Salmon smoking advice.

[amazing grace]

Was recently gifted some vacuum sealed Sitka Coho salmon and would like to smoke some and maybe re-vacuum seal.

Have an authentic Japanese ceramic smoker. Also have a smaller electric smoker which might be better for doing fish?

What is your process and recipe?

Thanks guys and gals.     

[croaker stroker]

Go to the Salmon University or Bradley Smoker websites. They have some good recipes.

[Fisherdv]

My advice is to just keep it simple. A dry or wet brine, preferably dry, a good drying period on a rack, then start smoking on a low heat first, about 120*, then finish at about 150* or so.

[amazing grace]

Thanks guys. Fisherdv, I like the sound of that. Where can I get more info about the rub, drying time and smoking time?

[Fisherdv]

Just kosher salt and brown sugar, put in fridge overnight.

Dry on a rack on countertop for about two hours till the fish gets a shiny varnish look too it. (I forget the technical term).

I start at very low heat about 120* for about an hour, then about 150-160* for another 2-3 hours. Super basic, simple and always comes out good for me. Many different ways to do it though.

[Whiskeytango101]

Congrats on the Coho score! I tend to smoke all of my prior year salmon as soon as new fish start getting caught. There are LOTS of articles and resources out there to learn from. I've come to settle on a basic salt/brown sugar "base" that works for us the base is great all on its own. Don't be afraid to add garlic/onion/herbs/spicy peppers.  Once my base is done, I can add for other flavor profiles (garlic, onion, spicy).

Building a brine is pretty straight forward if you use a wet brine. I choose to soak the cuts in solution that I can taste as I'm making it to determine salt/sugar balance (and prior to adding additional flavor). It's tougher to do that with a dry brine.

Something you'll see a lot is a 50/50 mix of sugar/salt in online recipes. I prefer less salt and use 1 part salt/2 part brown sugar instead (FWIW). I just bring a pot of water to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar/salt. Once the brine is done to my liking (will be pretty concentrated flavor) I add enough ice just to cool it before adding my portioned and boned salmon pieces. Cover and place in the fridge for 24-36 hours.

After brining, drain the pan/container and lay fish on racks on the counter (against tradition, I do not rinse the fish). I dry the excess brine with paper towels and wait for the fish to air dry and get tacky to the touch (form a pellicle) that's when it will be ready to start taking smoke.

I generally cook my fish at 200 with heavy smoke for the first few hours. Make sure you can regulate and hold temps or you'll end up with cooked salmon quickly. I have several Komodo's (is that what you meant by Japanese cooker?) but do not use them for smoking salmon. I tend to like the consistency of a pellet smoker or my large offset because I can regulate temps that much easier. If you cook too hot/too fast... the salmon will start pushing albumin.

After the first two hours of smoking, I start brushing the fish with honey or maple syrup. I repeat every thirty minute until each piece of fish hits 145 internal. Side note... honey/maple boiled with jalapeños beforehand adds a nice touch of flavor.

Once done, I'll let air cool and vacuum seal individually... back in the freezer for the next year (maybe).

Another side note... all salt is not the same. A cup of Kosher salt and a cup of table salt will yield far different results due to size/volume. I recommend a cup of kosher and two cups of brown sugar (depending on pan volume).

[fishmeister]

The hardest part of smoking any fish is figuring out which end to light.

[headduck]

The hardest part of smoking any fish is figuring out which end to light.

And keep it smoking....

[fishmeister]

Brines are all subject to personal taste and opinion (and we all know about opinions, right?).  Some swear by dry brine and others will swear by wet.  There are plenty of good ideas floating around here and on the internet, in general.  Always remember that the person who has to really like it is YOU.

I have the Little Chief electric smoker.  I may be investing in a Big Chief before long though.  It is a bit slower than other options.  But, I never overcook the fish (unless I forgot it overnight  ).  I burn two pans of wood chips for smoke flavor, then let the heat finish the job.  If you go this route, do get (or build) some sort of enclosure to keep the wind off of it.

My personal brine choice is wet.  I got into smoking (fish, that is) almost 30 years ago.  It was a killer humpy season that year and I literally had more fish than I had time to process.  I started with one of the basic brine recipes that came with the smoker and then started tweaking.  I kept tweaking the recipe until I got something that I really liked.  I had the luxury of having so many fish that year, that I really didn't care if it turned out really well, or not.  The batches that I wasn't really happy with, I gave away (and never had complaints).  If experimenting like this, do keep a written record of what you used, and how much, for each batch.  Otherwise, you'll get confused from one batch to the next and forgot what worked and what didn't.

A couple things to know about brine (whatever you choose)....1) Everything I've ever seen says to avoid iodized salt.  2) Salt is a key component to the curing process.  You can vary it a little, but don't go too low.  I have soy sauce as part of my brine.  Since that is a salty product, I can lower my actual added salt content a little.

Once you figure out what brine method/recipe you are going to use, try changing up the wood.  Alder is a classic choice for salmon.  But, hickory, apple, and cherry will give different, and unique, flavors.  I've even been known to mix hickory and cherry.

The basics are easy to learn in the days of the internet (I wasn't so blessed back then).  The art is in finding a taste that you like.

Next summer will be another humpy year.  Go catch a boatload load of them and start playing with brine and wood options.  After all, why screw up on a nice coho or sockeye?

I really do wish my great-grandpa had written stuff down.  He was in Friday Harbor and had an old-school smoke house.  That man could smoke a salmon to perfection.  Unfortunately, he passed away long before I started smoking fish.  I asked my great-grandma, later on, if he had left anything in writing.  She had nothing to offer me.  She said "that was his thing" and she really didn't know anything about what he did.  I guess that, sometimes, you really can take it with you.

Hope that helps in some way.

[disposable]

Lots of agreeable content up there^. I'll add that low and slow is good, agree that a tacky pellicle is key between the rinse and the smoke, and suggest you use a thermometer so you don't go over. And finally my secret is wasabi powder in the brine. Like, TONS.

[headduck]

4 to 1 brown sugar to salt
Garlic powder, red pepper flake, Chile powder, cumin, black pepper

Rub fish let it sit in the fridge over night. Rack and let dry to tacky.

150-175 til done. Time dependent upon outside temp, temp of fish etc...6- 12 hrs

Electric smoker with alder chips.

[fishmeister]

One tip about experimenting that I forgot to mention above....

If doing several batches in succession and making alterations/tweaks in each one, try to save several pieces from each batch as you go.  This will allow you to get a good "head-to-head" taste comparison between batches.  This works well if trying out different woods too.

Good luck and enjoy 

[Ed De Explorer]

I don't have as much experience as most on here but this is what I know. I have a pit boss electric box smoker.

1st attempt a couple years ago. dry salt mixture I found online that sounded good... pretty much uneatable for me.. maybe I am a salt wimp.

2nd attempt was Hunters recipe super easy and delicious. Everyone that tried it was happy. (just don't rush the drying stage)

Found the link.

http://www.arimaowners.com/index.php?topic=22556.msg266382#msg266382

[headduck]

Oh yeah...and be prepared to screw the first few up... but great rest assured, even the mistakes are delicious (unless you over salt  )

[amazing grace]

Thanks guys. I think the wet brine is the way to go. Thanks for the suggestions, recipes, etc. The pix of you the finished product looks soooooo goood. Again, appreciate guys. Will wait for a bit warmer weather while gathering supplies. Will report back. Thanks guys and have a great weekend.   

[Fisherdv]

Another pic while your waiting.....

[Fisherdv]

...

[christianbrat]

 

[JamesBee19791]

Lots of good advice already, most of which mirrors how I smoke salmon. Definitely use your electric smoker. I also have a ceramic cooker (big green egg) which is my favorite grill but I wouldn't consider it for smoking fish. I use a pellet rig.

I think creating a pellicle is pretty critical. I put the fish on racks near an open window and put a fan on it.

[croaker stroker]

Brush with Maple syrup about halfway through.

[fishmeister]

I had a couple of bags of mine at the lead pour yesterday.  Those in attendance got treated to some samplings.  I don't know how it compares to others.  But, no one complained.

As noted earlier....There are tons of opinions/methods about the "best way" to arrive at the finished product.  My methods meet my tastes.  That doesn't mean it's "the best" or that it's any better than others.

If you get the luxury of having a lot of fish that could be considered "less-worthy" (such as pink salmon), do experiment, with both brine and wood....A lot.

[JamesBee19791]

Brush with Maple syrup about halfway through.

X2, you can see a bottle on the table in the pic I posted.

[GregE]

Happy recipient of Fishmeister's smoked salmon- It's very nice and we're grateful for his efforts.

[fishmeister]

Happy recipient of Fishmeister's smoked salmon- It's very nice and we're grateful for his efforts.

Thanks for the compliment.  Enjoy.   

[Hunter]

Here's my recipe in the PDF below.  Same exact recipe I use for beef jerky.  IMHO.....most online brine recipe's have too much salt flavor.