Smoked salmon brown sugar/course salt ratio?

[Clint r]

I'm new to smoking. I've tried twice at the cabin so far in the Little Chief that is up there. The first time wasn't edible. This past weekend turned out much better, but it was a little too smokey for me as we had Hickory and Mesquite chips up there that seem to be more suited for beef or pork. I'll pick up some Alderwood for the next batch.

Quick question --> Clint's calls his brine a "dry brine" but the fish is clearly in a brown soupy mix. What constitutes a dry brine if that is not a wet brine? I thought dry brine would be just salt/sugar and no water.

hey Corey, that liquid is what's been pulled out of the fish by the salt/sugar mix. Starts off dry but turns into a liquid fairly quickly. Don't forget to take the fish out and stir up brine half way through the brining time. Then fish back in and continue brining til done.

 

[Sotally Tober]

hey Corey, that liquid is what's been pulled out of the fish by the salt/sugar mix. Starts off dry but turns into a liquid fairly quickly. Don't forget to take the fish out and stir up brine half way through the brining time. Then fish back in and continue brining til done.

X 2

If you can't find alder, apple is another option, I have mixed alder and apple.
Cherry is mild also and gives a nice mellow flavour

 

[lazylump]

I find that if you simply use a salt to sugar ratio that you end up with salty fish. You need to remember to factor in the amount of fish you plan to smoke as well. Using a cup of salt to 4 of sugar and dumping in 5 lbs of strips or fillets is going to result in salty fish.

A dry mix will draw out the moisture from the fish and turn into a soupy mix after a few hours.

 

[Corey_lax]

Thanks Clint. That makes sense. I would have never guessed that so much liquid can be pulled from the fish. Very interesting. Some recipes ask for a lot of water.

I found alder and apple at steveston marine. I'll be trying it out different recipes every time I'm at the cabin. I like a more plain smoked salmon rather than candied but might need to make some candies to please the other people in my life

 

[triplenickel]

In the little chief I find you only need to use 3-4 pans of the mild chips then just heat to finish. Don't leave the black burnt ash in too long either, I toss em as soon as there's no brown left to the chips.

 

[Steveo]

I'm new to smoking. I've tried twice at the cabin so far in the Little Chief that is up there. The first time wasn't edible. This past weekend turned out much better, but it was a little too smokey for me as we had Hickory and Mesquite chips up there that seem to be more suited for beef or pork. I'll pick up some Alderwood for the next batch.

Quick question --> Clint's calls his brine a "dry brine" but the fish is clearly in a brown soupy mix. What constitutes a dry brine if that is not a wet brine? I thought dry brine would be just salt/sugar and no water.

The moisture that is pulled out Of The fish by the salt turns the dry brine into that brown soup. Try cherry chips. I find them pretty light on the smoke flavour.

 

[gunnerlove]

I have found that previously frozen fish brines in about 1/3 the time of fresh. I guess it is all the cellular damage. I debone after brining as the bones stand a little proud and release with less tugging and tearing.

 

[bones]

Been smoking the traditional wet brine since I was a kid. Changed to this method including the way it is filleted.

I use a 50/50 and dry for 6 hours on the counter. It's a good way to start and you can add what you like as you go. The last batch was glazed in maple syrup near the end

In this picture it has come out of the dry brine and is now air drying

 

[Whole in the Water]

Started using a 7:1 sugar/salt ratio with no rinse. Been the best ratio I have used and the fish is never too salty. I also switched from just using dark brown sugar to adding some maple syrup and honey to my sugar part.

x2 7:1 ration is more popular with folks I know. More salt just makes it unnecessarily too salty IMHO. I use a dry brine for 36-48 hrs. depending on the type and thickness of salmon. I also only smoke for 3-4 hrs. at low heat. I use alder or apple wood. Hickory is too strong for my taste. Makes for less salty, less smokey, moister, more salmoney goodness IMHO.

 

[Big Green Machine]

x2 7:1 ration is more popular with folks I know. More salt just makes it unnecessarily too salty IMHO. I use a dry brine for 36-48 hrs. depending on the type and thickness of salmon. I also only smoke for 3-4 hrs. at low heat. Makes for less salty, less smokey, moister, more salmoney goodness IMHO.

I agree, used 4 cups sugar to an 1/8 cup coarse salt dry brine and cured it for 5 days. Turned out amazing, almost candy like on the surface and then meaty inside. Thanks to FA aka Owen for the tip.

 

[tubber]

I finally got around to smoking any pieces of chinook left over from last summer. We try to eat any fish that has a failed seal as soon as we spy it during the fall/winter.. These all were sealed well and showed no signs of freezer burn or any other issues. I got a big white last year and even the shoulder pieces are noticeably more moist (fattier) than the red. I used 2 cups of pickling salt, 1 kg of demerara, and 1 kg of brown sugar. So about 5cups sugar to one cup salt. I left the thinner pieces for 18 hours in the dry brine then dried for 5 hours with a fan and smoked in the little chief until the internal temperature was generally 150F. The thicker pieces brined for a total of 48 hours, dried about 6 hours and smoked about 6 hrs to an internal temp of 140 this time. I painted on a little maple syrup after I picked a few bones. Then freezer packed most of it. I'm happy with both batches.
It's tomatogeddon around here, too. Who knew 22 tiny plants could do that?

 

[Sotally Tober]

Nice job, looks good and your 'supervisor' seems ready for a quality control taste.

 

[Reeltime]

Looks good tubber, i cut my fish the same way and i find you get more flavour in each bite ..

Nice garden tomatoes ...

 

[tubber]

Forgot about that pic above. That pup's last summer. He made it to 14.5. Last of the 2018 drying out. 5 cups demerra to 1 cup salt. Time to trade in the 2011 Nokia phone.

 

[ILHG]

4 cups brown sugar 1 cup demeria sugar 1 cup of salt if its a fish over 20 lbs i brine for 48 hours

Do you rinse it off after? Hope its not a dumb question, I assume you do, just better safe than sorry.

 

[ILHG]

Just did up a bunch of hot smoke , when i cut in strips like pic bellow i give each layer of fish meat side up a chicken feed of salt and a grazing of sugar
that gives a good balance of just barely sweet and a good salt taste to bump the whole flavour up , not that overly salty taste , i rinse in cold water
after brining the next day or it will be overly salty ... that's for strips not big fillet
View attachment 33465 View attachment 33466

I seen your video on Youtube. It looks good

 

[Rain City]

I seen your video on Youtube. It looks good

It's a good method. Cant mess it up this way.

 

[Reeltime]

I seen your video on Youtube. It looks good

Thanks! bud - First recipe and process that i was taught by a long time island fishermen and has stuck, tried others and never came close to this
simple recipe, tweaked on the way.. 25 years later still using it, for a moister smoked salmon.

That time of the year to load the smoker i'll put up my youtube recipe and process for anyone wanting to try something different

Cheers! tightlines this summer Fish ON!!

 

[tubber]

2 cups kosher salt, 1 bag demerara, 1 bag brown. 48 hrs in the brine for the thinner cohos, 60 for the chinooks. The coho dried 6 hours and smoked in the LC for 6. The chinooks dried for about 8 and smoked about 12. Very moist. My smoker isn't very hot. New kitchen from the pic earlier in the thread. These pieces are chinook.

 

[Reel Time]

Anyone use Kikkoman soy sauce in lieu of Salt? I do, its worthy.