Suppose you want to store the meat for a long duration of time and also want it fresh. Then, you have to build a smokehouse for yourself in the backyard of your home. But the main question is about building a smokehouse. There are many types of DIY smokehouses to build and you can also buy a ready-made smokehouse, but it is quite expensive.

Make your DIY smokehouse in your home by following the instructions properly. You just need the right ingredients to build a smokehouse which costs a couple of dollars. It preserves meat, vegetables, smoked sausages, meat, etc.

Smoking meat is a technique to store meat and add a smoky flavor to it. This is also used in many cuisines all over the world and it is very famous and liked by many people. If you are a smoked meat lover then you should make a smokehouse for yourself.

Elevating Outdoor Living Through Smokehouse

The inspiration behind building my smokehouse stemmed from my background in creating custom outdoor spaces that not only elevate the aesthetic value of homes but also enhance the living experience of homeowners.

Drawing upon over 30 years of transforming yards into private outdoor resorts with features like outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens, I recognized the profound impact that a smokehouse could have in elevating outdoor entertainment and culinary exploration.

Building a smokehouse allowed me to delve deeper into the outdoor culinary arts.

The experience of crafting smoked meats in my backyard provided not just an avenue for culinary creativity but also became a unique feature that complements the sophisticated outdoor living spaces I am passionate about creating.

This aligns with my drive to blend functionality with style, ensuring that every project, be it an outdoor kitchen or a smokehouse, serves as a convergence of aesthetic appeal and practical utility.

One of the key benefits I’ve gained from having a smokehouse is the ability to host gatherings that offer a distinct and memorable dining experience.

This directly ties into my work ethic of crafting spaces that foster community and bring people together, hallmark traits of the projects under my guidance.

Moreover, the smokehouse has been instrumental in emphasizing the importance of outdoor living areas that provide more than just beauty—they offer functionality and an enriched lifestyle that resonates with homeowners’ desires to connect and entertain.

Bob Berriz, Creative Director, Berriz Design

Family Bonding and Flavorful Gatherings

About seven years ago, my family and I were chilling at our cottage. We had some extra bricks lying in the corner of our garden, and we thought, “Hey, why not build a smokehouse?” It seemed like a fun project, plus we had all the materials ready.

The idea of making our own smoked meat was appealing: who doesn’t love that delicious, homemade flavor? One of the most fantastic things is that we get to choose what we want to smoke.

From ribs to brisket to even veggies or nuts, the options are endless. So, that was a big motivation for us.

Having our smokehouse in the backyard has been awesome. We have these amazing family gatherings around it. We’re all sitting in the garden, chatting, while the meat smokes for hours.

Overall, building our smokehouse has brought our family closer together and added a whole new level of flavor to our gatherings.

Jan Cizmar, CEO and Founder, Tolgee

1. The Ultimate Guide to Building a Smokehouse

You can easily build a DIY smokehouse on your own by selecting the right place in your home and getting the right material to build a strong brick smokehouse. We can make the homemade smokehouse which was built by Faustman And Alton,

This is a very popular and simple smokehouse design in which there is a large interior space to provide a good amount of smoke to the meat. 

1.1. Step-by-Step Instructions

A good quality DIY smokehouse depends upon the skills and the materials you use to make the house. This is a detailed method by which you can also make a smokehouse in your home’s backyard.

i. Select the Right Wood

The best wood for making the smokehouse is tongue and groove boards pine wood because it is easy to use and cost-effective. The wood you use depends upon the food you want to store in your smokehouse.

Different types of wood are suitable for different food items. Make sure to select the right wood because it is a very essential step for the making of the house.

ii. Cut the Wood for the Smokehouse Walls

After you can find the perfect wood for your smokehouse, it’s time to cut the wood and make the frame of your smokehouse. Firstly, cut the wood for both sides of the smokehouse.

You can check the measurement of the wood with the chalk or pencil and do it accurately. You can use 5 boards for the house which depends upon the size of the smokehouse. For this, we are supposed to do the 5 boards for the sides. Make sure to cut the wood with the saw.

iii. Cut the Wood for the Top and bottom

Now, it’s time to make the smokehouse roof and the bottom of the house. Cut the wood according to the measurement of the sides. Make sure that the top and bottom fit with the sides. You can make these pieces side by side.

iv. Cut the Wood for the Backside

Then, cut the woods for the back side of the smokehouse. Take the measurement and cut the wood accordingly with the circular saw. That’s how an accurate measurement can be taken. Place the back between the top and bottom of the house.

v. Fix the Wooden Pieces

When all the sides, back, and top pieces are ready. Then, you can fix those parts and make the frame of your smokehouse. Attach the wooden pieces with the pins, that’s how the first draft of your house is ready. Now, it looks like a smokehouse. Stand the smokehouse on a flat surface and fix the back along with the sides.

vi. Make the Front Side

Now, you can make the front side of the house by placing the braces on top and bottom of the house. The front side of the house is made to attach the door to it. That’s why you can leave the space empty at this point.

vii. Install the Shelf to the Smokehouse

When all the things mentioned above are done, then you can install a shelf in your house to store the meat and other food items. You can add as many shelves as you need according to the space in your house. But make sure that the space between the shelves is properly measured and installed inside the walls of the house.

viii. Build the Smokehouse Door

The interior and exterior of the house are almost ready. Now, the last part of your smokehouse is to build the front door. Make sure to take the correct and accurate measurements of the wood before constructing the actual door.

Build a door that fits from top to bottom of the house and looks good. Add clips on one side of the house to attach the door.

ix. Fix the Roof and Foundation

You can add many things to the roof of the smokehouse such as; you can install a steel sheet on it or making the roof by the woods and making sure to add a slight gap for ventilation. No matter if you install sheets or wood, the material you use is neat and clean.

You can make the foundation of your smokehouse from bricks to make it strong and you can also make it from small stones. This is due to adding a space for air in the smokehouse.

x. Complete the Draft

Finally, your draft is ready to go, and you can use this functional smokehouse to cure meat, vegetables, sauces, beverages, fruits, fish, and other types of food that you want.

Ventilation is a must, as it extracts the extra smoke and maintains the temperature. You can use a thermometer to check the temperature of the smokehouse.

You can add the smoke inside it by using the firebox or smoke generator and use wood and dust for smoke production. The small holes inside the house maintain the amount of smoke and keep proper ventilation.

You can also add some space for the woods and cover them by putting the roof on the top side. Many smokehouses add this feature to store the wooden pieces. That’s how you can add wood nearer to you, which is very comfortable.

Ventilation: Critical for Flavor Balance

Ventilation in a smokehouse is crucial. It’s like the lungs of the operation, ensuring that smoke circulates properly and doesn’t linger too long, which could result in over-smoked or unevenly cooked meat.

Think of it as maintaining the perfect balance between flavor infusion and avoiding suffocating your precious cuts.

Now, to ensure proper airflow, we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves. First off, you’ve got your basic vents. These babies are like the windows you crack open for a breeze on a stuffy day.

They let fresh air in while ushering out the old, smoky air. Then there’s the trusty fan system. Picture it as your smokehouse’s air conductor, making sure every nook and cranny gets a taste of that savory smoke without any hot spots or dead zones.

But hey, let’s not forget about the layout. Yeah, how you position your meat inside matters too. You don’t want anything blocking the airflow—no traffic jams in this smokehouse! So, spacing out your racks and making sure there’s plenty of room for the smoke to dance around is key.

Gabrielle Yap, Senior Editor, Carnivore Style

2. 20 Easy Homemade Smokehouse Plans

Multiple DIY smokehouse ideas are available in the market, which you can use to make a smokehouse in your home. The main ingredients to make a smokehouse are wood and bricks. The main purpose of making the smokehouse is to make smoked meat.

It depends upon which type of smokehouse you build. Here are 20 homemade how-to-build smokehouse plans that you can make in your home are as follows:

2.1. Cold Smoking

The Cold Smoking house was built by Ana White, and it looks like a closet. It has double doors with handles on each side which make it easy to handle the meat inside.

You can also store raw food such as meat, fish, and other meals etc. It is made of plywood and timber. This smokehouse is specially built for cold smoke.

2.2. Cedar Smokehouse

Cedar Smokehouse is the best option if you are looking for a handsome space for preserving the food and also for your woods. You can also store the wood on the side with a covered surface. This house is built from highly durable cedar wood.

2.3. Smokehouse with Wooden Storage

This smokehouse is like the one I discussed above but with some extra features, such as the ability to store the woods in a covered area. The foundation of this smokehouse is made with cement and bricks. That’s building a smokehouse with additional wooden storage.

2.4. Pallet Wood Smokehouse

Pallet wood smokehouse is the option for those who are looking for a budget-friendly and suitable smokehouse for their home. Pallets are used to make this house. It is a small smokehouse that can be built for under 100$, and good material is used in its production.

2.5. Bricks

This smokehouse is very simple and has a foundation which is made of bricks. You can build this house at your home and make smoked meats.

2.6. Build a Smokehouse with Cinder Blocks

This cinderblock smokehouse is made up of a wooden door. This is a large smokehouse, and you can also hang the meat from the roof attachment. You can build this house if you have a large family or you frequently conduct shows and parties.

There is also a chimney on the roof for the smoke.

2.7. Whiskey Barrel 

You can make a whiskey barrel smoker to store meat. This smokehouse looks good in the backyard of your home and provides a fancy look. You just need a barrel and a ventilation pipe on the roof.

2.8. File Cabinet 

If you have any extra file cabinets in your home that are of no use to you, then you can make this cabinet a smokehouse in no time. It is cost-effective and requires no extra tools to make this. You can use the handles to open or close the house and enjoy using them.

2.9. Beef Jerky Smokehouse

This beef jerky smokehouse was built by Joe and Zack for smoking fish and meat. You can also make this smokehouse by watching the video and following these blueprints.

2.10. Propane Closer

This smokehouse design is the invention of Cameron Faustman and Alton Blodgett. This is a masterpiece design and good if you are looking for a good space to provide smoke to the meat.

It is very cost-effective and provides a huge space. To build this house, make sure to use galvanized metal and plywood.

2.11. The V8 Smokehouse

This smokehouse is very effective and shows simplicity. Everyone can make this smokehouse and get multiple benefits. It is made from untreated plywood.

2.12. Concrete

In the concrete foundation smokehouse, the foundation of this house is built from the cement block. This strong base provides a strong foundation for the wooden bricks that hold on this cement block base.

2.13. Neo-Classical Smokehouse

If you want a fancy and beautiful smokehouse, then NEO-Classical smokehouse is for you. This is very classical, and you can use a smokehouse for parties and even in restaurants.

2.14. Garden Smokehouse

As the name suggests, this wooden smokehouse is specially built for the garden. It has a wooden side panel and a roof on which you can hang the flowers.

2.15. Hillbilly Smokehouse

This smokehouse is perfect for those who have very little budget and want a good quality smokehouse. All you need is a cinder, cement, stone, timber, and a steel drum. By using these things, you can make a lavish smokehouse with a roof that covers the woods.

2.16. Miniature Classical Smokehouse

This is a portable smokehouse that is run through the fuel metal box and a steel pipe is connected to the mini smokehouse. You can unplug the pipe and move this smokehouse anywhere. This smokehouse is best for vegetables, fish, and other types of smoking sausages.

2.17. Cedar Walk-In Smokehouse

If you want a big and good-looking smokehouse, then this smokehouse will become your dream to use. You can use this for cold smoking and hot smoking to cure the meat and it contains racks and grills to hang meat inside.

2.18. Brick and Steel

This is another smokehouse that you keep in your garden or backyard. It is a multipurpose smokehouse that is used for cold and hot smoking.

Cold smoking and hot smoking have different purposes. A smokehouse that is made of steel can stay longer than any other house and the maintenance is also less.

2.19. Patio Smokehouse

If you are not satisfied with the cedar or other types of smokehouses and you think that the flavour of those smokehouses is not so good. Then you must try this smokehouse at least once. This smokehouse is inspired by the patio.

2.20. Weber BBQ 

You can use this smokehouse by the Weber BBQ grill at home. If you already have a grill in your home, then you can use it to add smoke to your smokehouse and enjoy the smoked meat. You can use a pipe to enter the smoke into the house and connect with the BBQ Weber.

3. Smokehouse for Commercial Use

Building a functional smokehouse for commercial use would require proper planning and consideration of the requirements of the people. Firstly, you decide the size and shape of the smokehouse and search for the material you use to build the smokehouse.

When you decide on all these things, the next step is to purchase these items from the market such as wood, insulation material, and a smoke generator to generate smoke. Once you collect all the items required, then it’s time to construct the house.

Now, it’s time to build the house, make the wooden frame for the house, and install the insulation and smoker in the house. You can attach the door with the clips and also the thermometer for measuring the temperature inside.

After this, your smokehouse is ready to go into the market and has the potential to sell at the best price possible. You can take this as a business opportunity and become a smokehouse builder. 

Careful Planning and Understanding of Materials

Building a smokehouse, much like executing any specialized project, has its unique set of challenges.

From my time managing projects at Alfred’s Roofing, I’ve learned that careful planning and a deep understanding of materials and climate conditions play a critical role in overcoming these obstacles.

For instance, selecting the right roofing material is paramount for a smokehouse, given its exposure to heat and potentially harsh conditions.

Based on what I’ve dealt with, choosing a material like TPO roofing could be advantageous because of its reflective properties and heat resistance, ensuring the smokehouse operates efficiently and safely.

Another common challenge is creating an effective and durable structure. Here, the importance of professionalism and the assurance of lifetime warranties cannot be overstated.

Ensuring that every component of the smokehouse, from the foundation to the roof, is installed by certified professionals brings peace of mind and guarantees that the structure will stand the test of time.

From my experience, certifications, and warranties often reflect the installer’s confidence in their work and the durability of the materials used, which is crucial for a project like a smokehouse where quality and safety are paramount.

Lastly, the challenge of maintaining the smokehouse’s efficiency while adhering to safety standards is paramount. Incorporating proper ventilation solutions from the start is key. It’s not just about building the structure but ensuring it operates efficiently and safely.

In roofing and construction, we always emphasize the importance of ventilation to prevent issues like moisture damage—a principle that directly applies to smokehouse construction by ensuring smoke circulates properly and exits the structure safely, keeping the internal environment controlled and reducing the risk of fire hazards.

David Skulbru Jr., Project Manager, Alfred’s Roofing

4. Tips & Tricks

The following techniques will help you in the process of smoking meat and provide it with good taste and flavour:

1. Start this smoking process by starting the temperature at 120 Degrees and slowly and gradually increasing the temperature to 180 degrees to cure the meat properly.
2. If you want to dry your meat, then slow down the above process and increase the temperature very slowly.
3. If the temperature of the smokehouse becomes high, then you can open the door slightly to maintain the temperature in the house.
4. Keep the temperature maintained because the smokehouse can burn if the temperature rises continuously.
5. You can also make a ventilation or chimney in your smokehouse to keep the temperature regular.
6. Chimney also helps you maintain the amount of smoke and temperature in the house.
7. You should marinate the beef before cooking the meat and also cut the heart for the curing process.
8. Make sure to spray the vegetable oil on the surface where you place the meat.
9. Be attentive all the time in the process to avoid difficulty.
10. Follow all the instructions carefully when building a smokehouse on your own.

5. In The End

DIY Smokehouse is a good technique for providing smoke to food. You can experiment with that and add a smoky flavour to your favourite food by installing your smokehouse in the garden of your house. Make one of them by following the instructions mentioned above on how to build a smokehouse.

You can also select which type of smokehouse plan is suitable for you according to your needs and requirements. Select the type and place where you can set up your smokehouse and enjoy the food with your loved ones. This will help you in smoking meat.

Smokehouses add a little flavor to your food which is good and tasty at the same time. Smokehouse is used to add a smoky flavour to the meat and is also used for storing for a longer duration of time.

In old times, people used salt on the meat and also used to store it for a longer time when there was no refrigerator. Adding salt to the meat increases the durability of the food, which can be used even after months.

6. FAQs 

6.1. What are the benefits of a Smokehouse?

Smokehouses provide smoke flavour to your favourite food such as; meat, fish, vegetables, beverages, smoking sausage, etc.

6.2. What temperature does a smokehouse need?

Hot smoking needs a temperature of around 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit to provide good smoke to the food.

6.3. Which wood is best for making a smokehouse?

You can use the wood of fruit trees like apples, pecans, hickories cherries, etc. Make sure to use wood which can be stable in the high temperature of the house.

6.4. Does a smokehouse need ventilation?

Yes, a smokehouse needs ventilation to provide the wood and exhaust the extra smoke. You must make a space for ventilation or make a chimney inside the house.

6.5. Should a smokehouse be insulated?

You can use high-quality insulated material in your smokehouse. It will benefit you with the smoking process make your meat delicious and add a good smoky flavor. Good quality insulation maintains the temperature inside and provides an environment for cooking the meat.

6.6. Which things can you make in a smokehouse?

You can make multiple things in a smokehouse such as meat, fish, vegetables, sauces, cheese, eggs, and beverages.

6.7. How long do you keep the meat in the smokehouse?

In old times, people used smoking methods to keep the meat for a long time, even months. But today you can keep the meat in the smokehouse for up to four days then you must refrigerate it to store the meat afterwards.

6.8. How can you control the heat in the smokehouse?
You can control the heat in the smokehouse by the ventilation method. If the temperature increases then you can open the door and the temperature falls slowly.

Guest Author: Saket Kumar

Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by Saket Kumar