How to Make Your Own Smoke House

smoked fish

Smoking food is a fantastic way to preserve it and give it a depth of flavor. Grocery stores sometimes sell smoked fish, meats and sausage, but the flavor and sense of achievement you get from smoking your own food makes it worth building a smoke house. It is not difficult to make your own smoke house, which you can use to smoke fish, pork, cheese... even turkeys. The only limit is your imagination.

Things You'll Need

• 18 x 1.5 inch squared pine board
• 15 x 1 inch by 1 inch by 6 inches tongue and groove pine board
• 5 x 1 inch by 1 inch by 5 foot 9 inches tongue and groove pine board
• 5/8 deck screw
• 2 x 4 inch strap hinges
• Steel sheet
• Burner
• Cast iron pan
• Damp woodchips
• Screwdriver
• Saw
• Utility knife
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Chalk

Instructions

1. Build the two side panels of your smokehouse by assembling the five tongue-and-groove boards together. The sides will measure six feet in height. Mark one edge of each side three inches down from the top. Draw a line from your mark to the top corner at the other edge. Saw across this line to give both your side panels an even, sloped effect.

2. Use deck screws to fix a brace along the top, bottom and shorter vertical edge of your two side boards. The perfect size for this job is a 1.5-inch squared timber. The sides of your smoke house are now complete.

3. Create a back wall using five 5' 9" boards. Repeat the bracing instructions in Step 2 for the back panel, then attach it to the sides using deck screws. The deck screws should go through the bracing panels of the side boards. You do not want any unnecessary holes in your smoke house.

4. Cut 2x4s to create a front panel to your smoke house. Attach the panels to the bottom and top edges of the front, leaving a gap where the door will go.

5. Use 1.5-inch squared woodblock to create shelving supports inside your smokehouse. Any spare wood that you have in your garage will also suffice for this step. Make sure the supports are an even height and lay steel sheeting on top of the supports to create your shelving. Ideally, you need at least three to four shelves inside your smokehouse.

6. Create a roof out of the rest of the steel sheeting. Attach the sheeting to the top of your smoke house, ensuring you leave a small gap between the roof and the top of the panels. This will allow air to circulate inside the smoke house.

7. Make a door out of the remaining 6-foot panels and brace it together with 1.5-inch squared pine board. Create a Z pattern on the inside of the door to ensure maximum strength. Attach the door to the front of your smokehouse using two 4-inch strap hinges.

8. Drill a 3-inch hole in one side of your smoke house and attach a heater vent to control temperature. Connect a firebox that will contain smoldering woodchips to the vent. Keep the internal temperature of your smokehouse at around 90 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for cheese, 190 to 220 Fahrenheit for fish and meats.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your firebox is placed at least three to four feet from the smokehouse. The firebox should be lower than the smokehouse, the incline allowing smoke to follow its natural convection.

• Check there are no planning laws in your area restricting the use of smokehouses before you begin to build one. It is also worth discussing the idea with your neighbors if they live in close proximity and will be affected by the smell.

References

• DIY Guides: Building a smokehouse
• A garden building: How to construct a smokehouse
• Extension: building your own smokehouse