Smokehouse Modification

[Butterbean]

Productive day yesterday as I had some good help modifying my smokehouse. I had designed and built this myself and though it worked like a champ there were a few things I thought could be better. I sought to increase the draw through the house so I did this by raising the roof some and then adding more height via two chimneys which I installed a jury rigged damper system for insurance. I also added a lean-to on the north side of the house to offer some weather protection for the temperature controls.

Usually I tend to do this sort of thing solo but yesterday I had some help and good help it was so in appreciation I fed my help smoked pork sandwiches with coleslaw and pickled okra. I did notice productivity decreased after lunch but it was a hot day so that must have been the reason.

When finished with construction I stoked the firebox for a test run and she ran perfectly for seven hours with a nice steady flowing cold white smoke till the wood ran ran. Have a wild hog ham that should finish curing next week so I am looking forward to smoking this.


Raised the height and pitch on the smokehouse and added duel chimneys with dampers to increase smoke flow from fire box.

Lean-to added to give protection during fowl weather smokes.

Pecan smoke pork sub for those kind enough to help with this project.

Sub with coleslaw and pickled okra. Everyone was happy with this but I was more happy about getting these modifications completed because they had been bothering me for some years now but jobs like this are hard to do with only two hands.

[bluc]

Awesome smokehouse. One day I will make one similar

[IskraTS11]

That's a pretty impressive build, congrats! I was thinking of putting my own smokehouse together as soon as I get myself some of this Costa Blanca property for the holidays, but I still have much to learn... Which is fortunate, as I'm not going to move until next October.

[redzed]

as soon as I get myself some of this Costa Blanca property for the holidays

Those Spanish coast properties don't look like places where you could set up a smoke house. Besides that's a long way from Saratov! BTW, how about posting a recipe for Saratovskaya Kolbasa?

[Scogar]

How are you powering that Butterbean? It looks like propane...so what a small gas flame burning sawdust? Or what? Inquiring minds want to know

[Bob K]

Here you go Scogar-
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=6387&hilit=propane+burner

[Butterbean]

Still making adjustments on the smokehouse and things seem to be steadily improving. I began cold smoking a loin yesterday at 3:00 pm and stoked the smoke box just once. Checked the house this morning and it was still smoking 18 hours later. I made the stick burning box myself on a wing and a prayer and am pleased with its efficiency and its ability to produce a nice cool white smoke.

I have some more ideas I hope to implement in the near future to make everything more user friendly and efficient when making a lot of different products. Am thinking of adding a poaching station along with some collapsable blooming and shower racks outside the house as I think this would be very convenient. Also would like to fashion some folding jerky tables inside the smokehouse. And in next week or so, I'll be attempting to try and convert the smokehouse to a convection type setup (non-electric) to insure even heat distribution throughout the house. If this idea works I'll share this in the near future. If it's a train wreck I won't and will just waller privately in my shame.


Here are some before and after photos.

Beginning of smoke yesterday


View this morning


Don't know if any of you remember the Seinfeld show where Kramer drives the car to see how miles it will go after the gas gauge hits empty. Well I feel like Kramer and am going to just leave things alone to see just how many hours I can get from one stoking of wood.

[Butterbean]

How are you powering that Butterbean? It looks like propane...so what a small gas flame burning sawdust? Or what? Inquiring minds want to know

Sorry I had missed this. I heat the box with propane. I fashioned a burner using some pipe with a jury rigged oriface but at first had problems due to the lack of oxygen in the smokehouse so I had to add an air inlet pipe to draw air to the flame from the outside because you don't ever want the flame to go out when you have a firebox outside else you could have an explosion. Good thing is this pipe echoes the sound of the flame so you know if it goes out and the only time there is a risk of this is if I am heating with a very low heat on a windy day. I'd like to fix this but haven't figured out how yet.

[Albertaed]

Respect! That’s a serious smokehouse.

[Butterbean]

Respect! That’s a serious smokehouse.

Thanks. These used to be scattered everywhere across the county but now they are few and far between with most in disrepair. In the past, everyone in the community would gather together after syrup making and kill hogs and fill the smokehouses. Was a pretty big affair in the day and its a shame to see it fade into history.

BTW, I was able to run the smokehouse 25 hours on one stoking with the dampers wide open. I imagine I could add a couple hours to this if I closed the dampers some but this is more than plenty I think. I really need to do some hams.

[Scogar]

ahhh if it weren't for Covid I'd bring a few down, along with some homebrew, hang out and take a few home

[Butterbean]

ahhh if it weren't for Covid I'd bring a few down, along with some homebrew, hang out and take a few home

If you are ever down this way just give me a ring. I'll have you hooked on real syrup.

[Scogar]

I wouldn't doubt it Butterbean

[Lorenzoid]

Yeah, when Covid is tamed, count me in on the field trip to Butterbean's.

[DanMcG]

Great looking smoke house ButterBean.

I'll have you hooked on real syrup.

What type of syrup do you harvest in South Georgia ? I do maple up here in NY but I don't think maple grows that far south....Pecan?