Smoker Materials

randalleg · Post by **randalleg** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 06:23

Hello to all and heres my first question to this great forum!! I am going to be building a smokehouse in the near future and I have read on here several posts and seen several peoples designs. I am trying to be as cost effective as possible and was looking at the price of plywood for my walls. Then I came across some statements about the toxicity of the laminate used in plywoods. I don't want to shirk where safety is concerned and will certainly shell out for another material but I see plenty of folks that have smoker pictures on the web that have used plywood. So the question is... what plywood is ok and what is not, because it looks to me like ALMOST all of it is some kind of laminated wood. Is the problem eliminated by using hardwood plywood thats glued only on the inner layers???

Swallow · Post by **Swallow** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 06:43

randalleg, Smoke houses can be made of almost anything, Mine is built out of fieldstone but as I live on rocky land I use what I got. I would venture that there are more smoke houses made out of plywood than any other material. Cripes my father in law uses an old outhouse for smoking meat

but anything that will channel the smoke around the meat will do, from a metal garbage can to something as elaborate as mine. Just remember the smokehouse don't smoke the meat YOU DO.

Swallow

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 07:02

Hi randalleg, What a terrific question!
I'm sure your question will invoke a lot of response but allow me to simply present a huge timesaver and believe me.... a back saver!
Our own "Seminole" has authored a book called, "Meat Smoking And Smokehouse Design"... by Stan, Adam, and Robert Marianski.
It is complete and it is amazing. Well worth the price. Before you start building... this is a MUST read! It is available from Bookmagic.com.

Hope this helps,
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

P.S. NO! I am NOT getting paid nor do I receive any compensation for endorsement. I simply know the best when I see it. Stan Marianski is shy, intelligent, and a prolific author. He is one of the finest men I know. His books are outstanding. I like his book entitled, "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages". Shucks pard, many people consider this book the "Bible" of Sausage Making.

randalleg · Post by **randalleg** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 14:20

Thanks for the reply! I just bought the Smokehouse book online and was basing my question just on what I've read online so I look forward to making through all the content!!

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 15:57

Randelleg, If you want a completely inert material that is very weather resistant look into the fiber cement board that is sold as tile backer and building weather board. It can be had in sheets 4x5 feet I know and possibly 4x8. It is availble as 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness. Use pressure treated wood for the framing and build so that the frame is outside.

randalleg · Post by **randalleg** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 22:43

I was actually looking at the cement board today though I was more curious about using it as a bottom for the fire pit. Interested idea to use it as the walls. Then when I get ambitious I can put a tile mosaic of a pig on the outside

(That'll never happen!)

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:03

Tile the entire inside. :grin
I just built this for a friend. It is half of an 8 inch flue liner sitting on two fire bricks with a notch cut for the smoke pipe and notch at the bottom for draft control.

I did a test burn to make sure it would draw well.

Off to the right in the first picture are the two pieces removed for the notches and a piece of cement board to cement the draft notch piece to.

Devo · Post by **Devo** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:13

If you want to build a plywood smoker you should check this one out. Very detailed and not that hard to build

http://forums.mathewsinc.com/viewtopic. ... rel=-10000

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:35

Devo, That is a very good link and the man did a great job both in building and in telling.
We all know that with the fire in the smoker that we can't cold smoke but that could be fixed with a small adaptation.

Devo · Post by **Devo** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:46

Ya the guy who built it is a very nice guy. He actually sent me the PDF plans for it but over time I have lost them with formating my computer. Off of the web site I posted you can still build it with no problem if your good with a tape measure and saw

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:59

That can be scalled to any size. The concept and design is what is best. His methods are professional and well explained.