Ok---I will apologize up front if this topic or question has already been covered but I can't seem to find the answer I am looking for so here goes.
What exactly does forming a pellicle on you fish do? Does it lock in moisture? Does it make your fish that much better? I have tried to let a pellicle form on the batches of tuna and salmon that I have done so far and am not sure if i get it done properly or not. I usually just lose patience and throw it in the smoker. They have all turned out pretty well except for one batch of tuna that my cat didn't even eat ( yeah it was that bad the marinade was nasty I think).
I just pulled some more fish out of kummoks brine and have out to air dry. I will try the whole pellicle thing again but I have already pirated a tuna steak off my smoker racks and put it on the BBQ. The brine makes for the best marinade for BBQ tuna I have found so far damn tasty.
thanks
shake
"adventure becomes mundane and trivial unless one assimilates oneself in it and transforms from the adventurer to the adventure itself"
I'll take a stab at this and then let the others that know what they are talking about correct my answer. The pellicle is used for better smoke adhesion. If the surface of the fish is tacky or slightly sticky to the touch, the smoke will adhere to the fish better resulting in a better tasting product.
The King of all Salmon, Kummok, will be along shortly to give you the complete lowdown.
KyNola
I agree with Ky 100% and would like to add that it would seal some of the salmon moisture during smoking.
Instead of getting impatient, you can use a fan to expedite things and leave it for a couple of hours, while placing the fish on drying racks. Just make sure that finicky cat of yours is away.
I am about to brine some salmon right now and I shall be posting the process results. Hope they may help.
HR
My thoughts on the pellicle is it develops a secondary shiny skin that helps to retain moisture and allow smoke to be absorbed into the meat. Moist meat wont allow smoke to penetrate. I like to form a pellicle on chicken and turkey when I smoke boneless skinless breasts. To speed up the proses I have a rack that holds my trays then place a fan about 5' away set on low and rotate as the product drys, you want it dry to the touch and slightly sticky but not dried out.
Yes to all the above! (Except the King O Salmon part :-[ ) A good pellicle is critical (and helps prevent boogers!) and is very easy to get, especially with OU's suggested fan. I always use the fan anymore...speeds up the process and gets a better pellicle!
I agree with Kummok (who would argue??.... :D), the pellicle is critical.
In my experience, 4 hours of airflow from a small fan gives a great pellicle. Stickey to the touch -- you can almost leave a fingerprint --- Anything else and it's just not right.
Ok, well I am just going to through my 2 cents worth here. I'll start by saying that I won't argue with anyone about this pellicle process because the next batch I will do it , but we have been smoking fish since I was 5 when my dad and his fishermen buddy built a plywood smoker 3'x3'x12' tall. And we never even knew about this pellicle process. We just dry brined for 24 hrs and wiped of the left over salt and into the smoker for 12 to 16 hrs. This is my last batch from my OBS and my brothers DBS, it was fifty lbs of spring ( or king for you south of the border) including 1 10 lbs coho.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/S7301185.jpg)
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/S7301187.jpg)
And yes I did get boogers, but I just wiped them of when they stopped forming and then they just melt away after a few more hours of smoking. People have always love our smoked salmon and it is hard to keep it around. Infact the next batch will be done covertly and straight to the freezer. But like I said I will be doing it the next time and watching the temp for the first while so as not to get the dreaded things.
For years I used to just throw the fish in the smoker right out of the brine also Quarlow. Got the (Atomic Waste) coming out and just kept wiping it off. After going through a few CISC courses I found out properly raising the temps after letting the fish dry (forming a pellicle) was the ticket. The salmon came out better than anything I've seen in cook books. I actually took the Alaska Smoked Salmon title 2 years in a row by following those simple rules and using a wet brine. Fun to play with for sure and even better eating it. Try the drying part and see what happens.
PS...... DO NOT LET THEM KNOW WHEN YOU ARE SMOKING THE FISH!!! You won't have any left for yourself. :o :D ;)
Quote from: Quarlow on September 29, 2009, 06:43:44 PM
.....it was fifty lbs of spring ( or king for you south of the border).....
South?!?!? Wutchu talkin' about Southerner??? ;) ;) ;D Some fine looking fish there, Q!! You make my case that there ain't no such thing as bad smoked salmon, no matter how it's done!
Thanks, Quarlow!
The fish I first smoked turned out really good, and that was without a pellicle. I'm allergic to salmon, so I smoked rainbow trout, trying to match the taste and quality of a farm in Ontario that was where I first encountered smoked trout 24 years ago. He was a German fellow who smoked in a converted coke machine, that reminds me now of the Bradley. Today his sons do smoked trout and gravlox on a bigger scale but the taste and quality remain my standard.
I found a newspaper article printed when the father died that gave hints to the recipe, which mentioned brining and long-time air drying. No real details but it made me try air drying for longer than I had. And that made the resulting taste and texture much more like theirs.
I do smoke salmon, even though I'm allergic. My family and friends go nuts over it (regardless of a pellicle!) and I can get it cheaper than trout.
Regards, Rich
And make sure you start at low temp for the first while as per the guys on here that will tell you how long because I forgot how long.
QuotePS...... DO NOT LET THEM KNOW WHEN YOU ARE SMOKING THE FISH!!! You won't have any left for yourself.
x2--It tends to disappear very fast--my mother in law is the worst!!
T2
100% Kummok, and just because someone does it different doesn't mean it is not good.
IMHO,the Pellicle Myth,is amongst the grandest of Wive's Tales.
If it was truly a "wives tale", BS, I suspect that it would be a pellicle Mythus, as opposed to a Myth....thorry, couldn't help mythelf ;)
Been doing this salmon smoking thing many years, teaching classes and making lots of friends/new smokers and have yet to have a dissatisfied taster with pellicle forming being a priority. Further, the old sourdoughs I know who have been doing it that way even longer than me, (some are dead now....of old age...not of food poisoning ;) ), provide me with enough extra field truthing experience to place your myth opinion in the myth category...IMHO.....think I'm gonna stick with it, myth (or mythus!) ;)
The best part about Myths,is not everyone can discern one...though of course they THINK they can.
Just as Fishing Tackle is designed to catch Fisherman,not fish.
Few are more objective than I and the better way perpetually intrigues my perceptors,which fuels much of my R&D. I am the curious sort,by nature.
Pun intended.
Quote from: Big Stick on October 03, 2009, 08:25:58 PM
...Just as Fishing Tackle is designed to catch Fisherman,not fish....
Truer words ne'r spoken.....definitely NOT a myth!
I will have to side with Kummuck on this one. Too many food scientists, and my personal experience agree that the pellicle is essential to maximize smoke penetration and help keep fish moist. That also includes the development of the pellicle on chicken and most cuts of meats.
I will also side with Habs and Kummok on this one. By the time I finished preparing the pork pieces for last Thursday GALA, I realized that we had too few salmon fillets to go around (the original number of invitees was 9 and went up to 12 Wednesday night and 16 actually ended up here) and it was too late to go buy some. So my wife had to do that on Thursday around noon.
To make a story short, the fillets that were well brined and received about 3 - 4 hours airing time, had a much better smoke flavor (apple) than the second batch that, due to time constraint, only received one hour in front of the fan. First time smoked food hogs (who had more than one piece) even noticed.
HR
Quote from: Hopefull Romantic on October 04, 2009, 02:39:46 AM
First time smoked food hogs (who had more than one piece) even noticed.
HR
I think this is the point. Smoked salmon (trout for me) is fabulous but with a proper pellicle is super-fabulous....
You know it's time for hip boots,when the Gallery extolls "Food Scientists".
Next it will be a Treatise upon the merits associated with a counter clockwise rotating fan blade,as opposed to clockwise,to fend the Coriolis Effect.
On the brightside,those who believe in Bigfoot have no trouble finding a "Scientist" to back their delusions.
Well Myth or Not I have done it both ways now and I must say with a pellicle if nothing else I end up with no buggers so esthetically it is more pleasing..
WHATTAYAMEAN BS!?!? Ya trying to tell me that Bigfoot isn't real?? :o
Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out.
Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (1471-1530)
Quote from: Kummok on October 04, 2009, 10:01:17 PM
WHATTAYAMEAN BS!?!? Ya trying to tell me that Bigfoot isn't real?? :o
Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out.
Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (1471-1530)
Kummok,
this is the second quote I love from you.
HR
This one is from my favorite "quote source"..... ..."We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Cor 8:1)
I must always remain aware that just because I might know something, I would still be just a fool if I run into a room full of strangers and boast. ;)
Quote from: Big Stick on October 04, 2009, 10:06:43 AM
You know it's time for hip boots,when the Gallery extolls "Food Scientists".
Next it will be a Treatise upon the merits associated with a counter clockwise rotating fan blade,as opposed to clockwise,to fend the Coriolis Effect.
On the brightside,those who believe in Bigfoot have no trouble finding a "Scientist" to back their delusions.
I already had my boots on after reading the following
Quote from: Big Stick on October 03, 2009, 08:25:58 PM
The best part about Myths,is not everyone can discern one...though of course they THINK they can.
Just as Fishing Tackle is designed to catch Fisherman,not fish.
Few are more objective than I and the better way perpetually intrigues my perceptors,which fuels much of my R&D. I am the curious sort,by nature.
Pun intended.
The overwhelming majority of members on this board and here to share, learn and develop, not to sway one's opinion. Having said that I will move on. :)
I agree Habs, let's put it behind and move on.
The Pillicle is a secondary shiny skin which helps help hold in moisture and becomes a glossy tan color when done. :D ;D :D ;D :D ;D
O.k. I'm sold on air drying to form a good pellicle
My question is should the fish go into the fridge to form pellicle or at room temp in front of a fan ?
What would be the time difference in fridge compared to room temp in front of fan ?
My first time smoking, coho is soaking in the brine overnight. i know Kummok's recipe calls for air dry in fridge but also noticed lots of people air drying in front of the fan .
I have the landlord bringing me a newer fridge so this one is going down stairs. I have a small fan I got from wal-mart and am going to set it up in the fridge just for drying fish and nuts after I soak them and anything else I can think of to put in the smoker. It will also be best for brining the salmon in a fridge although a fan is not needed for that. It is best to dry in a frdge nut remember you have cure the fish so the time it needs the pellicle is fine out of the fridge. good luck with your fish.
Quote from: Vanboozin on October 23, 2009, 08:43:04 PM
O.k. I'm sold on air drying to form a good pellicle
My question is should the fish go into the fridge to form pellicle or at room temp in front of a fan ?
What would be the time difference in fridge compared to room temp in front of fan ?
My first time smoking, coho is soaking in the brine overnight. i know Kummok's recipe calls for air dry in fridge but also noticed lots of people air drying in front of the fan .
I have done it both ways. A lot depends on your refrigerator, how full it is and whether it is self defrosting. If I have room, I like the devolop the pellicle in the refrigerator. I ususually make up three racks at a time, and it generally takes 10 - 12 hours; basically overnight.
From my understanding pellicle also helps with the preservation if you wanted to store any. I find it to be a necessary step that enhances look and taste... I like to air dry in the fall as the temperature is right and I just leave them on the racks with a slightly open door and air moves through well enough to dry in a reasonable time..