# Want to get started hot-smoking fish and need tips...



## texherp (Dec 29, 2011)

So a few of the local ponds get stocked with rainbow trout during the winter and I figured this might be a good time to buy the smoker I had been wanting for a while now.  I'm planning on buying a low-cost electric smoker, either the Master Forage dome smoker or the Brinkman Gourmet electric smoker.  

Based on the reviews I've read, both hold a temp of about 225-250 degrees, but the Master Forage has a low, med, and high setting whereas the Brinkman one doesn't.  BUT, the Brinkman smoker seems to be much more popular, so I'm kinda torn between the two.

One question I have is, is 225-250 too hot for hot-smoking fish?  I've read 250 is OK, but also that 150 is ideal.

Thanks!

P.S. My goal is to be able to smoke a lot of different things and to be able to adapt one of these smokers for fish.


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## buckytom (Dec 29, 2011)

bump.

i'm interested in learning how to smoke fish as well. i've been buying smoked whitefish, mackerel, and trout, but it's ridiculously expensive so i'd like to learn how to smoke what i catch myself.

anyone, anyone, buehler...


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## pacanis (Dec 29, 2011)

lol, if I hadn't just seen that movie again, Bucky...

I did some reading on smoking fish a while back and everything I came across talked of cold smoking. 150F or lower even. I have never tried smoking a whole fish. Maybe someday.


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## salt and pepper (Dec 29, 2011)

The differance in hot and cold smoke is the temp. Hot smoke is anything over 160 degrees , cold smoke should be 140-150 degrees. Hot smoke is better for meats then fish becauce of the thickness of of the meat unless your making jerky. 
  When I smoke fish (trout) , I like them to be 16 to 24 inches long. I fillet them with the skin on and pin bones removed. Soak them for no longer than 12 hours in a brine. A basic brine is a cup of salt to a gallon of water. You can flavor a brine in many ways , maple syrup , peppercorns etc. After soaking the fish in brine lay the fish skin side down in a baking sheet and refrigate overnight untill the flesh develops a pellicle , a tacky surface that the smoke will stick to. You can't do this with whole fish and it makes a much better smoked flavor. Fish has a more mild flavor so fruit wood is recommended rather then say hickory or mesquite.If you cold smoke , you must use a brine because of the lower temp , which will not "cook" the fish. Brineing is a cure.
   These are just basic rules. I'm sure you can find lots more info on the net or pick up a cook book or two. I like to refer to "Charcuterie" by Mike Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn. Much info on meat and fish.
                                                     Hpoe this is of some help, Joe


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## texherp (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks for the bump.  

UGA's National Center for Home Food Preservation has a great PDF that describes hot-smoking fish in detail (here).  I was confused about temperatures because apparently a lot of people will "smoke" their fish by cooking it for a short time in a hot smoker (like ~30 minutes at >250), which to me is more like grilling or baking.  

It appears that proper hot-smoking consists of smoking at ~90 degrees for 2 hours then raising the temp to cook the fish to an internal temp of 160 degrees for 30 minutes.  

My problem is finding a way to get a cheapo smoker that smokes at 225-250 degrees down to 90 degrees.  Neither of the models I was looking at have vents unless you count the side door.  Any suggestions?  I was thinking I could prop open the lid as well as prop open where the mid-section meets the bottom piece.

Here's a pic of the smoker I was looking at:


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## Bolas De Fraile (Dec 30, 2011)

I just put trout in a wet brine for 60 mins then stick them on the rack, and shut the lid for 30 to 60 mins.


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## texherp (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks Bolas, that's kinda what I was referring to about the fast smoking/grilling method.  What temps are you smoking at, by chance?

I did some more homework and found this great series of videos on youtube  that shows hot smoking salmon in detail: Smoking Salmon in Nome, Alaska (Part 1 of 4)

Then there's the Good Eats episode about hot smoking fish:Where there's smoke, there's fish.

Alton actually just smokes at the finishing temperature from the very beginning 

I think what I'm gonna do is buy a smoker and use a stove burner down in the bottom like Alton did with a cardboard box, but keep it at a low 90-100 degrees and finish it off at the end.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jan 4, 2012)

Tex my bbq is crude it does not have a temp gauge, I just poke the trout with my finger after about 20 mins and judge it from there.


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