Final Smoked Salmon with recipe, instructions, and Qview

[Bearcarver]

 
Stick with only brimming for the six hours and be sure to rinse thoroughly. I put a fan on mine for two hours and patted dry before smoking.

The finished product was not salty at all.  

 hope that helps

Yup----That was good for your bigger pieces.

In Joey's case---Smaller pieces, and cut short across grain, the brine absorbs a lot faster.

2 hours in my brine should be better for that size pieces.

Bear

 

[mummel]

Hi Bear - I'd like to give this a shot on my grill setup but as you know, temps start at ~230F.  I can play around this weekend to see if I can tweak it a little (open the lid a bit etc).  But whats the highest temp you recommend?  Fish doesnt need to be tender like meat, so the only benefit to going slow in my mind would be to take on smoke.  How many hours of smoke are enough?  Thanks!

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hi Bear - I'd like to give this a shot on my grill setup but as you know, temps start at ~230F.  I can play around this weekend to see if I can tweak it a little (open the lid a bit etc).  But whats the highest temp you recommend?  Fish doesnt need to be tender like meat, so the only benefit to going slow in my mind would be to take on smoke.  How many hours of smoke are enough?  Thanks!

If that's the lowest you can go, just go as long as it takes to flake. It will be more like the kind of Salmon you eat for Dinner, instead of like mine which is the kind that's better cold & you can pick it up with your fingers & pull it apart to eat it (Snacking).

Bear

 

[mummel]

 
If that's the lowest you can go, just go as long as it takes to flake. It will be more like the kind of Salmon you eat for Dinner, instead of like mine which is the kind that's better cold & you can pick it up with your fingers & pull it apart to eat it (Snacking).

Bear

I actually equally like both.  Salmon is my favorite fish.  Thanks Bear. 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I actually equally like both.  Salmon is my favorite fish.  Thanks Bear. 

Same Here!!

But Salmon is my favorite Smoked Fish.

Catfish is my favorite Fried Fish, with about 5 or 6 close seconds.

Bear

 

[johnnyd]

Looks great!

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks great!

Thank You Much, JohnnyD !!

Bear

 

[wade]

 
First of all----HICKORY IS NOT TOO STRONG FOR FISH !!! especially on a Step by Step that uses Hickory & Loves it !!!!

However if I had both handy, I would use the Alder, but if I didn't have Alder I'd be perfectly happy with Hickory, as I was when I smoked this Salmon!!!

Bear

I use hickory for salmon, trout, cod and haddock. It works well with all of them.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I use hickory for salmon, trout, cod and haddock. It works well with all of them.

Thank You Wade!!

I wish my Son would go get me some. I'm not going to pay $8 for small pieces.

Bear

 

[hazzo]

Bearcarver - I think your edited notes on brine time is spot on at 4-6 hours max to impart the desired brine flavor and affect without making too salty. Then rinsing very well with cold water and pat dry with paper towels before air drying. Forming this critical pellicle so filets are fully dry to the touch is really important to me. I do this on the same type of racks in a cool dry basement on top of the wife's washer/dryer with a couple small fans circulating air across them. 

My brine recipe is as follows ( my friends and family won't let me mess with it - I agree):

1 Quart Water

2/3 Cup Kosher Salt

1/3 Cup Morton's Smoked Sugar Cure

1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup White Sugar

2 Tblsp Maple Syrup

2 Tblsp BBQ Dry Rub

2 Tblsp Smoked Black Pepper

1 Tblsp Lime Juice

1 Tblsp Dill (or to taste)

Combine all to boil, simmer 10 minutes, remove from heat & add 1 Quart ice then stir. Rest/refridgerate.

I cold smoke the fish to a 140+ internal temperature ( I only have store bought fish available to me). Note my favorite is Steelhead trout as full filets. If I use larger filets of Salmon, I slice in half lengthwise and remove the small bones along this line by simply slicing on either side of them when splitting the filet ( just like "zippering" the Y-Bones out of big walleye filets before frying - don't smoke as there isn't enough fat/oil like there is in salmon - I tried/failed once).

I use a pair of mailboxes on top of my smoker exhaust and can easily hold the mailbox temps constant at 120-130F. Note, I like to smoke a couple of pork butts below at 250F at the same time using charcoal and some apple wood smoke. I used to use one mailbox, but was forced to fabricate a Y-Adaptor using home duct work fittings riveted together and use two mailboxes to double my output to 5-6 pounds at a time. It goes fast. Attached are pictures.

Double Headed Fish Smoker.jpg

• hazzo
• Jun 23, 2015

Mailbox cold smoking salmon.jpg

• hazzo
• Jun 23, 2015

 

[hazzo]

I forgot to mention, each mailbox bottom has a 6" x 6" square cut out to receive a duct work 6" x 6" square to 6" round adaptor using a couple pop rivets. Each end of the mailbox has a couple 3/4" holes aligned with a pair of metal electrical outlet covers to use for temperature control. I just fit a pair of racks inside spaced with wood blocks for good air circulation inside. It works great for under $50. Next, I'll have to try smoking some cheese.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thank You Hazzo!!

I'm glad you like it !

Nice set-up you got there!!

I don't get much Salmon lately----My Son is slacking, but mainly because his business is going Great.

I like the way your mailboxes look like they have Robot legs & feet under them.

Very Cool !!

Bear

 

[hazzo]

Glad you liked - making stuff, anything, is always fun to me. All my neighbors know what the mailboxes mean, even Keith our mailman, who changes his route so as to finish at 5PM at my house for samples. 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Glad you liked - making stuff, anything, is always fun to me. All my neighbors know what the mailboxes mean, even Keith our mailman, who changes his route so as to finish at 5PM at my house for samples. 

LOL---I know what you mean!!

I had a UPS driver who used to stop here a lot. I gave him samples a few times. He loved them & ended getting an MES 30 and an AMNPS. Haven't seen him in a long time, because they changed his Route.

Bear

 

[craig2387]

Bear,
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm going to have to try it soon.

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear,
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm going to have to try it soon.

Thank You Craig!!

Just Yell (PM Me) if you run into a question!!

Bear

 

[tonka16827]

Salmon.jpg

• tonka16827
• Aug 15, 2015

Just pulled the salmon pieces out of the fridge and I'm getting my smoker fired up.  I've followed Bear's recipes before and he's never lead me wrong.  So, I'm dong it again and can't wait for the final product.

 

[tonka16827]

After almost four hours, the pieces hit 145 so I pulled the off.   

 

[Bearcarver]

 
After almost four hours, the pieces hit 145 so I pulled the off.   

And????----Taste any yet??

I actually like it better cold, but did you taste any yet??

Bear

 

[tonka16827]

Yes I did - I actually smoked 8 piece but one didn't make to the vacuum seal table -  I had to taste it and well, I ate the whole piece. Its was outstanding.

Thanks for your help,

Shock