A gas cylinder smokehouse is an economical option for complex and expensive equipment for smoking products. To make such a design, you will need both an angle grinder and welding machine. In this matter, the master should show creativity. The result of painstaking work will be a structure that will be used as a barbecue, grill or smokehouse.
To create such a masterpiece, ordinary cylinders are best suited. Durable metal allows the product to be heated to the maximum temperature, and the ergonomic shape allows it to be used for preparing all kinds of dishes. Several master classes on how to make a smokehouse from a gas cylinder will help make your dream come true. 
First of all, it is important to clear the container of any remaining gas. When will it come out naturally, the tank is filled with water and left for 24 hours. After the expiration date, the liquid is poured out and the valve is lubricated with soap suds to check for leaks.
The equipment will consist of 2 parts: a smoke generator and a brazier. Therefore, you need to prepare two tanks of 50 and 20 liters. Then the master will make a drawing or sketch on which he will mark the location of the air vent holes and doors. At the next stage, prepare tools and materials:
Basic tools and materials in combat readiness. Now you can start creating a smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands. It is worth noting that the instructions refer to the installation for the hot smoking method. So, the whole process is divided into several main stages.
The smoke generator and the grill itself are flasks with lids, so first you should cut off the neck. Then make the first balloon 50 cm long, and leave the second one in original form. After this, the following is cut out in each of them:
In the main container, make special devices for skewers. On each side (opposite each other) form:
A wheel wheel is made from a construction corner by drilling holes over the entire area at a distance of 5 cm. Then it is welded to the central area of the installation.
The cylinder smokehouse should be connected to a chimney pipe and a firebox. To do this, a valve for the chimney is cut in the upper part of the section, and in the other lower corner for the smoke generator. 
Now you should correctly fold the cut parts. Here you will need a welding machine with 2-3 mm electrodes. The components are connected in the following sequence:
It is important to take into account that transverse beams are welded to the supports for the stability of the equipment. After this, the main part of the barbecue-smokehouse from a gas cylinder is connected to the firebox itself. In this case, the dampers are made of a fixed type in order to regulate combustion, smoke circulation and the intensity of smoldering. 
Using the same principle, a plate is attached to the top of the chimney so that it can be opened and closed. 
The cutting and welding process requires extreme precision. The joints must be smooth and without gaps. To make the container as airtight as possible, aluminum plates with a gap of 2-3 cm are attached along the perimeter of the cut out windows. They are fixed with rivets.
After such dusty work, the structure is brought into a presentable form. This unusual “makeover” of a metal structure is done in several stages:
The photo shows a smokehouse made from a gas cylinder with your own hands, made according to the instructions given above. Some elements can be done differently. 
Instead of a damper, many people prefer to cut strips (up to 5 mm wide) on the bottom of the product.
The firebox is often made from ordinary sheet metal. It is made square or rectangular shape. The size is 1/3 of the fryer itself.
To build such a smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands, you need drawings. The diagram below shows the principle of connecting the three main sections. Since the installation instructions for the grill/barbecue are given above, in this part you should only pay attention to the construction of the vertical chamber. The heating temperature in it will not exceed 50-70°C. 
They do it this way:
When connecting parts, you should use a level that will help you achieve the maximum vertical arrangement cameras It is important not to forget to weld the handles and hinges on the door. This type of equipment comes with thermometers that are installed on each half.
The hinges are attached in 2 ways: bolts or welding. The first option is much more practical because it allows you to easily replace parts in case of breakdown. Still, the second method is more reliable.
Any self-made cylinder smokehouse needs stable and durable legs. At the same time, it must be mobile, able to move. Therefore, the legs are made from:
The parts are connected using bolts/nuts or welding. In the first case, the structure will be removable, and in the second, stationary. The installation height is calculated so that the vertical compartment is at a level of 1 m from the ground. Some craftsmen advise attaching a shelf in the form of a lattice between the legs. You can store it on it kitchen utensils and firewood.
For mobile smokehouse models, it is better to make wheels from a gas cylinder. They are disconnected either from a construction wheelbarrow or from a bicycle. They are mounted on the side of the cold smoking chamber.
Supports can be made from the legs of an old sewing machine, made in the USSR. The material is so durable and heat-resistant that it couldn’t be better.
Smoking is a labor-intensive and very delicate process. The taste of products depends not only on the design features of the equipment, but also on the fuel materials used. The standard advice is to choose wood fruit trees:
At the same time, walnut, oak or elm chips will give the meat/fruit an unusually tart taste. It is recommended to treat the fish with smoke obtained after burning willow, talniki and even willow.
Before you start building a smokehouse from gas cylinders with your own hands, it’s worth watching the video master classes. They draw attention to the nuances that arise when performing ultra-precise metal cutting. At the same time, the employee can answer many other questions.
Summer rest outside the city is associated with cooking over a fire, which is why many summer residents have a good-quality design for cooking delicious kebab and vegetables for fresh air. You can buy it in a store ready-made, order it from craftsmen, or make it yourself. In the latter case, it is not necessary to use expensive metal sheets; improvised means will do.
As an economical option we offer step by step instructions for the manufacture of barbecue smokehouses from gas cylinders. If you need a design with a barbecue, then necessary order actions are set out in the article: "".
Now let's take a closer look at all the nuances.
The cylinder is well suited for barbecues, externally non-corrosive, without gas residues or freon inside. The optimal volume is 50 l, length is 0.85 m, diameter is 0.3 m.
One of its main advantages is the strength of the metal. The average thickness of the walls of its body is 3 mm and above. For comparison: the thickness of the purchased metal is 1–2 mm.
An installation made of such material will not burn out. It’s easy to make it stationary or portable. Its minimum service life is 15 years. In this design, there is no need to forcibly extinguish the fire, but simply block the air supply, and the flame will gradually die out.
The smokehouse grill consists of two parts:
To get a full-fledged design, it is better to stock up on two gas cylinders - you will need a separate flask for the smokehouse.
Thanks to the cylindrical shape of the cylinder, the barbecue body is almost ready, which significantly reduces the time and labor intensity of the work.
The design of the “steam locomotive” type complex is more complex. To assemble it you need several barrels, main pipes and gas cylinders. It consists of four parts: barbecue, grill, smokehouse, grill.
Each of its parts must have different conditions for cooking. Recommended design dimensions:
As for the smoke generator, the type of smoking depends on the type of connection with the fryer.
Let's start cooking
Highlight:
It is worth thinking in advance what kind of dish you should get at the end.
When the question with smoking installation decided, let's start selecting necessary tools, and this:
Photo: necessary tools for working with metal
And of course, the main working material is a 50 liter gas cylinder.
Working with welding and grinders requires experience and skills. If they are not there, it is better to invite a specialist. Any experiments in this situation are traumatic.
A grill-smokehouse made from gas cylinders requires a competent design. You can prepare an approximate diagram on paper, but it is better to make it in one of the graphic editors, depicting ready-made option in 3D format.
Scheme of a barbecue made from a propane cylinder
When starting to use a pressurized container, several requirements must be met:
Water should be poured onto areas of soil without vegetation. When working with an angle grinder, you need to wear safety glasses, a mask, and a suit so that in case of a rebound you do not damage your hand or other part of the body.
The resulting parts will be heated over a fire, cool, and the device can be assembled.
You need to prepare everything in advance important elements designs:
The design can be supplemented with a welded rain canopy.
Photo: cutting a cylinder - preparing a container for a barbecue
Another option is to mark and carefully cut:
To get a smoke generator, you need:
Creating such an installation will require replacing the standard side holes of the grill with a hatch at the bottom of the body, and the remaining piece of the cylinder will become a damper.
Thematic material:
To avoid deformation and strengthen the structure inside, they are welded at the edges metal corners.
All parts are assembled in the following order:
After completion of welding work, a draft check is performed.
The assembled grill-smokehouse does not have a very attractive appearance. Weld seams and traces of grinder work are visible. To make the structure look more aesthetically pleasing, you can cover it heat-resistant paint, which can withstand temperatures up to +700 0 C. There are no restrictions in choosing a shade, but many are inclined to the classic black color, since fumes and soot from the fire will settle on the surface, and this color masks them well.
The curly forging elements on the legs, lid, and handles look interesting. If you add wheels to the installation, then it can be conveniently and quickly moved from place to place. A woodpile located nearby will save time on delivering firewood, and a cutting table located nearby will simplify the cooking process.
If desired and with the proper skill, a barbecue-smokehouse can easily be turned into a unique decoration of the estate, which will gather a friendly company around itself and delight you with delicacies.
Homemade smoked meats have always differed from store-bought ones in their rich taste, aroma and naturalness. Even the recipes do not aim to bring homemade smoked dishes closer to those sold on the market.
The thing is that at present many manufacturers have completely abandoned natural smoking, believing that this increases the cost of the product. They prefer to use more cheap way processing meat, lard or fish with liquid smoke. As a result, the salted semi-finished product will be ready for consumption after just an hour of soaking.
Natural smoking can only be found in private, when the product is prepared in a homemade smokehouse. This smokehouse can be made from available materials. A propane tank is ideal as a container for a smoking box. Let's face it, in order to fully use the device, you will have to put a lot of work into its design. But step by step execution instructions will lead to quality manufacturing products.
Before you start manufacturing, you need to decide what type of smoking your design will be used for. Hot smoking must take place at high temperatures. This can only be achieved by placing the firebox and smokehouse in one container. A schematic drawing of such a smokehouse shows how to implement this with a horizontal cylinder arrangement.
Such a device will be universal, since it can also be used to cook a barbecue. At its core, it is a barbecue with a smokehouse in one design. Blower holes are made in the lower part, thanks to which firewood placed at the bottom will burn with access to oxygen. If you want to transform the barbecue into a smokehouse, you just need to cover these holes, for example, with a sheet of iron.
When hot smoking, the product turns out boiled and loose. Therefore, it should not be hung on hooks as it will fall down. The best option There will be production of special sieves. A few words need to be said about the benefits of the product. Everyone knows that under the influence of temperature, many dishes lose their vitamin value. And the shelf life of such a dish is very limited.
For cold smoking you will have to make two containers, because the firebox and the smoking box should be separated. A chimney 1.5 to 2.5 meters long is arranged between them. In this area, the smoke should have time to cool to 25°C degrees.
Under the influence of smoke and salt from pre-salting, the product is dehydrated and preserved. Accordingly, the proportion of vitamins preserved after smoking is greater compared to hot smoking. Cold smoked products can be stored for up to several weeks. To make a smoking box, you will have to upgrade a vertically installed cylinder.
The reason for constructing a smokehouse with your own hands is an unusual high price finished design, if you buy it in a store. It should be noted that if all the tips for implementing the scheme are properly followed, you will get a smokehouse in which you can cook products that are no different in quality from those that are smoked in purchased devices.
The most optimal container capacity for homemade products is 50 liters. This is an ordinary gas cylinder in which a propane-butane mixture is stored. Old and rusty cylinders are not suitable for making a smokehouse at home, since the temperature has a destructive effect on the metal.
After the cylinder has been thoroughly washed with water, you can perform any actions with it. The smokehouse lid is made by cutting out a segment of the body and then attaching it using hinges. First you need to chalk out the outline of the lid required size. The dimensions of the lid should be such that it is convenient to load products into the smokehouse and place them on sieves or hang them on hooks.
Welding seams can be found on each cylinder. They are rings that have thickenings. The lid must be marked so that the rings are not damaged during the cutting process.
The hinges themselves that our gas cylinder smokehouse will be equipped with depend on the capabilities. They can be welded, riveted or screwed. In this case, both forged hinges and ordinary door hinges are used, of which there are plenty in any hardware store.
Do not forget to mount the handle, because sometimes you will have to open the hot smoker. The edges of the door cut off by a grinder must be processed, all nicks removed and the ends smoothed so that the device does not pose a risk of injury.
Typically, a smokehouse for hot smoking is installed on a grill or on bricks. Our device is bulky enough to be moved every now and then, so we can make a neat stand. It will be convenient to prepare dishes with it, because its height is optimal. If you need to move the smokehouse to another place, then this can be done in parts: first the box itself, and then the stand for it.
First, let's decide on the height. It must be selected so that the cook can create his masterpieces while standing. Usually a height of about one meter is taken as an example. There is nothing better than metal corners for constructing a frame or legs for a smokehouse. You also need to pay attention to the reliability of the support. Since after filling with food the smokehouse will significantly gain weight, all corners must be properly welded to each other, and the frames must contain diagonal spacers.
For those who have decided to do homemade work for the first time, it is advisable to turn to more experienced mentors. We propose to weld a frame from corners in the form rectangular parallelepiped. The side faces contain diagonal reinforcements. Please note that with this manufacturing, the stand can be transported separately from the smokehouse. Some sources also contain advice to weld four legs directly to the cylinder. You must choose the option that suits you best.
We indicated above design features smokehouses for cold and hot smoking. Now we will look at a smokehouse specifically for high-temperature processing.
An L-shaped elbow is welded into the place where the neck was previously cut off, into which the pipe will then be inserted. It is advisable to make a damper in the pipe. This way you can regulate the amount of smoke. The fact is that very dense smoke can give the product excessive bitterness.
The firebox can be made in two ways:
You can connect the firebox to the smoking box using a piece of pipe. It is necessary to provide for the possibility of laying firewood and create conditions for oxygen access to the firebox.
A smokehouse for cold smoking will differ in that the pipe connecting the firebox to the tank is more than 1.5 meters long. If this section of pipe is made removable, then you can easily transform one type of smokehouse into another.
One more detail is important. When smoking, liquid is released, and in the case of meat, lard or fish, fat. If it gets on wood chips, the latter may ignite. In addition, the smell of burnt fat will be absorbed into the product. To collect it, you should build a tray at the bottom of the smokehouse. Now the gas cylinder smokehouse is ready.
Some craftsmen try to give their creation a presentable look by painting it black. There is no particular need for this. After a few cycles, the smokehouse will become covered with soot and become black. But you still have to get rid of foreign odors, so you need to heat the device without adding food.
Cannot be used as a smoking material conifers or birch with bark. This wood contains a lot of resin. It will be released and absorbed into the fibers of the product, which, naturally, will not have the best effect on its taste.
Make sure the lid is sealed. As a last resort, the smoking box can be covered with burlap on top. Usually hot smoking lasts 20-30 minutes. With such a long process, it is better not to open the box at all. Smoking meat takes much longer. For this purpose, it is supposed to open the smokehouse slightly every 30 minutes and release wet steam.
A DIY smokehouse will work well in any case. If you are not satisfied temperature regime and it needs to be regulated, remember that any type of wood has its own specific heat of combustion. By changing the breeds you can significantly influence the temperature in the smoking box. It is useful for yourself to draw up a table of the relationship between the type of wood and the product you are going to smoke.
The taste of home-smoked meat, lard or fish is much different from the taste of those products sold in stores or markets. After all, today’s smoked meat producers have long mastered an easier and less costly technology for processing meat products - the so-called “ liquid smoke" The essence of the technology is simple: salted ready-made delicacies are dipped in smoke liquid for 2-3 minutes, and then dried in special cabinets.
It’s very easy to make real smoked meats at home by making a smokehouse from a gas cylinder with your own hands. In this article we will try to describe in detail the manufacturing process of the smoking unit, and for clarity we will add step-by-step instructions and several videos.
Usually, in the store, the labels of smoked products indicate how the product was prepared: hot or cold. To get a clear idea of their essence, take a look at the proposed drawings.
Scheme: comparison of hot and cold smoking technologies With hot smoking, the products placed in the smokehouse reach condition much earlier than with cold smoking, due to the fact that they are exposed to high temperature and smoke. But the shelf life of products prepared by smoking this way is short and, as a rule, is 2-3 weeks.
When cold smoking, products in a smokehouse can be processed from 1 to 3 days. This ensures long-term preservation of meat or fish from 2 to 6 months. By the way, prunes, beloved by confectioners, are also prepared using cold smoking technology.
The design of a homemade smokehouse will depend on the technology you choose. As shown in the drawing when cold technology the firebox is separated from the smoking tank by a long pipe (about 3-4 m). This is necessary so that the smoke has time to cool before reaching the food.
Today, in many large construction stores You can easily buy a ready-made smokehouse, but its cost is sometimes too high. It is much cheaper to make a smokehouse with your own hands from scrap materials, for example, as in our case from a gas cylinder. The quality of the products prepared in it will also be high.
Smokehouse made from gas cylinders To make a smokehouse, as in the photo, you will need an AG-50 gas cylinder. Its capacity must be more than 50 liters.
Important! Do not use old, heavily rusted or damaged cylinders. A smokehouse made from them will not last long.
All preparatory work can be combined into three stages:
Attention! Do not neglect your personal safety - it is prohibited to cut or weld the cylinder without first cleaning it of gas residues and other substances. Carry out all work only after the gas has completely escaped.
Once completely cleaned, the cylinder becomes safe. Now it can be cut. Lay the can on its side and make chalk marks where the doors should be. Using a grinder, cut a hole in the cylinder, leaving only those places where the loops should be intact. Please note that the side parts (rings) must remain intact. You can speed up the process a little by using various metal cutters.
You can cut the balloon with a grinder Now you should attach the hinges to the door. You can use any iron door hinges. Ordinary bolts are quite suitable for fastening them. But it will be safer to weld the hinges with a welding machine. After this, the door is finally cut out and all sharp edges are cleaned. Attach a handle to the outside of the door. For greater convenience, the handle is covered with fire-resistant, non-heating material. You can buy it at a hardware store.
As a rule, the height of the smokehouse rarely exceeds the standard kitchen table and is 85-100 cm. At the first stage, you should decide whether you will have a stationary smokehouse or one with a portable function. Both the stand and removable legs can be made from metal corners.
Attention! The weight of a smokehouse loaded with products is much greater than an empty one, therefore, in order to ensure the stability of the smokehouse, during manufacture supporting structure All parts must be properly secured and welded.
The easiest and fastest way is to make a stationary structure. To make it you will need 4 corners and a welding machine. Connect the corners perpendicular to the cylinder and weld them to the bottom of the smokehouse.
The smokehouse is installed on metal legs Portable legs are made differently. Drill holes in the bottom of the cylinder and insert bolts into them so that the threads are outward. And weld nuts into the legs. If necessary, the legs are simply screwed to the cylinder.
The lower part of the legs, both in the first and second cases, for greater stability, must additionally be equipped with corners or metal supports.
As we said above, the technology of cold and hot smoking is different, therefore the designs of smokehouses will be different. Let's look at the step-by-step manufacturing instructions hot smokehouse. For a more visual representation, we suggest watching the video.
So, weld an iron elbow to the neck cut off with a grinder. Insert it into chimney. Create a damper at the top to regulate the amount of smoke. It is attached to the pipe with a bolt or made completely removable.
Cut a hole in the other side piece. Through it, smoke from the firebox will flow into the smokehouse. The combustion tank can be made from sheets of metal (4 mm) or a tank of slightly smaller dimensions. It is made with two holes for placing sawdust and for a blower. Install a grate between the firebox and the smokehouse tank, as an open fire can spoil the food. The best solution will provide a small transition in the form of a pipe. Remember, hot smoking is carried out at high temperatures.
Chimney for smokehouse For cold smokehouse the pipe connecting the firebox and the tank is extended as much as possible so that the smoke reaches the food already cooled to 19-25 degrees. The design of the smokehouse may involve two removable pipes: one for hot smoking, the other for cold smoking.
At the bottom of the food tank, place a metal sheet wrapped in foil to collect excess fat. You will have to change the foil after each use. Attach to the top metal pipe, on which pieces of meat or fish are hung.
The assembled smoking unit can be additionally equipped on the outside with a table for food.
The finished smokehouse is usually covered with enamel dark colors. However, this is not necessary, since gradually it will still become covered with soot. Before using the smokehouse for the first time, the firebox should be heated at least once “idle” to completely get rid of extraneous odors.
For cold smoking you need to extend the chimney pipe When making smoked meats at home, use sawdust only from deciduous trees. Wood from fruit trees and bushes. It would be a good idea to have a small wood chipper at your disposal.
When placing meat or fish preparations in the smokehouse, wrap them in one layer of gauze. It will retain excess resin, which gives smoked meats bitterness.
Updated:
2016-10-03A smokehouse made from a gas cylinder is an excellent solution to acquire your own device for smoking products using available materials. It’s not difficult to get a cylinder, and the DIY process doesn’t require any special skills.
Photo of a smokehouse made from a gas cylinder
Before you make a smokehouse from a gas cylinder, you need to decide what type of smoking you want to get - hot or cold.
The difference between them is quite serious. The smoking process of one type or another requires different approach to the organization of the smokehouse design.
The balloon is excellent material to create any type of smokehouse. The barbecue smokehouse made from a gas cylinder is gaining great popularity, which allows you to smoke food or cook a barbecue on one device.
To make a smoking device with your own hands from a cylinder, you will first need to work on this container.
It is difficult to imagine a smokehouse or a combined smokehouse-barbecue without a chimney and firebox. This is where the main difference between cold and hot smoking begins.
As you understand, assembling a hot or cold smokehouse with your own hands, or combining a barbecue and two types of smokehouses in one device, is not a difficult task. The main thing here is to be patient and decide on the design before you start preparing the cylinder.
In the process of building a smokehouse with your own hands and its operation, certain questions may arise. We want to give you answers to some of them.
A gas cylinder lying around is not just scrap metal. If desired, you can build a magnificent smokehouse from it. Home-smoked food is tasty and cheap when compared with current prices for smoked meats in stores.
