Overview
Meat smokehouses are used to add flavor, color, and aroma to various meats, including pork, beef, poultry, and fish. Smokehouses were at one time used to smoke food for preservation, but refrigeration systems have effectively eliminated this use.
Four operations are typically involved in the production of smoked meat: (1) tempering or drying, (2) smoking, (3) cooking, and (4) chilling. However, not all smoked foods are cooked, thus eliminating the cooking and chilling processes from some operations. Important process parameters include cooking/smoking time, smoke generation temperature, humidity, smoke density, type of wood or liquid smoke, and product type.
The two types of smokehouses that are almost exclusively used are batch and continuous smokehouses. Both types of systems circulate air at the desired process conditions (temperature, humidity, and smoke density) over the surface of the meat. In batch smokehouses, the meat is placed on stationary racks for the entire smoking process. In continuous smokehouses, the meat is hung on sticks or hangers and then conveyed through the various zones (smoking, heating, and chilling) within the smokehouse. Following processing in the smokehouse, the product is packaged and stored for shipment.
Several methods are used to produce the smoke used in smokehouses. The most common method is to pyrolyze hardwood chips or sawdust using smoke generators. In a typical smoke generator, hardwood chips or sawdust are fed onto a gas- or electrically-heated metal surface at 350° to 400°C (662° to 752°F). Smoke is then ducted by a smoke tube into the air recirculation system in the smokehouse. Smoke produced by this process is called natural smoke.
Liquid smoke (or artificial smoke), which is a washed and concentrated natural smoke, is also used in smokehouses. This type of smoke (as a fine aerosol) can be introduced into a smokehouse through the air recirculation system, can be mixed or injected into the meat, or can be applied by drenching, spraying, or dipping.
Major Processes
Major Equipment
Natural Gas Technologies