How to Build a Dehydrator Smoker
Dehydrating meat with smoke requires a heat source and moist wood to produce the smoke. The heat source and wood need to be within a container capable of housing the smoke and meat. Building a smoker dehydrator at home can be done with materials found around the house or purchased at department and home improvement stores. When using smoke to dehydrate food, proper care should be taken to ensure USDA food temperature requirements are met for safe consumption of the dehydrated foods. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2-foot x 2-foot pieces of plywood, 2
- 2-foot x 4-foot pieces of plywood, 4
- 88 nails
- Hammer
- Drill
- 2 hinges
- 34 screws
- Screwdriver
- Latch
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- 2-foot-long shelving brackets, 8
- Level
- 14 reflective auto shades
- 2x2 aluminum screens or grates, 4
- 2x2 section of floor tile
- Electric hotplate with temperature control
- 2 pavers
- Electric fan
- Oven thermometer
- Bucket
- Smoking wood chips or blocks
- Chafing dish or pan
- Fire retardant gloves
- BBQ utensils
- Food thermometer
Instructions
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1
Position two 2x4 pieces of plywood on the top, not sides, of the 2x2 plywood. Nail them to this plywood base. Position a third 2x4 piece of plywood so it is flush with the top of the two 2x4 sides. Nail the third 2x4 piece of plywood to the back of the side pieces. Position the remaining 2x2 piece of plywood on top of the three sides. Nail this top piece to the three side pieces to form a three-sided box.
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2
Drill a hole in the back of the structure. The hole should be large enough to fit two electric cords through.
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3
Screw the two hinges at the top and bottom of the box. Position the final 2x4 piece of plywood to fit on top of the base, below the top, and between the two sides. Screw the other end of the two hinges onto this 2x4 door. Screw the latch catch onto the side opposite the hinges. Screw the latch to the door.
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4
Measure the bottom shelf bracket to be a foot from the base. Mark one side with a pencil. Measure the other side, making sure it is level with the other bottom bracket. Mark the second side with a pencil. Measure each shelf bracket 9 inches up from the bracket below. Mark one side with a pencil. Level the opposite side, and mark it with a pencil. Screw in all the shelf brackets.
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5
Line the reflective auto shades in single layers throughout the box. Cut them to fit around the shelving brackets and the hole for the electric cords. Nail the shades into place.
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6
Line the base of the box with the floor tile. Nail it into place.
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7
Slide the aluminum grates into place on each of the shelving brackets.
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8
Place an electric hotplate with a temperature control feature at the base of the smoker. Place two pavers on top of the hot plate. Place a small fan in front of the hotplate. Hang the oven thermometer off the top rack. Run the electrical cords for both appliances through the drilled hole in the back of the box. Plug in both units. Turn on the hotplate to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and heat the smoker to 150 degrees Fahrenheit on the thermometer.
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9
Soak the wood chips or blocks in a bucket of water. Remove them from the water after 30 minutes. Allow them to dry for several until they no longer drip. Place the wood chips or blocks in the chafing dish.
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10
Put on the gloves. Open the smoker. Position the chafing dish on top of the pavers. Turn on the fan. Situate the food using the utensils. Cook until the internal temperature of the food being smoked and dehydrated reads the USDA recommended temperature on the food thermometer.
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