# I started salmon smoke without Pellicile



## dammittater (Jul 20, 2022)

Long story short, I dry brined some salmon for a day and started the smoke. I  made a very rookie mistake and didn’t let a Pellicile form. The recipe didn’t explain that enough and I checked out other receipes after I started the smoke. It was on for one hour and I pulled it in an attempt to form the Pellicile. Is there any hope for this? The salmon is still very moist but I am not sure what to do.


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## zwiller (Jul 20, 2022)

I think there's hope if you wiped them down to get rid of the creosote.  Wipe and park them in front of fan for 30m for fastest pellicle.  Good luck!


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## dammittater (Jul 20, 2022)

Thank you! I also changed it from a hot to a cold smoke.


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## zwiller (Jul 20, 2022)

I can't help you much from there, have not run salmon or fish yet.  Hopefully some one chimes in on hot vs cold with the salmon but more info needed.  Use cure?


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 20, 2022)

It’s fine, the pellicule is not absolutely necessary to make a great salmon in hot smoke. As long as it wasn’t dripping wet with water you will be fine. Cold smoke though the pellicule is mandatory.


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 20, 2022)

If hot smoking, the heat evaporates the surface moisture as long as you have dabbed with a towel on the surface.


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## daveomak (Jul 20, 2022)

Without a pellicle, the fat between the layers of flesh will ooze out and you will have dry, tasteless fish...

proper pellicle...








Fat between the meat layers...


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 20, 2022)

daveomak said:


> Without a pellicle, the fat between the layers of flesh will ooze out and you will have dry, tasteless fish...
> 
> proper pellicle...
> 
> ...


Generally Dave, I don’t disagree with you, but here I will. The fat melt is more a product of temperature than a pellicule. The pellicule help with smoke adhesion but plays no roll in final dryness of fish. That is the product of internal temperature. I don’t take any fish beyond 130 internal temp, fat is safe, fish is juicy and moist always.

Pellicule is for smoke adhesion, internal temperature is for moistness.


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## DougE (Jul 20, 2022)

For hot smoked salmon, I no longer fool with brining, or letting it form a pellicle. I just pat the fish dry, season, and into the smoker. I don't see much difference from when I used to do the brine/pellicle. Now cold smoking is a different animal, as has been said.


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## 912smoker (Jul 20, 2022)

DougE said:


> For hot smoked salmon, I no longer fool with brining, or letting it form a pellicle. I just pat the fish dry, season, and into the smoker. I don't see much difference from when I used to do the brine/pellicle. Now cold smoking is a different animal, as has been said.


Never  cold smoked Doug but use the same method as you on the heat. Wife loves salmon so we average at least 2 cooks  a month. 

Keith


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## DougE (Jul 20, 2022)

912smoker said:


> Wife loves salmon so we average at least 2 cooks a month.


Same here. My wife's all time favorite meal is salmon with asparagus and rice. Salmon is also one of the few fish she will even eat. Being from Louisiana, you'd think she'd be big on shellfish and most any fish, but nope.


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## daveomak (Jul 21, 2022)

SmokinEdge said:


> Generally Dave, I don’t disagree with you, but here I will. The fat melt is more a product of temperature than a pellicule. The pellicule help with smoke adhesion but plays no roll in final dryness of fish. That is the product of internal temperature. I don’t take any fish beyond 130 internal temp, fat is safe, fish is juicy and moist always.
> 
> Pellicule is for smoke adhesion, internal temperature is for moistness.



I agree....   BUT, newbies would NEVER cook salmon to 125-130....  They cook it to death....
I was invited to a BBQ...  Everyone said his salmon was delicious...  I walked over to his BBQ and there was this beautiful, filleted king salmon in an aluminum foil boat, covered and simmering in some liquid with lemon, limes and oranges floating all around....  I couldn't choke it down....


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## cmayna (Jul 21, 2022)

dammittater said:


> Thank you! I also changed it from a hot to a cold smoke.


Is/was your definition of a cold smoke, without any heat?   If without  heat, the more important it is to have pellicle formed.  At least when I do it, it is.

The only time I don't deal with forming pellicle is when I'm grilling or baking our Salmon as an entree, to an IT of 130+  All my smoked Salmon, either hot or cold smoked is a snack food and goes thru the typical brining, pellicle forming process.


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