Meat and poultry processors striving for quality production know the tools they use directly affect the ultimate outcome of the product. For facilities focused on smoked meats and poultry production, investing in the right smokehouse can make a significant difference. The quality of a smokehouse lies not only in the ability to control the variables inside during production but also in the durability of the structure.
Strong foundation
“Crucial factors in a good smokehouse include control of heat, humidity, smoke volume and air flow, as well as consistency of those same factors across multiple production runs,” said Chef Chris Mattera, culinary innovator at Claremont, NH-based North Country Smokehouse. “Being able to adjust each attribute independently and accurately for each batch of product ensures that the products turn out with a consistent cook and smoke level, which directly impacts the quality of our products.”
Hunter Shoults, vice president at Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall, Texas, added, “Several factors come into play when looking for a good smokehouse. Wall thickness and insulation are first on my mind. Air exchange rate is important, especially on larger cuts. Sanitation innovations — how easy is it going to be to tear apart, clean, and put back together? Fit and finish — is this smokehouse going to surprise my customers when they come tour my processing plant?”
Wall thickness and insulation ensure energy efficiency during processes and help to reduce cold spots inside the smokehouse during production. The air exchange rate allows processors flexibility when smoking many different items in an acceptable amount of time.
“If you have the exchange rate to cook hams, you can always dial it back to cook smaller items, but if you cut corners in the purchasing process, you could be holding yourself back from future capabilities,” Shoults said.
Innovations in smokehouses regarding sanitation provide processors and their teams ease of use for disassembly, cleaning and reassembly in a timely manner to get production back online.
“Anytime we can keep our focus on the products we produce instead of becoming a mechanic, it helps the bottom line,” Shoults said. “For the most part, all the manufacturers of smokehouses have fit and finish figured out. For those that might be looking to purchase used/older equipment, just know there may be some hurdles to cross. There are so many components of a modern smokehouse that something is bound to need repair or maintenance.”
The base flavor of meat is an important consideration because each product requires a unique smoking formula and process. (Source: North Country Smokehouse)Smoking factors
Both science and art permeate the processes of smoking meat to the highest levels of flavor and quality. North Country Smokehouse predominately smokes pork products (bacon, ham and sausage), but also does turkey breast. The company has also dabbled in specialty products like duck and pepperoni.
“Smoke can be a strong flavor, so the base flavor of the meat is an important consideration in selecting a meat to smoke,” Mattera said. “Pork and turkey both have naturally mild, slightly sweeter flavor profiles which are enhanced by the richness and mild acidity of smoke. Stronger flavored meats might compete with the smoke flavor, rather than harmonize with it, and we never rush the process for the sake of producing more, our products smoke for hours on end.”
Mattera added that each product requires its own smoking formula and process.
“Different products employ different smoke schedules depending on their size, and the degree of smoke flavor they require, as well as target finished cook temps.”
Neither North Country Smokehouse nor Bear Creek Smokehouse use liquid smoke for their products. North Country primarily uses applewood embers while dried corn cobs provide the smoke for its New England specialty, Cob Smoked Bacon.
Bear Creek uses hickory exclusively in its Vemag 8 cart smokehouse, Alkar 3 cart smokehouse, and Koch 3 cart smokehouse for the long list of items it offers. Shoults said Bear Creek has used hickory from the beginning, harvested from the trees on the Shoults’ family farm in the original brick smokehouses.
“We smoke hams and turkeys for the holiday season primarily, but we also smoke fryer chickens, boneless turkey breast, boneless hams, bacon, summer sausage, polish sausage, knockwurst sausage, pork loin, and my favorite, our unmatched ‘Peppered Pork Tenderloin,’” Shoults said.
Shoults said one of the biggest challenges Bear Creek faces in its smoking processes and equipment is the same thing that makes smoking meat today easier, modern technology.
“Technology is very useful for enhancing production but can be very daunting when an issue arises,” Shoults said. “Fortunately, I grew up more recently, when bag phones, roll-up windows, and 8-track tapes were a thing of the past. Though those probably were some good times, I’m thankful to have grown up in the technological boom. It made me comfortable making programming adjustments on high-tech food machinery.”
Along with that comfort came a failsafe plan for Bear Creek’s freedom to experiment with settings, test out new methods and smokehouse programming options without any worry of losing the ability to get back to where they started should the experiments not workout. Shoults put the original, OEM programming on a thumb drive.
“Once the original programming is secured, it’s easy to allow yourself to adjust settings/times and review the outcome, knowing you can start over fresh if needed,” Shoults said. “Additionally, knowing the basics is a must. Not just anyone can walk in and operate a Jumo (Jumo Process Control Inc.) smokehouse controller. But with a little time and a failsafe in place, just about anyone can learn.”
Art and science both play large roles in meat smoking processes. (Source: Bear Creek Smokehouse)Controlling the future
The innovations and automation available when smoking meat have evolved considerably over the years, and commercial smokehouses designed for mass production continue.
The technology of a modern smokehouse allows for nearly complete control of the variables, but like other areas of meat and poultry processing, the evolution of smokehouses presses on, as does automation and safety.
“In the future I hope to see us with a smokehouse that self-loads and unloads the products in and out of the oven,” Shoults said. “Workers in the meat industry, are all accustomed to walking on slick floors but none compare to the stainless steel smokehouse floor after a batch of hams have been cooked.”
Mattera added, “The future of smoking will likely involve an ever-increasing level of control of each of the variables involved, to allow producers to tailor the smoking process more precisely and deliver even more consistent results. It’s amazing how much technology can be involved in reliably replicating a flavor profile that first emerged from cooking outside over open fires.”
