mcawful

Hey Chuck.
I would guess without knowing the size of the filets, that it would be able to be hotsmoked in about an hour. Wouldn't take very long. Of course, longer smoking imparts more flavor. I only let the temp get to 225-230 for small filets or nuggets.
I use Alder only when smoking fish. I tried oak, hickory, mesquite and apple, but it doesn't taste as good as Alder smoked fish. I can't find it here in Florida locally, so whenever I visit back home (Alaska) or an aunt or uncle flies down here, I replenish my stash with 10-20 bags of Alder chips. I've also ordered it on line at-
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/smokers/918264.aspx

I've ordered the chips straight from the Luhr jensen website before, but it's down for awhile.

I use 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt to a cup of water for the brine, then add a touch of whatever seasonings you want. I brine smaller filets like trout for about an hour at the longest.
hope that helped.

TeeJay

What is normal size?

TeeJay

I use apple wood only. Small fish (under 2 lb) at 175 deg. about 1.5 hr. I usually do Lakers in the 5-15 lb. At 175-200 about 3 hr.

Chuck7

thanks guys,
I really appreciate the info..also thanks Mcawful for the website..The only wood here available is hickory.

Actually we don't have any freshwater trout in central Florida..I plan to smoke bass fillets..we can only keep them smaller than 15inches so there ya got it. I don't care for largemouth bass fried but I have tried smoking them and they were great. My cheap smoker only gets to about 225 anyway.I bought a smoker from Walmart a few months ago,Because of a law suit the company no longer puts in a fire pan..[&o]The one they give you has no holes in it so the fire goes out. I read some comments on -line and they suggested one to drill about 20 ..1/2 inch holes inside of the firepan.I also added a grate to get the coals off the bottom.of the firepan..This brought my heat from 190- to about 230. and the coals stay lit. I'd like to see about buying some apple wood chips off line as well.

I've already done Boston butt roasts in them as well as chickens cut in half and country style ribs..I done bass fillets in a different smoker a long time ago and forgot how long they took..

I appreciate the feedback.
C7

Have you guys tried smoking the fish fillets on a cedar board..? How did that do?

jerseyhunter

Chuck, I only smoked whole trout about 14" maybe 1 1/2" thick and they would take between 2-3 hours.
I would use 1/4 cup salt per qt of water and brine overnight in the fridge, . air dry on a rack (room temp) 30 min then smoke.

Chuck7

I would use 1/4 cup salt per qt of water and brine overnight in the fridge, . air dry on a rack (room temp) 30 min then smoke
Jerseyhunter,
What is the purpose of this Jersey??

mcawful

Which part, Chuck?
The brine flavors and cures the fish along with the smoke.
Air drying before smoking imparts a glazed film to the fish. This is called the "Pellicle", which is a normal and desired result of the brining process. When the fish is no longer moist, but sticky to the touch, it's ready for the smoker.
Hope that helps.

here's a table I've found handy....
[align=center]

Weight of Each Piece of Fish

Time for Brining

Under ¼ lb.
30 minutes

¼ lb. To ½ lb.
45 minutes

½ lb. To 1 lb.
1 hour

1 lb. To 2 lb.
2 hours

2 lbs. To 3 lbs.
3 hours

3 lbs. To 4 lbs.
4 hours

4 lbs. To 5 lbs.
5 hours[/align]
Note that the total weight of the fish is irrelevant. Time of brining is established by the weight of the individual pieces of fish. That is why it is easiest to work with batches of fish of similar weight.

Adjustments to Time of Brining - If the skin is left on the fish then increase the time of brining by 25%. For oily fish (Great Lakes chub, Atlantic herring, Gulf pompano, most trout, whitefish, cod, mackerel, salmon, sturgeon, dogfish, etc.) increase time of brining by 25%.

Chuck7

John,
You are an expert...Now please be patient with me..I plan to ask some stupid questions but once I get it..I'll never forget it.

1.When you are saying "Cures the fish" is that like preserving it?? and if so about how long could one just keep it in the refrigerator before freezing it?


2.Is any kind of salt ok?

Thanks John

mcawful

Yes, the salt and smoke cook and cure the fish. The brine is more of a flavoring than anything else with "hot" smoking. With cold smoking, the salt acts an actual cure. You can smoke fish without a brine, but the flavor is fairly bland.
I never let hot smoked fish sit in the fridge (vacuum packaged with my foodsaver) for more than a couple of months.

All of the recipes I've ever used, call for kosher, canning or non-iodized salt. Salt with no addditives is a must.

Chuck, I refer to this website all the time and have it in my favorites. This is everything you'll need to know about smoking fish in a nutshell- these guys are the best, very informative. The table I posted came from their site.

http://www.3men.com/threemen1.htm#Th...rine%20Recipe*

Chuck7

Appreciate the education///I've searched the internet on this subject and have learned the most from you..