EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A CHARCOAL-FIRED FISH SMOKING KILN

Efficient fish preservation is important when quality, hygienic products and the highest possible profits are to be achieved in fish production. An effective-fired charcoal-fired fish smoking machine was designed and developed with a carrying capacity of 7.2 kg in which the smoking of fish was carried out. The temperatures of the air within the smoking chamber were raised to the smoking temperatures (343.15K, 363.15K and 383.15 K) at varying velocities of air and maintained for some time until the moisture contents of the fish were reduced to between 16 - 18%. The temperature of the air increased steadily until the smoking temperatures were achieved and these occurred between 20 – 27 min. The time taken for the fish to attain the smoking temperature was recorded to be between 120 – 160 min. The minimum time taken for expelling the moisture content was 155 min at a drying temperature of 383.15 K and velocity of 1.0 m/s and the maximum time was 225 min at a drying temperature of 343.15 K and velocity of 0.6 m/s. The computed fish drying rate was ���� = 0.005370(%/��) hence, for effective fish smoking, the fish should be smoked at a temperature and velocity of 383.15 K and 1.0 m/s respectively at a drying rate of ���� = 0.005370(%/��).