It is known that smoking - cooking sausages, meat or fish by exposing them to smoke - gives the products a particularly bright taste, and also extends their shelf life. Many smoky lovers understand how important it is that a portable deli maker that you take with you to nature or use in the kitchen does not cause disturbance to others from the spreading smoke.
Therefore, among connoisseurs of smoked yummy, smokehouses with a water seal are becoming increasingly popular. What is the essence of adaptation? What are the characteristics of his work?
About types of equipment
Specialists classify smokehouses according to different criteria:
- by type of preparation of the product there are devices for the production of hot and cold smoking, as well as combined ones;
- industrial and household smokehouses differ in scope;
- by dimensions and features of use - portable and stationary, etc.
Get what you wantThe result - obtaining a tasty and fragrant product - at no extra cost helps experienced smokers know the intricacies of the case and, of course, the specifics of the arrangement of the equipment with which they have to work.
Smokehouses with a water seal: design
Smokehouses are an excellent device for smoking various products: meat, lard, fish, salads. They are appreciated by lovers of picnics and country rest.
A hot-smoked smoker equipped with a water seal is well suited for cooking quality products in home cooking.
The fundamentally common features of the design of smokehouses of various modifications are as follows:
- The device is a box, the inner walls of which are equipped with welded brackets for gratings. Products intended for smoking are placed on them.
- Grates are equipped with stiffeners that provide the ability to smoke products of various weights (the main thing is that they must fit the equipment in size).
- A lid is put on the box, equipped with a smoke outlet (an outlet pipe of small length welded to the hole). For indoor use (in the kitchen or in the country gazebo), the pipe is equipped with a heat-resistant hose, and the other end is released through the window.
- A special tray is installed under the grates in smokehouses to collect fat.
- Sawdust is poured into the bottom.
- For installation over a fire or overgas stove has removable legs.
- A water seal is installed at the top of the smokehouse.
How does it work?
The products to be smoked are placed on the grate so that they do not touch each other.
Wood chips (or sawdust) at the bottom of the container, when heated without air, begin to smolder, releasing smoke.
The container lid must be tightly closed. Water is poured along its perimeter for a tighter fit to the grooves.
Smoke is removed by a special fitting with a pipe put on it, which is displayed through the window.
The temperature in the smokehouse usually reaches 1200, which ensures smoking. It is not difficult to determine the temperature regime: if there is no thermometer, you need to drop water on the lid. It won’t boil, which means everything is going fine, otherwise the product may turn out not smoked, but boiled.
The beginning of the process is counted from the moment the smoke appears. It takes 20-40 minutes to cook the fish, the chicken will be smoked in 35 minutes - 1 hour, and the lard will be ready in 30-40 minutes.
Products in the process of smoking are saturated with a characteristic smoky aroma.
Materials
Usually, 1.5 mm thick steel is used as materials for the manufacture of smokehouses. Many people prefer equipment made of food grade stainless steel. The advantage of stainless steel is called high resistance to rust, which is especially important for those who use equipment outdoors, near water bodies, in areas with high humidity. Manufacturedmade of stainless steel, the device will retain its technical characteristics and appearance for a long time. In addition, a hot-smoked smokehouse made of stainless steel is less prone to the appearance of soot on working surfaces. It is easier to clean the remains of fat and smoked products.
What is a water seal: device, benefits
The device is usually installed at the top of the body along the perimeter of the edge of the smokehouse. With a water seal, smoking enthusiasts who make equipment with their own hands sometimes have difficulties.
The water seal is a horizontal groove made of a U-shaped profile, located with the open part up. It should not have partitions, the design of the fixture is made in the form of a closed rectangle.
The shutter is welded inside or outside the smokehouse. The external placement of the device is considered more justified - when heated, water evaporates less, and the need to frequently top it up is eliminated. When the water evaporates, smoke can enter the room, and in addition to the food, the kitchen will also be smoked.
The equipment cover fits into the groove of the shutter with its edges. The presence of water in it prevents air from entering the middle of the equipment, which is fraught with ignition of sawdust smoldering at the bottom.
Thanks to the device, the smoke from the chamber is removed exclusively through the exhaust pipe, which is especially important when operating a smokehouse with a water seal in an enclosed space.
In addition, the water seal also acts as an additional stiffener, which reduces the exposure of equipmentdeformation as a result of exposure to high temperatures and extends the service life.
Smokehouse thermometers: why are they needed and how are they used
The cooking time of smoked meats depends on the temperature inside the smoker.
Professional smokers know how to determine it by eye and touch, but using these methods requires experience that not everyone has.
Meanwhile, it is known that during the smoking process it is necessary to maintain a different temperature level at its various stages. For example, when hot smoking fish for 15-20 minutes, it should be dried at a temperature of 30-40 ° C, after which it should be kept at 90 ° C for half an hour. At the final stage, it is recommended to smoke products for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 120-130 ° С.
It is difficult to control this process without a thermometer, because an error of a few degrees can significantly affect the quality of finished smoked meats.
In addition, visually or by touch it is quite difficult to determine the degree of readiness of a bird. The meat is recommended to be considered ready when it reaches the temperature inside:
- beef - up to 75 °С;
- pork and lamb - up to 85 °С;
- birds - up to 90 °С.
When working with meat or fish, use thermometers for smokehouses with an elongated body (30 cm). It can be installed at the top of the smokehouse. During installation, the thermometer should be isolated from metal. A simple cork from a wine bottle is suitable as insulation. The thermometer scale should have a range of 0-200°C. Some craftsmen display temperature readings on an electronic display.
The best option, according to experienced smokers, is to install a special pin thermometer for meat, the measurement range of which is up to 400 ° C. Such a thermometer is usually equipped with a probe - a probe for immersion in meat up to 150 mm long. The probe is permanently installed in the smokehouse and shows the temperature in the smoking zone.
It is recommended to purchase two thermometers at once: to fix on the lid and to control the readiness of meat.
Sometimes a thermostat is installed in a smokehouse (equipped with electric heating or a smoke generator): a sensor is mounted inside the chamber to help regulate the power of the heater.
About smoking in the kitchen
The principle of cooking smoked meats both outdoors and in the kitchen is simple. The process is especially accessible when equipped with a water seal.
Home gas smoker comes in different sizes. An average smokehouse with a single load of up to 5 kg is considered optimal for home cooking.
When choosing a device for use in the kitchen, you should calculate which smokehouse is suitable for a certain number of family members. The price in stores for this equipment ranges from 2,600 to 35,500 rubles.
The most convenient source of heat for smoking in the kitchen is a gas stove. It provides uniform heating, simplifies temperature control.
Those who want to cook smoked products in the home kitchen should know that experts do notthe use of ceramic, glass or metal hobs is recommended. With their help, it will not be possible to reach the required temperature to start smoldering sawdust. In addition, the smoking process may damage the heating elements of the hob.
About the advantages of the Dymok electric smokehouse
For lovers of smoked meats, experts suggest paying attention to equipment that will help even a beginner to cook real yummy without the use of special labor and time costs. This is an electric smokehouse "Dymok", the use of which will eliminate the need to kindle a fire, maintain it, etc. It's simple: pour sawdust, load products, cover with a lid and connect the device to a power outlet.
Fish will take about half an hour to cook, lard and meat will be ready within an hour.
The device allows you to simultaneously smoke products with different levels of intensity, so both meat and fish will appear on the table almost simultaneously, which is very convenient when preparing a feast.
Features:
- power - 1000 W;
- dimensions - 465x360x200 mm (will allow not to allocate a lot of space for storing it in the kitchen);
- external anti-corrosion coating (will protect the unit from moisture and grease);
- manufactured from stainless steel;
- volume - 18 l;
- total weight is 4.5 kg.
According to experts and many users, "Dymok" is a very practical smokehouse. Its price (3000-5000 rubles) fully pays off with the opportunity on holidays and on weekdays without anyeffort to please the home with delicious delicacies.
Foods cooked in a smokehouse get an extraordinary aroma of spicy spices and noble wood smoke. At the same time, they retain naturalness and environmental friendliness. The presence of a water seal in the equipment simplifies its use at home, makes cooking your favorite delicacies comfortable and enjoyable.
