Old School Smoke House

[Smoke Dawg]

A few people have asked about my Old School Smoke House so I dug up some pictures of the maiden Smoke.

My Original was over 15 years old and pretty dry and brittle. A ham started dripping on the fire and splashed on the side ending the life of that one. I did see the temp climb and saved the hams and put out the fire but a new Smoke house had to be built.

I used most of the design of the original but made a fire access door and used fire brick the first few feet with a high heat castable mortor floor instead of just tin lined and dirt floor. Adjustable vents are an adder also.
Stainless Steel fire ring and lid instead of a partial drum. The tin is from the original house as it was already seasoned and safe.

The new improved version works Great!

Here is the first cook after a teat burn to season the House.

Loaded with Jerky Strings
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Closer view of hanging jerky
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Light the fire
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Get this thing Smokin
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Closed up the top but watch the fire
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Old School Smoke House closed up and Smokin!
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I have a manual thermometer in the front and and digital remote on the side so I can monitor the temp from my deck

It takes much more work to keep the temps just right using air flow, wood amounts, and wet or dry wood (keep some in a bucket of water) but the smoke flavors are wonderfull and I can smoke a ton of stuff in this baby. Been tempted to use a propane burner and wood chips but really want to keep the Old School ways alive - Maybe a remote fire box for cold smoking Later?

Here is some finished Jerky
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You can't beat the smoke from real wood!
SD

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

WOW that looks good.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Now I need a old school smoke house.

 

[Mo-Dave]

Very nice, have been contemplating building something like this. What temp are you holding to?
Dave

 

[klaatu]

very nice. I'll keep an eye out for future posts

 

[rehless]

That be sweet!!!

 

[Smoke Dawg]

Very nice, have been contemplating building something like this. What temp are you holding to?
Dave

I can hold temps anywhere between 120°F and 250°F. I can go hotter but learnd my lesson when I lost my old House running 350° F to finish off hams trying to get internal temps. After 12 hours of smoke I should have just finished in the oven :crazy:

 

[oifmarine2003]

Looks great! You know I love the wood smoke house! Yours looks very nice. Good job.

 

[daninnewjersey]

Now I need a old school smoke house.

Ditto brother...must have smokehouse NOW....

 

[chomper's bbq]

You got me itchin for a project. Nice house.

 

[Jayblefty]

Back to basics on that rig!!! Love seeing the old school methods resurrected and carried on into the next generation!

 

[MisterChrister]

I like jerky (please!)....... nice shack!

 

[landarc]

My BIL uses a similar, very similar design to that one, for his salmon smoking. It is based upon 4x8 plywood, and the fire box is a hole in the ground. Super inconvenient when you are lighting the fire, bent over a hole in the ground. But, it works great for cold smoking and warm smoking. Yours is nicer, with that fire brick on the bottom.

 

[smokinit]

Totaly sweet

 

[bluetang]

Man that is way cool! I bet it smells awesome inside:clap2:

 

[chicagokp]

Wow, that's super cool!

 

[ebijack]

Sweet!!
dang, now I just added another smoker to the list "must have"