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[andychan]

ok..so this worked pretty good for senor andy


recipe was liquid below and slow roll boiled for 40 mins or until dissolved - then cooled.

1 Gallon water or 4 litres or so
1.5 cups of kosher salt or pickling salt or sea salt (NOT iodized table salt. blah)
3 cups brown sugars
1/2 cup honey (optional)
crushed garlic..maybe 6 clovez (optional)
a few squeezes of good quality mustard (optional)

brined fresh sockeye about 12 hrs (4 sockeye filleted into approx 48 pieces) in fridge

(if you use frozen fish go for only 9 hrs since frozen flesh absorbs brine faster then fresh)

i throw it all together and divided up equally (brine and fish) in big ziploc feezer bags equally.

rinse fish WELL with cold water (after the brining period is over) ..REALLY well to take off the salty brine

and i like it smokey so keep change those smoke chips every 90 mins or so....

start the smoking at a temp range between 140 to 150 degrees - even 160 may be wrong/too hot at the start (because at 160 or more you will be baking your fish ~ and the fat will be rising right out on top of the flesh - we do not want that since it will be juicier below that temp)

smoke it 8 hrs...last 45mins raise temp to 170 to kill bacteria.

put fatter pieces at bottom hotter part of rack - be logical!

oh..and about the 5 hr mark take it out and apply a sauce to give it a nice glaze. i am ambitious and used a cooked fig/rum/brown sugar glaze but you can do fine with hot water/brown sugar/rum as well...consistency is that of paint.

smoker used is Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain 16" x 34" Gas Smoker got at walmart for a couple of hundred bucks.

result was used for variety of recipes including pastas and just on own with a piece of thinly sliced apple and a good riesling. or gewurtz. or ehrenfelser.

oh and remove the skin when done and plastic wrap unused portions - freezes better without skin imo.

[BBarley]

That looks amazing

Did you take the skin off the salmon or leave it on?

[andychan]

That looks amazing

Did you take the skin off the salmon or leave it on?

thank you.

oh and remove the skin when done and plastic wrap unused portions.

i was lucky to smoke this fish fresh - never frozen. i find they freeze better when never frozen and then smoked - rather then thawed and smoked. but to each his or her own.

and ideally if you can invest in a deep freezer and vacuum sealer.

cheers

[DavidD]

Looks absolutely yummy!!

Gonna have to give me try at that.

[NiceFish]

how long does a full tank of propane last you?

[andychan]

how long does a full tank of propane last you?

For at least 5 or 6 twelve hr smoking sessions. I'm running it at about 145 degrees for 90% of the session so very little flame compared to a regular bbq grill.

I used to use electric smokers but the versatility of propane is attractive. I even smoked a turkey in there one year - but that was at 350 degrees for about 4 hrs...also turned out very good - tasted like ham lol. The smoker maxs out at 500 degrees if you want to try smoking / baking pizza too.

I paid a bit over $220 for it at a walmart in the lower mainland.

[NiceFish]

For at least 5 or 6 twelve hr smoking sessions. I'm running it at about 145 degrees for 90% of the session so very little flame compared to a regular bbq grill.

I used to use electric smokers but the versatility of propane is attractive. I even smoked a turkey in there one year - but that was at 350 degrees for about 4 hrs...also turned out very good - tasted like ham lol. The smoker maxs out at 500 degrees if you want to try smoking / baking pizza too.

I paid a bit over $220 for it at a walmart in the lower mainland.

Thanks!
I  am currently in the midst of a smoking project that I will post up later this month, and it does involve a propane tank

[Navy Seal Fisherman]

thank you.

oh and remove the skin when done and plastic wrap unused portions.

i was lucky to smoke this fish fresh - never frozen. i find they freeze better when never frozen and then smoked - rather then thawed and smoked. but to each his or her own.

and ideally if you can invest in a deep freezer and vacuum sealer.

cheers

Wonderful pics, thx. My question is, related to you not freezing the fish 1st. I thought freezing kills and bacteria/worms etc. Does smoking fresh kill all these things?

[DavidD]

Does smoking fresh kill all these things?

Smoking .. not really.

To properly kill off all parasites and bacterium, once must raise the internal temperature of the meat sufficiently in order to do do - just like any other meat.

But doing so may 'dry' out the end results if your nor paying attention.  Thus, I freeze my filets for at least a week (although I read that 3 days are enough) before I smoke them. Plus, I found that the foodsaver bags create a 'textured' look when I freeze them with the flesh facing the non-smooth surface. 

[alwaysfishn]

Raising the temperature in your smoker to at least 140 will kill any parasites. Over a short period of time this will not excessively dry out the salmon. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the fish.

[DavidD]

Raising the temperature in your smoker to at least 140 will kill any parasites.

Guess I need me two more things then..

1) Meat thermometer
2) Better watch / timer - obviously I'm smoking the fish too long at too high of a temperature..

Next time I'll just have to use that new fandangled thing called the 'internet' to lookup some info. 

Thanks AF for the insight!

[ForeignFisher]

That looks very tasty! Think I'll have to give that recipe a try.

[mirak]

looks good man 

[Matt]

Did you let a pellicle form or did you put the fish directly into the smoker out of the brine?

[Navy Seal Fisherman]

I think you always have to let the pellicle form. helps keep the meat moist by keeping the fat and moisture in. pellicle is like a tacky crust that forms and it helps the smoke to adhere to the fish. There is some more discussion on this at the following link if it helps;

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=25148.0