Safe Materials to Build a Wood Smoker/Smokehouse

[SD Smoker]

Let’s clear some things up and be clear for the record and sake of this conversation.

Cold Smoke:
This is defined as between 33 and 71*F

Warm Smoke:
This is defined as between 73 and 104*F

Hot Smoke:
This is defined as between 105 and 140*F
Temperatures can go as high as 176*F for brief periods of time to obtain an internal meat temp of not higher than 155*F
I would never subject my sausage, bacon or my prized hams to temperature greater than this.

Temperatures between 180 and 295*F are considered BBQ. And yes 225* is, in some circles, considered “the holy grail”, I disagree as 250-275*F work much better.


You need more air flow to feed the smoldering pellets and more air exchange in the smoke chamber.

This would be the typical smokehouse set up.
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I highly recommend you buy this book:


I have a 50,000 btu propane burner in the bottom and need to diffuse the heat before it gets up to the meat. This space levels out the temperature of the warm are and mixes it well with the cold intake air so I have a consistent air temp at the upper meat chamber, remember, I’m hot smoking.

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I agree with DougE - I also had different temperature values assigned to each category. My temperature definitions of cold, warm, and hot smoking were much higher than what you listed, so it's good that we are coming from the same vantage point now in that regard. My understanding was that the line between smoking and BBQ happened at 225 F.

I appreciate the pictures of your smokehouse and for the book reference. I will order the book and see what information I can glean from it.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I agree with DougE - I also had different temperature values assigned to each category. My temperature definitions of cold, warm, and hot smoking were much higher than what you listed, so it's good that we are coming from the same vantage point now in that regard. My understanding was that the line between smoking and BBQ happened at 225 F.

I appreciate the pictures of your smokehouse and for the book reference. I will order the book and see what information I can glean from it.

Nothing like clearing the air and understanding the values of things. The confusion comes from the internet and YouTube where people talk about “smoking” a brisket or pork butt, even ribs, “low and slow” at 225*.

Trouble is, that’s bbq, not smoking. They are different and for good reason. Food safety requires meat temps internally, to go from 40-140*F in under 4 hours for food safety. This requires a minimum of 225* pit temp. This is all good information, unless you are using nitrite, cure #1. This allows you to stay low temp for hours or days. Like bacon or ham even sausage can be cold smoked and eventually brought to an IT of 145* at the highest temp. This preserves the integrity of the fat not letting it melt or grease. Plus some drying is happening as well, which helps in food safety.

You can and should bbq with smoke, but smoking, that’s a whole other art. Here is another book you should buy and read, cover to cover. No bs and straight forward truth about smoking and producing safe flavorful meats at home.

 

[SD Smoker]

Hi SmokinEdge. Thanks for the book recommendations. I could see by the picture for the first one what the title is. I have just read a little bit of that one, and I can tell I will get some good information from it. For some reason, nothing came through for the second book you recommended. Could you give me the name of that, please?

By the way, after rereading your previous posts and other members' posts, the information makes more sense now that we are speaking the same language, for lack of a better phrase.

 

[DougE]

For some reason, nothing came through for the second book you recommended

Home production of quality meats and sausages by Stanley Marianski. You can get it on Amazon in printed form and for kindle. I got it on Edge's recommendation, have read it once, and am glad I have it for a reference.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Hi SmokinEdge. Thanks for the book recommendations. I could see by the picture for the first one what the title is. I have just read a little bit of that one, and I can tell I will get some good information from it. For some reason, nothing came through for the second book you recommended. Could you give me the name of that, please?

By the way, after rereading your previous posts and other members' posts, the information makes more sense now that we are speaking the same language, for lack of a better phrase.

As DougE has stated above, Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages, by Stanley Marianski.

This is an invaluable resource for the home producer. Curing, smoking, drying, canning, food safety. The how’s and why to do all these things safely and tastefully. There are some recipes too.
Funny, I clicked my link and it took me right to it. Not sure why it’s not working for you, but please do check it out. Probably is the most important book you can own if you want to engage in curing and smoking, he does dip into bbq as well.

As a side note,
if you place the @ in front of the user name all as one word, a menu will pop up with the user name, click on it and when posted it will show the avatar and user name, thus tagging them in your post. They will get a notification they were tagged.
So if I type out your user name SD Smoker, that’s all that shows in the post, but if I place the @ in front of your user name it looks like this S SD Smoker , and you have been tagged.

 

[SD Smoker]

As DougE has stated above, Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages, by Stanley Marianski.

This is an invaluable resource for the home producer. Curing, smoking, drying, canning, food safety. The how’s and why to do all these things safely and tastefully. There are some recipes too.
Funny, I clicked my link and it took me right to it. Not sure why it’s not working for you, but please do check it out. Probably is the most important book you can own if you want to engage in curing and smoking, he does dip into bbq as well.

As a side note,
if you place the @ in front of the user name all as one word, a menu will pop up with the user name, click on it and when posted it will show the avatar and user name, thus tagging them in your post. They will get a notification they were tagged.
So if I type out your user name SD Smoker, that’s all that shows in the post, but if I place the @ in front of your user name it looks like this S SD Smoker , and you have been tagged.

Thank you DougE and SmokinEdge for the book name and SmokinEdge for teaching me how to tag people.

The only thing I saw on the previous post for the Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages book mentioned above was the Amazon logo. Maybe it's something about my browser and its settings. I will get that book after I finish looking at the first one.

So, back to my original post regarding smokehouse-safe materials... Obviously, wood and unpainted steel that hasn't been used for any chemical storage or other usage would be appropriate materials. What about insulation and Hardiebacker/tile backer? I talked to a guy at the big box store near me and asked him about the tile backer boards, and he said all of them have silica, which is apparently a big no-no when it comes to smoking, even after the boards are cut. I know putting even a thin gauge of steel over the tile backer and insulation would mitigate this risk. I am just looking to cut costs as long as it's safe to do so.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thank you DougE and SmokinEdge for the book name and SmokinEdge for teaching me how to tag people.

The only thing I saw on the previous post for the Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages book mentioned above was the Amazon logo. Maybe it's something about my browser and its settings. I will get that book after I finish looking at the first one.

So, back to my original post regarding smokehouse-safe materials... Obviously, wood and unpainted steel that hasn't been used for any chemical storage or other usage would be appropriate materials. What about insulation and Hardiebacker/tile backer? I talked to a guy at the big box store near me and asked him about the tile backer boards, and he said all of them have silica, which is apparently a big no-no when it comes to smoking, even after the boards are cut. I know putting even a thin gauge of steel over the tile backer and insulation would mitigate this risk. I am just looking to cut costs as long as it's safe to do so.

A lot of these problems go away when you focus on a smoker and not a wooden bbq pit. It’s hard to bring that all together without a steel structure.

 

[SD Smoker]

A lot of these problems go away when you focus on a smoker and not a wooden bbq pit. It’s hard to bring that all together without a steel structure.

So, would you recommend two structures, one for smoking and one for BBQ, or just invest the extra cost and make it a steel structure on the inside and then be able to do either type of cooking with the same unit?

 

[DougE]

personally, I'd go with a wood smoke house for lower temp smoking like bacon and sausages, and some form of traditional smoker meant for the higher temps needed for BBQ. As with anything, it is extremely hard to make one tool do the job that normally would require two different ones.

 

[SmokinEdge]

So, would you recommend two structures, one for smoking and one for BBQ, or just invest the extra cost and make it a steel structure on the inside and then be able to do either type of cooking with the same unit?

That would be nice, but not sure how do-able it is.
With the burner I have I can pretty easily reach 300* but I can’t make smoke off my CI pan because the wood chunks catch fire. So then relegated to a smoke tray or tube and that is no way close to same flavor and smoke as wood.
The 3x3x5 chamber is big for a offset firebox. Could be done, but stack and store that cord wood because you will need it and a lot of it.

My view is that bbq temps are easy to achieve in a cooker made for it, but low smoke below 160* is difficult in that type cooker. On the other hand while higher temps are difficult in a traditional smokehouse the low temps and cool smoke make incredible meats untouched by other methods. So pic your preference and build it.

I will say that I don’t have a problem running my smokehouse at around 225* but it’s costly and at that temp it takes a lot of time, so to me it’s not cost effective, but YMMV.

 

[SD Smoker]

personally, I'd go with a wood smoke house for lower temp smoking like bacon and sausages, and some form of traditional smoker meant for the higher temps needed for BBQ. As with anything, it is extremely hard to make one tool do the job that normally would require two different ones.

DougE , thanks for the reply. That is the conclusion I am coming to as well. I was just hoping to save the expense of doing two units, but, to put what you said another way, I really don't want a unit that is a "jack of all trades, master of none."

 

[SD Smoker]

That would be nice, but not sure how do-able it is.
With the burner I have I can pretty easily reach 300* but I can’t make smoke off my CI pan because the wood chunks catch fire. So then relegated to a smoke tray or tube and that is no way close to same flavor and smoke as wood.
The 3x3x5 chamber is big for a offset firebox. Could be done, but stack and store that cord wood because you will need it and a lot of it.

My view is that bbq temps are easy to achieve in a cooker made for it, but low smoke below 160* is difficult in that type cooker. On the other hand while higher temps are difficult in a traditional smokehouse the low temps and cool smoke make incredible meats untouched by other methods. So pic your preference and build it.

I will say that I don’t have a problem running my smokehouse at around 225* but it’s costly and at that temp it takes a lot of time, so to me it’s not cost effective, but YMMV.

SmokinEdge , I appreciate your replies. I am seeing a lot of nuances in what you are saying, giving me information that I didn't even really think about, like how much fuel it would take, regardless of whether it's wood, charcoal, gas, or pellets, and the likely prohibitive expense.

I certainly want to do the smoking for the pleasure and satisfaction of it and, at the same time, not end up spending a lot more than I would pay to have it done by another party.

 

[SmokinEdge]

SmokinEdge , I appreciate your replies. I am seeing a lot of nuances in what you are saying, giving me information that I didn't even really think about, like how much fuel it would take, regardless of whether it's wood, charcoal, gas, or pellets, and the likely prohibitive expense.

I certainly want to do the smoking for the pleasure and satisfaction of it and, at the same time, not end up spending a lot more than I would pay to have it done by another party.

Good.
BBQ is BBQ, and Smoking is Smoking. They are hard to meld together. Build a smokehouse and smoke the most delicious sausage, ham, bacon or other cured meats.
But use a BBQ unit to make brisket, pork butt, ribs and such food. Two totally different animals.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Good.
BBQ is BBQ, and Smoking is Smoking. They are hard to meld together. Build a smokehouse and smoke the most delicious sausage, ham, bacon or other cured meats.
But use a BBQ unit to make brisket, pork butt, ribs and such food. Two totally different animals.

Thanks for helping explain things! That's why this forum is so great...I knew you could help explain things I couldn't have done as well. And not just you, others such as DougE Have also helped. And SD...a wood smokehouse would do an awesome job of cold smoking cheese!

Ryan

 

[SD Smoker]

Good.
BBQ is BBQ, and Smoking is Smoking. They are hard to meld together. Build a smokehouse and smoke the most delicious sausage, ham, bacon or other cured meats.
But use a BBQ unit to make brisket, pork butt, ribs and such food. Two totally different animals.

Thanks for helping explain things! That's why this forum is so great...I knew you could help explain things I couldn't have done as well. And not just you, others such as DougE Have also helped. And SD...a wood smokehouse would do an awesome job of cold smoking cheese!

Ryan

Brokenhandle , I completely agree about the cold smoked cheese. If it works as well as I think it will, my wife just might forgive me for the time and likely expense of designing and building the smoker. I just need to read the references that DougE and SmokinEdge gave me, design the smokehouse, and then get to work on smoking.

By the way, green on the farm is okay unless it has yellow attached to it. I totally forgot about Deutz tractors. I've never seen anyone around here with one. I'm guessing the Oliver is pretty old?

 

[SD Smoker]

Good.
BBQ is BBQ, and Smoking is Smoking. They are hard to meld together. Build a smokehouse and smoke the most delicious sausage, ham, bacon or other cured meats.
But use a BBQ unit to make brisket, pork butt, ribs and such food. Two totally different animals.

By the way, I was looking at your smokehouse build. What kind of wood is that on the inside? Is it plywood? You said your smokehouse is 3x3x7, and I don't see any seams.

 

[DougE]

By the way, green on the farm is okay unless it has yellow attached to it.

I got red, but it ain't massey or case.

 

[SmokinEdge]

By the way, I was looking at your smokehouse build. What kind of wood is that on the inside? Is it plywood? You said your smokehouse is 3x3x7, and I don't see any seams.

Correct, it is made from Douglas fir exterior grade plywood. Made this way there are only four seams. This stops wind and gives more control on temp for me.
The rough sawn on the face is also Douglas fir. Makes a nice tight smokehouse.

 

[indaswamp]

My smokehouse is similar in size to SmokinEdge. 30" wide, 30" deep, 6.5' high. I run about the same temps. he does. When I cold smoke, I use the 16" Amazin tube packed tight with wood dust. It will only increase the temp. 3-5*F above ambient temp. and will burn clean thin blue smoke for 10-12 hours.

 

[indaswamp]

My take on the BBQ/smoking debate with respect to construction....

My smokehouse is lined top to bottom with hardi board. It has the same heat refraction index as steel, and will hold a very even temperature. When smoking sausages, I can keep the temps. +or-3*F. Very steady as she goes.

Becasue of the hardi board, I have no issues cooking brisket, pork butts -even chickens and turkeys- in my smokehouse. But- I never let the heat get above 275*F.

If you wanna do both, this is what I recommend....complete 100% coverage on the inside with hardi board. If you wanna go hotter, I'd go a different route.