My new Smokehouse check it out

king kabanos
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My new Smokehouse check it out

Post by king kabanos » Wed May 08, 2013 19:25

Hi everyone just finished my smoke house and i am so happy to start smoking kielbasa. Can someone tell me the best way i will get alot of draft in my smokehouse. I have some questions about my firebox. Should i have it closed all the way with the metal plate or just remove the plate at all times when smoking kielbasa or half way closed??? Also ii am using cherry wood logs and want to know how you guys get the fire started?? its king of hard sing newspaper and wood. I am worried about using charcoal becuase i think it will get to hot inside my smoke house and my kielbasa will come out greasy and not good. So i will post some pictures and maybe you guys can give me some ideas. oh yea and i am talking about the plate in front of the fire box not on topImage[/img] Image[/img]Image[/img] Image[/img] Image[/img] Image[/img] Image[/img]
Last edited by king kabanos on Tue Oct 22, 2013 02:28, edited 1 time in total.
ssorllih
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Post by ssorllih » Wed May 08, 2013 19:55

I use a propane torch to start my fires and I close the draft dampers pretty tight after the fire gets a good start.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by crustyo44 » Wed May 08, 2013 22:48

Hi King Kabanos,
Your smoke house set up looks good. Make sure that you have plenty of adjustable vents in the bottom and a smoke regulator in the chimney.
Smoke always has to be moving out to prevent soot from forming on your products.
If you fit a small exhaust fan in the top or in the chimney, you will also be able to make some wonderful biltong quickly.
Good luck,
Jan.
king kabanos
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Post by king kabanos » Thu May 09, 2013 03:29

what do you mean by adjustable vents and where ???? how do i make a smoke regulator on the chimney do you have some kind of instruction on doing that.
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Post by ssorllih » Thu May 09, 2013 04:39

If you can find a shop in your shopping area that sells wood stoves they will have dampers that are a flat cast iron disk that comes with a short pointed shaft. The shaft is inserted into the vent pipe and the disk is installed on the shaft . In you situation you would install this in the section from the fire place to the smokehouse. The other control that you need is the ability to choke off the air supply to the fire. This can be achieved by carefully sealing the top and front of your fire box. It does not need to be completely air tight but a hole as big as your thumb will allow enough air for the fire to get out of control and be too hot. Keep coming back we want to help. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=t ... 49&bih=657
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by ssorllih » Thu May 09, 2013 04:51

It appears to me that you have large gaps at the top of the bricks on each side of the front of your fireplace. This will prevent you from controlling the air supply to the fire. When you have nice pretty flames, those flames are burning all of your smoke. You want to be able to so much choke off the air to the fire as to snuff the flames.
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king kabanos
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Post by king kabanos » Thu May 09, 2013 20:26

ok i found a 6 inch cast iron damper for 3 bucks at home depot and i am going to buy it. this is going to let me control how much smoke and heat that i need inside my smokehouse right?? i am going to put the damper inside the pipe about a foot from the fire pit. And i am going to fill in those gaps with little piece of fire brick. now when i am smoking lets say kielbasa do i have to have the metal plate shut against the front of the pit so no air gets inside or half way shut?? i am not undestanding it. Also can you send me some pics of your dampers that you installed??
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Post by ssorllih » Thu May 09, 2013 20:46

Before you start smoking anything you need to build a small fire just to play with and learn how your system will work Then you can start small with something else but not your best try for sausage. If your fire seems to be too big and too hot you can push the sticks apart and close the air intakes. A chunk of wood will smolder for hours with no flame showing. Show us your wood pile and we can also help in selecting the sticks. You only want a little fire with lots of smoke . You can start with two sticks the size of your hand and wrist and a little pile of twigs and light them with a plumbing torch.. leave the damper open in front of the fire and in the pipe. then try closing the damper in the pipe and watch what the fire does. Next close the opening in front of the fire and open the damper in the pipe a little and watch the smoke with the house door open and with it closed.Stay with it and just burn those first two sticks until they are almost gone or the smoke stops and add another stick. This is your chance to safely play with fire.
Ross- tightwad home cook
king kabanos
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Post by king kabanos » Thu May 09, 2013 21:33

Can you post a pic of your damper??? do you have 2 dampers?? and if i am putting a damper inside my 6inch pipe near my fire pit. do i really need to put another damper for the roof exuast
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Post by ssorllih » Thu May 09, 2013 22:31

My system is completely different than yours. Image
The fire box is topped with brick and the draft is controlled by the door held closed with the piece of pipe leaning against it. Image
Image
Image
Ross- tightwad home cook
king kabanos
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Post by king kabanos » Fri May 10, 2013 17:52

very nice setup you have man. How many feet away from the fire box should i install the damper?? And do i really need a damper in the exit pipe where the smoke comes out?? the pic i have where the flames are out of control was only bark and newspaper thats why it looked like the flame was out of control. its going to be kind of hard to put the damper in becuase the pipe is cemented in but i will try and get it in there
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Post by ssorllih » Fri May 10, 2013 18:15

The damper can go in on the fire place end and the handle can be vertical. Make the hole through the pipe where you can reach it from the fireplace. Slide the damper plate in and have someone push the handle in while you guide it. You don't need one in the vent on the smokehouse.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by crustyo44 » Fri May 10, 2013 20:24

That's where I differ from my Good Friend Ross. I believe that a damper( smoke controller) in the chimney is mandatory to control the smoke better. If you have no damper there the smoke can escape to quickly from your smoke house.
In my own two smokehouses I experienced that meat and sausages being smoked more heavily on one side than the other, a damper in the chimney fixed this problem,
Smoke needs to be replaced for a superior product.
I also have a 6" vent in the side near the bottom of my smokers to help with this. It's vermin proof (stainless piece of mesh) with a sliding plate to control the air intake.
Good Luck,
Jan.
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Post by ssorllih » Fri May 10, 2013 22:26

I won't argue with Jan about this, A Lot depends on the size and shape of the smoke house and how it is vented. Some are built tight and must be vented and some vent naturally through gaps in the structure. I am sure all are different and must be learned. Mine produces clouds of smoke and leaks like a sieve. We certainly want to fill the entire space with smoke and we want it to circulate naturally and not just blow through.
Ross- tightwad home cook
king kabanos
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Post by king kabanos » Sun May 12, 2013 05:54

alright thanks guys i am going to smoke some kielbasa tomorrow and post some pics when iam done. i was trying to smoke kielbasa with a webber smokey mountain but it always just got to hot of heat no matter how i played around with the dampers. hopefully it comes out great in my new smokehouse. i just ordered my cast iron damper from home depot and it has not came in yet so i hope everything goes well with no dampers. i have another question its going to be 95 deg tomorrow can i still smoke in that kind of temperature ???
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