TOP 10 best smoke generators for smoking

Simple DIY smoke generator

Making a smoke generator at home is actually easier than you think. Read carefully and soon you will learn how to make such an effective remedy with your own hands and right at home!

Materials

What is the main source of smoke? Sawdust, wood chips, shavings. The main secret of installing a smoke generator is how to ensure constant, uniform combustion. But first, let's figure out what materials you will need if you want to make the device yourself:

1. Square or round stainless steel pipe (section 100x100 mm, diameter 100-200 mm).
2. Metal pieces pipes (D – 25-40 mm, L – up to 40 cm).
3. Corrugated plastic pipe (3 meters).
4. Electric fan.
5. Tee for pipelines of the required diameter (depending on the smoke channel).
6. Connecting wires and switch.
7. Thermometer.

Assembly

Are the required materials available? Then let's get down to business:

1. Cut a piece 0.8 meters long from the metal pipe. Make a bottom and a lid to suit its dimensions from metal. The bottom should have side edges (then the body will fit tightly inside and the ash from the sawdust will not start to spill out).
2. Drill several holes in the side of the case (0.8 cm in diameter).
3. Weld legs 20 cm high (this is done to ensure the stability of your future smoke generator).
4. Weld the chimney in the upper part of the body (8 cm at a distance from the pipe cut). Before doing this, cut a thread for the tee on the outer end.
5. Connect the chimney, then a tee and 2 tubes: one will go down, the other to the smokehouse.
6. Attach the tube from the compressor to the fitting going down. To the side there is a pipe that leads to the smoking cabinet.
7. The fan should be directed towards the container where smoking occurs. The main thing is to create a constant flow of air, but not too powerful. You can use, for example, a computer cooler.

Vikhr-M

The model is professional, because the smoking process is fully automated. It can smoke quite a lot of products at a time, quickly and efficiently. You can heat the device using sawdust or wood chips. 3-4 kg of wood chips is enough to keep the smokehouse running for 24 hours. The device operates on the basis of oxygen-free combustion. The device heats up the heating element, which actually receives the wood chips, so there is no need to set it on fire. The power of the heating element is 1 kW. Here you can regulate the supply of smoke, the device consumes 12 kW of energy per day, and the body is made of stainless steel coated with heat-resistant paint. The heating element temperature is from 270 to 310 degrees.

Pros:

1. Sturdy and durable body;
2. Heat-resistant paint;
3. High-quality heating element;
4. High performance;
5. Can smoke many products at once;
6. Automated work;
7. Low consumption of materials.

Minuses:

1. A lot of soot is formed;
2. You cannot use wet and damp wood chips, because you can damage the heating element.

Comparison table of characteristics

After studying the rating, we suggest you pay attention to the table with the main technical parameters of all the previously described models.

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Buyer's Guide: Questions and Answers

What is a smoke generator

This is a special device that creates a lot of smoke for smoking food. The device contains a compartment into which sawdust is loaded, mainly from oak, alder or aspen, which do not give off fire, but smolder well. They produce a lot of smoke, which enters the smoking chamber and allows you to cook various products in a short time.

There are different types of smoke generators on sale, where you can regulate the flow of smoke, the amount of sawdust consumed, the temperature from 200 to 400 degrees, and more.

How to choose

Before choosing, you should familiarize yourself with the important indicators:

• Smoke generator option - there are separate smoke generator devices on sale, and there are also those that come with a smoking chamber. If, when choosing the first option, you need to independently select the required container for future smoking of products, then in the second it will already be included in the kit. In the first option, you can use cases from ovens, refrigerators, barrels and similar materials;
• Material - the optimal indicator is high-quality stainless steel with a wall thickness of at least 1.5 mm, or even higher. It can withstand high temperatures, does not deform and does not emit unpleasant odors;
• Design - make sure that the smoke generator has a whole body made of high-quality and durable metal, since it is in it that the sawdust will smolder. The smoke exhaust pipe comes out of the housing and is secured together at the joint with a strong weld or thread with an additional seal. This place needs to be examined especially carefully so that everything is sealed and smoke does not leak out of the micro-cracks.

It would be best to choose a model with a removable bottom, because this will make it easier to clear the ash and add a new portion of fuel. It is better to purchase models with your own smokehouse to avoid independent selection, where the design of the container may be of poor quality.

• Method of supplying smoke - there are two types of smoking: cold and hot method. Cold involves the use of a pipe about 2 meters in height with an inclination angle of 20 to 35 degrees. For hot, a short type pipe with an inclination angle of 45 degrees is suitable.

If the smoke exhaust pipe is located at the bottom of the structure, this will help reduce sawdust consumption, and smoke enters the smokehouse chamber much faster. If it is located on top of the structure, this will ensure that the chips do not attenuate when the compressor is turned off.

• Equipment - the smoke generator may be supplied with a compressor, grates for cooking food, and fasteners. lighter, connecting pipes, sawdust and of course the smoking chamber;
• Type of fuel - some smoke generators will require not just sawdust, but sawdust compressed into briquettes. This can complicate the process, since they are more expensive, but they smolder longer;
• Type of ignition - manual and automatic;
• Automate the process - Some models are fully automated, so you don't have to be involved in the process.

Why does it go out

If the smoke generator goes out, it means there is not enough air draft. Check the operation of the compressor.

Why doesn't it smoke?

There are several reasons for this problem:

1. Poor quality wood chips, or wet ones, and the model uses a heating element for ignition;
2. The cooler needs to be sealed;
3. Weak compressor or its breakdown;
4. Narrow cracks in the pipe in the combustion zone, which could quickly become clogged;
5. The layer of metal on the walls is too thick (if the smoke generator was assembled manually);
6. Other breakdowns.