Kummocks salmon

[turley]

I am about 2 hours into smoking some Atlantic Salmon using Kummocks recipie and have a couple of questions.  I am smoking the fillets at 120 degrees as the digital setting doesn't go any lower than that and yet I still have white fatty deposits coming up to the surface of the fish.  Can I do anything to slow down the cooking since, from what I have read on previous posts it seems to me that I'm cooking too quickly.  If I read the recipie correctly, I should be actually turning up the temp now to about 140 and then finishing it off at 175, but at this rate I seem to be going hotter than I should be.

Also, Should I smoke the entire time or turn off the smoker after a couple of hours?

Thanks

[rbentle2]

I just finished two filets of salmon. I smoked for 2 hours, which on initial tasting seems spot on. The first batch I did Friday I did 1:20 and it had a nice smoke flavor, but could've used more.

[Habanero Smoker]

Is the 120°F the actual cabinet temperature, or what is being displayed?

Do a search on how to set up your smoker for cold smoking. With the digital you will need to get a longer wire that connects the generator to the heat sensor. This will offset your smoke generator so that the generator does not add any extra heat to your cabinet. The digital only control the element and not the puck burner, and from my experience; on a warm day with just the generator and a light load my cabinet will get higher than 150°F, and with direct sunlight I have reached temperatures of 180°F.

[Carter]

I've done Kummoks salmon a number of times now.  I just did 10 lbs worth a couple of weeks ago to give to my clients and take to Christmas parties.  They worked out really well.  I'm actually quite annoyed with myself.  I was rushing around and ended up taking no pictures.  They were a beautiful sight coming out of the brine and the oven as well.

To answer your question, although I'd imagine your salmon is done by the time you're reading this - if you remember in the instructions, it pretty much says you can let the salmon run for long periods of time during that second stage without doing too much damage.  Didn't Kummok even say he left it for 8 hours once and they were still good.  I have an original so sometimes have some challenges with temperature control.

I've been following the directions to the letter and things have worked out well every time.  In my recent 10lbs batch, I had some fatty bits on a few of the pieces when I was done and thought to myself "Darn, I wish I had noticed that before."  When the salmon was done, I wiped the fat off for show.  It had no impact on the taste whatsoever.  The salmon was delicious and met with rave reviews from clients, family, and friends alike.

Habs makes a good point too, but I live in the Great White North, so at this time of year, we really don't have trouble with too much heat.  If anything, we could use a little more.

Carter

[turley]

Guys,

Thanks for all the advice.

I have completely devoured the salmon per Kummock's recipe as did my neighbors and friends!  It turned out great, despite my worrying.

I guess that being new to this whole smoking thing has taught me that at these low temp's its better to just sit back, relax and realize that this is nothing like trying to time things on a searing hot grill. 

I think that's what I like about my smoker....the idea that one needs to slow down and take note of the fact that smoking is a slow, methodical process and that if your life is hectic and over scheduled, it doesn't hurt to stop and smell the smoke along the way.

[Mr Walleye]

Nicely said Turley!

Congrats on the salmon too!

Mike

[Wildcat]

You have the right picture Turley.  Welcome to the forum and smoke on. 

[West Coast Kansan]

Some of the salmon you will have the white snot pretty much whatever temp route you take. Following the directions will minimize but it will happen anyway.

Our Von's store sells "Fresh Atlantic Salmon, Color Added, Product of Chile". Seems to me there are at least 3 lies in just the title of these snot loaded puppies. Fresh / Atlantic (maybe thier great grand parents saw a postcard of the atlantic once) / color added and fresh dont mix - real fresh salmon the color makes you understand why the bears eat salmon raw without even a cold smoke / Chile - Oh Great.... 

So anyway this rant was really an encouragement that it is not necessarly anything you did. The rig for cold smoke will help greatly.

[Gizmo]

I guess Chile must have been in a huge earth quake if they are on the Atlantic side now. 

[Habanero Smoker]

WCK;
The color is added to the flesh by putting a dye in the feed the salmon eat, and there are many shades of pink or red. They have gotten so sophisticated with it, that large change stores such as Sam's, Super WalMart etc have their own "designer" color.

[West Coast Kansan]

Giz, crazy aint it... check out the signs if you do a Von's visit. Ours at 76 and college even has them in the main display case - with the sign stuck in the ice in front of them. Henry's seems to look much better but cost double this weekend. What you going to do?  Maybe liquid smoke   

HabS, maybe for the forth of July we can hold out for the red, white and blue version. 

I didnt know the color comes from the feed.  I have read about other 'enhancement' additives that are contained in the feed.

Pretty gross.

[iceman]

I was reading some threads on farmed fish and it's just scary what they are doing with food anymore. Some of the feeding they did on farm trout amazed me. That isn't a chemical free fish that's for sure.

[Carter]

That is pretty scary.  The problem is that to get Fresh out of the ocean BC/Alaska Salmon costs a small fortune.  Farm raised fish is much cheaper and still tastes pretty darn good IMHO.  Still, I don't much like the idea of filling myself and my family up with a bunch of unnecesary chemicals.