Questions about a building a smokehouse errr. Smoke box

[mikeh53]

Hi Group Questions about a building a smokehouse errr. Smoke box

Thanks in advance for any replies

I am new to sausage… made a few fresh, but want to get into smokehouse stuff. (long curing)

Last year I bought an old commercial ice chest like you sometimes see at gas stations selling ice?

My intentions was to build a small kelin for drying wood pin blanks… (I turn pins) now … I am thing of using it for a small smoke house/box… I could put polls to hold meat… possibly a good size rack… (Note I have two offset smokers for hot smoking and have used them for years)

Its footprint is about and its about 42x32 wide, 44 inches tall . It is well insulated and has a small insulated sliding door on top/front

I am thinking about using a small metal foot locker for a firebox (lp Gas and burner from old turkey fryer.
A short pipe (dampered insulated wood stove flew pipe) connected to the ice chest, for smoke/heat inlet. And a damperd smoke chimney to be placed at top opposite the smoke inlet, Would include large Temp gage,

Though of perhaps install ceramic light fixtures low inside for lower temp production for drying heat lights controlled by dimmer switch?, Would I need to remove lights for temps around 225?

What about a small fan? And dampers on the firebox?

What do you guys think… am I on the right track?

New Guy
mikeh

[Wallaby]

Your going the right direction. You only need temp under 100 for cold smoking. Put a small heat plate with a cast iron skillet to produce smoke. If you use a smoke generator the exhaust needs to be lower than the intake on the box to get good smoke flow. Also you may have to remove the lining of the ice chest .

Mike
_________________
UDS
BBQ Pro Smoker
BBQ Pro converted to cold smoker
Perfect Flame Gasser
1986 Webber 22"
Wagner and Griswold Dutch ovens
CI pans everywhere