Smokehouse design/build for cold/hot smoke

[Pete S]

I know I should be focusing my thoughts on tapping, but when I woke up to -8* this March 3, I figured I have some time to work on planning a different project.

I have intentions to construct a smokehouse this spring/summer about the size of a one hole outhouse. From what I am reading I believe I am looking to primarily do "cold smoking" of meats, cheeses, etc.

I have looked about on line at various builds and thought I would come here also as many of you/us are DIY folks, that can make a lot of stuff work.

What do you have? How do you use it? And my favorite, IF you did it all over again, what would you do different?

Pictures?

My intended desgin is a concrete base, with fieldstone up a ways. (dependant on my energy level) then rough sawn wood above. This would be fed from a remote heat scource probably a reclaimed LP tank then metal or clay pipe to the center of the concrete floor. Acording to the property aesthetics manager, it MUST match the Sugar Shack. (see photo)

Thanks for the replies!

[MN Jake]

Dad runs a meat shop here in Minnesota and we have been doing our own meat for a long time. He built one out of block that is around 5'x5' with a formed in place concrete slab on top and installed a full size door on it. He uses a propane burner for heat and a cast iron pan for the wood covered in tinfoil. Rebar is embedded in the joints spanning across the upper foot or so for hanging meats. If it's jerky or something that won't hang too well we use grill grates suspended by wire from the rebar. We hook one grate to the rebar and use stiff wire hooks 6" or so and hook as many grates as needed and work our way down. Temp control is pretty easy with a decent propane valve and depending on desired temp we shim the pan up off the burner with firebrick to prevent the wood from burning to fast.

[MN Jake]

Also in the back there is 2 pieces of pipe installed thru the block. One high and one low, propane hose runs thru the lower and a temp line runs thru the upper with the temp screen hanging on the outside. It takes a while to warm up but it works very well. We do a lot of summer sausage and have done many 12+ hour smokes with it.

[Z/MAN]

At this link you can find "excellent" plans for a outhouse looking smoker. I built a carbon copy of this smoker and it works fantastic. I have been using it for about 5 years now and the only thing I would change is to put a little bit of pitch on the roof. I can get 60# of polish sausage in it no problem.
Paul

http://mathewsinc.com/forums-home/topic/smoker-plans/

[johnzski]

At this link you can find "excellent" plans for a outhouse looking smoker. I built a carbon copy of this smoker and it works fantastic. I have been using it for about 5 years now and the only thing I would change is to put a little bit of pitch on the roof. I can get 60# of polish sausage in it no problem.
Paul

http://mathewsinc.com/forums-home/topic/smoker-plans/
I'm about 200 lbs of Polish saus.... Never mind
Nice job on the smokers guys !