Firebox Location - Right next to the house, or down the hill?

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reefdiverbob

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 4, 2015
2
10
Woodbine, Maryland
All:

I'm seeking some info from season veterans.  I'm planning a smokehouse build for my farm in Maryland.  It looks like most people are building smokehouse with the firebox within 3' or so of the smoke house and running a mostly horizontal pipe to connect.  My location allows for the option of running the firebox down the hill from the smokehouse with a buried pipe connecting it.  I can probably go anywhere from 30' to 50' away with the firebox if I really want to.  Any thoughts on the merits of one approach or the other?  Should I set up both configurations, and use the close firebox when I want to hot smoke items?

Appreciate your thoughts on the subject. 

Cheers,

Bob
 
Once you have it set up for cold smoking, a heating element or gas burner can be added...  

This is an "overkill" diagram I put together noting many ways to control temp etc...  in a wood fired smokehouse... 

... click on pic to enlarge.....

 
Hey neighbor, sort of, I am below Hagerstown and have a smokehouse with fire box mounted 4' from it. I mounted the pipe exhaust like Dave shows and have a bit of a problem cold smoking and it tries to run out the top vert fast and not sideways very well. I had to refit the damper with 1/4" plate to seal the top off when I wanted to cook like bologna. I have thought about redoing it to have heat slip to the side, but that is a lot of reworking and might try it later on.

When I open the top damper at all the heat pulls most all the smoke with it. I can close it manually here and there and pump smoke into the smokehouse, so I wouldn't call it perfect.

With the 4' spacing I can cold smoke and hot smoke up to 230°. If you are 30' to 50' away, I am not sure you are going to hot smoke without an additional heat source. Personally, I would build it down hill within 10' of the smoker and give you room to move or play with the heat exhaust options. Just my opinion, take it how you like. 
 
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