Anchovy brine
- Thread starter richmake
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scott craven
Well-Known Member
try the salmon "U" brine, salt, powdered milk, blueing
if ya can still find it.
works good, keeps them shiny and firm.
if ya can still find it.
works good, keeps them shiny and firm.
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Depends on what's going on...if it's fast and furious...and you need it done in a hurry, I just use a super saturated wet brine, if I have time in advance, I just use a dry brine the day/night before.
Or...you can get a KILLER roll out of frozen chovies unbrined using toothpicks and/or wire. However, it's not my first choice.
I remember one day leaving my bait box on the dock. I just went into the freezer where I keep a spare couple of packages, hauled out a pack of 6 inch 'Chovies, fired 'em down, and we nailed a couple in the first 5 minutes! The bite slowed off, and had the rest in a wet brine from spare fishery salt on board. In the next hour, they were reasonably brined.
All the milk/blueing stuff is just for making large amounts of brined bait you won't use all at once, and don't bother with the investment...rather manage your use of the bait.
Nothing beats fresh bait.
S
Slay Belle
Guest
What Fishin Magician said... use it fresh if you can. Pack some in plain coarse salt for pickles - it will stiffen it and perserve it forever. Keep it as dry as possible as liquid brines tend to 'blow the belly'.
R
RVP
Guest
Myth - "Liquid brines blow bellies of bait fish"
What blows bellies is a full tummy before the bait fish is processes - buy bait that has been proven to have a good track record, brine in wet or dry or a combination thereof if you have time to do the process.
I have been able to save crappy bait by putting it through a process that will minimize belly blow and aslo can salvage freezer burned or dried out bait - wet/dry combo that does take a little time to do, but the finished product is well worth the wait.
Guides on both coasts of the island love my cured secret bait...I am thinking about producing it for resale, but - uncertain if I have time to do it this season. Maybe next season after the store has gone through its growing pains and I can relax a little [six to seven days a week takes it's toll on a person]
What blows bellies is a full tummy before the bait fish is processes - buy bait that has been proven to have a good track record, brine in wet or dry or a combination thereof if you have time to do the process.
I have been able to save crappy bait by putting it through a process that will minimize belly blow and aslo can salvage freezer burned or dried out bait - wet/dry combo that does take a little time to do, but the finished product is well worth the wait.
Guides on both coasts of the island love my cured secret bait...I am thinking about producing it for resale, but - uncertain if I have time to do it this season. Maybe next season after the store has gone through its growing pains and I can relax a little [six to seven days a week takes it's toll on a person]
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
I like a dry brine if I have a full day or 2 for it to sit, otherwise wet brine if Its going in the night before.
I agree with FM, I don't think its worth the effort to mess with anything besides salt.
I agree with FM, I don't think its worth the effort to mess with anything besides salt.
R
Riptide2
Guest
How about using formaldehyde, years ago we used it for live cod bait and would catch salmon occassionally. You can keep your bait out of the freezer for days even weeks and it will stay firm.
Of course I wonder how safe it was sticking our hands in it [
]
Of course I wonder how safe it was sticking our hands in it [
]
B
blueorca
Guest
Here's what's been working for me.
Super saturate 1l water with rock salt until it can't desolve.
Add 4 tbsp skim milk powder and a squirt of X10.
Super saturate 1l water with rock salt until it can't desolve.
Add 4 tbsp skim milk powder and a squirt of X10.
Highliner
Well-Known Member
Can you guys help me out? I'm new to the whole brining process. I've got some anchovies in the freezer from last weekend. I'd like to brine them. Once brined, do you re-freeze them again until you use them? For liquid brines, how long do you leave them in there?
Thanks for your help.
Highliner
Thanks for your help.
Highliner
R
RVP
Guest
...your best bet is to do a liquid brine followed by a dry brine - more than likely you have re-frozen a pack that was not totally used up on your last trip...nothing wrong with that as long as you cure them sooner than later. [bait companies won't want me to tell you how to save your bait - but it is possible] I have about 100 freezer burned packs of bait that I put thru a process to bring them back to usable baitfish. Hmmm maybe I'll write a book about it! LOL
Yes, simply brine your bait for about three to five hours in liquid brine and then pack into a layered dry brine. Keep cool, do not freeze.
Cheers
RVP
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
From my experience you can't keep anchovy in a dry brine in the fridge for more then 3-4 days, at that point they get too shriveled and dried up and don't plump back up.
You can keep anchovy in a wet brine in the freezer for weeks or probably even months though, but I find wet brine doesn't get the bait as tough.
I do prefer dry brine though, I just wouldn't store it in your fridge for 2 weeks and expect to have good quality bait.
Don't be cheap, bait is the cheapiest part of fishing and good bait pays off huge.
You can keep anchovy in a wet brine in the freezer for weeks or probably even months though, but I find wet brine doesn't get the bait as tough.
I do prefer dry brine though, I just wouldn't store it in your fridge for 2 weeks and expect to have good quality bait.
Don't be cheap, bait is the cheapiest part of fishing and good bait pays off huge.
R
RVP
Guest
...when you utilize a wet brine, followed by a dry - there is no issue. I have hot pink firecrackers in a layered dry brine in my fridge right now that are well over four months old...but then again, I may be doing something different than all of you as I am in the bait buz. http://www.rvp.ca
Cheers,
RVP
Cheers,
RVP
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
you don't find that letting your bait sit in salt for extended periods of time dries it out too much? I can't understand how a wet brine before the dry brine would in anyway slow down the drying process in the fridge.
You must be doing something different, because I don't know of any meat product, cured or uncured that can sit in the fridge for 4 months without breaking down.
You must be doing something different, because I don't know of any meat product, cured or uncured that can sit in the fridge for 4 months without breaking down.
R
RVP
Guest
-- Poppa --
The advantage to using a wet brine is that the salt cure and other agents used in the formulas [scent,uv,other] allow for the ingredients to absorb into the bait for a fully cured end result. The dry salt brine pulls the excess moisture out of the baitfish, but because the bait was pre-cured, I have not had any issues with it being too dried - in fact the process that I use also saves what is known as normally un-usable or shot, ie. freezer burned or end of trip uncured baitfish into usable bait that catches in most conditions.
The advantage to using a wet brine is that the salt cure and other agents used in the formulas [scent,uv,other] allow for the ingredients to absorb into the bait for a fully cured end result. The dry salt brine pulls the excess moisture out of the baitfish, but because the bait was pre-cured, I have not had any issues with it being too dried - in fact the process that I use also saves what is known as normally un-usable or shot, ie. freezer burned or end of trip uncured baitfish into usable bait that catches in most conditions.
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