# Smoking Fish in Ghana (Help needed)



## aholly (Sep 22, 2012)

Hello Fish Smoking Experts,

I call you all experts because I know almost nothing about smoking fish.

I am working on a project for school (Arizona State University) where we are trying to increase the efficiency of the smokers used by villagers in a fishing village in Ghana. Also the smoke is cause respiratory problems. I have provide picture below so you can how the villagers currently smoke there fish. We do have to work within the resources available to the villagers. I was hoping to get every ones thought on what could be done to increase the efficiency of there smokers and either reduce the smoke or get exhausted above the villagers. 

The smoking is done by the women since most the men fish. I am not sure what type of wood they use, or if they prefer one type over the other. It does rain alot in this village so they would get wet very easily. 

Thanks for your help!













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__ aholly
__ Sep 22, 2012


















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__ aholly
__ Sep 22, 2012


















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__ aholly
__ Sep 22, 2012


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## s2k9k (Sep 28, 2012)

I've never smoked fish or used that type of smoker so Sorry I can't help but I'm bumping this up so that maybe someone with some experience will see it and can help out.

That's a very interesting project though, thanks for sharing it and Good Luck with it, I'm sure they need all the help they can get.

I see this is your first post here, when you get a minute would you do us a favor and go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we can get to know you and give you a proper welcome, also would you add your location to your profile, we like knowing where you are when we talk to you, Thanks!


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## smokinhusker (Sep 28, 2012)

Hello! I've smoked salmon in an electric smoker and use a mild flavored wood (pecan, alder, or fruitwoods). Can't say how to do it in the type of smoker you have pictured. Seems to me that you don't want that much smoke. Would it work better to start the fire and then only add smaller amounts of wood to the bed of hot ashes, rather than having a constant flame and large amounts of smoke?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will drop by with better answers.


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## skull fish (Oct 4, 2012)

Honestly, if I was in this situation, I would create a separate pit to burn off the wood to charcoal, Looking at the wood in the smoking pits you are showing, they have a variety of wood, not sure if its dry or green. If green,,, you will have large amount of bad smoke. Plus you mentioned alot of rain, which tells me they maybe using to much wet wood at a time. Just a thought. In all respect, this village or Family has been doing this for Generations, this is not 

something new to them.

There way of smoking is looking like a dehydration tray system. Very clever. 

thanks for sharing.


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