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[Kever]

How long do you normally brine your salmon? Would it ruin the salmon to freeze it after brining and washing? Not sure I have time to smoke it but I already have my chum in the dry brine.

[Fish Assassin]

I usually brine them overnight.

[waterbearer]

5 percent brine for 1 hr or equals amounts of white sugar and kosher salt with cracked coriander,zest of lemons and limes light dusted for 12 hrs .

[RalphH]

if it's been brined it may not freeze or it may require very low temperature to freeze as the flesh will have absorbed salt & that will lower the freezing temp. Most people freeze the fish first then thaw brine and smoke.

[Spawn Sack]

Got this recipe from a staff member at Sea Run years back and it's all I use now. Still experiment with random brines from time to time as it's cheap and easy and tastes great!

1 cup regular brown sugar (the light brown stuff)
1 cup demerara suagr (dark like molasses)
1/2 pickling salt (not iodized table salt!!!)
This is about enough for 3-4 average size fillets. Make more of less mix and jst kep same ratios.

I keep the skin on but you can remove it. You can leave the fillets whole or cut in strips. Marinate fillets for 18-24 hours. The mix will go on dry and turn to a snotty liquid as the salt pulls water out of the meat. This is normal. After time is up take fish out and pat dry with paper towel. DON'T rinse with water.

Lay fish out on cookie sheet(s). Brush with maple syrup and crack black pepper over fish. Let sit ANOTHER 18-24 hours. Put saran over fish or you could use a container that seals.

Now put the fish on your smoking racks. You can smoke it up right now but I like to dry the fish out a bit. So I have a fan blowing on the racks in the smoker for 6-8 hours. I try to get up early like 6am or so, get the fish drying, then get it smoking after lunch.

I do 3-4 pans of chips usually a mix of cherry, alder, etc. I wouldn't recommend hickory or mesquite but that's just my preference.

3-4 pans takes my L-chief about 3 hours. From there I just leave it until it's how I like it, about another 3-5 hours.

This time of year I find the L-chief doesn't heat up worth a crap. I built a box that goes over it with a removable lid to adjust the heat. If you have a cheap smoker like mine you will likely have to rig something up or you will more or less be doing a cold smoke.

[fishtruck]

I put a box over top of my smoker to keep the heat in. Also have a insulation blanket for hotwater tank that will go on the box if it gets colder. It also helps to keep the smoke in the smoker just a bit longer.

[fullahead]

Freeze it, before you smoke it, that’s imported. 

[Spawn Sack]

Why is that? I have been told this by one buddy who freezes his fish before smoking to kill the parasites or something like that.

I figure salmon is regularly eaten RAW without issue, I myself have probably eaten a truckload of sashimi over the years without a single incident of anal urgency. Also the fish has the crap brined out of it then smoked until quite dry. I suppouse the smoker does not get hot enough to kill whatever crawlies might be in the meat but...I'm calling bs on this one. I've smoked probably 50 salmon over the last 10 or so years I've been smoking fish without a single issue.

Now I HAVE gotten sick from undercooked wings at a restaurant in the last year. That was nasty!

[Fish Assassin]

Why is that? I have been told this by one buddy who freezes his fish before smoking to kill the parasites or something like that.

I was told it facilitates the fish absorbing the brine.

[rjs]

i have been doing just a dry brine with good success !
really have been cutting back on the salt!
just brown sugar or demura. soya sauce , bit of kosher sea salt and a tad of hot sauce and pepper !

soak in brine for 24 hrs, dry on racks til ready and smoke !

doesnt last long around here

[Spawn Sack]

I was told it facilitates the fish absorbing the brine.

Interesting. I've never heard that. I'll do a bit more online research on this later in the day. I have brined + smoked fish that was previously frozen, and fish that was caught fresh that day. Honestly never noticed a difference in taste. I imagine in theory previously frozen fish will soak in brine better, but I say if you have a nice fresh fish that you want to smoke just got ahead and brine the damn thing and smoke it up!!

[waterbearer]

Freezing  fish in a regular freezer ruins the texture of the fish because of the size of the ice crystals.  Commercial company have hi tech flash freezers. The faster the process the smaller the crystal, the better the texture will be.Most home cook would notice the difference but it's a huser difference  when I come to play in a professional kitchen. Brine smoke freeze.  Brining add flavour,changes  the texture and moisture via osmosis and if vacuum seal it will maintain a good over all texture . This method  has been tested by Harold mcgee who is the  top food scientist in the world ,he also works with the worlds top Michelin chefs to help them perfect cooking techniques.

[Spawn Sack]

Freezing  fish in a regular freezer ruins the texture of the fish because of the size of the ice crystals.  Commercial company have hi tech flash freezers. The faster the process the smaller the crystal, the better the texture will be.Most home cook would notice the difference but it's a huser difference  when I come to play in a professional kitchen. Brine smoke freeze.  Brining add flavour,changes  the texture and moisture via osmosis and if vacuum seal it will maintain a good over all texture . This method  has been tested by Harold mcgee who is the  top food scientist in the world ,he also works with the worlds top Michelin chefs to help them perfect cooking techniques.

"huser difference"?
"Michelin chefs"?

Are we taking about the same thing here? I don't want to brine my tires...although...that may soften them up and they'll grip better on snow and ice?

I think I'll just kep doing what I have been doing for 10+ years with fish smokin. If it's a fresh fish and I want to get it smoked, I'm not going to arse around with freezing, thawing, etc. I'm just going to brine and smoke it. If smoking it right away is not an option, I'll freeze it until I'm ready.

[firstlight]

i have been doing just a dry brine with good success !
really have been cutting back on the salt!
just brown sugar or demura. soya sauce , bit of kosher sea salt and a tad of hot sauce and pepper !

soak in brine for 24 hrs, dry on racks til ready and smoke !

doesnt last long around here

Soya sauce is also very high in sodium which will help cure the fish.

[Kever]

How long are you all smoking your fish for? Been experimenting with different smoke times, from 6h to 9h. I'm running a Little Chief with a homemade insulation blanket and it seems around 8-9h is ideal.