# Wasn't sure where to put this...smoker room???



## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 25, 2019)

Hello everyone. This is my first post...though I've been researching all over for almost a year now...with very little luck.

I bought a house last year...and in it is an 5' x 5' x 8' ROOM...that the previous owner told me was for smoking meats. I asked if she knew how it worked, and she told me that in 11 years, they'd never used it...but that the previous owner to her built the house, and used it all the time. In local research (this house is sort of famous around here because it's very different) many people said they've had incredible dinners here of smoked meats, and that the owner used to give away jerky, sausages, etc...as well as smoke brisket and other game for family or friends as gifts.

I've decided that this year, I'd like to smoke one of our Thanksgiving turkeys in the room. Problem is, I still have no idea how to use it. I've used an offset smoker with some success in the past...but this is a whole other beast.

Anyhow, I took a YouTube video and posted it awhile back...but I can get pictures or more video of any specific detail you'd like.

Any help would be much appreciated!!!


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## talox (Nov 25, 2019)

Watching ....


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## Sowsage (Nov 25, 2019)

Holy cow! I cant point you in any direction on how they used it before but i sure would be figuring out my own way to use it! You hit the jack pot right there!lol!


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## The VA Gentleman (Nov 25, 2019)

Wow...very cool!  Sorry that I can't help.  I sure hope that you learn how to use it and fill us all in.  I'm curious!


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## dcrumrine (Nov 25, 2019)

what i have gotten so far from researching it is you dont want to have your fire inside the room. they it will cause the meat to turn black and hard. i will keep researching and see what i can find. Is there any place you can make like a fire in like a 55 gallon wood stove and run the pipe into it? Like a whole some where you can run a pipe through?


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## GaryHibbert (Nov 26, 2019)

Well I've never heard of a smoker built into a house, rather than built onto a house.  But........I really like the idea.
Once you get it fired up be sure to post the smoke so we can all see how well it works.
Gary


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## DanMcG (Nov 26, 2019)

That's pretty cool.
The only thing I see different between your room and an early american smokehouse is that yours is inside and not a dedicated building on a farm.
It looks like he used sawdust and maybe a small fire by the looks of the spot on the floor. I don't see you cooking meat in it, but just smoking.
I'll watch it again and see if I see anything else.

Something like this;


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## DanMcG (Nov 26, 2019)

By the looks of the unpainted wall the two holes by the door might have been some sort of control box. You can see the two mounting screw holes top and bottom and the large holes could have been for elec. conduits.

And why is the ceiling in a smokehouse not black?


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## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 26, 2019)

danmcg said:


> By the looks of the unpainted wall the two holes by the door might have been some sort of control box. You can see the two mounting screw holes top and bottom and the large holes could have been for elec. conduits.
> 
> And why is the ceiling in a smokehouse not black?



I'm not sure really. It's not though. 

I took another video, showing the ceiling, and going into a bit closer detail on some parts. 



danmcg said:


> That's pretty cool.
> The only thing I see different between your room and an early american smokehouse is that yours is inside and not a dedicated building on a farm.
> It looks like he used sawdust and maybe a small fire by the looks of the spot on the floor. I don't see you cooking meat in it, but just smoking.
> I'll watch it again and see if I see anything else.
> ...



I've searched everywhere for that type setup. I know he did actually cook meat though. I'm just not sure how?

Also...if it helps, the builder was a German engineer and woodworker. He came over to help build the Cumberland Gap tunnel. Most of the house was built in Germany and hauled over to be rebuilt. It has a number of very unique features, including a full on masonry furnace (super cool concept lol).

Again...any help you all have would be greatly appreciated! 



By the way, the room smells amazing lol. It's been over 12 years since it's been used, and it makes me start to drool every time I open the door lol.


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## DanMcG (Nov 27, 2019)

I'm confused, In your opening statement in the first vid you said , "got these holes in the cinder block that go into the room."
not a big deal, just making observations


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## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 27, 2019)

danmcg said:


> I'm confused, In your opening statement in the first vid you said , "got these holes in the cinder block that go into the room."
> not a big deal, just making observations



I was talking about the ceiling not being black. It's not, and I don't know why either...unless the chimney vent is just very efficient. 

The holes were probably for a thermocouple device of some sort yes. 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, and thanks!


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## DanMcG (Nov 27, 2019)

Looks like the hanger pipes are covered in tar from the smoke. The door loos to be a gypsum filled firedoor. 
I bet it wouldn't be too hard to get it up to temp, it should hold the heat pretty well with solid walls.


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## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 27, 2019)

danmcg said:


> Looks like the hanger pipes are covered in tar from the smoke. The door loos to be a gypsum filled firedoor.
> I bet it wouldn't be too hard to get it up to temp, it should hold the heat pretty well with solid walls.



I've got a thermocouple with a probe, and some kaowool I keep around for forge repairs that I can plug those holes with if necessary. I may just light a medium fire with the vents mostly closed today, let it get down to coals...and see what it hits.


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## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 27, 2019)

Sooooo, I spent a bit of time down there today. Cleaned it out, got a fire lit in the box.  I stacked 9x 4" diameter x 12" or so oak faggots in a crosshatch pattern...and lit them up. There was definite draw, and smoke coming out of the chimney in a steady stream...but the room was literally full of it (shoulda seen all the pissed off wasps that came down the chimney lol). Max temp reached, measured by my pyrometer poked through the 'controller' holes, was 165°F. Problem is I can't get back in there  to add wood to bring the heat up without smoking out the entire shop and house lol. The other problem is when it drops, it drops fast. Once it reached 165°F it was back down to 120°F in no time.

So...my current problems are:
1 - Not hot enough, and no retained heat.
2 - MASSIVE amounts of smoke generated makes any adjustments necessary, including loading the meat...problematic.
3 - I'm not sure how the airflow works. With the door vent fully open, the room doesn't clear of smoke. With the door cracked, smoke rolls out into the shop. This is going to make generating heat an issue...it would be nice to have a solid clean room to work with to build the heat and load the meat, then generate smoke as I please.
4 - I'm this close to running propane for heat, and wood chips for smoke lol!

I think the key to this working would be to burn in there for an entire day...get the walls saturated at a reasonable temp...then work on whatever I'm going to do to smoke the meat. Problem with that is the room doesn't ever clear of smoke. The fire has been out for 45 minutes and the smoke isn't clear lol.

Rigging a baffle for the flame/drippings is going to be important, too.

Anyhow, here's another video...again, thanks guys!


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## Cristopher Anderson (Nov 27, 2019)

Quick update!

Current state of the smoker room lol:



I'll stop spamming and let you guys work on it!!


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## Cristopher Anderson (Mar 20, 2020)

Bumping this guys, in case some other interested parties maybe missed it!


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## archeryrob (Mar 25, 2020)

I think you're going to need an electric burner in that room to heat and smoke it. Once you get that thing running you have no way to add fuel (wood) without opening the door and flooding the house with smoke.

For hot smoking, Get something like this and run the outlet, thermostat and plug into the room then seal the hole and mount the controls outside where you can see and use them. plug it in, hang the stat and plug the electric burner into the Inkbird outlet. Use wood chips in a can over the burner.






Cold smoking get the smoker pellets and just burn the in the coffee can thing you showed and leave the electric burner off. I guess the electric burner could be used to start it. Or start a second can when the first one goes out.


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## daveomak (Mar 25, 2020)

There appears to be no air inlet....   The fire died from lack of oxygen...


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## evilpsych (Apr 7, 2020)

Have you cleaned the Chimney? You mention the wasps - the nest could be messing with your draw. Hornets can make quite big nests around here.


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