Smokehouse

[DaddyE]

I am going to build a smoke house for doing mainly sausage, maybe the occasional large quantities of pork butt. My plan is to use 2x10 boards. And a propane burner for the wood chips. Do I need to line the interior with metal sheeting? I would just as soon not.

 

[smokerjim]

don't see why you would have to, the only thing it might help with is keeping more of the heat in

 

[DaddyE]

If I would line it is it safe to use rolls off metal flashing?

 

[smokerjim]

that would be fine, or you could probably line it with plywood if you wanted, not flake board.

 

[indaswamp]

I am going to build a smoke house for doing mainly sausage, maybe the occasional large quantities of pork butt. My plan is to use 2x10 boards. And a propane burner for the wood chips. Do I need to line the interior with metal sheeting? I would just as soon not.

No, you do not have to line it, but you will have to keep the heat below about 250*F in an all wood smokehouse for fire concerns. I have a wood smokehouse and decided to line the inside with 1/4" hardi Cement board. Then put aluminum flashing over it. The cement board is made from inert materials and is non-toxic, but you do need to take precautions when cutting it from the dust.
The cement board heats up like steel and once hot keeps a very steady even heat in the smokehouse. My smokehouse is 2.5'X2.5'X6.5' tall. I can hang 125# of sausage in it at one time.

Smoking sausages is the reason I built it, but I cook a lot of other stuff in it as well. I have an air gap between the hardiboard and the wood outside so I feel comfortable cooking up to 300* in it.

I'll post a link to my build thread if you are interested in some ideas...

 

[daveomak]

When using propane, be sure to have a "flame out" sensor on the burner...

Man killed when meat smoker explodes
Colleen Kottke, The (Fond du Lac, Wis.) Reporter 4:49 p.m. EST December 15, 2014
(Photo: The (Fond du Lac, Wis.) Reporter)
TOWN of LAMARTINE, Wis. — A Wisconsin man using a homemade meat smoker to cook turkeys and chickens died when the smoker exploded, police said.
Richard L. Zabel, 55, was found dead Saturday afternoon inside a machine shed.
"The North Fond du Lac Ambulance and Lamartine first responders were called to the scene for the initial report that someone had fallen," said Lt. Cameron McGee of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office. "When investigators arrived on scene, they discovered that a 55-year-old man was dead inside the building."
Zabel, a town of Lamartine man, did not live at the building's location, but lived nearby.
"Evidence indicates that the flame on the LP burner went out and as a result the gas continued to accumulate inside the smoker," McGee said. "And when (Zabel) went to relight the burner, the spark from the lighter caused the gas to explode."
McGee said the force of the explosion caused the heavy duty door of the smoker to blow open, striking Zabel in the head, killing him instantly.
"When something explodes, it's going to blow open at the weakest point which was the door, which was triple-latched," McGee said.
McGee said the smoker was larger and better constructed than most store-bought models.
"It was about 4-feet tall and about 3-feet wide and built really solid, including the door. Someone really put a lot of thought into building this thing," McGee said. "We were told that they had been using it for the past three years without any problems."
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

 

[indaswamp]

Thanks for posting that Dave... I'm always REALLY leery about relighting the smokehouse after a flame out. I open the doors and let the gas clear out for a few minutes, then I relight the burner. I have not had near as many flame outs since switching from a high pressure to a low pressure regulator. The 4d nails help when low temp. smoking.....

 

[DaddyE]

Thanks for all the info. Indaswamp, how did you attach the aluminum flashing to the cement board? Would you have needed to add the flashing?

 

[DocShadownix]

Indiaswamp, can you post that link you mentioned to your build thread...looking for it now :) I am thinking of building my own this spring... that and a fermenting chamber...hmmm...think I am hooked on this sausage thing...

Thanks!

Brian

 

[indaswamp]

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...ard-outhouse-smoker-build-pics-addded.261865/