# Smoking fish



## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

I've had store bought smoked fish but plan to do my own for storage . Any tips . I'll use a small portable smoke house set up 


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I've never smoked any fish, but I want to too. Just recently, I built a 2'x2'x4' high smoker out of plywood to smoke my bacons. I made it with hooks at the top for hanging and I made 2 places to put perforated metal shelves in with the thought of doing fish or jerky.

Years ago, I had a cousin that was stationed in Alaska. Twice a year, I would get a package in the mail from him. Smoked salmon that he caught and smoked. It was awesome. I never asked him how he smoked it, always figured I would just find out later. It's about time to find out.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Soak in a nice brine, dry off, smoke over hickory er maple wood. Becarefull with the brine, to strong er to long an ya got salty fish.


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## Coastal (Jun 27, 2013)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Soak in a nice brine, dry off, smoke over hickory er maple wood. Becarefull with the brine, to strong er to long an ya got salty fish.


I was going to say the exact same thing. Except I like Alder and Maple.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I've never smoked it but I salt, dry and vacuum seal fillets, a good soak in a few changes of fresh water will draw the salt out.

The fillets often fall apart when cooked but it tastes pretty good.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Dave: With a good brine (one that's not to salty) you don't have to soak them, just a rinse ta get the excess off. For the way ya store your fish, I can see why ya do it thata way. 

I smoke a fair amounta carp (yeah it's a "trash" fish), but rivals salmon when done properly! A nice 3 ta 5 pound cool water carp with the mud strip cut outa it is great eatin.

Salted fish be another good way ta store it to.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

What's the brine? How do you make it?

One year, we drained our biggest pond and netted all of the carp. We had a huge fish fry, mostly with the carp. One neighbor that was helping us, took a whole bunch of carp home and canned it. It was all really good. 

We drained it because it had been taken over by carp and 4" yellow belly catfish. Pretty much the only thing you could catch were those little catfish for a few years. A couple of years after we drained and restocked, it was back to how it was when I was little. Great fishing again.


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## Coastal (Jun 27, 2013)

Brine is completely up to your own tastes, I honestly used the recipe that came with the lil chief smoker, it was really good. Google it and you will find 1000 recipes.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Applewood smoked trout. Mmmmmmm.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Dave: With a good brine (one that's not to salty) you don't have to soak them, just a rinse ta get the excess off. For the way ya store your fish, I can see why ya do it thata way.
> 
> I smoke a fair amounta carp (yeah it's a "trash" fish), but rivals salmon when done properly! A nice 3 ta 5 pound cool water carp with the mud strip cut outa it is great eatin.
> 
> Salted fish be another good way ta store it to.


The funnest way to catch Carp.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

keep the box and put it over the smoker when operating. This will keep in the heat and the smoke longer. Works well.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I couldn't resist...


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

probably depends on the fish but Ive had home smoked trout n salmon ..goobs of it here up in the pacific northwest and some of the real tasty and moist smoked fish have a tad of brown sugar smoked over alder..mumm...Im not sure it the sugar was part of the brine or after..ill try n find out..


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Some brines have the brown sugar added right inta em. Others, yal lay the fillets in a tray a brown sugar after the brine an before the smoke. I have done both an actually did both ta the same batch. The brown sugar after the brine gives ya a bita sweet crust.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Dave: With a good brine (one that's not to salty) you don't have to soak them, just a rinse ta get the excess off. For the way ya store your fish, I can see why ya do it thata way.
> 
> I smoke a fair amounta carp (yeah it's a "trash" fish), but rivals salmon when done properly! A nice 3 ta 5 pound cool water carp with the mud strip cut outa it is great eatin.
> 
> Salted fish be another good way ta store it to.


The next time I do fish I'll experiment with brines.

I learned to salt fish from reading about old methods(pre refrigeration era), I'm sure there are better ways to do it but just never spent the time to research it.

Guess I see my next learnen in coming up in the near future.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Everyone works out their own secret formula and it will take a few years to perfect. I use soy sauce (plenty of salt in the soy sauce), brown sugar and a diced onion fir my brine. I let it dry and make a glaze before I smoke it. If I want to can it I smoke it for half to one hour. The canning enhances the smoke flavor. My first experiment could have sold for saw dust. I cut back on the smoking time and it was great.

Chunk up some potatoes, lay a couple of chunks of lightly smoked salmon on top of the half cooked potatoes and poach the fish till everything is cooked. Serve with creamed peas.


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