How to build a cold smoker...

A cold smoker is used to flavour and preserve meats, fish and cheese. The products aren't cooked in the smoking process but instead gain flavour from the wood chips being used to generate smoke...

You will need:

1 x Small Garden incinerator
1 x Angle grinder with cutting blade
1 x 3m Length of Flexible Aluminium Duct (We have used 100mm diameter)
1 x Wardrobe (one equipped with a draw at the bottom will make life easier)
1 x Jigsaw
1 x Drill Equipped with a 10mm wood bit and a 24mm wood bit
1 x Tape measure
1 x Mitre

The first step is to create a fire chamber for the fuel.

1. You need to create a fire chamber. The hose that joins the fire chamber to the smoke box needs to have the same diameter as the exhast exit of your fire chamber so don't order your duct until your fire chamber is complete. For your fire Camber you can use all sorts of devices from garden incinerators to old fridges and even old and very empty Calor gas cannisters. You can also buy ready made smoke generators. If you use a gas canister ensure that all the gas has been removed by filling it with water and allowing the gas to dissolve before being emptied.

Fire chamber made from old calor canister

2. Your fire chamber needs a small entry for air, and an exit for smoke. It is an advantage if you can cover or close off the air hole in order to generate the smoke.

The smoke house design is very straightforward just remember that it needs to be built so that it is higher than the top of the fire chamber as warm air rises. this is importnat as you will need to build a stand for your wardrobe and the bigger you fire chamber the taller your stand.

3. Remove the draw from the bottom of the wardrobe and the back of the wardrobe to provide access. It may also be useful to remove the doors Remove the draw front from the rest of the draw and screw it back into the front of the wardrobe. The draw should look as if it can be opened.

The view from the back showing the draw front in place and smoke holes above

4. Manufacture a new base to the wardrobe and attach it to the bottom of the wardrobe  using batons. This will mean that once the back is inplace, the base should become a sealed unit.

5. If at this point you know the diameter of your aluminium pipe then cut an access into one side of the newly created chamber so smoke can enter.

6. At the top of the newly created chamber using the 10mm drill bit, drill a series of holes in a grid fashion. this will allow the smoke to percolate from the bottom smoke chamber into the main body of the wardrobe where your meat and fish will hang.

The grid of holes will aloow the smoke to percolate through the smoke house

7. At the top of the wardrobe, at either side use the 24mm drill bit to drill three holes to allow the smoke to exit from the wardrobe.

Exit holes

8. Use bathroom sealant to fill any gaps around the bottom smoke chamber so it is relatively air tight.

9. Rehang the doors and replace the back of the wardrobe.

10. Link your fire chamber to your wardrobe (Smoke house) with the aluminium pipe. Allow the pipe to dip slightly in the middle as it will collect condensation

The finished smoker. At the bottom right of the wardrobe you can see the entry point for the cold smoke. The wardrobe is lifetd on a plinth the smoker would usually sit on the floor at the side linked with the aluminium ducting.