Barbecue smokehouse made from a gas cylinder. Do-it-yourself smokehouse from a gas cylinder Brazier smokehouse from gas cylinders size

Since purchasing a 2.5 mm sheet will cost more than purchasing a used 50 liter tank for storing a propane-butane mixture, and the labor intensity of the work in the latter case will be significantly reduced, most often a barbecue smokehouse is built from a gas cylinder with your own hands. Drawings, photos and videos will make it easier for the home craftsman to make a multifunctional fryer.

The main difficulty of combined fireplaces is the uneven conditions for cooking food. Therefore, a barbecue with a smokehouse made from a gas cylinder should be designed taking this nuance into account.

Smoking technology

There are several options for smoking products:

• cold - the smoke is first cooled inside a long pipe, enters the chamber with fish/meat for 1 - 3 days, ensuring the preservation of the delicacy for 2 - 6 months;
• hot - the smoke generator is located directly next to the chamber with the products, the smoking process is sharply reduced, but the delicacies are stored for a couple of months, nothing more;
• semi-cold - the process takes 24 - 36 hours, the length of the pipe between the smoke generator and the medium-sized food chamber is 1.5 - 2 m.

Therefore, depending on the chosen technology, the default cylinder smokehouse will have, in principle, the same design. But its elements will be spaced apart from each other at different distances.

Dimensions of grill and barbecue

Roasters designed for cooking meat on skewers, called barbecues, have the following dimensions:

The height from the ground level is less critical; when making a stationary brazier, it is usually 0.8 - 1.2 m. Barbecues are fried on grates, the height and length of the hearth remain the same, the width depends on the same parameter of the grate itself. For grilling, the dimensions of the roaster are less critical, but a lid is required to maintain the same temperature inside the roaster.

Unlike a brazier made of sheet steel and a barrel, a brazier made from a gas cylinder has the following advantages:

1. wall thickness 2.5 mm;
2. used cylinders are inexpensive;
3. compact dimensions will save site space;
4. The body is basically ready, which will reduce the labor intensity of the work.

Attention: For a multifunctional fireplace, one cylinder will not be enough, since it will be used for barbecue. The smoke generator is constructed from a second 50 liter tank of a similar purpose or from sheet steel.

Design of the barbecue-smokehouse

Due to the above nuances, a grill, barbecue, barbecue and smokehouse can easily be combined within one structure. A classic barbecue is ideal for the food chamber of a smokehouse if it has a sealed lid that does not allow smoke to escape outside. It is necessary to add a smoke generator to the brazier, connected to it directly (hot smoking) or with a pipe (semi-cold and cold smoking) of the required length.

Since the fireplace is stationary in 90% of cases, its supporting unit (legs, stand) can be decorated with twisted or forged elements and supplemented with a rain canopy. A chimney is necessary in any case.

DIY technology

Constructing a multifunctional fireplace with your own hands from a 50 liter gas tank should begin with design. Ideally, it is better to draw a smokehouse-barbecue in 3D in any available graphics editor. The obligatory minimum is a sketch on paper by hand, in order to at least roughly understand how much additional rolled metal of various assortments will be needed (angle, round and profile pipes).

Safety precautions

The basic requirements when working with pressure vessels containing flammable gases are:

1. bleeding the propane-butane mixture if it remains inside the cylinder;
2. carefully unscrew the valve;
3. filling the internal space with water for at least 12 hours.

The liquid should be drained in areas of the site not intended for planting. In 90% of cases, the cylinder is cut with an angle grinder with metal accessories; the tool should be used correctly:

• the grinder disk should be located to the left of its body so that the abrasive equipment runs onto the workpiece from above, and sparks fly out at the operator’s feet;
• the direction of the cut is away from you in the direction of rotation of the disk;
• When grinding welds and edges, the plane of the angle grinder equipment must be at least at an angle of 15 degrees to the surface being processed.

Otherwise, an uncontrolled rebound is guaranteed, fraught with injury to the limbs. For fragments of a disk bursting at high speeds, special clothing is practically no obstacle, so it is forbidden to remove the protective cover during operation.

Making a barbecue

For a roaster that is operated alternately in the barbecue mode and the food chamber of the smokehouse, you will need a whole 50 liter propane cylinder. It is marked and cut as follows:

For ease of operation of the valves, corners are welded onto the tank bodies, which will become guides for the valves equipped with handles.

The design of the smoke generator is a little more complicated:

Attention: When smoking food, the grill must be airtight, and when frying meat on coals, access to air is necessary for combustion. Therefore, instead of the classic holes on the sides of the body, a hatch is cut out from below, and a piece of the body becomes a shutter-scraper.

Chimney and support device

The legs of a universal roasting pan can be made in several ways:

In addition to the existing schemes of racks, legs and support units, the home master can use his own version.

Steel pipes of suitable diameter are suitable for the chimney. The main nuances are that it is not recommended to cut the chimney into the hole from which the cylinder valve was unscrewed; it is better to install the pipe at the top point of the cylindrical structure; when the grill lid is open, the chimney becomes ineffective; it is used only when smoking delicacies.

Attention: The minimum height of the pipe to ensure draft is 1.5 m from the smoke generator firebox, which contains moistened sawdust.

Assembling a grill with a smokehouse, grill and barbecue - step-by-step video instructions

At the last stage, the smokehouse is assembled from the resulting blanks:

Unlike a brick barbecue oven or barbecue, the structure is ready for immediate use, and the draft can be checked immediately.

Well, here are a couple of step-by-step video instructions:

Decorating a universal roaster

The resulting multifunctional barbecue can be equipped with additional functions and the structure can be decorated with decorative elements:

1. cutting table - convenient for placing food in the smokehouse, stringing skewers, packaging ready-made dishes;
2. canopy - protects from temporary precipitation and snow in winter;
3. woodpile - will save you from walking while cooking;
4. forged and twisted elements will increase the artistic value of the structure.

If you equip the universal fireplace with wheels, the grill-smokehouse can be moved around the area so that when the wind changes, combustion products do not interfere with the rest of guests and family members.

Thus, from at least two 50 liter used cylinders for storing a propane-butane mixture, a multifunctional fireplace is obtained. You can cook barbecue or shashlik on it, or smoke meat products all year round.

The taste and quality of smoked products depends on the method of their preparation. Therefore, homemade smoked products always turn out tastier and cheaper than store-bought delicacies. But to prepare such dishes yourself, you will need a smokehouse. There is a huge selection of smokehouses on the market, but their cost can be too high. A smokehouse made from a gas cylinder with your own hands is an excellent alternative to expensive store-bought counterparts. Therefore, armed with available means, you can build such a device without much difficulty.

To build a smokehouse with your own hands from a gas cylinder you will need:

• Used gas cylinder (50-70 liters).
• Sheet iron (3-4 mm).
• Construction corner (45 mm, about 6 m).
• Pipe (120 mm) for the chimney.
• Door hinges.
• Metal rods for the grill (10 mm).
• Door knob.
• Welding machine, electrodes.
• Bulgarian.
• Drill.
• Hacksaw for metal.

When choosing a propane cylinder, make sure that it does not have significant damage or deep corrosion. Such a container will quickly burn out and will not last long. A good cylinder can be in regular use for up to 20 years.

Cleaning the cylinder

Once the cylinder has been selected, you should begin cleaning it. First you need to release all the gas and unscrew the valve. This is often difficult, because the valve may rust to the neck, it may be stuck or even stuck by welding. Many people try to use various means to soften the rust, use a large gas wrench, or knock down the valve with a hammer to move it along the threads. This must be done carefully so as not to cause sparks. In any case, until the valve is removed from the cylinder, you cannot cut it, because gas will probably remain in it.

After the valve is unscrewed one way or another, you are left with an open neck on the cylinder. Through it, the balloon must be completely filled with water. Be careful, take a thin hose and fill it in a small stream, as an air plug may form in the neck, and it will deceive you - you will decide that the cylinder is completely filled, but this will not be the case.

When you are sure that the water has filled your bottle to the very neck, you can carefully cut off the neck in a circle using a grinder. And you need to cut below the water level.

There is another way to make sure that there is no gas left inside. The cylinder is placed on its side, the end of a rag soaked in a flammable liquid is inserted into its neck, and the other end is set on fire. While it is burning, you will have time to retreat to cover. The rag will burn out, there will be a pop, and this will mean that there is definitely no gas left in the cylinder.

Here's a video about this method:

As a result, you should have a propane tank that is completely and guaranteed free of gas residues.

Making a lid

How to make a smokehouse from a gas cylinder? For this design, special drawings are not required. It is enough to follow the sequence of work. First make the door lid:

• Place the bottle on its side. Move 10-15 cm from the edges, make markings with a marker or chalk at the site of the future door.
• Using a grinder, make cuts, but do not cut off completely - first weld the hinges, and only then cut off the lid completely. (This is exactly the case in the photo below.) Otherwise, it will be very difficult to align it evenly on the hinges.
• Clean sharp edges thoroughly.
• Attach a handle to the outside of the door.

Smokehouse stand

To ensure stability of the device, a stand is required. To do it correctly, you need to decide what type of smokehouse will be - stationary or mobile.

Stationary design:

• Prepare four corners of the required height (about 1 meter) and a welding machine.
• Install the corners perpendicular to the smokehouse.
• Cook carefully.

This is the simplest stand design. (In the photo it looks more like a smokehouse, but the principle is the same.) You can come up with some other option for yourself.

For a portable smokehouse made from gas cylinders you need:

• Weld 4 bolts around the perimeter of the cylinder to the base.
• Weld nuts to four legs made of metal profiles or corners.

When carrying the structure, the legs are easy to unscrew, and when installing, they are also easy to screw on.

Making a chimney and firebox

At this stage, we have a durable structure that can be used as a grill or barbecue. But to make a real smokehouse from a gas cylinder, you need a chimney and a firebox.

The chimney is welded to the side of the smokehouse, in the part where the neck was cut off. An elbow is made from dense metal pipes into which the chimney pipe will be inserted. The height of the chimney should be 1 meter. This size will ensure optimal traction and smoldering of the wood.

The design of the chimney is completed by a damper. It is necessary to adjust traction. The damper can be removable, which is the simplest option. It can also be built-in or secured with a metal bolt.

This is also a smokehouse, only combined with a small tile.

Hot smoking involves processing products with hot smoke at a temperature of 70 to 120 degrees. Therefore, it is important to equip a firebox from which hot smoke will come. It will be attached to the side opposite the chimney. The easiest way is to use another used gas cylinder for the firebox, but only a smaller one.

There are 2 holes made in the cylinder. The first is for laying wood chips, the second is for the blower. Then the firebox is connected to the smokehouse itself by a grate. To do this, you can use a short pipe. This adapter is necessary to prevent open fire from entering the smokehouse. If you don’t have a small cylinder, dense iron (4 mm) is suitable for constructing a firebox.

Installation of grate and tray

In addition to the entire structure, the smokehouse must have a grate for food. Make it simply from steel rods. Or look for a ready-made one. Prepared products for smoking will be placed on the grill. In addition to the grate, you can install a tube inside, on which it will be convenient to hang fish or pieces of meat.

This photo shows the firebox for the smokehouse, the smoking chamber itself is at the top left.

Inside the smokehouse, a metal tray should also be installed on the bottom; fat and juice will drain there during the cooking process. To make the pallet easy to care for, it is better to cover it with foil.

To regulate the smoking temperature, build a special thermometer into the lid of the structure. For aesthetics and convenience, you can attach an impromptu table. Products will be laid out on it.

Differences between hot and cold smokehouses

As mentioned above, it occurs at high temperatures. Cooking time in this way can be from half an hour to several hours. Depends on the sizes and types of products. Cooking with hot smoke is quite quick. But the shelf life of such delicacies is short. As a rule, food can be stored for no more than 7 days in the refrigerator.

The cooking time lasts from 24 hours to several weeks. These products have a richer taste and last much longer. Since the products are processed with cold smoke, at a temperature of 20-30 degrees, the design itself differs from a hot smokehouse.

When constructing a smokehouse from cylinders, it will be necessary to lengthen the pipe that connects the firebox and the smokehouse. The pipe must be at least 2 meters long so that the smoke is sufficiently cooled. You can also make this pipe removable. Then the design will be used for hot and cold smoking.

• Be sure to follow safety precautions. Carry out work at a distance from residential premises and away from open fire. Working with gas cylinders is dangerous.
• When your structure is ready, you can paint it with dark shades of enamel for aesthetics. But subsequently the device will become covered with soot. So this procedure is not necessary.
• Before starting the smoking process, be sure to run the smokehouse “idle”, without any products. This is necessary to get rid of unwanted odors, which for the first time can spoil the taste and aroma of the products.
• To make the aroma and taste of smoked meats unsurpassed, use wood chips from fruit and deciduous trees. Apple, pear, cherry, sweet cherry, alder, oak are perfect. It is not recommended to use coniferous wood, as it has too specific an aroma.

Here is a long, detailed video on how to make a smokehouse from two cylinders:

A thrifty owner can always breathe life into old unnecessary things. Someone may have an old propane gas cylinder lying around in their utility room. You shouldn’t give it away for scrap metal, because just one day of work and you will get an excellent smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands.

The shape of the cylinder will give the product originality, and you will need a small set of tools that almost any craftsman will have. As a result of the efforts spent, the family will receive delicacies from fish, meat, lard or poultry.

Preparation for production

A gas cylinder is an excellent preparation not only for a smokehouse, but also for a barbecue. However, it is advisable to choose a container that is not damaged by significant corrosion, as this will affect the durability of the product. Also, all work must be carried out only after the remaining gas and gasoline have been properly removed from the cavity.

Video - how to make a smokehouse from a cylinder yourself (brief instructions):

If all the work is done correctly, the product will last on average 15-20 years, which is much longer than store-bought ones.

You will need to stock up on the following materials and tools:

• gas cylinder (capacity for red household gas 50 l);
• sheet metal (thickness 3-4 mm);
• approximately 6 m of building corner with a 45 mm wall (in some cases it can be replaced with a 20x40 mm building profile);
• chimney pipe (length 100-120 cm, diameter 100-120 mm);
• door hinges (it is advisable to choose a metal thickness of at least 2 mm);
• rods for the grid (diameter 8-10 mm reinforcement, square or hexagon is not advisable);
• wooden blanks for handles (well-dried blanks from birch or other dense species);
• grinder (preferably with a soft start);
• welding machine (electrodes will need 2-3 mm);
• electric drill (drills must be selected with a minimum length to ensure rigidity during operation);
• hacksaw for metal (use a blade with a fine tooth).

Working with a cylinder

After selecting a cylinder, it is necessary to visually check it for the presence of deep corrosion. Next, you will need to get rid of the condensate and gas remaining in it. First, take the container out into the open space in the yard or other area. It is preferable to carry out work in dry, sunny weather. There should be no open source of fire near the work site.

Unscrew the valve as much as possible. After the intensive phase, turn the container over to remove residues. You can check whether the gas has completely escaped using ordinary soap paste. Lubricate the valve with it. When bubbles stop appearing, it means that the pressure inside is equal to the outside.

From the top of the future barbecue-smokehouse from a gas cylinder, we cut off the neck together with the tap with our own hands using a hacksaw.

When cutting off the top, do not allow a spark to occur. In this case, it is necessary to periodically water the treatment area to eliminate the risk of fire. The cut must be wet.

We rinse the opened cavity with running water to get rid of the smell. It is convenient to fill the volume with water using a hose. If it does not fit into the hole formed, then pour everything through a funnel.

Adding ammonia to water will be effective. Leave the container with this solution to settle for several hours. You can stir the liquid periodically. After draining the residue, wash it again with running water.

Making the base for the smokehouse

It is unlikely that any preliminary drawings will be needed to make a smokehouse with your own hands from a gas cylinder. Most often, manufacturers calculate the final result from the material that is available.

In general, this design of a vertical smokehouse can be useful, where you can use an electric stove.

Marking the cuts for the door is done using a long ruler and a pencil. You can duplicate the stripes with thin white chalk.

The cuts will need to be made carefully without displacements, not reaching 100-150 mm along the axis before the rounding of the balloon ends (“top” and “bottom”) begins. There is no need to open the slots right away.

Having made long axial grooves with a grinder, we try on the hinges in place. We clean the surface to be welded with a metal brush fixed to a drill. Some craftsmen clean the area under the hinges with a grinder. The method is practical, but aesthetics are not always preserved. We “grab” the overhead loops by welding.

You can also subsequently secure these with rivets or bolts. However, no coating is allowed on rivets or other fasteners in order to prevent harmful fumes from near food. A more popular option for attaching hinges is final welding with electrodes. When the hinges are welded, we open the grooves separating the door from the frame completely.

From the side to which the tap was attached, we weld an elbow made of pipes onto the barbecue smokehouse from a gas cylinder with our own hands.

The height of the vertical section must be at least a meter. This will ensure high-quality traction and efficient smoldering of the chips during the process. A damper covering the upper end of the vertical pipe will help control the draft. In some designs, the damper fits into a cut groove in the pipe.

The second end is connected to the firebox for the smokehouse. To do this, cut out the lower half of the end diameter using a grinder. When using such a smokehouse as a barbecue, the draft in the former gas cylinder will be regulated using this cut-out sector.

During operation, thermal deformations of the manufactured container are possible. Tightening the structure will help reduce their influence. To do this, along the axis of the cylinder in the middle of the hole closed by the lid, we weld a tube with a diameter of 20-30 mm from the inside. It will also serve as a limiter to help prevent the lid from falling deeper. Another function of the pipe is to hang food products from it for smoking. This can also be done through holes drilled in the frame.

Welded strips of metal along the perimeter of the lid will help ensure the tightness of the cavity. They can also serve as a closing stop. A horseshoe-shaped loop on the outside can prevent the lid from falling back sharply.

At the bottom of such smokehouses made from self-made gas cylinders, a special tray is installed, which serves as a container for collecting fat. To avoid smearing the container, it is advisable to cover the tray with food foil. The bases for a removable metal grill are attached above the pallet. You can make it yourself with your own hands from rods of stainless steel wire or use a ready-made unnecessary grill left over from an old refrigerator.

Making a stand (legs or support)

A smokehouse made from a gas cylinder, made by yourself as in the photo, must be stable so as not to tip over the coals and food. To do this, legs are attached to it. If you intend to use the device as a portable product, then it would be wiser to make them removable. Their convenient length will be 80-100 cm.

To do this, we weld bolts to the base of the former cylinder, and weld nuts to the prepared legs from a corner or construction profile. Before transportation, we unscrew the legs and return them to their original position upon arrival.

More often the base is not removable, but is rigidly welded to the base of the cylinder. For greater convenience, you can replace a pair of legs with a pair of wheels. Transportation within the immediate area will be simplified. Comfort for stationary legs will be added by several crossbars or a full-fledged shelf under the cylinder. In the cooking process, useful space always comes in handy.

Smokehouse firebox

If this unit is intended to be used not as a smokehouse, but only as a barbecue from gas cylinders, then an additional firebox will not be needed. If the owner intends to engage in smoking, then the fire will need to be lit in an additional container.

Additional firebox made of welded steel sheets

To make a firebox, you will need to cut a sheet of metal 3-4 mm thick. It is also possible to cut another cylinder of smaller volume. Two holes in the end opposite walls are left for mating with the smoking chamber and for installing a damper. The third hole is necessary for laying wood chips that form smoke smoke.

Additional firebox from another cylinder

Even a slight distance from the smoking chamber from the sawdust firebox will help prevent open flames. This is done by cutting into the pipe. In some designs, its role is played by a special corrugation.

The length of the finished smokehouse will help determine the final result, because hot smoking uses smoke at a higher temperature. For cold smoking you need almost cooled smoke.

The most important thing is that before the first smoking you should definitely let the unit go idle - heat it with wood, but without meat.

The video shows an example of a barbecue grill, smokehouse, made by hand from three 50-liter gas cylinders.

A gas cylinder smokehouse is an economical option for complex and expensive equipment for smoking products. To make such a design, you will need both an angle grinder and a welding machine. In this matter, the master should show creativity. The result of painstaking work will be a structure that will be used as a barbecue, grill or smokehouse.

To create such a masterpiece, ordinary cylinders are best suited. Durable metal allows the product to be heated to the maximum temperature, and the ergonomic shape allows it to be used for preparing all kinds of dishes. Several master classes on how to make a smokehouse from a gas cylinder will help make your dream come true.

First of all, it is important to clear the container of any remaining gas. When it comes out naturally, the tank is filled with water and left for 24 hours. After the expiration date, the liquid is poured out and the valve is lubricated with soap suds to check for leaks.

Original solo: smokehouse and grill

The equipment will consist of 2 parts: a smoke generator and a brazier. Therefore, you need to prepare two tanks of 50 and 20 liters. Then the master will make a drawing or sketch on which he will mark the location of the air vents and doors. At the next stage, prepare tools and materials:

• metal brush;
• grinder;
• welding installation;
• construction corner or profile;
• pens;
• 4-6 pcs. door hinges;
• chimney pipe (1.5 meters long and 10-12 cm in diameter);
• a lattice made of rods.

Basic tools and materials in combat readiness. Now you can start creating a smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands. It is worth noting that the instructions refer to the installation for the hot smoking method. So, the whole process is divided into several main stages.

Metal cutting

The smoke generator and the grill itself are flasks with lids, so first you should cut off the neck. Then make the first balloon 50 cm long, and leave the second in its original form. After this, the following is cut out in each of them:

In the main container, make special devices for skewers. On each side (opposite each other) form:

A wheel wheel is made from a construction corner by drilling holes over the entire area at a distance of 5 cm. Then it is welded to the central area of ​​the installation.

The cylinder smokehouse should be connected to a chimney pipe and a firebox. To do this, a valve for the chimney is cut in the upper part of the section, and in the other lower corner for the smoke generator.

Welding work

Now you should correctly fold the cut parts. Here you will need a welding machine with 2-3 mm electrodes. The components are connected in the following sequence:

It is important to take into account that transverse beams are welded to the supports for the stability of the equipment. After this, the main part of the barbecue-smokehouse from a gas cylinder is connected to the firebox itself. In this case, the dampers are made of a fixed type in order to regulate combustion, smoke circulation and the intensity of smoldering.
Using the same principle, a plate is attached to the top of the chimney so that it can be opened and closed.

The cutting and welding process requires extreme precision. The joints must be smooth and without gaps. To make the container as airtight as possible, aluminum plates with a gap of 2-3 cm are attached along the perimeter of the cut out windows. They are fixed with rivets.

Unusual makeup

After such dusty work, the structure is brought into a presentable form. This unusual “makeover” of a metal structure is done in several stages:

• The seams are leveled using a grinder;
• the entire surface is cleaned with a metal brush and then with sandpaper;
• treat the container with a degreaser;
• coated with heat-resistant dye.

The photo shows a smokehouse made from a gas cylinder with your own hands, made according to the instructions given above. Some elements can be done differently.
Instead of a damper, many people prefer to cut strips (up to 5 mm wide) on the bottom of the product.

The firebox is often made from ordinary sheet metal. It is made in a square or rectangular shape. The size is 1/3 of the fryer itself.

Installation for cold smoking in person

To build such a smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands, you need drawings. The diagram below shows the principle of connecting the three main sections. Since the installation instructions for the grill/barbecue are given above, in this part you should only pay attention to the construction of the vertical chamber. The heating temperature in it will not exceed 50-70°C.
They do it this way:

When connecting parts, it is worth using a level that will help achieve the most vertical arrangement of the cameras. It is important not to forget to weld the handles and hinges on the door. This type of equipment comes with thermometers that are installed on each half.

The hinges are attached in 2 ways: bolts or welding. The first option is much more practical because it allows you to easily replace parts in case of breakdown. Still, the second method is more reliable.

Support is an important element

Any self-made cylinder smokehouse needs stable and durable legs. At the same time, it must be mobile, able to move. Therefore, the legs are made from:

• square pipes;
• fittings;
• tightly woven rods;
• wheels

The parts are connected using bolts/nuts or welding. In the first case, the structure will be removable, and in the second, stationary. The installation height is calculated so that the vertical compartment is at a level of 1 m from the ground. Some craftsmen advise attaching a shelf in the form of a lattice between the legs. You can store kitchen utensils and firewood on it.

For mobile smokehouse models, it is better to make wheels from a gas cylinder. They are disconnected either from a construction wheelbarrow or from a bicycle. They are mounted on the side of the cold smoking chamber.

The supports can be made from the legs of an old sewing machine made in the USSR. The material is so durable and heat-resistant that it couldn’t be better.

Note to the cook

Smoking is a labor-intensive and very delicate process. The taste of products depends not only on the design features of the equipment, but also on the fuel materials used. The standard advice is to choose fruit tree wood:

• cherries (only without bark);
• apple trees;
• pears;
• apricots;
• plums

At the same time, walnut, oak or elm chips will give the meat/fruit an unusually tart taste. It is recommended to treat the fish with smoke obtained after burning willow, talniki and even willow.

Before you start building a smokehouse from gas cylinders with your own hands, it’s worth watching the video master classes. They draw attention to the nuances that arise when performing ultra-precise metal cutting. At the same time, the employee can answer many other questions.

Video instructions for making a smokehouse from a gas cylinder

Homemade smoked meats have always differed from store-bought ones in their rich taste, aroma and naturalness. Even the recipes do not aim to bring homemade smoked dishes closer to those sold on the market.

The thing is that at present many manufacturers have completely abandoned natural smoking, believing that this increases the cost of the product. They prefer to use the cheaper method of processing meat, lard or fish with liquid smoke. As a result, the salted semi-finished product will be ready for consumption after just an hour of soaking.

Natural smoking can only be found in private, when the product is prepared in a homemade smokehouse. This smokehouse can be made from available materials. A propane tank is ideal as a container for a smoking box. Let's face it, in order to fully use the device, you will have to put a lot of work into its design. But following the instructions step by step will lead to high-quality production of the product.

Nuances of cold and hot smoking

Before you start manufacturing, you need to decide what type of smoking your design will be used for. Hot smoking must take place at high temperatures. This can only be achieved by placing the firebox and smokehouse in one container. A schematic drawing of such a smokehouse shows how to implement this with a horizontal cylinder arrangement.

Such a device will be universal, since it can also be used to cook a barbecue. At its core, it is a barbecue with a smokehouse in one design. Blower holes are made in the lower part, thanks to which firewood placed at the bottom will burn with access to oxygen. If you want to transform the barbecue into a smokehouse, you just need to cover these holes, for example, with a sheet of iron.

When hot smoking, the product turns out boiled and loose. Therefore, it should not be hung on hooks as it will fall down. The best option would be to make special sieves. A few words need to be said about the benefits of the product. Everyone knows that under the influence of temperature, many dishes lose their vitamin value. And the shelf life of such a dish is very limited.

For cold smoking you will have to make two containers, because the firebox and the smoking box should be separated. A chimney 1.5 to 2.5 meters long is arranged between them. In this area, the smoke should have time to cool to 25°C degrees.

Under the influence of smoke and salt from pre-salting, the product is dehydrated and preserved. Accordingly, the proportion of vitamins preserved after smoking is greater compared to hot smoking. Cold smoked products can be stored for up to several weeks. To make a smoking box, you will have to upgrade a vertically installed cylinder.

Beginning of work

The reason for constructing a smokehouse with your own hands is the unusually high cost of the finished structure if you buy it in a store. It should be noted that if all the tips for implementing the scheme are properly followed, you will get a smokehouse in which you can cook products that are no different in quality from those that are smoked in purchased devices.

The most optimal container capacity for homemade products is 50 liters. This is an ordinary gas cylinder in which a propane-butane mixture is stored. Old and rusty cylinders are not suitable for making a smokehouse at home, since the temperature has a destructive effect on the metal.

• First you need to empty the cylinder of any remaining gas. To do this, the valve opens and the cylinder is turned upside down. To make sure that all the gas has escaped, prepare soap foam and apply it to the faucet and fitting. Any gas leak will be accompanied by the formation of bubbles. Moreover, all of the above work must be carried out at a sufficiently large distance from a residential building and, naturally, from open fire.
• After this, the bottle is filled with water to rinse it thoroughly. The neck should be cut off with a hacksaw. At the same time, it is necessary to water the blade of the hacksaw and the neck itself with cold water to prevent excessive heating of the metal, otherwise there is a risk of fire.
• Rinse the container with water again, shaking it periodically. It is necessary to pour water away from buildings, as it may smell unpleasantly of gas. Do not neglect rinsing the bottle with water. If you skip this step, cutting or welding becomes potentially dangerous. The slightest spark can cause a gas explosion.

Making the lid

After the cylinder has been thoroughly washed with water, you can perform any actions with it. The smokehouse lid is made by cutting out a segment of the body and then attaching it using hinges. First you need to chalk out the outline of the lid of the required size. The dimensions of the lid should be such that it is convenient to load products into the smokehouse and place them on sieves or hang them on hooks.

Welding seams can be found on each cylinder. They are rings that have thickenings. The lid must be marked so that the rings are not damaged during the cutting process.

The hinges themselves that our gas cylinder smokehouse will be equipped with depend on the capabilities. They can be welded, riveted or screwed. In this case, both forged hinges and ordinary door hinges are used, of which there are plenty in any hardware store.

Do not forget to mount the handle, because sometimes you will have to open the hot smoker. The edges of the door cut off by a grinder must be processed, all nicks removed and the ends smoothed so that the device does not pose a risk of injury.

Smokehouse stand

Typically, a smokehouse for hot smoking is installed on a grill or on bricks. Our device is bulky enough to be moved every now and then, so we can make a neat stand. It will be convenient to prepare dishes with it, because its height is optimal. If you need to move the smokehouse to another place, then this can be done in parts: first the box itself, and then the stand for it.

First, let's decide on the height. It must be selected so that the cook can create his masterpieces while standing. Usually a height of about one meter is taken as an example. There is nothing better than metal corners for constructing a frame or legs for a smokehouse. You also need to pay attention to the reliability of the support. Since after filling with food the smokehouse will significantly gain weight, all corners must be properly welded to each other, and the frames must contain diagonal spacers.

For those who have decided to do homemade work for the first time, it is advisable to turn to more experienced mentors. We propose to weld a frame from corners in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. The side faces contain diagonal reinforcements. Please note that with this manufacturing, the stand can be transported separately from the smokehouse. Some sources also contain advice to weld four legs directly to the cylinder. You must choose the option that suits you best.

Firebox and chimney

Above we indicated the design features of smokehouses for cold and hot smoking. Now we will look at a smokehouse specifically for high-temperature processing.

An L-shaped elbow is welded into the place where the neck was previously cut off, into which the pipe will then be inserted. It is advisable to make a damper in the pipe. This way you can regulate the amount of smoke. The fact is that very dense smoke can give the product excessive bitterness.

The firebox can be made in two ways:

1. The first method is to pour sawdust or wood chips into the bottom of the smokehouse. Essentially, the firebox is located inside the cylinder.
2. The second method involves moving the firebox outside the smoking box. It is welded from iron sheets and takes the shape of a box. The firebox is attached to the cylinder on the side opposite the chimney.

You can connect the firebox to the smoking box using a piece of pipe. It is necessary to provide for the possibility of laying firewood and create conditions for oxygen access to the firebox.

A smokehouse for cold smoking will differ in that the pipe connecting the firebox to the tank is more than 1.5 meters long. If this section of pipe is made removable, then you can easily transform one type of smokehouse into another.

One more detail is important. When smoking, liquid is released, and in the case of meat, lard or fish, fat. If it gets on wood chips, the latter may ignite. In addition, the smell of burnt fat will be absorbed into the product. To collect it, you should build a tray at the bottom of the smokehouse. Now the gas cylinder smokehouse is ready.

Some craftsmen try to give their creation a presentable look by painting it black. There is no particular need for this. After a few cycles, the smokehouse will become covered with soot and become black. But you still have to get rid of foreign odors, so you need to heat the device without adding food.

Conifers or birch with bark cannot be used as smoking material. This wood contains a lot of resin. It will be released and absorbed into the fibers of the product, which, naturally, will not have the best effect on its taste.

Make sure the lid is sealed. As a last resort, the smoking box can be covered with burlap on top. Usually hot smoking lasts 20-30 minutes. With such a long process, it is better not to open the box at all. Smoking meat takes much longer. For this purpose, it is supposed to open the smokehouse slightly every 30 minutes and release wet steam.

A DIY smokehouse will work well in any case. If you are not satisfied with the temperature regime and need to regulate it, remember that any type of wood has its own specific heat of combustion. By changing the breeds you can significantly influence the temperature in the smoking box. It is useful for yourself to draw up a table of the relationship between the type of wood and the product you are going to smoke.