First time smoking salmon

[ThunderLund78]

Taking advantage of the very small window between the end of youth hockey season and the start of youth baseball season to get some smoking done.  Our daycare lady gave me two bags of Lake Michigan Salmon from there charter trip last year.  I've never smoked fish before, so here goes nuttin'

Four of the fillets are a dry brine and the other six are a wet brine.  The dry brine is brown sugar based and will be basted with apricot jam, and the wet brine has brown sugar, too - but also maple syrup mixed in and will be basted with it when in the smoker.

Definitely a difference between the two methods - I was AMAZED on how much liquid the dry brine drew out of the fish - those fillets are definitely firmer and lost more mass overnight. It will be interesting to see how it translates to texture.

Currently waiting on the pellicle to form.  I will post pics of the finished product later.  I also have two slabs of pork belly that will be going in brine today for next weekends smoking adventure!

[Bobberineyes]

Very nice thunderlund.  That dry brine is hard to beat, I've been cold smoking them for a couple of hours before any heat and they've been turning out perfect. Have fun!

[Reinhard]

Your doing everything right for sure.  I'm hoping to get at least one looper [kamloop Rainbow trout] next Tuesday when I head up to the north shore.  I will be smoking them also.  good luck.

[ThunderLund78]

Here's the money shot - Both were great, but I think I actually like the Maple Brown Sugar better - which was the wet brine. Time to book a salmon charter of my own!  I need a whole lot more of this in my freezer!

[snow1]

Looks great! did you start out cold smoking 1st? curious as your fillets don't have the white boogers.Have'nt tried the cold smoke yet,just low heat to start 120deg and then up the temp slowly ending@ 165deg after 5 hours or so,but I always get the white oily boogers emerging,not that its a bad thing but I like the looks of your fillets better. 

[ThunderLund78]

I heated it in stages, 2 hours at 120, then and hour at 140, then finished for an hour at 175.  Internal temp was about 140 on the fish when I pulled.  The 'White Boogers" I learned are called "Albumin Bleed" and it happens when it's heated to rapidly.  It's normal to get it when cooking salmon on a grill or oven, but less desirable when smoking and you eat the final product cold and firm.  This staged approach eliminates this.  Easier to do with an electric smoker, which I used.

[Reinhard]

Great job on those fillets Thunder!!!  I'm going up north tomorrow to hit the north shore and to try to bring home some loopers.  My brother got a few but more steelhead than loopers.  Can't keep steelhead but it's a good sign that they are making a come back.  Smoked some loopers last year and they were good.  They are catching coho salmon off shore now trolling.  In May and June you can get coho and lake trout right out of Duluth near shore on the surface.  good luck.

[ThunderLund78]

Good luck RH!  Hope you bring some home.

[snow1]

Well you did a great job for a rookie,sounds like you did your homework as well on prep.I also use a electric smoker,I'll try the low and slow approach the next time,I start my smoking once the fillets get to room temp,1st stage about an hour@ 120deg,I'll stretch that out some or might cold smoke@ 80-100degrees for starters.Thanx for the feedback!

Besides the kohser salt/brown sugar brine half way through the smoking operation I'll baste the fillets with a brown sugar/maple syrup gue,man that adds flavor as you stated.My recipe comes from Russ Kendahl fish market  in two harbors Mn,met Russ back in the 70's when we had great steelhead runs along the shore,he had and still has the best smoked fish anywhere even tho Russ passed away in 2007,his family still runs the shop.

Oh,and he said maplewood for smoking salmon,well thats all they have along the shore besides birch but maple is a nice mild flavor.

[LPS]

Your salmon looks fantastic Thunder.  I have done salmon and catfish a few times and always turned out great but never looked as nice as yours.  Now I  have to go buy some.

[ThunderLund78]

Thanks all,
Here's my source of info and recipe for the wet-brined Maple/Brown Sugar salmon:

http://honest-food.net/how-to-smoke-salmon-recipe/

Could not find Birch syrup at the store - Maple was a fine substitute.

One more thing - I used Apple because that's all I had on hand besides Hickory, and it worked great. I love Hickory, but I thought it might be a little strong for fish.  I bet Maple would work great, too, considering the syrup.

[mike89]

that is an interesting recipe, just have to look into it, thanks!!

[kenhuntin]

Pretty sure you have to really try hard to screw up smoking salmon. God made it that way it is always good.

[glenn57]

I use hickory to smoke fish all the time. But my brine is way different!