Anybody here have or have ever built a smokehouse?

[gregintenn]

I'm thinking about building one, and would like some ideas or suggestions. It seems to me that a small building with a cast iron stove in it would suffice. Let's hear your thoughts.

[bersaguy]

Depends on how much and what kind of meat you plan on smoking. The one we had on the farm always had Hams, Bacon slabs, jowl hanging from at least 2 250 lb hogs plus needed space in the smoke house for a salt box to pack the meat in salt a couple weeks prior to smoking. So a lot depends on what you plan on smoking and how much. Ours was built with rough sawmill lumber and tin roof with cracks between boards for smoke to escape. Don't see them much any more but a cool idea...........jmho

[xsubsailor]

 Here's a link to the construction of a nice one,.

 

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/how-to-build-a-smokehouse/

 

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[url=http://postimage.org/]post a picture[/url]

[Whistle4Fly]

I'd love to consider doing something like this on the farm. 

[frankmako]

i had one on the farm that was build before 1900.  it was hand cut logs and was around 16 by 16.  big walk in smoke house, on a dirt floor. my granddad used it when he had the farm.  it had a salt box on one side.  i remember hams and other stuff hanging when i was young.  over the years it was used for can goods and other things.  i sold it to a man with deep pockets that wanted it for his bbq place in central tennessee.  they came with a grew and number each log before removing it.  if you build one go as big as you can.  

[peejman]

Don't really need a cast iron stove, just an outhouse sized building over a fire pit.

[KaNaPaPi]

I built my smoker using a wood stove and an old metal refrigerator (all metal inside). Found it on craigslist for $25. Cut a hole in the back for the smoke to come in, and a hole in the top for my exhaust with a damper.

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[gregintenn]

 

 Here's a link to the construction of a nice one,.

 

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/how-to-build-a-smokehouse/

 

post a picture

 

That would be cool, but I'm not a brick/block layer, so it would be beyond my ability. I'd also like room for a salt box. If you've never eaten an "old ham", aka a ham salt cured and smoked at home, you don't have any idea what you're missing. Clifty Farm doesn't hold a candle to it. I'd like to put up a hog, and maybe smoke some deer meat as well.

Edited November 7, 2015 by gregintenn

[raildog]

A guy in my old neighborhood bought one of those portable buildings and turned it into a smoke house had a complete setup with salt box and a cast iron stove to make his smoke and heat he would do two whole hogs every winter

[Dolomite_supafly]

We recently put in an emergency wood stove. It will exit through the side of the garage. I am considering having it dump into a smoke house. I just need to watch what kind of woods I use during the smoking process.

We are going to try curing our own meats as well.

[chitchater]

You need to decide whether your are smoking, curing, or both.  If you intend to deal with a hog you need to use a salt based curing mix that is rubbed into the meat.  This requires (works best with) the salt box that is mentioned above.  Most of the old time smoke houses had these approx. waist high boxes/trays along one side of the smoke house. Meat does not get hung up until after treatment with the mix.  This rubbing in and hanging is usually repeated several times.  Smoking is normally used later on.  There is a reason for the dirt floor...that is where the smoldering fire usually was.  On the other hand, if all that you want to do is smoke some meat,  you do not need anything so large or elaborate.

[bersaguy]

One thing I forgot to add in my previous post was the pillow cases or white sheets. Once your meat is completely done and you are going to leave it hanging till used you may want to wrap each piece of meat in a pillow case or cut up white sheet to keep the flies from laying eggs in the meat come warm weather.

[MemHeli]

One thing I forgot to add in my previous post was the pillow cases or white sheets. Once your meat is completely done and you are going to leave it hanging till used you may want to wrap each piece of meat in a pillow case or cut up white sheet to keep the flies from laying eggs in the meat come warm weather.

seems like a most important bit of info right there.  I'd like to build one of these one day.

[Caster]

I set an old wooden shed on fire when I was a kid.  Does that count?

[Trekbike]

I set an old wooden shed on fire when I was a kid. Does that count?

Only if some type of meat was inside at the time. [emoji3]

[Caster]

Rats and mice. Probably a snake or two as well.

[Knox Al]

The smokehouses I saw as a kid had the fire on the outside so there was minimal heat on the meat. They just wanted the smoke to flavor and help preserve the meat, not cook it.