# I'm new. Be gentle.



## farmerbailey (Nov 3, 2013)

Hi Folks,

I have been farming for 2 years, now, and have a steady supply of pork, lamb, goat, turkey, chicken, guinea, goose, muscovy duck both in the freezer and in the pasture. We're in the middle of pork harvesting, and I want to try my own smoking, particularly *bacon* and *ham*. Once we get that down, I want to experiment with *turkey, goose*, and *muscovy duck*.

I am trying to DIY a smokehouse here on the farm, and have a few general questions. From some books, and what I have read on this site, I have enough information to be dangerous, but not enough to get started.

We will likely build a walk in, A-frame smokehouse. There is a bunch of lumber, plywood, wooden pallets and tin roofing here to work with. It won't be pretty, but that's fine.

1. A neighbor has a 55 gallon drum that has been converted to a stove with one of those barrel stove kits. Could this be used as a fire box, or would it be way to big. Or can you keep a small fire going in a big drum. There is no shortage of fire wood or smoking wood on the farm.

2. I gather smoking a ham involves curing, and then hot smoking, not cold smoking, correct? So I would need a separate set up for that? Or can it be cold smoked?

3. Bacon is usually cold smoked after curing? Or it can be hot or cold smoked?

4. Is poultry always hot smoked, or can it be cold smoked as well.

All meat will be frozen after smoking, and enjoyed throughout winter and spring.

Thanks for any links or tips. I will probably document the process as I go. I need to move quickly, as the next pig just hit 240 pounds, and will be killed this week.


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## pineywoods (Nov 3, 2013)

Welcome to SMF glad you joined us. You can use the drum as a firebox but will more than likely need to pipe it into the bottom of the smokehouse. You will want to cure then cold smoke hams and bacon. I think most of us hot smoke chicken


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