# Brining Trout???



## smokingloon

I have tried a couple of different brine recipes on Steelhead and Salmon.(Thank you, BearCarver) We caught a bunch of Cutthroat Trout this weekend and I am planning on smoking, my fillets are much thinner than a Salmon I smoked.  Any recommendations on brining recipes?


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## werdwolf

I haven't tried this on trout, but I think it would work.  Copied this from the site a while ago works on small mouth bass and panfish.

Smoked pan fish

I smoke perch, crappie and bluegill all the time. It takes about 3 hours at 150 and I use cherry for smoke. Here is the brine recipe that I use...

2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Pepper
1 *Tbs* Ground Ginger

I only brine for 1 hours and then rinse and let dry in the refrigerator for about an hour before smoking. You can add or subtract to suit your taste. Recipe is good for up to 2 lbs of fish...

rodbuilder


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## scubadoo97

For small lake trout I really don't find a need to brine.  Just season and smoke.


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## bmudd14474

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/63257/brown-sugar-smoked-lake-trout


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## erain

thks brian for the bump on that old old old thread.... actually was my first smoke i posted on the forum... i didnot include the brine recibie in that post so here it is...  trout,, salmon, whitefish, are your best smoking fish, fish like perch, bluegills, walleye, and northern just do not have the natural fat in the meat needed to keep a moist fish. not saying you cant smoke these fish, just that the finished product will be more desirable.

 smoked fish brine

2 3/4 cups pickling salt
10 qts cold water-use good water
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbls garlic salt

soak avg sized pieces 24 hrs, soak in fresh water 1 hour

big thick pieces of fish, may require more time and smaller less. once out of brine set on a rack with a fan blowing across fish til outside of fish dry, a coating will form on it called the "pellicle", is now ready for smoker. i also like to rub some brown sugar on the meat
 

 here are some lakers and whitefish that i smoked in the past with the brine recipie. works great for me and is simple to make and i hope you give it a shot...

cut up, one whitefish into slabs, other into steaks. the lake trout steaked the forward half with the rib sections and filleted the tail sections


the mixings for the brine


pieces were pretty thick so i did a 36 hour soak, need to do to your personal taste.


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## smokingloon

Thanks Werdwolf, I'm going to brine the next batch less time. I finished up 5 lbs. last night and wasn't very impressed with the taste this morning.  If the next batch turns out better I'll post my recipe and pic's.


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