I've been smoking a couple years now and really enjoy it. I recently got a sausage stuffer, and my smoker doesn't have enough room to hang sausage. I'm thinking of building a smokehouse and have a few questions. 1. I've seen ppl say they are more for cold smoking. Can I still cook things like ribs, pork butts, and other things that cook at warmer temps? 2. What temps are considered cold smoking?
What all you can cook in your smokehouse will be dtermined by the temps you can run.
If you build a smokehouse that has the fire (smoke generation) a long way from the smoke chamber, and can only have a small fire (heat source), then you'll pretty much be cold smoking.
If you have the fire (smoke generation) close to the smoke chamber, and the fire (heat source) can be made to produce a higher temperature, then yes, you can use it for hot smoking (200-275).
This will also depend on what type of materials you use for the building of the smokehouse and what you use for heat.
I have a smokehouse made from cedar wood, but lined with aluminum diamond plate, and I can cold smoke with an A-MAZE-N smoker and never get over 45 degrees inside (when it's below that temp outside). I can also turn on the electric heating element and run temps at 300 degrees and still use the A-MAZE-N for smoke.
Temps: (My opinion and experience)
Cold smoking - above freezing - 80 degrees
Warm smoking - 80+ - 150 degrees
Hot smoking - 150+ - 275 degrees