Fish Smokers

[jackfisher]

I hope this is the right board to post this. I have read about many of you smoking your fish? Probably better than kitty litter? []

Have you made your own smokers, or have you purchased them? What recepe do you use, flavor of chips, how much time etc. What are the best fish to smoke?

How would someone get started?

Lots of questions would appreciate your help

Thanks
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[PBH]

I purchased an electric smoker from Cabelas. It works great.

just make a good brine solution (1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar to 1 pint water) to soak your fillets in for a couple hours. If the fillets are frozen (or have been frozen) then you can soak for about 40 minutes. Then rinse really good and pat them dry. Put them in the smoker with some pepper (no need to salt after soaking and rinsing), and smoke until they're done. Put your smoker on a very low setting (<180 degrees). Smoke them slow. You can always smoke longer if needed -- don't smoke at too high temp, or you'll have fish jerk...

Fruit tree woods are good for smoking, as are the usuals of hickory and mesquite.

You want to use "oily" fish: Trout and Salmon

fish like Halibut that are relatively low in fish oil don't smoke well.
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[tightline]

support a Utah brand and buy a Camp Chef. You can't go wrong.
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[One_eyed_jack]

Camp chef propane smoker. Tried the higher end electric ones and keep catching them on fire, regardless of following the instructions to a T. Get the biggest you can, especially if you hunt other game as deer/elk/moose/antelope/duck/goose/turkey/chicken/pork/cheese and even snow geese are all good smoked.
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[Wyobraz]

As everyone seems to agree the Camp Chef Propane smoker is awesome. I bought mine last fall after hunting season to make jerky and haven't stopped using it since. It is very easy to maintain a constant temp even with the wonderful Wyoming wind, and it seems to last a long time on a single bottle of propane. I have not smoked any fish in it yet but one of my friends that has says it works wonderfully. Just about everyone I know up here that uses smokers has bought one and quit using both electric and homemade smokers. I hope this helps.

Wyobraz
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[Gumbo]

What higher end electric are you referring to? The high-end electrics I'm familiar with are used by many restraunts and are some of the best smokers available.

As for the camp chef, they work okay in mild weather. But they're a low-end smoker. They're leaky, not insulated, and I don't believe they're thermostatically controlled.

It all depends on what you want you want to cook and budget.
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[jackfisher]

thanks packfish sounds great, makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

What type of smoker do you use?
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[One_eyed_jack]

Gumbo, the Bradley and the Masterbuilt insulated ones have caught fire on my many times. Not only ruining the meat from a textile fire but they also then have to be exchanged. Huge PIA's. As for only good in mild weather, I have used my camp chef in 30 degree days without any insulation or cover without any problems, yes you have to baby sit them a bit but after almost catching my structures on fire a few times babysitting is okay with me. I am planning on building an insulation cover for mine so I can use it year round without any problems.

I guess high end is different to everyone, I am talking about the 3-500 range electric ones; not the 1,000 dollar range ones.
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[Wyobraz]

Hey OEJ, just to let you know I have used my camp chef all winter up here in Wyo, without an insulated cover. I also was planning on buidling one (and still might) but after smoking the Christmas turkey at -10 degrees with a 20mph wind and recieving the comments from the family about how good it was, I don't know if I will waste my time. I agree that it takes a little time baby sitting to get everything just right, but even with my electric thermostat controlled smokers I seemed to spend just as much time. Oh ya one more thing for everyone I like to soak my wood chips no matter what flavor in a 50/50 mix of water and apple juice. This seems to add a little sweetness to the smoked flavor.

Wyobraz
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[packfish]

I still have a couple of little chiefs but would certainly like to up grade this year. Something like the Camp Chef, which is made about 300 yards away or the smokers they had an the ISE show this year. They were pretty sweet. The ribs the guy was giving away were certainly better than the ones I had at Tony Roma's the night before.
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[Old_Coot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2][#002850]While at the Sportsman's Expo show this year I seen a CookShack brand that I sure would like. They were a little pricy at a little over $400 but it sure looked like the cat's meow to me. [/#002850][/size][/font]
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[url "http://www.cookshack.com/index.php?pr=Res_Home"]http://www.cookshack.com/index.php?pr=Res_Home[/url]

I now plan to buy one next year at the expo at show prices if they are there next year.

Have any of you readers had any experience with this brand?

Also, one other question: Why do so many recipies for smoked fish use a salt brine soak? I don't think it is ever sugested for turkey or other meats? Seems to me that you would not want to brine fish either. I know that would seem like a dumb question to you guys who do lots of smoking but I don't understand. Help me out here.[/#002850][/size][/font]
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[Saberfish]

[black][size 3]Hey Coot,[/size][/black]
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[size 3]I think that the salt is used as part of the dehydrating process. It draws the moisture out of the meat.[/size]
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[size 3]I don't remember that the fish is salty after being smoked, so I don't think that it penetrates the flesh.[/size]
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[size 3]I don't have a lot of experience smoking in a regular smoker, I have used the grampa method of using the indoor oven and liquid smoke, but the preparation and brining is the same.[/size]
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[size 3]Maybe someone will have a better explanation that what I have provided.[/size]
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[Flycasting]

Coot...

I saw that one too. It was really nice. The guy was giving samples too... Great stuff. Little pricey for me though.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Brining is a remnant from the days when large quanities of meat/fish/fowl were processed to last through the winter months. The salt helps preserve the meat against bacterial action. Smoking also helps cure the meat and both dries it and adds a pleasant flavor...if you like smoke.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have never liked heavily brined smoked meat. I do not enjoy heavily salted food and too much brine turns fish into a smoky salt lick.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of us smoke only enough to last a short time, and it usually disappears from the refrigerator long before it could go bad. So, you only need to add salt for light curing and for flavor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I learned the Qwik-N-Easy fast smoking process from an old steelhead and salmon guide in northern California a long time ago. Whenever I am in a hurry and the end product is not going to be around long, I just put the fish on a rack, sprinkle it to taste with salt, sugar and seasonings and let it set for a couple of hours to draw out moisture and form a glaze. Then, I "hot smoke" it fast, to cook it and flavor it. Leave it in as long as necessary to cook it and dry it to your taste...or take it out and finish it in an oven.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Works for me.[/#0000ff]
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[PBH]

soaking in a brine (as mentioned above numerous times) helps in the dehydration process. The salt draws the water out of the fish's flesh.

When soaking flesh that has previously been frozen, this process happens much quicker because when tissue freezes, the cells are broken, which speeds the brine process.

The next step is to RINSE!! You must rinse the fish very thoroughly! If you do not rinse the fish really good, you end up with what Pat described as a "smoky salt lick". This step is important, so I'll say again: Rinse thoroughly! Then, pat the fish dry with a towel.

When placed on the drying racks, I will pepper my fish. Do NOT salt! Also, don't add any other "flavors" that contain salt.



I think I need to head out and catch some fish. I'm hungry...
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good point, about the dehydrating. I know and use that reasoning in my own process but didn't articulate it too well in my response.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I know some guys that always freeze their fish before smoking, just because of the way the cellular structure opens up after being frozen. Gives up more moisture and takes in more of the flavors.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another good point about the rinsing. The rule of thumb I use is to keep rinsing until there is no longer a "slick" feel to the fillets. Some of that will drip off during the smoking process, but not enough to take away the "salt lick" taste.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My "super spice" mix, that I apply just before smoking, and not during the brine, is a mix of black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, Mexican oregano and cumin powder. Use it right and it adds flavor and a bit of heat. Too much and you can cauterize wounds with it. Like the salt, I for flavor but not overpowering.[/#0000ff]
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[signalfool]

what about water smokers for fish, do they work?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, can't offer an opinion. Never tried one.[/#0000ff]
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[d-mack]

OK......

I'll bite, since i am THE BEST fish/game smoker in the WHOLE state I'll give a little insight here....

The proper way to prepare ANY fish for smoke treatment is to fillet and romove all pin bones. Make a brine consisting of 1 cup salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 oz crushed garlic, 1/2 GAL. hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add 2Lbs ice to hot mixture, and when cooled off add the fish fillets. Let 'em soak for a at least 3 hrs. Black pepper is nice too.

The scientific stuff happens now......Here's how it works, regular water(h20) and salt water ALWAYS want to reach an equallibriam, so when you put un-salty fish fillets into a very salty brine solution they unsalty water in the fish migrates out and the salty brine migrates in (carrying with it whatever fancy schmancy flavors you added) until they reach an equal salinity. This works with any "water" containing food....meat or vegetable.

Let 'er soak a while, RINSE VERY WELL AND PAT DRY, then throw it into whatever kinda smoker you want to. I even "smoke" on my charcoal grill. The actual smoke flavor really sets in the first hour of "cooking" time so I don't waste my wood after that. Just keep the temp up around 200 degrees until the fish (or meat) is at the texture you like it.

As mentioned in earlier posts....don't bag the stuff up or put in an airtight container until it is at least at room temperature. The condensation just ruins the smoke glaze and takes away from the presentation of the goods.

ENJOY!!
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[Gumbo]

Coot, I do most of my smoking in that exact model. It's a great cooker and requires no tending.
Any smoker is a good smoker. If you don't cook much, then babysitting the smoker might not be a bad way to spend the day. But the more you cook, the less you want to have to fuss with it. I'll put briskets or pork butts on at night, sleep all night, go to work the next day, and it's ready for me when I get home. With it plus a small offset, I have cooked for crowds of almost 150 people.

As for curing fish, as Tube Dude says--it's optional. The problem is that it's easy to overcook them. And when overcooked it dries out. That's the benefit of the brine, is it infuses the meat with the salt solution. And the end affect is a much larger "done" window. If you hot smoke your fish, but want the inside still moist, then don't bother with a cure or brine. Though you can brine to widen that "done" window.

Now with turkeys, I always brine them. Unless I'm frying them, which I'll just inject. The problem with turkey and chicken is the dark meat is done at 175 and the white meat at 160. So if you want to cook them at the same time and have them both cooked through without drying out the breast, then brining is the solution. Plus, it gives you the chance to introduce other flavors to the brine. It turns out the absolute best turkey you've ever had.

As for water smokers--or bullet smokers--they do a great job. The Weber Smokey Mountain is the bullet of choice since it's designed to maintain steady temps during long cooks.

Someone mentioned Tony Roma's ribs. Yuk!! Most places like that boil their ribs. Sure, it makes them tender. But is dillutes all the flavor and puts it in the water! Meats like brisket, pork butts, and ribs only need a good rub, smoke, heat, and time.

I better stop--I could talk about BBQ and cooking all day.


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