Yes just an electric burner. Going to look into a smokai or offset generator for cold smoking.
Let's see your smoked salmon
- Thread starter tubber
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Yes just an electric burner. Going to look into a smokai or offset generator for cold smoking.
Rain City
Crew Member
Ahem... Rain City dry brine method. I told you guys, I taught him everything he knows
What’s this method you’re trying to take credit for?Ahem... Rain City dry brine method. I told you guys, I taught him everything he knows
Oh, thanks for nothing!
Squire
Well-Known Member
Got a batch of white spring on the drying rack this morning to go in the smoker by noon.
I thought I’d try leaving the skin on and cutting across the fillet the way a couple others have shown prior with apparently great results. I wondered if the skin on the bottom might help with the chunks not getting heated through too quickly and leaking albumin as well?
I’d just finished removing the skin on the first fillet before I remembered the plan. Doh! So now one full rack and two pieces on another are skinless - an opportunity to compare results I guess.
When I got home Sunday night I took the white spring fillets out of the freezer to thaw overnight. I grabbed six whole fillets plus two forward halves for a total of 3-1/2 salmon. My most recently edited (by me) recipe told me 8-10 fillets of 6-10 lb salmon or 4-5 fish fills the four racks of my Bradley. I never made enough of an adjustment for the size of the white springs and I ended up cutting up enough for not quite two full batches so I just put half in the brine yesterday. I also pulled pin bones (most of them) instead of cutting out a thin strip of meat with them in it so I had a lot less trim waste.
Second round will come out of the fridge and go in a new mixture of brine by noon today for smoking tomorrow.
I thought I’d try leaving the skin on and cutting across the fillet the way a couple others have shown prior with apparently great results. I wondered if the skin on the bottom might help with the chunks not getting heated through too quickly and leaking albumin as well?
I’d just finished removing the skin on the first fillet before I remembered the plan. Doh! So now one full rack and two pieces on another are skinless - an opportunity to compare results I guess.
When I got home Sunday night I took the white spring fillets out of the freezer to thaw overnight. I grabbed six whole fillets plus two forward halves for a total of 3-1/2 salmon. My most recently edited (by me) recipe told me 8-10 fillets of 6-10 lb salmon or 4-5 fish fills the four racks of my Bradley. I never made enough of an adjustment for the size of the white springs and I ended up cutting up enough for not quite two full batches so I just put half in the brine yesterday. I also pulled pin bones (most of them) instead of cutting out a thin strip of meat with them in it so I had a lot less trim waste.
Second round will come out of the fridge and go in a new mixture of brine by noon today for smoking tomorrow.
Squire
Well-Known Member
I increased brining and drying time for the second batch because the white spring pieces were so thick and I left the skin on.
Although the first batch was good (the wife made a delicious quiche with some), I think the second batch is the winner.
Instead of just plucking the chunks out of the wet brine and shaking the drips off before putting them on the racks to dry I adjusted this step as well. I drained the brine first then just lightly wiped the pieces with paper towels. I think this helped the fish dry and develop the pellicle faster.
I also started the smoker at a lower temperature and increased it in stages. It took 9 hours in total with the first 3 hours at 120 degrees, the next 3 hours at 140, then the last 3 at 160.
Learning to smoke salmon has been a bit of a process but the valuable input from members on this forum has helped me develop my recipe(s) to the point I have some confidence in the finished product. I’ve been typing out the recipes and keeping them in a file folder on my laptop and I’ll be tweaking and saving this one specifically for thick white springs now
Although the first batch was good (the wife made a delicious quiche with some), I think the second batch is the winner.
Instead of just plucking the chunks out of the wet brine and shaking the drips off before putting them on the racks to dry I adjusted this step as well. I drained the brine first then just lightly wiped the pieces with paper towels. I think this helped the fish dry and develop the pellicle faster.
I also started the smoker at a lower temperature and increased it in stages. It took 9 hours in total with the first 3 hours at 120 degrees, the next 3 hours at 140, then the last 3 at 160.
Learning to smoke salmon has been a bit of a process but the valuable input from members on this forum has helped me develop my recipe(s) to the point I have some confidence in the finished product. I’ve been typing out the recipes and keeping them in a file folder on my laptop and I’ll be tweaking and saving this one specifically for thick white springs now
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IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Full load of Coho into the Big Box while still dark this morning.
Chugging away now...
Chugging away now...
Tomfoolery
Well-Known Member
Agree! 3:1 demerara and pickling salt dry brine has always worked amazing for me. The trick to hot smoking is to not over cook it. As soon as the first hints of albumin are seen, I take it out. I left mine in this year just a bit too long and it is still delicious but just a tad too firm for a perfect piece for me.
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Turned out excellent as usual:
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Full load of sockeye on the go since 6:00am.
Once again in the dark, and once again raining...
Once again in the dark, and once again raining...
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
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