Turning existing concrete/adobe building into smokehouse

[tdimler]

Thanks everyone for the comments.  I'm going to work on the racks tomorrow...they're going to be simple and movable.  I wouldn't mind getting some kind of bread/proofing rack/cart sometime if I can pick one up cheap on craigslist...

Got the fire box all finished up.  The expanded metal grate inside is removable...my thought is that I can better control temperature/smoke by using the lower vent to let air pass through the burning wood or the upper vent for a different approach...or both...just have to see how it all works.

Firebox_shop.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 7, 2013

Firebox_open.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 7, 2013

Firebox_outside.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 7, 2013

Firebox_back.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 7, 2013

Hoping to get it ducted in and fire this baby up tomorrow!

Travis

 

[chef jimmyj]

Look for a Used Restaurant Equipment Supply company in your area, Wire Shelving is cheap and available in a variety of sizes...JJ

 

[daveomak]

Travis, morning.... You will like that inlet design.... It provides great heat control and air flow control to the smoker..... Nice job on the firebox... I'm looking forward to the smoke house operating....   Dave

 

[dward51]

Wow!!! Nice job on that smokehouse and firebox.  You are going to have one sweet setup when it's done.  Your neighborhood is going to smell great once the thin blue smoke starts.

Also for rolling racks make sure to check the government auction sites like govdeals.com as you can often find school systems selling off old baking racks that would be perfect for that smokehouse. I've had real good luck with commercial kitchen searches on govdeals.com.  The trick is finding something close enough to your area to make it worth the drive to pickup or ship. 

 

[tdimler]

Well, considering I live 30 miles from a gas pump and 70 miles from the nearest small city, there isn't much hope of finding any used racks to suit me locally!  I whipped out this set-up this evening with what I had around.  The rods are 1/2" rebar and there is room for 9.  Nothing is permanent so I'll see how I like it and go from there.  Almost ready to press this baby into service!

Racks Outside.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 8, 2013

Racks Inside.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 8, 2013

Racks Inside 2.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 8, 2013

 

[daveomak]

Travis, morning.... The racks are beautiful...  Nice job on building them....   Now if you need some screens, they can go on top of the rebar...  Think about a fan for air circulation inside the smoker... fan doesn't need to be big either...  a small amount or air movement is good....  smoking meat etc. needs air circulation and make-up air so the meat won't sour....  

Your smoker is so cool....   I really like it... 

Dave

 

[black]

z

 

[tdimler]

Travis, morning.... The racks are beautiful...  Nice job on building them....   Now if you need some screens, they can go on top of the rebar...  Think about a fan for air circulation inside the smoker... fan doesn't need to be big either...  a small amount or air movement is good....  smoking meat etc. needs air circulation and make-up air so the meat won't sour....  

Your smoker is so cool....   I really like it... 

Dave

Thanks Dave!  I'm pretty happy with how it's all come together.  Good thought about the screens on top of the rebar...that idea hadn't crossed my mind yet.  I actually do have a little fan for the smokehouse.  It's just a little 4 inch personal fan from Wal-Mart.  I bored a little hole for an extension cord so I've got a clamp lamp stuck up in there and can plug my fan in as well.

Travis

 

[tdimler]

Well folks.....here's some smoke....

First Smoke Door.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 9, 2013

First Smoke- Stack.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 9, 2013

Temporary Firebox Hookup.jpg

• tdimler
• Mar 9, 2013

I planned to tinker with it and monitor the temperature this afternoon but the wind started whipping around 35-40mph so it wasn't safe to mess with it.....still anxious to see if I can put some real heat to the house.  It smokes like the dickens though.  Still puffing away after several hours and only a little bit of wood.  The chimney has a damper in it although these dampers they sell leave nearly as much open space as they block.  I'm going to re-do the firebox connection above when I get some good clamps.  I've got a piece of black stove pipe and a damper, but the worm gear clamps won't put enough squeeze on the stovepipe.  What I've got going on now is some aluminum flashing...it actually worked great and I'd leave it as is but I think I need a damper there.

 

[daveomak]

Personally, I think you have one monstrously beautiful smoker set up...  By the way, drill a hole in the bottom of the exhaust elbow so moisture will drip outside the smoke house instead of running back inside....  You probably would have seen that and done it anyway... I've been there....  after drilling the hole, dimple it downward ....   a rim may have been formed when drilling, slowing or stopping the flow outward... Dave

 

[daveomak]

Looks like there'll be smoke soonnnn.......

 make-up air so the meat won't sour....  

Hi Dave, what do you mean? the meat may sour if there is no air circulation? or the meat may sour if there is no new air?

Black... Hanging meat in an enclosed space with no air change and no circulation is somewhat similar to putting meat in a plastic bag... 

The symptoms may take longer but the results will be the same... Another example is green houses.... high humidity, high temp... fans for air circulation so they don't get mold....  same deal...  Hope that makes sense and I explained it adequately...   

Dave

 

[bear55]

Looking great.

 

[woodcutter]

Travis, you really have something to be proud of! That smoke house is beautiful. Good luck and good smoking!

 

[black]

z

 

[black]

z

 

[dward51]

Personally, I think you have one monstrously beautiful smoker set up...  By the way, drill a hole in the bottom of the exhaust elbow so moisture will drip outside the smoke house instead of running back inside....  You probably would have seen that and done it anyway... I've been there....  after drilling the hole, dimple it downward ....   a rim may have been formed when drilling, slowing or stopping the flow outward... Dave

Just had a thought.....  (mark the calendar, these days of lucid thought seem rarer and rarer....)

Could you not put a barbed drain fitting at the low point of the elbow and then feed a collection bottle via say a 3/8 flexible tube to collect home made "liquid smoke" from the condensation that would drip down?  Might be useful for other items you don't actually smoke in the smokehouse to add some smoky flavor.

Just a theory, but would this work?

 

[daveomak]

Personally, I think you have one monstrously beautiful smoker set up...  By the way, drill a hole in the bottom of the exhaust elbow so moisture will drip outside the smoke house instead of running back inside....  You probably would have seen that and done it anyway... I've been there....  after drilling the hole, dimple it downward ....   a rim may have been formed when drilling, slowing or stopping the flow outward... Dave

Just had a thought.....  (mark the calendar, these days of lucid thought seem rarer and rarer....)

Could you not put a barbed drain fitting at the low point of the elbow and then feed a collection bottle via say a 3/8 flexible tube to collect home made "liquid smoke" from the condensation that would drip down?  Might be useful for other items you don't actually smoke in the smokehouse to add some smoky flavor.

Just a theory, but would this work?

Or you could extend the elbow inside the smoke house and catch it in a jar...  Lengthening the stack would collect more condensate if that was you goal...  I would suggest using stainless stack...  Dave

 

[JckDanls 07]

This is an awesome smoke house..... My only suggestion would be to put some diagonal braces (1x2's) on the racks... once you load it up it's going to become top heavy and have a real good possibility of "racking" .... justa thought, better safe then sorry...

 

[jarjarchef]

That is one beautiful smokehouse you have. I would love to one day have something like that.

I built a plywood smokehouse and I have a propane burner inside it for heat. It kicks out a lot, so I end up turning it way down, almost off........ if you are not getting enough heat from your firebox and you are wanting to hot smoke, maybe use a burner to get the smokehouse up to temp, then cut if off and use the fire box to maintain the temp.....just a thought........I know you will get moisture from running propane as the heat, but you will also get a lot of moisture releasing from the food as you smoke it........so not sure if it is really a concern or not.... at work we have access to a huge chain rotisserie smoker that is run on propane and has a small smoke box to feed the smoke, and it works great....it comes down to what you want in my humble opinion

You had mentioned hanging rods and not finding dowels over 4'. I made my own because I am too cheap to buy them. I ripped a 2x4 into 2 ea square pieces then ripped the corners to make octagons. They are very strong and give a larger curve for sausage then a 1/2" rebar would do......Sorry for the picture size....I just copied and pasted it from my thread.......

 

[gov-]

Great job on the build!  I'll be by next week to pick it up.  Thanks for all the hard work!  lol.  It looks really, really awesome.  I'll talk my dad into making one of these out at his place.

Flat strap bracing on the rack ought to cinch it up and give it some decent shear