# First hot smoke: Salmon with Q-View



## lav25 (Nov 12, 2011)

Time for my first proper hot smoke. I've fooled around a little bit with chicken breasts, but those were more grilled than smoked as I figure out temperature control in my little flowerpot.  

For the record, there isn't any temperature control 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






.  When I start, I can choose how plugged up the bottom vent hole will be, and as I go, I can plug the top hole more or less.  My heating element is controlled by unplugging or plugging in.

Oh well.

I tried my best to follow Bearcarver's Smoked Salmon recipe.  Rather than freeze the fish for several weeks, I just went to the market and bought sashimi grade salmon, one advantage of living in Japan.  The brine was pretty much spot on, although I halved it since I was making something around a pound of fish, not a big batch like he did.  Time and temperature were a problem.  Once I got it up to 100 degrees, I turned off the heat element, but the combination of the insulation provided by the flowerpot and the heat put out by my smoke wood stick (think pressed sawdust, see my thread above for more info) put things up to the 120 degree range.  I tried to bleed off some heat, but it just didn't work, so I ran with it.  The salmon heated up much faster than in the recipe, but I was able, by unplugging and plugging the heater back in, to run about ten to twenty degrees higher than the recipe recommended.

All in all, my little blocks of salmon cooked to 140 in a little over three hours.  Almost certainly not as tasty as the master version, but they look pretty good, and don't taste (wife and I had to sample some) too bad either:







We'll see what the guests think tomorrow, I'll be holding Thanksgiving then (overseas, I have it when my company can come.  As long as it's in November, it counts as far as I'm concerned).

-val


----------



## chef jimmyj (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks Great...You will Master your very cool creation soon! Your SENSAI'S are PROUD!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...JJ


----------



## SmokinAl (Nov 12, 2011)

It sure looks good from here.


----------



## tbakko (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks real good, I wouldn't hessitate to nibble on that


----------



## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks real good from here, Val !!!!

Thanks for showing,

Bear


----------



## ptcruiserguy (Nov 12, 2011)

Now that is some really tasty lookin Salmon.

If it tastes as good as it looks then it will be great.


----------



## lav25 (Nov 12, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> Looks real good from here, Val !!!!
> 
> Thanks for showing,
> 
> Bear




Thanks to everyone for the kind words, but special thanks to Bear for showing how, I probably would have just dropped raw fish in with the heat cranked up to 220 if your recipe hadn't been at the top of the page just when I needed it.

-val


----------



## tjohnson (Nov 12, 2011)

looks good for a first run!!

Todd


----------



## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2011)

LAV25 said:


> Thanks to everyone for the kind words, but special thanks to Bear for showing how, I probably would have just dropped raw fish in with the heat cranked up to 220 if your recipe hadn't been at the top of the page just when I needed it.
> 
> -val



Thanks Val,

Always glad to hear I was a help.

Bear


----------



## chef jimmyj (Nov 12, 2011)

BEARS certainly know their Salmon!...JJ


----------



## venture (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks good Val!

How much does salmon like that cost in Japan?

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## africanmeat (Nov 12, 2011)

It look great val . a mix of wasabi and kewpie mayonnaise with this fish will be close to heaven


----------



## lav25 (Nov 19, 2011)

Thanks for the kind comments everyone, the salmon turned out great.  I had my Thanksgiving a little early (last week.  For some reason it isn't a national holiday here in Japan :P, so I had it when people could come) and the inlaws and guests devoured the fish.  I know what I'm doing for Christmas presents this year!

-val


----------



## forluvofsmoke (Nov 26, 2011)

Nice work, Val!

Glad I caught up with this...haven't been around much lately, and had to do some digging to find updates on your project.

Adapt and overcome...you did whatever it took to pull it off.

Nice to see you're getting a good handle on the smoker and getting some great eats for your efforts.

Keep rollin' with it, dude!

Eric


----------

