Planning a smokehouse build

[maplenut]

I am in the early planning stages of a smokehouse build.

I would really like to have one of those small smokehouses in the backyard, you know the kind you see here and all over the internet, cedar smokehouse.

The wife is on board with the build cause of the look, that is a plus.

The size that I am looking at is something about 3x3 base.

Now the questions, how high can you run the temps in a small smokehouse without the risk of having a pile of ashes?

I tried combing the forums here and there is just so many threads to sift thru it becomes impossible.

Some of the things I would like to eventually smoke is just about anything. Turkeys, chickens, sausages, bacon, ham, beef, you know just about anything.

Is this even possible in a wood smokehouse of this size?

 

[daveomak]

One suggestion is to smoke the meat and finish in the oven to get the higher temps so you don't burn it down... I do that...

Depending on the design, you can probably safely cook at 250 ish.... until the fat from the meat catches fire... then it's over....

 

[crankybuzzard]

One suggestion is to smoke the meat and finish in the oven to get the higher temps so you don't burn it down... I do that...

Depending on the design, you can probably safely cook at 250 ish.... until the fat from the meat catches fire... then it's over....

What Dave said it good info.

In my little cedar smokehouse I can run temps up to 300 degrees with my electric element, but I don't set my controller of 250, just to be on the safe side.  Also, drip pans are a must!  Keeps things clean and keeps combustibles from hitting the heat source.

Cedar wood won't self combust until the temperature is WELL over 500 degrees F.  As long as you keep your heat source insulated from, or well away from, the wood, you'll be fine.

 

[maplenut]

The plan is to have the firebox off to the side of the smokehouse by about 3-4'.

I never really thought about the grease drippings but I guess with a drip pan and with the heat source off to the side that should help.

I am glad to hear that running it at 250 should not be a problem. I saw a video on youtube that shown a small smokehouse and one of the comments was that they could put a wire rack on top of the block base where the wooden part of the smokehouse sits and would be able to higher temp smoking. That got me thinking about just how high temps could you run in a wooden smokehouse.

Thanks guys for helping me out.

 

[crankybuzzard]

 
The plan is to have the firebox off to the side of the smokehouse by about 3-4'.

I never really thought about the grease drippings but I guess with a drip pan and with the heat source off to the side that should help.

I am glad to hear that running it at 250 should not be a problem. I saw a video on youtube that shown a small smokehouse and one of the comments was that they could put a wire rack on top of the block base where the wooden part of the smokehouse sits and would be able to higher temp smoking. That got me thinking about just how high temps could you run in a wooden smokehouse.

Thanks guys for helping me out.

Keep us informed about the build.

None of us know it all (some may think they do), but collectively, we have a good knowledge base here!  Ask away if you have more questions!