My new smokehouse...almost complete..need some advice on venting

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seadog92

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Sep 13, 2013
122
24
I'll go ahead and load up the photos that I have for what's been accomplished so far.  I still have to do a couple things before I can do a dry run.  The Red Cedar is up in the smoking section.  I did as much reading as I could on the web, and since this is primarily for cold smoking, I didn't find any health issues.  If anyone has information to the contrary, let me know.  I can always seal it.

It's a 10X12 barn by Better Built Barns.  I've insulated with R-13, and the smoke area is lined with  Cedar.  The walls of the main part of the smokehouse will be covered with some kind of paneling. This is where my sausage making will take place, and give the kitchen back to my better half. (She's very happy).  I've got a small Hebrew National cooler that I've set up for curing Cappocola etc which is seen in one of the photos.  It's regulated to 55 degrees and normally runs about 75 - 80% humidity.

My CookShack 150 will sit on the left side of the smoking section and provide all the smoke I need.  Hot smoking will take place inside the CookShack, so there's no concern about the section getting too hot.  However, I need to vent smoke and heat when doing so, and thus my question.

All the cracks between the boards are sealed with silicone, and to the best of my ability, it's sealed off from the main area.  None the less, I have a fan operated vent in the ceiling to prevent Carbon monoxide from being an issue.  In the smoking section





I need to put in a vent, or smoke stack, and wondered if someone familiar with smokehouses could give me some advice.  The simplest way of course would be to put in a smokestack going through the loft and up through the roof.  I could also install a 6" electric room to room fan in the back wall of the house that can be turned on and off.  Also, since the smoke is coming from the CookShack and not from an outside source, do you think I should drill some 1" holes in the floor near the CookShack to allow for cross draft?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 
 
I'm not an expert by any means, but couldn't you install a range hood in the back corner of the smoke shack, and use the same wall kit like you would for a house, that would allow for a vent when you wanted it, and you could run the controls to the partition wall with lighted switches to turn on/off the fan.

Its just an idea since your smoke shack area doesn't go completely to the roof of the shed, that way you aren't putting more holes in the roof.

I would guess you want the vent/hood on the opposite side of the smoke source to pull it through the room.

Some of the guys/gals here that have built full size sheds like that could tell you for sure.
 
A small range hood isn't a bad idea at all!  I'll look into that.  I've already got juice running to the wall for a room to room fan.  I like the idea of a range hood. Thanks!! 
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Your Cook Shack will need air.... I would supply air to it closest to where it gets it's air..... if that is from an inlet in the bottom of the Cook Shack, then put an air inlet in the floor directly under it.....
For the cold smoking portion of the smoke house, it will need a fan to circulate air in that big space.... a 8-10" desk fan should do the job nicely... Then 2 inlets near the bottom of the walls... l use those furnace duct floor inlets that have closing fins on them.... then, 2 of the same, on the top of the walls near the ceiling... position them for some sort of cross ventilation (consider prevailing wind directions) although, the fan will mix the air nicely and help with the moisture issue... One of those BIG AMNTS, tube smoke generators Todd sells, should do a good job when cold smoking, if the Cook Shack isn't running.... If the Cook Shack puts out too much heat, just use the AMNTS....

I'm willing to bet a "cold one", you install a window of sorts to watch the smoke and the bacon in the smoke house.... or a closed circuit camera and post to U TUBE..... hahahahaha......

Then you will install an exhaust fan on the smoke house so when you open the door to check stuff out, your better half won't complain about your clothes smelling like smoke....

Don't install a stack in the ceiling.... big mistake when condensates drips back in the smokehouse and stink of creosote.... YUCK !!!
 
Any update on how this turned out?  I've got an 8x10 I was considering doing this same thing too.  It would be mainly for snack sticks and salami.  I was thinking I would insulate and cover with plywood on the inside, duroc down low, with the northerner burner everyone seems to use.  Just not sure if that burner would provide enough heat to get to 180 in that large of a space.  Or maybe I could just partition off a 4x4 corner...hmmm, decisions, decisions
 
Any update on how this turned out?  I've got an 8x10 I was considering doing this same thing too.  It would be mainly for snack sticks and salami.  I was thinking I would insulate and cover with plywood on the inside, duroc down low, with the northerner burner everyone seems to use.  Just not sure if that burner would provide enough heat to get to 180 in that large of a space.  Or maybe I could just partition off a 4x4 corner...hmmm, decisions, decisions

A large smokehouse, like the one above, is used for cold/warm smoking any products.... generally less than 120 deg F... to finish cooking, put the meats in your oven....
 
Dave is right about the temperature issue. I hot smoke in my Cookshack, and age and cold smoke in the storehouse. I'm in production now and have some hams aging in the smoke section. I'll post a couple photos this weekend.
 
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