How to make a smokehouse from a washing machine

There are probably few people who don't love smoked fish, chicken, pork tenderloin, and spare ribs. But buying such products in the store is risky, as you don't know their quality, and it's simply expensive. Many people consider preparing these delicacies at home, but this requires a rather expensive smokehouse, which not everyone can afford. There's a solution: make your own smokehouse out of an old washing machine.

What do we need?

It's quite difficult to determine a complete list of tools and materials, as experience shows, such projects never go smoothly. Each specific case requires some modifications to the design, but in general, here are the tools we'll need:

• electric welding;
• hammer;
• a set of large and small, flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
• pliers;
• Bulgarian;
• drill;
• roulette, center punch.

We will be using recycled materials as our primary materials, in this case, used Soviet top-loading washing machines and old automatic front-loading washing machines. From Soviet washing machines like the Oka, we only need the tank and lid; from automatic machines with front loading, we will take the drum. For an electric smoker, you'll also need to purchase a heating element—an electric coil rated at at least 1 kW. You'll also need a round grill grate; a round barbecue grate works well.

Please note! Less powerful heating elements will not cause the sawdust to smolder, meaning the smoker will not function properly.

We are remaking a top-loading washing machine

The easiest way to make a wood-fired smoker is by hand, as you don't need to buy and install an electric heating element. We'll use the tank from an Oka top-loading activator washing machine. Its tank is made of high-quality stainless steel, making the smoker reliable and durable. Here's how to use it.

1. We turn the machine upside down.
2. We remove the engine and other elements with our own hands; we won’t need them.
3. Remove all plastic and rubber parts from the tray; they will melt, smoke, and spoil the smoked product if exposed to fire.
4. We take an electric welder and weld all the holes in the bottom of the tank with our own hands.

Note: To patch the activator hole, cut a round patch from stainless steel sheet to size and weld it in place, thus covering the hole.

5. Next, we cut a semicircular or rectangular hole in the wall of the tank below the bottom - this is an improvised firebox through which it will be convenient to throw firewood.
6. Now let's take a look inside the tank. About 40 cm above the bottom, we'll need to weld brackets onto which we'll place a metal grate. This grate will hold the smoked product. The smokehouse will be much more functional if you weld on mounts for a second grate, a couple of dozen centimeters higher than the first. The smokehouse is ready.

Next, we'll do the following. We'll light a small fire right on the ground somewhere in the yard. We'll add dry sawdust to the bottom of our smoker. It's best to use sawdust from non-resinous woods. Next, the smoker will need grates—we'll install them on the pre-prepared brackets. We'll place the raw food to be smoked on the grates, then cover the smoker with a clean cotton cloth and then with the standard metal lid from an Oka washing machine. Now, for the final touch, we'll carefully lift the smoker and place it upside down directly on the fire as it begins to burn down.

The downside of this design is that you need to constantly monitor the fire underneath the smoker to ensure it doesn't go out. At the same time, you need to be careful not to let it get too hot, otherwise the food inside will be ruined. The heat under the sawdust should be strong enough, but not excessive.

Important! Use this smoker only in accordance with all rules for handling open fire.

Not everyone is comfortable using a smoker where they can't leave the unit for more than 5 minutes while cooking. But there are some design changes that can make the smoker much more convenient to use. What should you do?

• We take a large electric coil with a power of at least 1 kW.
• We attach it to the back side of the bottom of the Oka washing machine tank, modified as described above. Only in this case there is no need to cut out the firebox, because the smokehouse will be electric.
• We connect and bring out the network cable with a plug.

To start an electric smoker, just like with a wood-burning smoker, sprinkle sawdust on the bottom, install the grates, add the food, and cover with a cloth and lid. Next, plug in the power cord and wait until the coil glows red-hot, heating the bottom of the smoker significantly, and the sawdust begins to smolder, initiating the smoking process. Experienced DIYers recommend wrapping the body of the electric smoker with non-flammable insulation material, thereby reducing heat loss and speeding up the heating process.

We are remaking a front-loading washing machine

One of our specialists has come up with a unique idea for converting the drum of a front-loading washing machine into a highly functional and compact electric smoker. How should we proceed?

1. We take the drum from an automatic washing machine and remove any unnecessary parts (we only need the drum body).
2. We find an old metal pan with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the drum.
3. Using a grinder, we saw off the bottom of the pan and set it aside.

Please note! It's best to use a grinder to cut off the front part of the drum to maximize the opening.

4. We place the washing machine drum vertically, with the hatch facing up. Our task is to weld the bottom and the holes in the side walls. You don't have to weld the side holes; you can simply wrap the drum with non-flammable thermal insulation material.
5. We place the drum with its bottom in our pan and weld it tightly.
6. We install an electric coil with a power of at least 1 kW on the inside of the bottom of the drum with our own hands.
7. We weld fasteners inside the drum ourselves to install food grates.
8. We install the grates and close the lid on top of our smokehouse.

This smoker works exactly like an electric smoker made from the drum of a Soviet-era Oka washing machine. We sprinkle sawdust on the bottom of the drum. We place round food racks and add the food. Next, we cover the drum with a clean cotton cloth and put the lid on. Then, plug in the smoker and wait for the sawdust to ignite and the food to begin smoking.

You can make not only a smokehouse from a washing machine, but also many other interesting and useful things, for example, grain crusher.

To summarize, there are many different options for making a smokehouse out of an old washing machine. We've outlined some ideas in this article, but the choice of design, as they say, is up to you. Good luck!

   

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