave!!! Yup, at the most my hot smoking would be 250 degrees, I mostly want to smoke sausage, jerky and bacon in the wood smoker. I have a MES 30 that I'd be using for ribs and butts and such. Looking for a better alternative for cooler temp smoking because of the lack of smoke generated by an electric smoker at lower temps. Sounds like cedar will be a good fit then. The original plans I drew up was for a smoker 4 foot tall and 3 wide, 2 deep, I may just go back to that because you're right, they're never big enough!

 

[waucedah]

Have cedar for the inside of my sauna hot as heck no leaching easy 170 to 200 plus when really hot

IMG_0404_2.JPG

• waucedah
• Dec 29, 2012

 

[hfitch]

boy, I'd like that in my backyard on a 2* day!!