Updated:

2016-08-16

Today we’ll talk about how to make a smoke generator for a smokehouse with your own hands and offer video instructions in order to understand in detail all the nuances of this device.

Smoking smoke is obtained due to the operation of an effective smoke generator. For cold smoking, a temperature in the range of 19-25 degrees is used.

Externally, the smoke generator is a vacuum box with regulators, a hole for sawdust and a pipe for removing smoke. There is a limiter inside the unit, which allows sawdust to be dosed to a heating element.

And you need it in order to get delicious home-made delicacies. Who doesn't love beer with delicious smoked fish or meat? Only now you rarely see real smoked products in stores. So why not make them yourself?! To do this you will need a smokehouse and a smoke generator.

Technical characteristics of the smoke generator

A conventional smoke generator for a smokehouse is designed for long-term operation, since the smoking process can take from several hours to several days. Therefore, the characteristics of the device are very acceptable for home use:

• Its electricity consumption level is small - no more than 4 kW per day;
• When the heating element reaches the required temperature, it turns off, and when it cools down, it automatically turns on;
• Heating element power - 1 kW;
• Power is supplied from a 220V household outlet;
• The sawdust hopper has a volume of 1.5 kilograms. With this amount of sawdust, the smokehouse can work without interruption for a day and a half;
• If the chamber has a volume of 1 cubic meter, it can easily be filled with such a generator with high-quality and thick smoke, ideal for smoking.

Making a smoke generator

Ready-made drawings of homemade smoke generators can be found without any problems. To assemble a homemade smoke generator, you will need four main devices:

• Container;
• Ejector;
• Compressor (pump);
• Raw materials.

Each point should be addressed separately.

Smoke generator container

This is a combustion chamber in which the sawdust smoldering process and smoke creation will occur.

1. It is important to consider that the smaller the chamber volume, the faster the sawdust will burn, and therefore more and more will have to be added.
2. To make a container, any container with fire-resistant properties is suitable - an old fire extinguisher, a thermos. It is advisable to choose a container that has a pipe diameter of 8-10 centimeters and a length of 40 to 50 cm.
3. A hole with a diameter of 10 mm is made at the bottom of the smoke generator receiving tank to connect a compressor with air.
4. Top part It must be done under vacuum to avoid unnecessary air suction.

Ejector

• This main part of the generator is made of metal tubes. You can connect them together in any way you like - by welding, threading, soldering;
• The ejector can be placed below or above the main container;
• The lower location of the ejector is suitable for small smokehouses. Due to the design features, the lower ejector often goes out, so the height of the combustion chamber has to be limited. This reduces the continuous operation time of the smoke generator. When the ejector is located at the bottom, it does not create natural draft, since the smokehouse and the receiving container are located at the same level. If the compressor is turned off, smoke will not enter the smokehouse;
• Considering the above, it is better to choose the top option for installing the ejector.

Compressor

• Any low-power pump can act as a smoke generator compressor;
• It is not uncommon for a smokehouse to use a compressor from aquariums, the power of which is about 5 watts;
• True craftsmen can create a compressor using conventional plastic bottle and a computer cooler;
• The easiest way is to take a ready-made compressor and continue assembling a smoke generator for your smokehouse.

Raw materials for smoke generator

To smoke food with your own hands, you will need raw materials that will be responsible for the supply of smoke. We're talking about sawdust.

• For smoking smoke, it is not recommended to use sawdust from evergreen trees such as spruce, pine, fir;
• Almost any type of sawdust, except those mentioned above, serves as a raw material for a smoke generator;
• If you use pine or similar sawdust, smoked products will taste bitter;
• If the sawdust is too small, you can install a spring in the smoke generator to move smoke through the filled sawdust;
• If the sawdust is large enough, smoke can easily penetrate through it, because optional equipment not required.

Important nuances

1. The temperature of the supplied smoke can be controlled by reducing or increasing the connecting pipes between the smoke generator and the food chamber.
2. Decide in advance on the container that will play the role of the smoking chamber.
3. A permanent smoking chamber can be made from an old refrigerator. By closing the doors tightly, the smoke will be retained inside and effectively process the food, maintaining the optimal temperature.
4. Having assembled the smoke generator, conduct a test run and smoke the first small batch of products.

If you managed to make a smoke generator with your own hands, congratulations. Now you need to cook something in the smokehouse.

Follow a few simple rules cooking.

• Pre-salt and marinate the products you want to smoke. There are millions of recipes now.
• Maintain a temperature in the smokehouse of 30-35 degrees.
• It is best to smoke in dry weather.
• By adding grapevines or cherry branches to the sawdust, you will get products with a richer taste.
• The taste of meat and fish directly depends on the type of wood from which sawdust is made.
• If you want to speed up the cooking process, you can install a special electric heating element inside the smoke generator, designed to heat sawdust.

Safety and Application Rules

It’s not enough to just make a smoke generator. It is important to strictly follow the safety rules and use of electrically powered equipment.

1. When making a smoke generator with your own hands, be sure to make it in accordance with the requirements fire safety and working with electrical appliances.
2. If problems arise with the operation of the smoke generator, the equipment must be equipped with automatic shutdown of the device.
3. Electrical wiring and other elements that can be damaged by overheating must be located at a safe distance from the heating elements and not be exposed to high temperatures.
4. It is best to make your own smoke generator from a metal case coated with heat-resistant paint.
5. The smoke generator should be installed on a fire-resistant surface - not on a wooden floor, but on concrete, cement, or a brick structure.

Working with a home-made smoking device is carried out in the following sequence of your actions:

• Place the smoke generator and smokehouse on a flat surface;
• Connect the device to the power supply using a cord;
• Fill the sawdust container with raw materials of appropriate quality;
• Connect the outlet pipe from the smoke generator to the smokehouse chamber, pre-filled with products;
• Press the smokehouse start button, and the smoke generator will start doing its job automatically;
• Periodically monitor the amount of sawdust remaining in the chamber, add as necessary.

A self-made smokehouse with a smoke generator will give you delicious, healthy foods, which you can treat to all your friends and loved ones. But it’s not so difficult to make it.

A smoke generator for a smokehouse must be manufactured in compliance with all precautionary measures, which apply to such devices:

1. Electrical wiring should be well protected from exposure to high temperatures and proximity to the heating element.
2. It is important to provide the smoke generator with an automatic shut-off device - this will prevent the device from sudden failure.
3. When choosing a material for making a case, you should give preference to coated metal.
4. The surface on which the smoke generator is supposed to be installed must be reliably protected from fire.

Instructions for use of the device

How to work with this unit:

As the sawdust material burns, the chamber is refilled. Full smoking of products is achieved within a few days. All this time the device produces smoke and turning off the smoke generator is not allowed.

How to make a smoke generator yourself

The formation of smoke in the device occurs due to the slow smoldering of sawdust, shavings, and wood chips. The importance of this process is due to the need to maintain constant, uniform combustion, which facilitates the supply of smoke to the products prepared for smoking. The smoke generator must cope with this task. To do this, you need to purchase the following materials in a store or look in your home workshop:

• line segment steel pipe round section with a diameter of 100 mm or rectangular shape with sides 100x100 mm;
• plastic corrugation up to 3 m long or a metal sleeve, the diameter of which must correspond external size chimney (needed for cold smoking);
• a piece of metal tube, the length of which should be approximately 400 mm, and the diameter - from 25 to 40 mm (necessary for hot smoking);
• a small compressor (for example, an aquarium compressor) or fan;
• fitting connection with parameters corresponding to the diameter of the smoke channel;
• switch and wires;
• thermometer.

The technical part of the process is provided by a grinder and welding machine. You will also need knowledge on how to weld a chimney fitting to a pipe or make a firebox door and removable covers. To visualize the work ahead, we suggest viewing a detailed drawing:

Step by step assembly

Completing the following steps will allow you to assemble a full-fledged smoke generator:

All assembly work has been completed.

Features of the device operation

The smokehouse, equipped with a smoke generator, is compact and portable. At times when cooking smoked meats is not required, the device can be stored in any utility room.

The smokehouse itself looks like a metal box: either made by hand, or taken as a finished product.

Depending on how many products will be smoked at one time, the dimensions of the container are selected. The following ratio is considered the most acceptable: height – 100 cm, width – 60 cm, depth – 60 cm.

For the box you need to make a lid, into which you should mount a thermometer and make several small slits to improve traction.

When preparing for work, the smokehouse must be installed so that it rises halfway above the smoke generator. This installation method will additionally create natural draft, and if the compressor stops pumping air, smoke will still flow into the smoking cabinet.

Build and launch

The final steps look like this:

1. On the prepared base ( concrete slab, metal table or other fireproof surface) a smoke generator is installed.
2. The firebox is tightly packed with dry shavings, sawdust, and wood chips. It is important to use wood only hardwood, not conifers. You need to take up to approximately 1 kg of material. After loading it, close the lid of the device tightly.
3. A compressor is connected to the tee, and a chimney is connected to the smoking cabinet.
4. Using one of the side holes at the bottom of the housing, you need to ignite the fuel.
5. After this, the compressor turns on.

Myself smoke generator operation process for smoking is explained simply. Due to the dispersion of air, which is formed during the interaction of the compressor connected to the network and the tee, a vacuum occurs in the chimney, causing smoke to be drawn in from the smoke generator. A flow of gaseous mass, consisting of air and smoke, purposefully rushes into the smoking compartment, where the products are already stored. At this time, the air that has entered the chamber through the side openings of the lower part of the body begins to support combustion, which in itself eliminates human intervention.

Built in top cover A thermometer in the smoking cabinet allows you to monitor the maintenance of the desired heat level. Adjustment temperature regime, suitable for or, occurs by changing the length of the chimney. To cook food by hot processing, you need to make a direct connection between the smoke generator fitting and the smoking chamber.

In the manufacture of such a unit, it is allowed to use any available materials, components and containers. For example, the body of the device can be a pan, can or other metal container cylindrical. For example, a metal hose is suitable for removing smoke. There is no need to give up the compressor, which creates good draft and reduces the cooking time of smoked meats.

The only thing to remember is that factory generators are quite expensive pleasure. With some skills in working with plumbing tools and a welding machine, you can make a smoke generator yourself within 4 to 5 hours of work in your own garage, having previously created a schematic drawing.

How does a smoke generator work?

The main components of the smoke source for the smokehouse (pictured) are:

1. cylindrical body, also known as a combustion chamber and a hopper for loading wood chips;
2. smoke supply pipe;
3. air duct nozzle (ejector);
4. removable bottom with a chamber for ash and resins;
5. lid;
6. air duct;
7. compressor.

The structure of the generator and the interaction of parts and the operating diagram are visible in the photo.

Smoke generator housing

The body is a vertical section of pipe made of of stainless steel with a diameter of 42 - 50 mm (outer diameter) with a wall thickness of 1 mm. (all sizes components shown in the drawing are approximate). The upper part is closed with a tight-fitting lid, preferably also made of stainless steel. The design of the lid must ensure tightness.

Drawing of a smoke generator with top position ejector

The wood chips are loaded from the top, so the lid can be equipped with a handle - sometimes the wood chips have to be reloaded during the smoking process. The lid practically does not heat up in the upper part, but it is more convenient to lift it using the handle.

At the bottom we install a removable fixed bottom. It can be fixed bolted connections or screw it into a thread. We install a protective net at a height of 2-3 cm from the bottom. The chips stop on it and do not fall to the very bottom. This creates a reserve volume for ash and resins.

A mesh with cells 0.5x0.5 cm is installed on the legs. Their role can be played by bolts 3-4 cm long with a diameter of 2-3 mm, secured to the mesh with nuts and washers. The mesh bears minimal load and high foundation strength is not required. The only thing is that the mesh material must be heat-resistant. If the mesh is not available, then you can use a stainless steel circle cut to size up to 1.5 mm thick with drilled holes.

Chimney nozzle - section stainless pipe with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of 160 mm. The chimney is welded or screwed into the body at an angle of 900 at a height of 50-55 mm from the bottom. The distance is measured to the axis of the chimney.

Design of a smoke generator with a bottom ejector

The air duct fitting is welded or screwed into the smokehouse chimney perpendicularly at the top. It is made of stainless, brass or copper tube with a diameter of 10 mm and a height of 100 mm.

To ignite the wood chips and allow air to enter the combustion chamber, at the level of the smoke nozzle, a hole with a diameter of 6 mm was made in the housing, directed perpendicular to the axis of the chimney.

To install the smoke generator, it is necessary to provide reliable support. This can be a tripod, bed, clamp. In many smokehouse designs, the smoke generator is screwed to the body of the smoke chamber itself. When choosing an installation method, you should proceed from the features of use in each specific case.

The principle of operation of a smoke generator for a smokehouse

The principle of operation of the smoke generator is very simple. Assembled generator smoke is connected by a chimney to the smoke chamber of the smokehouse. Dry wood chips are poured into the housing. The internal volume of our model is just under 1 liter, taking into account the availability mesh filter on the bottom and loose filling of the volume with wood chips, the working amount of wood chips is 0.8 liters.

With an average consumption of 100 grams of fuel per 1 hour of operation, this amount will be enough for 5-6 hours of operation. The combustion rate is affected by the level of humidity, the size of the fractions, the type of wood and other characteristics of the fuel. It should be noted that wood chips coniferous species and birch is not suitable for smoke generators.

Having filled in the wood chips, connect the air duct hose to the fitting and the compressor and ignite the fuel. The air flow from the compressor penetrates the chimney nozzle, creates a vacuum in it and draws smoke from the combustion chamber towards the smoking volume. The compressor is used from an aquarium, such as Atman 1200 or an analogue, creating an air flow of up to 45 l/min.

Compressor for smoke generator

The smoke temperature in the chamber is just over 320 C. This is quite enough for cold smoking 2-3 kg of food in one session. The volume of the smokehouse chamber should be no more than 20 liters. Camera with large sizes requires a more powerful smoke source.

There are two types of generators; the photo shows an installation with an upper and lower ejector. Practice shows that a smoke generator with an upper ejector is more convenient to operate - the direction of suction and natural traction coincide and if the compressor is accidentally turned off, the chips do not go out, as happens in the case of a lower ejector location.

Differences between a smoke generator with an upper and lower ejector

It's hard to say which option is better. Each has its own characteristics. If you have an opinion on this matter, leave your comments on the article!

Anyone can smoke fish or lard using a hot method at the dacha, on a camping trip, or even in a city apartment, but with cold smoking everything is much more complicated. You can't do without it here stationary smokehouse and strict adherence to technology. And how much various subtleties must be taken into account in order to end up with the “correct” ham or fish delicacy! Many Forumhouse users have successfully mastered smoking with a smoke generator and are happy to share their experience and successful recipes.

How to make a smoke generator

There are now a lot of smoke generators and fully equipped smokehouses on sale for every taste. But a good purchased unit is quite an expensive pleasure; it’s easier to make it yourself from scrap materials. The main thing is to know how to do it correctly. A proven working option is offered by the user Vital.

– The smoke generator is made in the form of a long pipe for a number of reasons. The main one is the slow burning of sawdust. You can extend one charge over the entire smoking process, just after some time, slightly rearrange the lamp or burner along the length of the pipe. The heating spot on the pipe will be optimal. You can’t achieve this with a saucepan/stove, and the smoke will come out in bursts (as it warms up, it starts strong, then gradually declines). You will have to monitor the sawdust and change them quite often (the cold process is a protracted one). Then, with a fire (or potbelly stove) it is not very convenient to monitor the temperature; you constantly need to monitor the combustion processes.

No matter how good the recipes for smoking meat are, a smoke generator made from junk can ruin everything.

An iron barrel (and not some box lined with insulation) also plays an important role in cooling the smoke. It is advisable to make the joints on threads - the structure must be disassembled, especially the back cover, through which the smoke generator can be charged. All that remains is to make a couple of holes in the barrel and buy a temperature sensor. And everything is ready for use. This version of the smokehouse is a winter one, for the cold. With more high temperatures You also need to make an additional smoke cooler (either on the pipe or in the chamber itself, i.e. the barrel).

And here is the version from the user Captain777. Tested - cold smoking with a smoke generator works perfectly.

Captain777:

– The generator is connected to any cabinet or barrel with a pipe, corrugation, etc. There is no need to build meter-long chimneys for cooling; the smoke at the outlet is slightly warm. A rectangular metal container into which sawdust shavings are poured, at the bottom there is a hole with a plug for ignition and a second one for supplying air from the compressor (can be used from an aquarium or, as in my photo, from an old refrigerator). The “charge” lasts for several hours.

Offers its simple but effective smoke generator design Semur. The unit, according to him, was assembled literally on the knee - cheap and cheerful.

– The generator runs on chopped wood chips: I poured wood chips into a vertical pipe, set it on fire from below, and a hose from an aquarium compressor – i.e. the air draws smoke through a horizontal pipe, at the same time creating draft, the chips smolder, and cold smoke pours out. Works for 4-5 hours. It’s not enough - I lengthened the pipe, and the time lengthened, it will smoke for 8-10 hours. The asking price is five electrodes, a plumbing fitting + a pipe + a pipe, preferably one hundred square meters in diameter (chips will not get stuck).

Smoking with a smoke generator: recipes

Cold smoking is a serious and labor-intensive business, and in order to learn how to cook delicious products and minimize the health harm from consuming them, forum members are advised to carefully study all stages of the process. It would not be amiss to familiarize yourself with sanitary requirements requirements for smoking ovens and cold smoking technology. Nothing can be simplified here; it is important to strictly observe the temperature and time regime. Well, know the “correct” recipes. This is how a forum member smokes poultry and meat DeRenardNez.

DeRenardNez:

– Cold smoked duck. For a kilogram of meat - a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of red pepper. Place the thoroughly washed and gutted bird under oppression for 48 hours in a cool place (2-4°C), after rubbing it with lemon juice and salt. To make the meat softer, I recommend beating the duck before salting. Press down from above to break the bones and give them a flat surface – this way it will be better salted. After, before smoking, roll the outside and inside thickly in pepper. The bird should be thickly boned both outside and inside. Smoke the bird for 48 hours. It can be longer - you have to watch to understand how long. When smoking, I recommend using oak, maple or cherry sawdust.

Pork tenderloin and brisket. For 5 kg of meat: a glass of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, ½ glass of lemon juice, a teaspoon of allspice, 4-5 chopped garlic cloves. The meat is rubbed with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices and kept in a cool place under pressure for 72 hours. Washed cold water, dried and rubbed lemon juice. Smoking time ranges from 24 to 48 hours (depending on the thickness of the pieces). Smoked ham is hung in a cool, dry place (1-4°C) for several days (as long as you can stand it) - it should dry out.

User Roman261076 mastered cold smoking of fish, and having gained experience, added lard and meat to the assortment. Here are his recipes for cold smoked smoke generators.

Roman261076:

– We clean the silver carp, remove the gills, rinse well and remove the black inner film. Salt with dry salting (the amount of salt per 10 kg of fish is 1.5 kg) and under pressure, for 3-4 days. Remove and taste for salt. If the fish is too salty, soak and rinse. Soak at the rate of one hour per day of salting. Then we ventilate for 3-5 hours - and off to smoking. The time for cold smoking fish with a smoke generator on alder, oak and pear wood and sawdust is usually a day at a temperature of 30 degrees. We also tried smoking perch, catfish, small carp, and pike.

How long to smoke cold smoked fish with a smoke generator depends on the preparation. Preparation of products – important stage. According to many members of the forum, it is better to salt and dry fish well beforehand for cold smoking - then it will not be smoked for a couple of days, but only about 12 hours, and this is not so long.

To treat friends with smoked meats homemade, a smokehouse is needed - for it convenient operation use a smoke generator. This article talks about different types smoke generators for cold smoking with drawings and dimensions.

Smoke generator device

There are two main types of preparation of smoked products:

1. Hot, at a smoke temperature of 50-130°C. This process lasts from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Cold, at temperatures up to 50°C. The preparation time can reach several days. During this time, pets may try to steal food if the smokehouse does not close tightly. To avoid this, fences and barriers are used.

Once upon a time, for smoking, food was hung over a fireplace that was heated with wood. the main problem classic way smoking - the need for constant monitoring and high consumption firewood

The figure shows a diagram of a cold smoking installation with a hearth and chimney in the ground

Nowadays, instead of a fireplace, a smoke generator is used - a device that produces smoke and supplies it to the smoking chamber. The taste of smoked meats depends on its temperature and composition.

The main advantage of a smoke generator for a smokehouse is that it is able to operate with minimal control and use wood chips and sawdust to generate smoke.

How to use a smoke generator

Any smokehouse consists of two functional parts - a smoke generator and a chamber for food. In the most simple devices for hot smoking, made from a barrel or a large pan, these components are located in a common body.

Wooden sawdust or chips, preferably fruit wood, are placed in the smoke generator. The sawdust is ignited or external heating is turned on. The smoke released by natural draft or with the help of a compressor enters the smoking chamber.

By changing the heating, the amount of incoming air or in another way, depending on the design of the correct smoke generator, we achieve required quantity and smoke temperature.

A private house or cottage has everything the necessary conditions to install the device - a porch and a canopy so that rain does not interfere with the process, or, at worst, a roof and good roof, where you can also install a smoking cabinet. If smoking will take place in an apartment (most often in the kitchen), you need to provide for the smoke to escape through a pipe into the hood and close the doors and windows so that the smoke does not spread throughout the rooms.

Design and operation of a smoke generator

The picture shows simplest scheme smoke generator:

The figure shows the simplest diagram of a smoke generator

The job of a smoke machine is to produce smoke and supply it to the products being smoked. To do this, wood chips are placed on the grate and set on fire, and the compressor transfers air to the smokehouse.

The amount of smoke depends on the properties of the wood on which the smoke generator operates, the air draft through the blower and the pressure and performance of the compressor.

How does a classic smoke generator work?

The principle of operation of the smoke generator is simple:

1. before starting work, sawdust is placed inside the housing and set on fire;
2. for better combustion and supply of smoke, air is supplied to the combustion chamber using a compressor;
3. smoldering sawdust emit smoke, which passes through the smoke pipe into the smokehouse;
4. passing through the pipe, the smoke cools to the required temperature, to control which a thermometer is installed at the end of the pipe or in the smoking chamber.

Types of smoke generators

Despite the fact that most devices are designed according to the same principle, there are many varieties of smoke generator designs.

Drawing of a cold smoked spiral smoke generator

The spiral smoke smoking machine is distinguished by the design of the smoke tube. This system is used to cool the smoke. Inside the chimney there is a structure reminiscent of an Archimedes screw, or a meat grinder worm. This lengthens the path of smoke from the generator to the smokehouse, which helps to cool it.

Diagram of a smoke generator with a condensate collector

In addition to the aromatic substances themselves, the smoke contains moisture. Getting into the smoking chamber with it, it moistens the products and accumulates at the bottom, and, flowing back, moistens the sawdust. You can get rid of condensation by adding a condensate collector to the smoke generator device.

In a device with this addition, the chimney bends so that the middle part is lower than the beginning and end of the pipe. A tee is installed in this place, onto which a plastic or rubber tube is placed. Through it, condensate flows into glass bottle or a plastic bottle.

Conventional generators require a compressor and a condensate collector. But there is a design that allows you to do without these parts. This is a passive smoke generator.

The main element of a passive generator is a rectangular box, the dimensions of which are smaller than the combustion chamber. In this box, partitions are arranged in a snake pattern so that the distance between them is 4-6 cm. For air access, the smoke generator structure is made of perforated metal.

A passive labyrinth type generator works as follows:

1. sawdust is poured into the formed grooves at 3/4 of the height and lightly compacted;
2. compacted sawdust is set on fire at one end of the snake;
3. a box with smoldering sawdust is installed in the combustion chamber.

The labyrinth filled with sawdust provides up to 10 hours of combustion.

Important! After work, all holes must be cleared of ash.

Smoke generator "snail"

The spiral-shaped smoke generator is similar in design and operating principle to a labyrinth one. The difference is in the rounded shape of the moves. This design is installed in a round combustion chamber.

The figure shows a diagram of a snail smoke generator

Industrial smoke generator for cold smoking

An industrial smoke generator is more complex than a household one and is designed for continuous operation.

It consists of a wood hopper, a feeding mechanism, a heating element and other parts.

Industrial units allow you to regulate a large number of parameters:

• temperature in the smokehouse;
• humidity;
• smoke density;
• cooking time.

The electrical installation consists of the following parts:

• housings;
• containers for wood chips;
• electric motor;
• auger for feeding sawdust;
• heating element;

Smoke is generated when wood chips hit the heating element. The feed mechanism consists of a hopper, a screw (Archimedes screw) and an electric motor with a gearbox that rotates this screw.

When the screw rotates, the wood chips fall onto the heating element, heated to a temperature of 250-300°C, and heat up until it emits smoke. Ash from burnt wood chips falls down into the ash pit.

This design is a simplified version of an industrial smoke generator.

Operating principle of an electric cold smoked smoke generator

Mini smoke generator (travelling)

To smoke freshly caught fish, a smoke generator can be made from a cauldron, iron barrel and other available materials:

1. Chips, sawdust and small twigs are placed at the bottom of the pot. The bark from the branches must be cleaned.
2. Closer to the upper container, a grate is installed on which meat or fish is placed. Instead, you can turn the lid upside down and tie the food to the handle.
3. The cauldron is closed with a lid and placed over a small fire.

Advice! The grate with food can be folded for ease of transportation.

The device of a camping smoke generator

Differences in smoke intake

After the start of operation, the air flow from the compressor is mixed with smoke and enters the smoking chamber. This unit is called an ejector.

The ejector can be located either at the top of the smoke generator, above the wood chips, or at the bottom, near the combustion zone.

Device and design of the device with a lower ejector location

A device with smoke intake from the bottom works well with small dimensions and a small smoking chamber.

In other cases, this design has a number of disadvantages:

• the direction of the air flow does not coincide with the draft, which worsens the combustion process;
• the large camera often goes out, and the small one has a limited time of continuous operation;
• smoke enters the chimney directly from the combustion zone, which increases its temperature;
• The chimney pipe must be protected from sawdust getting into it.

The design with upper smoke extraction is free from these shortcomings.

Design and design of an apparatus with an overhead ejector

The ejector, located in the upper part of the housing at a distance of several centimeters from the lid, takes smoke from the upper part of the combustion chamber. This design has many advantages:

• smoke has more low temperature, which simplifies the process of cold smoking;
• the direction of natural draft coincides with the movement of smoke, which ensures more stable combustion even when the compressor is temporarily turned off;

Device with ejector located on top

Self-assembly

There are many factory-made models on sale, but if you have the skills to work with metal, you can make a smoke generator for cold smoking with your own hands according to our drawings.

The production of one of the structures using scrap materials is shown in the video below (Kamchatsky smoke generator):

Fan design

The most common model for DIY creation is a device with a fan. A drawing of a smoke generator for a smokehouse with a fan is shown below.

To make a smoke generator for smoking with your own hands according to the drawing above, you need:

• For the body you need a square 100x100 mm or round ∅100 mm pipe 0.8 m long. Dimensions are approximate.
• A piece of 3/4-1.5″ water pipe with thread and nuts of the appropriate diameter for the chimney. For hot smoking, the length of the chimney is 30-50 cm; for cold smoking, a metal hose is put on the end of the chimney or it is extended to the required length. It is selected through experience.
• Low power electric fan. You can take an aquarium compressor.
• Small diameter rubber and steel tubes. Needed to connect the fan to the case.

To make a smoke generator for a smokehouse, the following procedure is necessary:

1. The bottom and lid are made for the body. These parts must have sides that fit tightly onto the pipe and prevent ash from below and smoke from above from escaping.
2. In the body itself, just above the sides, several holes ∅6-10 mm are drilled to supply air to the combustion zone. If traction is poor, their number can be increased.
3. A hole for the chimney is drilled at a distance of 5 cm from the top. It is secured with two nuts or electric welding.
4. On the side opposite the chimney, a hole is drilled for a thin tube through which air is supplied. Inside the housing it should be directed towards the chimney, but not into it. In this case, the air from the fan is mixed with smoke and enters the smoking chamber.

To make a cold smoked smoke generator with your own hands, you can draw drawings with dimensions yourself using the examples above.

This design can be made from other materials, and can also be optionally supplemented with a condensate trap, cooler and other accessories.

The body parts of a simple smoke generator for cold smoking can be made with your own hands from a three-liter enameled or stainless steel can.

Important! An aluminum can will burn out immediately, so this material is not suitable.

The walls of this container are thin, so the chimney with the injector is attached to the top, and at a height of 2-3 cm from the bottom, 3-4 holes ∅6 mm are drilled for air intake.

A compressor is connected to the injector on one side with a thin rubber or PVC tube, and on the other side a chimney made of a metal corrugated pipe is connected.

The process of making a smoke generator with your own hands from a can

How to make a smoke generator from a gas cylinder

The design of this device resembles a “potbelly stove”.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a smoke generator from a gas cylinder include the following points:

1. Release remaining gas.
2. Constantly pouring water on the faucet, cut it off hand hacksaw. If the cylinder contains carbon dioxide or oxygen, then you can use an angle grinder.
3. Weld the legs to the cylinder. This is necessary for sustainability.
4. Cut two doors with a gas cutter or grinder. One at the bottom, measuring 10x10 cm, will be the blower. The second from the top, the width is 1/3 of the circumference of the cylinder, and the height is its diameter. A grate will be installed through it and wood chips will be loaded.
5. Make doors from cut out pieces of walls. Secure them on the hinges.
6. At a height of 1-2 cm above the blower, weld 4 M20 nuts inside. The grate is laid on them.
7. Make a grate from steel rods ∅10 mm or a steel circle 10 mm thick. Place the grille on the nuts.
8. Instead of the cut valve, weld a piece of threaded pipe. Its length is 5-7 cm and diameter is 25-40 mm.
9. The ejector is screwed onto the thread. A compressor is connected to it on one side, and a chimney on the other.

Instructions for assembling a smoke generator from a gas cylinder

Design of a smoke generator with a cooler (cooler)

The cold smoking process requires smoke with a temperature of no higher than 50°C, and it comes out of the generator much hotter. To cool it, you can extend the chimney or install a cooler.

The principle of operation of a device with a cooler is based on increasing the time it takes for smoke to move to the smoking chamber. To do this, an additional capacitance is installed between the generator and the camera.

Advice! When the smoke cools, condensate is released from it, so it is necessary to install a condensate collector at the lowest point of the cooler.

Do-it-yourself labyrinth-type smoke generator

The main difference between a labyrinth smoke generator is the presence of a container for sawdust. To make such a unit with your own hands you need steel mesh or fine mesh grid:

1. a square is cut 50 mm smaller than the base of the unit;
2. Strips 5 cm wide are cut from the same mesh;
3. paths 4-6 cm wide are marked on the base;
4. The strips are secured to the base by electric welding.

The operating diagram is shown in the figure above

Advice! Sawdust should be taken as small as possible, after a circular saw.

Friction smoke generator assembly diagram

Most smoke generating devices operate on the principle of burning wood sawdust and wood chips. But there are devices in which smoke is produced by rubbing a wooden block against a steel pulley.

The pulley is located on the shaft of an electric motor with a power of 2-4 kW and 1400 rpm. It is made of textolite with a steel frame. For cooling, inclined holes are drilled in the PCB.

To the pulley clamping device snuggles wooden block. This device can be weighted, and the force is regulated by its value, or spring-loaded, with an adjusting screw. The amount of smoke depends on the pressing force.

In the path of the smoke, a fine mesh is placed in front of the smoking chamber, to which the negative terminal of the source is connected high voltage, and the positive one is connected to the hooks and grates on which the products are attached. Smoke passing through the grate acquires a negative charge and smokes positively charged products faster.

The high voltage source is a magneto installed on the engine shaft, or an ignition coil connected to a ~220 V network.

Stainless steel smoke generator

Most smoke producing devices are made of carbon steel. But if you have the skills and materials, then it is better to make a homemade smoke generator for a cold smoked smokehouse from stainless steel.

Such devices have advantages over other materials:

• due to higher heat resistance, a stainless steel firebox burns out more slowly;
• The device is not subject to corrosion due to condensation and precipitation.

The operating diagram of such a unit is shown in the figure below.

Smoke generator for cold smoking with bottom smoke supply

The classic design of a device for producing smoke involves installing an outlet at the top. But the smoke, rising up the apparatus, cools down. It is advisable to make devices intended for hot smoking with a lower ejector, at a height of 50 mm above the grate.

The design and operating principle of such a unit are shown in the figure:

Important! In devices with bottom smoke exhaust, installation of an ejector is mandatory.

Manufacturing of a spiral smoke generator

In addition to an additional chamber, it is used to cool the smoke vertical pipe with a screw located in it, or an Archimedes screw:

1. the spiral cooler is assembled in a housing made of a pipe ∅100 mm and 500 mm long;
2. a pipe with a diameter of 40 mm and a length of 500 mm is used as an axis;
3. screw turns are made of steel rings with an outer diameter of 100 mm and an inner diameter of 45 mm;
4. the rings are cut on one side, the coils are moved apart and put on the axle;
5. all structural elements are secured by electric welding, the auger is placed in the housing;
6. Covers are welded to the ends of the body, and a chimney is attached to the sides.

Important! When cooling, condensation is released from the smoke, so a condensate collector is connected to the bottom cover.

In addition to aromatic substances, the smoke released during the smoldering of sawdust contains resins, soot and other components. They ruin the taste finished product, and to improve the quality, the smoke from the correct smoke generator should be passed through a purifier.

This is a pipe with a larger diameter than the chimney. Inside it are steel shavings or metal scourers for washing dishes.

Smoke generator with condensate collector

As the smoke cools, condensation is released from it. When moisture gets on food, it degrades the taste and appearance smoked meats, so it must be removed from the smoke.

To collect condensate in the chimney, a tee is installed with a drain in plastic container. There are two ways to install it:

• Using electric welding. The chimney bends in the middle third and an outlet is welded at the bottom of the bend, onto which a tube is placed to collect condensate.
• Using plumbing tees. If used for a chimney water pipes, then a tee with an outlet into the condensate collector is screwed onto them. Due to the design, the outlet will be the lower part of the horizontal chimney.

Installed tee for condensate drainage

Various accessories for smoke generator

To improve the quality of smoke, a smoke generator with additional accessories is suitable.

Smoke generator injector device

The most important and complex part of the device is the ejector. The quality and quantity of smoke and the operation of the entire installation depend on its manufacture and settings.

The operating principle of this device is as follows:

1. the air flow moving through the chimney creates a reduced pressure inside it;
2. Low pressure in the chimney pipe draws smoke from the smoke generator and creates additional draft through the lower holes.

Thus, the operation of the ejector increases the flow of smoke into the smoking chamber, the smoldering of wood chips and the intensity of smoke emission.

Design and self-assembly of the ejector

This device can be made from a water tee. The middle part is connected to the smoke source, one of the outer parts is connected to the smoking chamber, and a plug with a tube from the compressor is screwed into the opposite part. The temperature is relatively low, so the cork material can be anything: plastic, rubber or metal.

The tube for supplying air to the ejector is taken with a diameter of 6-10 mm and such a length that it extends 8-10 cm into the chimney. It is important to ensure the alignment of the nozzle and the chimney. To do this, it must fit tightly into the plug - it is inserted into the rubber one, and screwed into the metal one with a thread.

Cooler for smoke generator

Cold smoking uses smoke at room temperature, and it comes out of the generator up to 120°C, especially with a lower chimney connection. To reduce its temperature, a cooler or cooler is installed.

This is a cylindrical or square chamber similar in size to the smoke generator body. Once in this chamber, the smoke slows down and cools down. For greater efficiency, the entrance to the cooler is made from the top, and the exit from the bottom.

When cooling, condensate is released from the smoke, which accumulates at the bottom of the cooler, so in addition to it it is necessary to install a condensate collector.

The principle of operation and operation diagram of the cooler are shown in the picture.

Filter for smoke generator

To improve the quality of smoke, it should be cleaned of resins, soot and other substances. To do this, a filter is installed in the chimney.

Structurally, this is an extension of the chimney filled with steel shavings or metal scourers for washing dishes. This extension can be made in the form of an additional chamber with a cover for replacing the filter or a pipe of a larger diameter than the chimney. In this case, to replace the chips, the chimney will have to be partially disassembled.

The operating principle is shown below.

Compressor for cold smoked smoke generator

One of the important components of a smoke generator is the compressor. It directs the air flow through the ejector. This flow carries smoke into the smokehouse, creating a vacuum in the combustion chamber and additional draft.

Making your own compressor

The simplest compressor can be made from a computer cooler and a plastic bottle:

1. a hole is cut in the bottom of the bottle corresponding to the diameter of the cooler;
2. a fan is inserted into it and secured with tape;
3. a hole is made in the lid for the connecting tube;
4. the tube is inserted into the lid, and the connection point is also wrapped with tape;
5. The cooler can be connected to any 12V DC power source.

Making your own compressor

DIY liquid for a smoke generator

In addition to smoke generators designed for smoking products, there are devices that create smoke on theater and concert stages.

In these devices, smoke is produced when a special solution hits the heater and evaporates, that is, it is not smoke, but steam.

The composition may be different, for example:

• glycerin – 15%;
• alcohol – 10%;
• distilled water – 75%.

Naturally, the steam from such a solution is not suitable for smoking food.

As you can see, making a smoke generator with your own hands according to the drawings is not so difficult if you follow our instructions and diagrams.