Need help smoking salmon

[vaindioux]

Need help smoking salmon

I recently won a simple smoker at work so since I love smoked salmon I gave it a shot.
My salmon ended up tasting smoked and taste good but it also got cooked at the same time.
Someone told me to salt the salmon first and let it sit for 5 hours then rinse it, then dry it and finally apply a little oil on it prior to smoke.
I mixed charcoal and chips, filled the bin provided with water and place the salmon on the top grate then place the smoker cover on it.
That thing was smoking like a chimney, it was like there was a fire.
My salmon does not have that translucent see through consistency like the salmon you buy in stores, it got cooked with a nice smoky taste.
I wouldn't be able to slice thin slices like the one in the stores.
Where did I go wrong?

Thanks

Patrick

[TasunkaWitko]

The main thing is that there is a difference between smoking meat (including salmon) and smoke-cooking meat (including salmon). These differences are in method, temperature, and often ingredients as well.

Mike (PitRow) has an outstanding method for smoking salmon - If I find the link, I'll post it - or he can fill you in.

[vaindioux]

Tasun

Thanks for the answer. I definitely smoke-cooked my fish and I want to smoke it only.

Patrick

[TasunkaWitko]

I smoke trout sometimes, but I know that my method can use some improvement. Here's what I know:

You need to start with some sort of brine - recipes vary, but it's usually a mix of sweet and salty along with any other flavours you might like. Some do a dry brine and others don't. I've never tried a dry brine before, but plan to next time. Brining time varies, but it is generally measured in hours rather than days.

After brining, the fish is rinshed, patted dry with paper towels and then put on racks to develop a pellicle, which is a half-dry, tacky surface. This contributes greatly to the final product. Then the fish is subjected to dry cool smoke unitl it reaches the consistency of dryness that you're looking for. Smoking temperatures seem to vary depending on your desired end product.

That's about all I know, and is how I do trout - it always ends up pretty good, but it's something I want to improve, so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread....

[TasunkaWitko]

I found Mike's link at FotW - I couldn't find it in the archives here:

foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/smoked-salmon_topic1685.html

[vaindioux]

What is "Dry cool smoke?"

[TasunkaWitko]

No moisture added (water pan etc) and "cool" as in less than 200 degrees.

[vaindioux]

Very interesting thread you posted but the end product looks like mine, it seems he smoked cooked it. It does not look like the ones you buy in the stores which I m trying to do.

Patrick

[TasunkaWitko]

Are you looking for a product that is semi-dry - or maybe something more like nova lox, which is cured and smoked, but essentially un-cooked?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lox

[TasunkaWitko]

If I'm reading you right, then what you want to do is brine the salmon, but smoke it at temperatures right about 100 degrees.

In that case, I'd follow Mike's recipe, but smoke at lower temperatures than he does. A curing agent such as TQ might be recommended....

[vaindioux]

Tasunka

Yes the picture you posted, that's what I want to do, I guess it's called lox.
My smoker does not show temperatures but has a gauge showing only "Warm, ideal, too hot". Shall I keep it on "Warm"?
I guess I need to use less charcoal.
What is a curing agent like TQ? Sorry about the questions and my ignorance.
At least you are putting me on the right track.

Thanks

Patrick

[cowgirl]

TQ is Tender Quick http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-h...-tender-quick/

[IrishChef]

Tasunka

Yes the picture you posted, that's what I want to do, I guess it's called lox.
My smoker does not show temperatures but has a gauge showing only "Warm, ideal, too hot". Shall I keep it on "Warm"?
I guess I need to use less charcoal.
What is a curing agent like TQ? Sorry about the questions and my ignorance.
At least you are putting me on the right track.

Thanks

Patrick

Sounds like you got a bunch of things going on, between a new smoker, and a new salmon technique. I would suggest taking some time to get your smoker dialed in, learn how to control temps, draft, smoke, etc, and hold off on the cold smoking for a bit. Hate to see you ruin some good salmon....

Post a few pics of your cooker, and perhaps we can help ya get it figured out!

[Richtee]

TQ is Tender Quick http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-h...-tender-quick/

I stock TQ on my site...and happen to be developing a salmon/fish brine/cure as we speak which uses it.

However..it DOES sound like you need to dial in your smoker until it's at your beck and call. Then you can work on the nuances of cold/cool smoking.

[TasunkaWitko]

Patrick - these folks are on the money: you want to learn the ways of your smoker. The good news is, it's a delicious journey!

Cowgirl and Rich have got you squared away with the TQ - I generally get mine from Rich, because he's a cool dude and I know that he insists on quality. Now he's making a fish cure, which definitely has me interested!

What kind of smoker do you have? It sounds as though it might be a Brinkmann "bullet" type smoker, although without seeing it, I can't say for sure. You CAN smoke salmon the way you want to with these, but it takes a little doin'... If you plan on doing a lot of cold smoking for salmon, as well as other cured meats such as sausage, bacon, jerky - even foods such as nuts and cheeses, I'd recommend investing the 40-odd dollars it takes to get an AMNPS, which is the short name for the A-MAZ'N Pellet Smoker. MossyMO, who is a member here, can give you more information, but it is a great product for this type of smoking, and will work WITH the smoker you have, as well.

The lox is one version of the smoked salmon you are looking for - if I remember right, the brine is a specific profile. You can, of course, use any brine you like, provided it has the right amount of the necessary components (salt, maybe sugar and maybe cure).

Hope this helps for now - any more questions, just ask!