Checking for done?

[MikeST]

Hey guys, Im brand new here.
Im in the process of wading through all the back posts, so I pre-apologize if Im asking a question Ill find later.

Im going to smoke another batch of salmon tomorrow using the basic recipe here ( kummock?)
I think Ive been over-smoking in general.
How do you guys check for completion?
The recipes call for 1-2 hours at one temp, 1-2 hours at the next temp and so on...
There can be like a 6 hour time variation....so how do you know when to pull them out of the smoker?

I also think Ive been using too much smoke.
Seems like some of you guys only smoke a much smaller portion of the total time.

Really cool forum by the way
mike

[GusRobin]

can't answer your question but there is no need to apologize for asking a question. One thing you will probably never hear on this forum is "go look it up". The closest you will hear is something like " here is a link that may answer your question"
There is a great bunch of folks on this forum, the only payment asked for answering your question is that you have to post pictures of your smoke.
Anyway, the fish experts will be along soon to answer your question.
welcome and here is a recipe site that may help.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes

[beefmann]

welcome aboard Mike,

while i have not  done any fish there are many  here that  do...so look around ,,, look around on the  recipe site that Gus has provided ,.,, some where along the  line you  will find the answer or someone will give you  there anwser on what they have  done .. you may get several answers to the same question.


also if you  need an answer to something,,, ask anyway   

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Question on smoking fish while we're at it - Do you guys have a seperate smoker for fish or does the taste/smell not transfer over to the next thing you smoke?  Thanks!

[Waltz]

When I smoke fish I generally keep the temperature around 180 to 200, smoke for two hours then check them and if they are not done give them some more time. It is difficult to be precise because it depends on the thickness and if they are fillets or whole fish. I have learned to err on the side of underdone as they can go like leather if you leave them too long. You can go by IT if they are thick enough to get a probe into. See the post from pmmpete about five or six down in this subject heading.

I do not have a separate smoker for fish. The smoker can smell a bit fishy after a fish smoke but the smoke overpowers any fishy odours or taste in any meat in my next smoke.

[Ketch22]

Welcome to the forum :)   I have only done striper and I check to make sure the fish isn't transparent and it is a nice white color. I use the same smoker with fish as with meet and it is just fine.

[BAM1]

I have smoked around ten loads of Salmon and each time they have came out excellent.  I personally don't like Salmon but all the neighbors really like my product and buy Salmon for me to smoke.  I use the same smoker for Salmon, Bacon, Jerky, and Sausage.  I follow the recipe at the beginning of this page started by Kummok.  It's usually in the smoker for a total of around 6 hours.  you can check it with a thermo pen but after a couple of batches you just know when it's done. I use 4 pucks of Alder for all my Salmon smokes.  I usually 1/2 the brine recipe as I do 5 pound batches.  Hope this helps.

[pmmpete]

MikeST asked, "I think Ive been over-smoking in general.  How do you guys check for completion?  The recipes call for 1-2 hours at one temp, 1-2 hours at the next temp and so on... There can be like a 6 hour time variation....so how do you know when to pull them out of the smoker?  I also think Ive been using too much smoke.  Seems like some of you guys only smoke a much smaller portion of the total time."

How many hours you apply smoke to your fish versus total hours in the smoker is a matter of personal taste, and will be different for different kinds and thicknesses of fish.  I typically apply smoke for only 2-3 hours of a 5-6 hour smoking process.  If you like a strongly smoky flavor and a dark color, use more hours of smoke.  If you like a lighter smoke flavor, use less hours of smoke.

The total time you leave fish in the smoker is governed by two things:  First, you need to get your fish to a high enough internal temperature to kill the microorganisms which can cause food poisoning.  I shoot for a 145 degree internal temperature for half an hour, with a little extra temperature and time to take into account the temperature variations inside my smoker.  See my recent thread "Rules and recommendations for internal temperature of hot-smoked fish" for more information on this subject.  Second, you need to get your fish to the level of dryness and flakiness which you like.  To accomplish both of these, you need to develop a a time and temperature schedule for smoking fish which will get fish to the necessary internal temperature before they get dried out too much.  This schedule will be different for different kinds of fish, and will require a bit of trial and error.

With respect to the time and temperature schedule during the smoking process, Kummok has good suggestions in the Bradley Wild Smoked Alaskan Salmon thread at the beginning of this "Fish" subforum.  For many kinds of fish, you don't want to start too hot, because you will cook "curds" of fat out of the fish, which look unappetizing.  It is better to start with a lower temperature, and work up to a temperature which is high enough to produce a 145 degree internal temperature in a reasonable amount of time, before the fish get dryer than you prefer.  For example, when smoking moderately sized Lake Trout fillets in cold weather, I start at 100 degrees for half an hour with no smoke to get the smoker up to that temperature, and to finish the process of forming a pedicule on the fillets.  Then my schedule is (a) one hour at 120 with smoke, (b) one hour at 140 with smoke, and then (c) leave the fish in the smoker without smoke at 160 until it reaches the internal temperature and texture I like.  But this schedule varies quite a bit depending on what kind of fish I'm smoking, how thick the fillets are, and whether I have left the skin on the fillets.  With oily or fatty fish, you may need to leave them at a lower temperature longer at the beginning of the process to avoid getting curds.

To be able to smoke fish consistently in a variety of outdoor temperatures, you need a thermostatically controlled smoker.  Smokers without thermostats, such as the Big Chief and Little Chief smokers, produce somewhat random results, depending on the air temperature around the smoker.

[MikeST]

Thanks for all the great info. I think I might have to wait for a better smoker. Ive been out of work for a while ..so I can wait

For now, Ive been using a 275 gallon cast iron oil tank that was converted to a grill years ago. Its huge .Ive been starting real slow...100 degrees or less for the first couple hours. Then gradually raising it up. Ive been monitoring IT to 140 for being done.

Its been working ok, but theres a lot of variables.
One of the biggest being outside temp. Also amount of charcoal I use. Keeping the temp DOWN, is a lot more of a problem than keeping it up. The addition of even 10 more charcoals can raise it too much.

I realize when reading all your posts, that Ive been smoking too much ( almost the whole time)
The salmon gets real dark brown.
Sometimes when very slowly smoking and raising the temp, it can take as long as 10 hours to finish.

Ok , so having said that, the salmon Ive been cold smoking has been pretty amazing! Dark brown in color, but real moist on the inside. And even with all the drawbacks of the charcoal smoker, I kind of like the whole zen thing. I hang out in my garage all day shooting pool, having a couple beers and keeping an eye on the temp.

[pokermeister]

I have smoked several loads of salmon, and even smoking one now. In the Bradley, I smoke for 1'40" (5 pucks), and then finish at about 190 for 1.5-2 hours. I have found that the salmon tastes great after this combo. I use alder or apple.