I am curious about getting into smoking my own fish. Outside of actually catching the fish, what is the best way to get into smoking my own fish?

I have a Sears LP gas BBQ, but I remember my brother using a Lil Chief smoker. Now, I don't want to spend a bundle on a smoker for my first foray, so keep it cheap.

Rob

spend the dough on a little chief... They're like 50 bucks or something... you'll never regret it...

or better yet see if someone here has an old one they want to get rid of...

The one I use is over 20 years old... been thru more smoker pans than I can count... still on the same burner though...

the hardest part about smokin salmon is getting it lit in the bowl.

I knew someone would make that joke.

But my recommendation is that you warm it up a bit, then it will crumble right in.

Rob :p

Buy the Big Chief instead of the little chief.

You will be glad you have the extra space when you limit out or catch that BIG one

Here's some info I put together, hope it helps...

basic steps

smoked salmon recipe #1

-N.

I have a Brinkmann charcoal and a Big Chief Electric.

The Brinkmann works alot better and is more rugged, but uses charcoal $$$, and is harder to keep the temp when the weather starts to drop.

If you are new to smoking, experiment with some Humpies...they are good smoked and very plentiful!


Good Luck!

WW

I'm with John B on this.....for the few extra bucks get the Big Chief. I have used Little Chief's for many years and have bought at least three of them over the last twenty years and every year I say, "Next time I'll buy the Big Chief. I'm tired of having to do two loads to get these fish smoked up." Besides, on smaller loads you can keep the fish, deer, clams, whatever, off the lowest rack and get a cooler smoke that way.

Next time I'm gonna get a Big Chief.....yeah, right.

I have the Brinkmann electric which will hold two turkeys. baby back ribs can't get any better. I think they run about $70.

StorminN
I saw the smoked salmon recipe #1 page you added. Great job. Thorough and answered some of the small questions I had wondered about.

I particularly liked the idea of cutting the meat down to the skin in "candy bar" sizes.

Thanks again.

Here is a recipe we have been using for 30 years. I have been doing a lot of smoking this Summer. You can fit about 10 humpy's in this recipe. If doing half that much you might want to cut the salt to 1 cup. I have a load of Coho's in the smoke right now!

Granny GutZ Smoked Fish Recipe
(Family Secret)
In a 5 gallon bucket -
1 Gallon warm water
1 1/2 Cups salt (I use morton's table salt)
2 Cups Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons garlic powder
8 Tablespoons onion powder
2 ounce bottle of mapeline
1 1/2 cups Karo Corn Syrup

Mix it all real good. Add trimmed filets. I like to cut fish to skin (not through) in 1 1/2 - 2 inch strips. (brine gets in better, smokes better). This is enough brine for 2 loads in a 5 rack Big Chief Smoker. Let brine 6 to 12 hours or more. Dry on paper towels for at least an hour. Brush with honey if you like. Pepper heavily with crushed or cracked Black Pepper. Cayenne works well, too!. Preheat smoker 1 hour. Smoke fish 6 to 12 hours or until completely done. Smoking time varies depending on wind and weather. On some occaisions I have finished off in the oven at 200 degrees.

Please don't share this recipe with anyone. I would hate to see it end up on the internet.

GutZ

I had a little chief for years, but recently bought a Bradley smoker. Wow!!! Yes, they are expensive, but here are the advantages:

!

Here's the recipe my family has used for probably more than 30 years:

1) fillet the salmon - keeping the skin on
2) cut the fillets into 1 1/2 - 2 inch strips
3) place the strips skin side down in a bowl
4) lightly sprinkle rock salt on the fish (no hard set amounts here - just a small handful)
5) sprinkle a handful of brown sugar on top (maybe a couple handfuls)
6) add more layers and do the same thing to each

Let the fish strips sit in the brine overnight. When you take it out the next day, the fish will be swimming in the moisture the rock salt extracted. Pat dry - making sure to remove any visible rock salt that didn't disolve. Then, place on the smoker racks for a couple hours to dry (sometimes a fan blowing on the full racks helps). Then smoke 3 - 12 hours (depending on thickness of fish). Smoke is only needed for about the first 3 hours - after that, not much penetrates, so why waste the chips. Hope this helps.

--Bank Angler

I wish I had a dig a cam.I have a big and little chief.Love them dearly but I just aquired my dads smoker.This smoker is a converted Pepsi machine{dad worked for pepsi retired last weekend.}Two burners,thermostaticly controled,Huge racks,you can do a pig in this thing.Hell it even has a light and a window on the front.Dad was going to dump it and I just could not let him.Too many memories of the fish we caught growing up, being smoked in the pepsi machine!

Hell I even got to tell him about some of the things that me and Dad didnt catch that got smoked in there.

Now here's some smokers that double as BBQs.

Smokers/BBQs