Behind the Quiet Creek barn sets a green metal shed that puffs out more smoke than a chain smoker. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year for the past twelve years, our outdoor wood burner has faithfully supplied the house and barn with warm heat and hot water.
Many a visitor has queried with a pointed finger, “Is that a smokehouse?” Rusty actually planted a smokehouse apple tree next to the boiler so he could reply “affirmative” without fibbing or going into detail about our renewable energy heating system. Finally, he can truthfully state “yes, it is a smokehouse!”
It all came about when desiring smoked meats without synthetic preservatives. He investigated a venison ham rub recipe that required forty hours of cold smoking. Needing a simple source of smoke, he then created his “redneck smoker” in conjunction with our heat source.
In the development stages, Rusty noticed nine out of ten days, the wood burner smoke blew to the north. Hoping to capture the majority of it, he acquired twelve feet of furnace pipe (six inch diameter) with assorted tees and elbows from his dad. Then he attached a one by two by three foot plywood box to the nearby tractor shed. Cutting a hole for the furnace pipe, he began telescoping sections toward the wood burner chimney with a few screws and wire strap and the pipe was angled straight to the smoke. Finally, Rusty rigged up a metal garbage can with a hole cut out of the bottom. The garbage can funnel was wired to a metal ladder leaning against the wood burner and extended it to a spot just north of the chimney.
The wood burner gleefully puffs away as the wind pushes the smoke down the funnel through recycled furnace pipe and into the plywood smoking chamber. There hangs the ham from a wire, basting in the swirling cold smoke. An exit hole with an elbow allows the smoky air to flow through. There are two hinged doors on the box’s side make for easy access to hang items (i.e. hams, cheese, and jerky) and for checking the smoke progress.
Rusty is particular when it comes to high quality smoke. His first ham was completed with green maple and oak and the next is to be christened with hickory or apple wood.
Come on out for a Quiet Creek visit any Friday and Saturday to warm your hands and/or sample some hams.
Many a visitor has queried with a pointed finger, “Is that a smokehouse?” Rusty actually planted a smokehouse apple tree next to the boiler so he could reply “affirmative” without fibbing or going into detail about our renewable energy heating system. Finally, he can truthfully state “yes, it is a smokehouse!”
It all came about when desiring smoked meats without synthetic preservatives. He investigated a venison ham rub recipe that required forty hours of cold smoking. Needing a simple source of smoke, he then created his “redneck smoker” in conjunction with our heat source.
In the development stages, Rusty noticed nine out of ten days, the wood burner smoke blew to the north. Hoping to capture the majority of it, he acquired twelve feet of furnace pipe (six inch diameter) with assorted tees and elbows from his dad. Then he attached a one by two by three foot plywood box to the nearby tractor shed. Cutting a hole for the furnace pipe, he began telescoping sections toward the wood burner chimney with a few screws and wire strap and the pipe was angled straight to the smoke. Finally, Rusty rigged up a metal garbage can with a hole cut out of the bottom. The garbage can funnel was wired to a metal ladder leaning against the wood burner and extended it to a spot just north of the chimney.
The wood burner gleefully puffs away as the wind pushes the smoke down the funnel through recycled furnace pipe and into the plywood smoking chamber. There hangs the ham from a wire, basting in the swirling cold smoke. An exit hole with an elbow allows the smoky air to flow through. There are two hinged doors on the box’s side make for easy access to hang items (i.e. hams, cheese, and jerky) and for checking the smoke progress.
Rusty is particular when it comes to high quality smoke. His first ham was completed with green maple and oak and the next is to be christened with hickory or apple wood.
Come on out for a Quiet Creek visit any Friday and Saturday to warm your hands and/or sample some hams.
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