In medical institutions, dressings and underwear are stored and sterilized in a special metal box called a medical bix. But this device can also be used at home. You can easily make an excellent smokehouse from an old bix. How exactly? Consider in our today's article.
Why is this container suitable?
You can easily make an excellent smokehouse from a medical sterilization container. Bix is used for such purposes due to the fact that it has a cylindrical shape and other necessary design features.
The sterilizer is ideal due to its size, which is enough to fit racks, drip pans and products to be smoked inside.
It is also suitable because of the convenient cover. Medical bix is made of heat-resistant material, which is important. It is able to withstand high temperatures during use. That is why there are no problems during the burning of branches, leaves and sawdust.
Because the walls have lattice holes, steam can escape freely. All the necessary conditions for smoldering have been created in the medical bix. This process will produce the smoke required for smoking.
What is it for?
You can cook in such a smokehouse:
- Meat dishes - game, pork, lamb, rabbit.
- Fish and seafood of various varieties.
- Other meat products, including ribs and hams.
Required Materials
Bix smoker is made from the following components:
- Pallet designed for the accumulation of fat masses.
- Metal Medical Bix.
- Two stainless steel grates.
All of the above devices must be prepared and thoroughly washed. These are necessary steps in the process of designing such a useful household appliance.
The basis of a home-made hot-smoked smokehouse is a medical bix, which is made of metal. It should have dimensions of 390 x 190 millimeters. The pallet in which fat masses will accumulate can be either metal or ceramic. Grids are selected in accordance with the dimensions of the container used.
Production process
Bix smoker can easilybe made by hand. Before proceeding with its creation, it is required to thoroughly wash all materials and fixtures. Only after that you can start assembling.
First of all, you need to cut the grilles so that they fit tightly into the sterilizer. At the very bottom of the device is a tray that is designed to accumulate fat. The first grille is installed just above it. Wood chips and small pieces of wood are poured into the bottom of the bix smokehouse. It is best to use only fruit breeds.
How to make lattices?
They are recommended to be made of stainless steel. The size of the gratings must fully correspond to the diameter of the bix. They should also fit snugly inside the device.
When choosing a grate, it should be borne in mind that the stainless steel bar should be small. The smaller it is, the better. Otherwise, products may simply fall through large cells.
It is not recommended to use plain metal grate as it is prone to rapid rusting. As a result, it will have to be changed frequently, as rust has a detrimental effect on products during smoking. After making the grates, it is necessary to properly install them in the smokehouse. To do this, follow the following recommendations:
- The first grate is installed in the smokehouse so that it can be laid out products. It is recommended to mount it inside the cylinder at a height of 10-15 centimeters from the bottom.
- The second grille is needed in order to installsmokehouse on fire. In this case, it is very important to observe certain distances. The length of the legs on which the grate is located should ensure relative proximity to the smokehouse. Usually 15 centimeters is enough.
If the above recommendations are not followed, the smoker will not work properly and the quality of the cooked products will be poor.
Preparing the necessary components
Before using a home smoker for hot smoking, you must stock up on dry firewood, coal, wood chips, twigs or sawdust in advance. The fuel material should be selected especially carefully, since the taste and aroma of the resulting product will directly depend on it.
Without the right fuel, a homemade smokehouse will not work. Branch preparation is an important step in the smoking process. Experts in this field advise using stumps and chips of various types of trees. Depending on individual preferences, one or another type can be selected in order to achieve certain taste qualities:
- using aspen will give the products a unique and mild taste;
- oak will saturate products with a pronounced and strong aroma;
- birch will give a fresh, honey smell.
An excellent solution would be to use apple or cherry branches. During smoking, be sure to consider what wood chips are used for these purposes.softwoods are not recommended as they release resin. In order to minimize the content of harmful substances in the branches, it is necessary to pre-soak them and dry them thoroughly. Otherwise, the product will not only smell bad, but may also cause poisoning.
Preparing the smokehouse
Before each use, the bix smoker must be carefully prepared. First of all, it is necessary to lay pre-stored material on its bottom. Then you need to install a grid with legs, and put dishes on it to accumulate fat.
Products are placed on the upper grid in one layer. They must be placed in such a way that gaps remain between the products and the wall. After everything is prepared, the homemade smokehouse for hot smoking is tightly closed and set on a fire. In a city apartment, it can be placed on an electric or gas stove.
As soon as the smokehouse from the medical bix is on fire, you need to carefully monitor the appearance of smoke in the holes on the side of the device. As soon as he appears, they begin to keep track of time. It takes 30 minutes to cook the fish. Chicken or bacon is cooked for an hour. And pork will take at least two hours.
Possible problems
The mini smoker for home is a great option for cooking many dishes. But things don't always go smoothly. There are certain problems that you can fix yourself.
If the product has a bitter taste, this may indicate that too many branches were put in the smoker. This shortcoming can be eliminated by reducing their number. When, when cooking fish, it does not have a very pleasant taste, this may be due to the fact that a too fatty individual was chosen. Low-fat varieties are best for smoking.
If fish or meat burns, then this can be eliminated by adding rhubarb, cabbage or burdock leaves to the smokehouse. In terms of taste, aroma and appetizing appearance, products cooked in a smokehouse from medical bix are no different from those that have passed through professional equipment. To prepare dishes of the same quality and taste, you will need an appliance that can only be used outdoors.
Conclusion
So, we looked at what kind of device it is and how you can make it yourself. Thanks to this homemade smokehouse, made of ordinary material, you can cook various delicious delicacies if you wish. It can be used both outdoors and in an apartment or household. This compact and handy tool is practical and versatile.
