How to make a cold smoked smokehouse with a smoke generator. We are building a smoke generator for cold smoking. A simple smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands

Almost everyone loves smoked products; home-smoked fish or meat is especially tasty when you know for sure that no preservatives were added during the cooking process, especially smoke smoke (various meat processing plants are very fond of it to reduce the cost of production). The smoking process itself takes a lot of time, so the equipment should not fail. If you decide to make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands, the drawings and some features of assembling the device given below will come in handy for you.

Homemade smoke generator option

One of the main elements for high-quality smoking is the source of smoke. Typically, shavings or sawdust are used, which burn slowly inside the generator. At the same time, you can assemble your home smoke generator in such a way that one load of firewood will be enough to operate autonomously for 24 hours. To do this, it is enough to reduce the air flow and increase the volume of chips in the loading chamber.

There are also a lot of assembly options, it all depends on the technical capabilities and goals of creation. There are three main elements, without which no device will function correctly:

Container (combustion chamber);
Ejector;
Air pump.

At the same time, the process of smoking products has its own subtleties that must be observed:

Minimum temperature of smoke entry;
Duration of the process;
Do not use pine sawdust;
All products are pre-cleaned before smoking.

To comply with all these features of the process, you need to collect the main elements correctly and carefully. And so that the products in your homemade smokehouse turned out to be especially tasty, it is recommended to use slivers of alder, cherry, apple, pear or willow.

Helpful information! Once your smoker is ready, try different wood chips to find the one that works best for you. the best option, because each of them gives its own special taste.

Let's move on to the features of the main elements of the smoke generator and their assembly.

Making a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands: drawings of the main elements and assembly procedure

First you need to prepare the elements that will be required to assemble the equipment. You can use the following drawing in your work:

So, to install a smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands, you will need:

Pipe, usually stainless steel is used. Cross section - 100 by 100 mm (it is recommended to take a diameter of 10–12 cm for a round pipe).
Parts metal pipe up to 400 mm, diameter 2.5-4.0 cm (usually used for hot smoking).
A corrugated plastic pipe 2-3 mm or a metal sleeve, the diameter of which will correspond to the chimney pipe.
Compressor (you can take an aquarium version).
Tee with a cross-section corresponding to the diameter of the smoke channel.
Wires for connecting elements and.
Thermometer.

All components are openly available for sale, and often are even at your fingertips, so getting them will not be difficult. There are also a lot of drawings, you can find them on the Internet and choose the one that suits your idea.

To connect the elements, also prepare a welding machine and a grinder. If you have never worked with them, then it is better to invite someone more experienced to help. The main difficulty lies in welding the fitting, making a door for the firebox and removable covers at the bottom and top.

Related article:

In a separate publication we will talk about making the right choice of this device according to your goals and budget.

We assemble a smoke generator with our own hands for cold smoking: video of the process

When you have prepared the drawings of the smoke generator for cold smoking, we begin to assemble the parts. Here are the main elements and sequence of equipment assembly:

First, we cut off a piece of pipe for the body (0.5 - 0.8 m).
For outer diameter of this segment we make the top and bottom covers. In this case, the bottom should have sides on the sides so that the ashes do not fly out.
On the sides of the base, slightly above the sides, drill several holes that will serve for ignition and oxygen supply (diameter 0.6 - 0.8 cm)

To make it convenient to use the smoke generator, weld the legs, which should be about 15 - 20 cm in height.

Note! If you use a removable bottom, you will not need side doors in the firebox. For a deaf person, make a door and place it on several hinges; in this case, you need to make slits for air to flow in, just like in conventional ovens.

The top cover must fit tightly onto the pipe, and it is also necessary to make a piece so that the unit can be opened.
Now we weld the chimney on top of the base, retreating 50 - 80 mm from the cut.
Weld the fitting perpendicular to the wall, it is necessary to maintain a protrusion 60 - 80 mm long. Before welding, the ends of the part should be equipped with threads for the tee.
After welding work attach a tee, and 2 pipes to it - one down, the second to the smokehouse.

For the correct process of preparing cold smoked products, we collect all the elements into one system:

Place the generator on a base that is made of fireproof materials, such as a concrete slab.
Place about 0.5 - 1 liter of dry wood chips.
Connect the pipe and chimney to the smoking chamber.
Light the wood chips using the special drilled holes.
Start the fan.

The process has begun, the tee acts as an injector. If you have assembled everything correctly, the combustion process will occur independently and your additional participation in the operation of the device will not be required.

Note! You can change the temperature yourself by changing the length of the chimney.

When assembling a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands according to the drawings, it is quite possible to use a pan, a can, or other containers in the form of a cylinder as a body. You can assemble the model without a fan, but it will function worse, since most often the natural draft is not enough for the effective process of preparing delicacies.

If you do not want to assemble such a unit yourself, you can buy a smoke generator for cold smoking, the price of which will vary depending on the performance, chamber volume and company.

When assembling a smoke generator for cold or hot smoking, do not forget to use the drawings and prepare all elements for assembly in advance.
From correct sequence assembly and good welding determine how well the unit will perform. You can also try sawdust and chips of different types of trees to understand which shade of taste you like best.

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Cooking meat and fish with cold smoke is becoming increasingly popular among smoked meat lovers. The cold smoking process can be organized relatively simply with my own hands even on the balcony of the apartment. The procedure for fumigating food with cold smoke does not require special technical knowledge or kitchen wisdom; you only need to make a smoke generator for smoking yourself. The rest of the cold smoking equipment is conventional wooden box or a cabinet in which products hung on a hook or laid on a grid are simply fumigated with cold or warm smoke.

How does the cold smoking process work?

Most people perceive cold smoking as an improved version of the classic processing of products with heat and steam. In fact, cold fumigation is chemically processing, therefore this scheme is closer to deep drying of meat and fish protein.

The basis of such processing is special device, a smoke generator for cold smoking that produces a vapor-gas mixture with special characteristics:

The flow of smoke and gas is saturated with vapors of chemically active substances, aldehydes, acids, alcohols, carbon monoxide and moisture. Also present are the decomposition products of lignin and cellulose in the form of tar water and resins;
The temperature of the vapor-gas flow is relatively low, no more than 40 o C, therefore there is no thermal “cooking”, like hot smoking, in the smokehouse.

There is only one way to obtain a stable gas flow with similar characteristics - to make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands. Smoke entering the smoking chamber saturates the surface layers of meat or lard with chemically active substances, and that’s it, the product can be removed and sent to “rest”, under a canopy or in a cool place where there are no flies, dust, drafts and sunlight. About another day the process is underway absorption of settled sawdust decomposition products in the tissue of meat products.

For your information! Only after a day can you begin tasting and assessing how successfully the cold smoking process went. Before the end of ripening, the product may disappoint true connoisseurs smoked sausages and fish.

To get an excellent bouquet of smell and appearance smoked products, it is necessary not only to choose a successful smokehouse design, but it is better to make a smoke generator with your own hands. As practice shows, for a real cook, the process of improving a smokehouse with your own hands, in an amicable way, is never completed; amendments, modifications and improvements are constantly made to the design, so it is important to know the structure of the smoke generator and be able to adjust its basic parameters.

The effect of cold smoking can be achieved with the help of chemical additives, but the taste of meat treated with chemicals is fundamentally different from the product that has passed through a stream of smoke, so it is easier to make a smoke generator for a cold smokehouse with your own hands than to risk your health and the health of your family.

Typical design and principle of operation of a smoke generator

There are two main smoke generator designs - pyrolysis and designs with external heat supply. For a smoke generator with external heat supply, you will need a heater of at least 1000 W, a thick-walled cast iron or steel body and special system cooling the smoke from copper pipe. As a result, the design turns out to be heavier and bulkier, but the quality of cold smoking using such a smoke generator is many times better than in a pyrolysis scheme.

For efficient work For such a smoke generator, it will be necessary to install a cooling system, circulation and a heating control circuit, for example, a rheostat or a thyristor load regulator, which complicates the work, but allows you to obtain very stable parameters of the smoke flow. Essentially, this is high-tech in the field of cold smoking.

Optimal installation device for cold smoking

This is how a real cold smoking system works.

The products are kept in a cold smoking chamber. The smoke flow is cooled in a special heat exchanger to 30-35 o C, the most important thing is that it is freed from water vapor and the heaviest components of the vapor-gas mixture, and a dried mixture saturated with volatile substances enters the chamber. Moreover, the mixture regularly circulates through a closed cold smoking circuit, releasing excess water and being saturated with new substances. What does this give?

Firstly, thanks to the presence of a cooler, the most smelly and harmful part of the smoke is removed - tar water and phenols.

Secondly, the flow of gases moves around the fish or meat at a fairly high speed, which means it is possible to avoid two possible problems- cold hardening and characteristic bitterness of smoking. Cold hardening occurs in cases when the product, due to a temperature difference outside or insufficiently well-cleaned smoke from moisture, during cold smoking is covered with a thin layer of water, protecting the surface of the meat from deep penetration of valuable smoke components. As a result, it turns out that the outer part will become oversaturated with cold smoked products, while the inside of the product remains raw.

Home version of a smoke generator for a cold smoking chamber

You can do both at home, but most lazy lovers of cold smoked products prefer the pyrolysis type of smoke generator for quite objective reasons:

Simplicity of design; even tin cans and plumbing fittings can be used to assemble the most primitive generators;
The pyrolysis smoke generation system does not require powerful heaters to operate; 5-10 W is enough to power an electric fan or compressor;
In the flow flue gases significantly more active substances, lower temperature and more stable smoke flow.

Regardless of what diagrams and drawings of a smoke generator for cold smoking you use with your own hands, the smoke parameters will be approximately the same. The difference will concern the degree of smoke purification and the ease of maintenance of the device after its intended use.

The operation of the installation can be explained in the smoke generator diagram below.

Structurally, the gas generator consists of three main parts:

Containers made of heat-resistant material, most often the body is made of of stainless steel or aluminum clad cast iron pipe chimney;
Selection unit for hot gases formed due to the decomposition of sawdust at high temperatures;
A compressor for supplying air to the smoke generator and pressurizing the sawdust decomposition products inside the cabinet for cold smoking of products.

Small beech or cherry chips are poured into the bottom of the smoke generator housing. Apricot, cherry, and apple are ideal for cold smoking. Worse - alder and beech, absolutely cannot be used conifers wood, birch, aspen, poplar and a tree grown on the shore of a reservoir with stagnant water.

This is the most suitable raw material for producing high-quality cold smoke. There is a hole at the bottom of the case for air suction. After ignition, the compressor turns on, which pumps air into two tubes. In this case, one tube is inserted coaxially inside another tube. This device is called an injection pump. When driving air flow smoke is sucked in and a vacuum occurs inside the smoke generator. Some of the air penetrates through the blower into the smoke generator housing and feeds the process of thermal decomposition of sawdust.

Theoretically, the process is completely autonomous and does not require human participation in the cold smoking procedure. In fact, in some cases, the sawdust is “cemented” by the smoke and resinous vapors released, and it is often necessary to tap on the body in order to collapse the burnt-out arch of fuel in the smoke generator and continue the cold smoking process.

The most popular cold smoke generator designs

With rare exceptions, in most cases, your own homemade smoke generator makes it possible to smoke products at an acceptable level of quality. Therefore, there are absolutely no problems in how to make a smoke generator. You can take any smoke generator design for cold smoking you like, proven in practice, and build it in accordance with the developer’s recommendations.

As an example of classic smoke generators, we can cite two options - with upper smoke extraction and with gas intake directly from the combustion zone in the lower part of the housing.

Advice! For the body of the cold smoke generator, use only heat-resistant materials; a stainless steel chimney flame pipe with a diameter of 125 mm or 150 mm is best suited.

You can find out how suitable a cold smoke generator is from such a material from the video:

Upper version of the smoke generator

The cold smoke generator with an upper selection of decomposition products is a cylindrical stainless steel body, the lower part of which is closed with a lid on thumbscrews; in the upper cold part there is an injection unit connected to an air compressor. The main thing is not so much to adhere to the dimensions exactly and design features smoke generator, how much to make it controllable or customizable to specific cold smoking conditions. In this case, it is extremely important to accurately reproduce the injector at the top of the device. The chimney tube can be made of copper or aluminum, or any metal with high thermal conductivity.

To install the injector, a coupling with internal thread. A bushing with an external thread is pressed onto the injector tube, which allows you to adjust the operation of the injection unit by rotation.

A mesh for ash is installed in the lower part of the smoke generator body, a hole is drilled for ignition and air intake into the combustion zone. To make the generator more efficient, an intermediate unit must be added to the design between the chimney and the cold smoking chamber, shown in the diagram.

This solution will allow you to control not only the consumption of smoke, but also its temperature; accordingly, the quality of cold-smoked meat or fish will be much higher, and the amount of phenols entering the chamber with smoke will be reduced by half or three.

Diagram of a smoke generator with bottom flue gas extraction

Additional smoke purification can be achieved using a copper pipe built into the generator housing, called a vapor-gas mixture elevator. In this case, the design of the smoke generator looks like this.

The body is made by welding from sheet metal, in the lower part of the structure the bottom is welded hermetically, leaving only threaded hole for igniting sawdust, which is closed with a bolt after starting the smoke generator. Sawdust is filled to a level of ¾ of the height of the generator housing. Air is supplied from the compressor vertically copper tube, and combustion products are discharged through the side fitting in the upper part of the housing. The smoke generator can also operate in reverse order, if air is supplied through the chimney, then combustion products and smoke will rise through the copper elevator, cool and be freed from phenolic water. In addition, the sawdust in the smoke generator will be dried and loosened by smoke.

Compressor for smoke generator

In addition to the injector and cooler, the third adjustable component of the smoke generator is the compressor. Most often, converted low-power computer coolers or even aquarium compressors are used for these purposes. Most a good decision you can call it an option assembled compressor for a do-it-yourself smoke generator based on a 12-volt beach device for inflating mattresses and inflatable sofas as in the video:

Advice! TO standard device you just need to add a speed controller, and you get the ideal compressor for a smoke generator. All other options are either too low-power or cumbersome.

Conclusion

The smoke generator body must not be made from any painted or tin-plated containers, such as cans or other containers. Tin, lead, solder, paint - everything that comes into contact with the flow of smoke and heated vapors of acids and alcohols sooner or later turns into a volatile form and ends up inside the cold smoking chamber. In addition, if the design of the smokehouse plans to use an electrostatic field, it will be necessary to very carefully clean the smoke from tar and water.

Smoke generator with top position ejector

A smoke generator with a bottom ejector works well in conjunction with a small smoking chamber, but has a number of disadvantages. For a number of design reasons, this type of connection goes out more often, so the combustion chamber should be limited in height, which leads to a decrease in the time of continuous operation of the smoke generator. Secondly, the open pipe that enters the combustion chamber must be protected, otherwise wood chips can get inside and block the flow of smoke. Third, this design does not promote natural draft in the smokehouse because the smoker and loading container are placed on the same level. This means that when the pump is turned off, the flow of smoke stops immediately.

These minor flaws described above can be easily corrected by installing an ejector in the upper part of the loading chamber.

Pump

For air supply use any suitable pump, for example, an aquarium compressor, its power of 4-5 watts in most cases is more than enough.

But there is more extraordinary solutions: craftsmen Instead of a compressor, they adapted a computer cooler to the smoke generator, which was mounted in an empty plastic bottle, which is original, simple and functional.

What to smoke with?

For smoking with a smoke generator, you can use almost any type of wood, with the exception of evergreens such as spruce, pine, etc., which give smoked products a bitter taste. The size of the chips also matters: when using small sawdust, it will be necessary to make a small addition to the design of the smoke generator. To do this, you can use a spring of a suitable length, which will serve as a chimney, allowing smoke to pass freely through a layer of fine sawdust. It passes through large chips and smoke well without any modifications.

Smoke temperature

In the described generator, the temperature of the smoke supplied to the smokehouse can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the length of the pipe that connects the smoking chamber to the smoke generator.

Smoking chamber

Any suitable container can be used as a smoking chamber, for example a barrel, wooden box and even cardboard box. An old refrigerator can be used to make an ideal cold smoking cabinet; it closes tightly and is well insulated, allowing you to preserve constant temperature, this is very important in the cold season.

But most refrigerators are lined with plastic inside and are therefore not suitable for hot smoking, where the temperature is much higher.

Video about how to assemble a smoke generator for cold smoking without tools.

There are always a variety of cold smoked products on the shelves of grocery stores. Unfortunately, the quality and taste of such “delicacies,” so to speak, are far from perfect. The problem is in the manufacturing technology.

Over the past few decades, the food industry has been actively using chemicals, under common name"liquid smoke". Meat or fish are immersed in the solution for some time, acquiring characteristic appearance and aroma. It is clear that this process has nothing to do with smoking.

Important! These additives are certified and approved for use. The harmful effects on the body are no greater than from any other additives and flavorings.

But we want natural product! Therefore, real gourmets prefer to organize cold smoking themselves, according to the old old-fashioned technologies.

To meet the needs of workers, various smoking units are available for sale, both for hot and cold smoking.

Classic technology involves spaced cameras connected long tunnel, in which the smoke is cooled. As a result, no heat treatment is performed, and the smoked product remains as soft as if it had just been cooked.

Instructions: how to make a simple cold smoked smoke generator

To make a simple smoke generator you will need:

Three-liter tin can
Tin liter can
4 screws
Half inch tube
Half-inch fitting with adapter for rubber hose
½ coupling for connecting the fitting and tube

Let's start production

How does a cold smoking machine work?

The cameras are located on different levels. The height difference regulates the draft in the chimney and affects the intensity of smoke cooling. The difference can be up to 1 meter.

Important! To install such an installation, free space is required, and a natural slope of the ground is desirable.

Such conditions are not always available in the courtyard of a private house or on summer cottage. Moreover, the construction of a real smokehouse involves engineering work.

In the lower chamber (let's call it the firebox) smoke is formed. There are several options:

This can be a relatively sealed container, in which, with a weak influx fresh air fuel (chips or sawdust) smolderes intensely. The inlet damper regulates the flow of fresh air. It should be insufficient to cause a fire, while at the same time ensuring normal draft in the chimney;
The second method is a two-chamber firebox. An open fire is lit under the brazier, and a metal sheet material is poured to create smoke (the same sawdust or wood chips). Draft is generated in the upper chamber, only for smoke.

Reading time ≈ 12 minutes

When choosing smoked meat in a supermarket, the question arose: is it possible to prepare meat products at home, making them yourself according to the developed drawings? This is what we will talk about in today’s article. What is a smoke generator, what types are they and how to assemble it from the material at hand.

Smoke generator for cold smoking

What is a smoking installation?

A home smoking setup is sufficient simple device and consists of a smoking chamber and a smoke generator. In the past, it had approximately the following design: as a rule, a metal barrel that acted as a chamber was installed on an embankment or a small foundation made of bricks and filled in so that there were no cracks at the base.

A horizontal underground channel lined with brick or old tiles, 20-30 centimeters high and 2 meters long, was led under the barrel. This channel was a chimney for a fire, which was built on the side opposite the barrel in a closed pit. A small hole was left for the flow of air, which ensured not active combustion, but smoldering of wood in the fire with copious amounts of smoke.

In the smoking cabinet, products were placed on grids, trays or hooks, which were cooked using cooled smoke.

Smoking installation

Another design option is made of stone. In the lower part there is a firebox with a blower to control the intensity of combustion. The chimney duct does not rise up, but goes into the smoking chamber located nearby, and from there an exit is made to the street.

Smoking installation diagram

But in modern world nothing stands still, everything develops and moves forward. In modern installations, fireboxes and fires have been replaced by smoke generators - small, compact devices equipped with electric fans or compressors for pumping air.

It is this kind of device that we will talk about today. What materials will be needed to make a smoke generator for cold smoking. What tools and equipment will you need to use?

Principle of operation

To figure out what device you have to work with, you need to understand what it is. The structure of the smoke generator and its operating principle are as follows:

Sawdust or shavings are poured into a metal flask with a lid on top. The bottom is removable so that ash can be removed. Fuel falls on metal mesh, acting as grate bars. Approximately 5-10 millimeters above the mesh level there is a hole with a diameter of 1 cm. The wood is set on fire through it and air flows in during the combustion process.
A ¾-inch flue tube is attached to the top of the cylinder. WITH opposite side, an ejector tube, ¼ inch thick, enters through a hole in the wall and, crossing the entire space of the flask, enters the chimney 10 mm. A pipe is connected to the outer end of the ejector, through which air is supplied from a compressor or other air blower.
The chimney pipe goes inside the smoking chamber.
With help gas burner, fuel is ignited through a special hole. The air supply compressor turns on.
The air flow enters the chimney. Thanks to the design, a draft is created in the generator flask, and wood combustion products are drawn into the chimney. Cooled smoke from the chimney fills the smokehouse.

This is a schematic description of the process. The fact is that, for example, ejectors have different design, so when working with a specific device, some differences and nuances will appear. But the principle itself will not change.

Smoke generator for cold smoking

Preparation of the drawing

As in any process related to the assembly of composite structures, first of all it is necessary to prepare drawings with the dimensions of all parts and assemblies. It can be prepared based on your own views and visions, and materials can be selected in accordance with the dimensions indicated in the diagram. Alternative option– adjust the drawing in accordance with the dimensions of the materials available.

In both cases, it is important that the resulting proportions allow the construction of a workable product.

The photo below shows an example of a drawing that can be used as an example to draw up your own design solution. Before deciding on the final version of the sketch, you need to make a choice from several types of smoke generators, which have some differences:

With upper or lower ejection. This design feature suggests the location of the ejector: air supply and smoke exhaust pipes - in the upper part of the generator housing or in the lower part.
With or without cooler. This solution assumes that there is additional element in the circuit for supplying smoke to the smoking chamber, acting as a cooler and an additional filter for condensate.

Scheme of work

In order to take a more detailed look at all the subtleties and nuances that arise and are encountered when making a smokehouse at home, we will choose the option with bottom ejection, a cooler and a condensate collector.

Smoke generator installation method

Before you start assembly work, you need to choose the place where the structure will be installed. The method of mounting the device, as well as some features of the arrangement of parts, will depend on this.

On the body of the smoking cabinet. In this case, the main load will fall on the chimney pipes, since it is outlet pipe will become the connection point to the cabinet. To distribute the load, an additional fastener can be welded to the smoke generator body.

Floor placement of the device will allow you to move the support point to the lower end of the case. In this case, the bottom must be welded, and an additional door must be made to remove ash.

Principle of operation

Materials and tools

In order to make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands, having the necessary drawings, videos and photographs, you will need:

Pipe metal diameter 100 and 650 mm long. The body will be made from it.
Steel cylinder Ø100, 150 millimeters long for the manufacture of a cooler filter.
A set of Ø25mm pipes of different lengths with threads for chimney assembly – 5 pieces.
Sheet iron 2 mm thick. The size should allow you to cut 4 circles with a diameter of 100 mm and 2 circles with a diameter of 90 mm.
Spurs Ø25 mm of various configurations - cross and tee.
A quick-release connection (25 mm thread) and 10 centimeters of tube of such a diameter that it fits snugly in the quick-release fitting.
Self-tapping screws for metal.
Rod for making a filter, 120 mm long and 10 mm thick.
High temperature paint.
Aquarium compressor with a capacity of 10 l/min.
Glass jar with metal lid on the thread to collect condensate.

To cope with such a set of materials, you need to have the following tools and devices on hand:

Ruler and scriber - for marking.
Angle grinder with cutting wheels for metal.
Electric drill with drill bits.
Welding machine with electrodes.
Pipe wrench.

Having done everything necessary preparations, you can start working. The sequence of actions is described in detail in step by step instructions presented in the next section.

Smoke generator assembly

Let's look at how you can make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands by breaking installation work into stages.

Frame

We take a pipe with a diameter of 100 millimeters and a length of 60 cm. We align the ends so that later we can install covers on them.
The pipe Ø25 mm and 15 cm long, from which the smoke intake will be made, must have a thread on one edge. From the opposite end, in a 10 cm area, we arrange slots through which smoke will flow into the pipe. On the bottom side, opposite the slots, we drill holes.

Pipe branch

The grate will be installed at a height of 50mm from the bottom edge, and the smoke intake will be located approximately 4cm above. Accordingly, using welding, we make a hole in the body at a mark of 9 cm from the bottom end.
We install the prepared pipe in the place prepared for it with the slots facing up and scald it.

Smoke intake

We make grate bars. We cut out a circle from a sheet of metal and drill 5-7 mm holes in it along the entire plane.
We weld the workpiece 5 centimeters from the bottom of the body.
Drill a Ø 10mm hole approximately 0.5 - 1 cm above the grate. It will serve to ignite the fuel and take in combustion air.
We cut out a valve for the bottom of the flask from sheet iron. It must be removable so that ash can be removed. We weld small eyes to the end, like slides, into which we install the valve.
To make the case close at the top, we grind a hardwood plug onto the top end. Preferably made of oak.
The smoke generator body is almost ready. Let's move on to the filter and pipeline.

Installation of chimney and cooler with filter

Screw a cross onto the thread of the smoke intake pipe.

Screwing on the cross

We screw 2 pipes into the cross:

In the lower hole 5 cm long with a thread at the second end. We make a hole in the lid of the jar, put it on the pipe and secure it tightly with a nut.
A 10 cm long tube is inserted into the upper hole. A cooler will be welded to the second end.

We close the free central outlet of the cross with a plug. It will be used to clean the smoke intake.

Cooler housing

Cut a circle Ø100mm from a sheet of iron. Using welding, we cut out a 2.5 cm hole in the center for the chimney pipe. This will be the bottom of the filter.
We attach the prepared bottom to the lower end of the 100x150 mm pipe using a welding machine.
We weld a rim with holes for attaching the lid to the upper end.

Cooler housing

We cut out the lid from iron and drill holes that exactly coincide with the holes in the rim. We make a hole in the center for the pipe.

Filter element

We prepare 2 plates with a diameter of 90 mm, make holes in the center and install them on a steel pin 1 cm thick.
We attach the legs to the bottom plate.
In order to firmly secure the filter device in the cooler body, we roll up a small spring from steel wire.

Filter element

We install the filter element with a spring into the cooler housing and screw on the cover using metal screws, having previously treated the joint with a heat-resistant sealant.

Ejector

We weld a 10 cm long pipe into the top cover with a thread at the other end.

We screw the tee onto the thread using its central outlet. For ease of further use, we place the tee perpendicular to the smoke exhaust outlet from the housing.
We install a pipe in one of the free outlets of the tee, the length of which will allow it to be inserted into the smoking chamber. As practice shows, this is at least 25-30 centimeters.
Screw into the opposite hole of the tee quick release coupling, into the shank of which a metal tube is inserted through a seal.
A vinyl or polyethylene supply tube from air compressor. As already stated, its power should not be less than 10 liters/minute, otherwise the efficiency of the entire installation will be reduced to zero.
The end of the tube located inside should be longer than the tee and extend 10 mm inside the chimney pipe.

Operating procedure

Before starting work, we carefully check the reliability of all mechanical connections: the covers must be installed in place and closed, the pipes must be tightly fixed in the fittings.

A container for collecting condensate is attached to the lid. No matter how dry the fuel is, it still contains moisture. In addition, there are various resins and heavy impurities. To get rid of these additives, a filter is installed in the cooler, on the “plates” of which all excess settles and, condensing, flows down into a collection container.

The air supply pipe from the compressor is connected to the ejector inlet. Electrical cable The compressor is installed and connected to the power supply in compliance with all safety standards and regulations. You must always remember that the installation uses open fire and emit heat, which creates an increased danger for nearby electrical communications.

Pour dry wood chips or shavings into the generator flask and close the lid. Using a lighter, or best of all, a gas burner, we ignite the fuel. The wood begins to burn, emitting thick smoke.

Turn on the compressor. The air stream mixes with the smoke, creating draft in the chimney and increasing the power of the flow.

The wood chips should lie quite tightly, but you cannot compact them too much, as they can clog the smoke intake.

Fuel selection

As for wood species, it is strictly not recommended to use waste from resinous tree species, such as spruce and pine. Walnut shavings will add bitterness to the smoke.

Fuel from fruit trees has pleasant aroma, directly dependent on the breed. The most suitable are apple, pear, apricot and alder.

Smoking cabinet

It must close tightly and have a chimney at the top to remove smoke. The smokehouse, depending on the intensity of use, can be made in the form of a “house” or a cabinet made of metal or wood.

To place products prepared for smoke treatment, special shelves, nets or hangers with hooks are installed.

The simplest and budget option is an ordinary metal barrel with a capacity of 100-200 liters. She's being cut off top part, so that I can load the products, and then I cover it back with a lid. A more “civilized” solution is to place the barrel in a lying position, cut out part of the side surface, then fix it on hinges, making a door. A continuous shelf made of mesh is installed inside.

If after reading the article and viewing the photos you still have questions, the video posted at the end of this section will help clarify some points.

You yourself were able to see that, having the correct drawings, building a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands is not such a difficult task. Undoubtedly, it requires certain skills and preparation. Not everyone knows how to use welding machine or have it at home. But, using the help of friends or acquaintances, you can make a device that will become a source of aromatic and tasty dishes on your table.

Video: smoke generator