white stuff on smoked salmon

[diver57]

Hi new to smoking fish and was wondering what is all the white stuff you get on the salmon
when you are done smoking it . Is there ways of not getting this thanks

[mikecorn.1]

Are you referring to the boogers, your cooking it too hot to quick. Start low and
Ramp up the temps.


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[devo]

Can you take a picture of what it looks like and post it here. That would help a lot in trying to help you out.

[Quarlow]

Mikecorn has you covered. They are boogers caused by bringing up your temp to fast. You can brush them off while still smoking but it looks kind of messy. Next time ramp your temps up as per Kummoks recipe and you will avoid them. See highlights in red below.

Kummok's recipe:
Excellent BRADLEY Smoked Alaskan Salmon
(A Spin-off from Bob Kitchen's Incredible Recipe)

Step 1: PREPARE FISH
Filet salmon. Leave skin on. REMOVE ALL BONES (Very important for excellence!)

Step 2: UNIFORM STRIPS
Cut meat into uniform strips, 3/8 to 1/2" wide and 3-6" long, OR as long as your smoker racks can handle......the key here is to get uniform thickness cuts for uniform brining and smoking. The length is important only as far as your own packaging preferences. The strips will have a tendency to fall or sag through the larger grid racks.........I've switched to a small grid (1/2") teflon coated rack from WWW.ChezBubba.com and now have no problem with meat falling through

Step 3: BRINING
Soak in your own brine recipe for 12 hours at refrigerator temps (I use an Igloo type ice chest with about a gallon of ice thrown in). For more complete brining throughout, place a stainless steel or wooden grate over the top of the meat to hold it under the brine. Stir fish a few times during the brining process. The following brine recipe is included to get you started, but you are encouraged to experiment with your own salt/sugar, maple, honey, peppers, seasonings to develop your own. (My apologies to our metricated friends)
1 gallon cold water
1 quart teriyaki OR soy sauce
1 cup pickling salt
2 Lbs brown sugar
2 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp cayenne pepper
Step 4: GLAZING
Place fish in a single layer on drying racks and ensure that the pieces DON'T touch each other. Dry in a cool, shady place until a hard pellicle forms. Fish will have a tough, shiny coat and will be slightly tacky to the touch. (Winter time tip!  Dry 12-36 hours in a cold place such as an unheated garage, but DON'T allow to freeze) In the summer temps, it can typically take 3-4 hours for the fish to "glaze". A fan can help speed the drying process. DON'T let the fish spoil from warm temps! Turn the fish over 2-3 times during the Glazing process to ensure more complete glazing. It is during the glazing process that you can sprinkle on certain spices (e.g. cayenne pepper) and/or visual enhancers (e.g. parsley flakes).

Step 5: SMOKING
Smoke using the following Bradley Smoking guideline:
100°-120°F for 1-2 hours, then increase to
140° for 2-4 hours, then increase to
175° for 1-2 hours to finish

Use the longer times given for thicker/higher oil content fish. As a general rule, the higher temp you use or the longer you hot smoke, the more the meat cooks the oils out, HOWEVER, the meat becomes dryer/tougher in the process. I've "accidently" left meat (silver salmon) at the 140-150°F range for up to 8 hours and it still turned out great. I personally believe that you'd have to try REAL hard to make a batch of smoke salmon unpalatable by over smoking/cooking. If you get white "boogers" on the meat, you're cooking too high/too fast.

EAT & ENJOY!![]

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi diver57;

Welcome to the forum.

If you follow the recipe that Quarlow posted you should not have any "boggers" or very few. They can be small blotches, or at times can cover the majority of the fish as in Stuff on smoked salmon"

The "boogers" are a combination of fat, coagulated proteins, and generally it is white, or yellowish. Also the seasonings you have on the fish that may add some color.  Coagulation is a reaction you see when you cook eggs. It is harmless and can be blotted off while the fish is still warm, if you want to improve the appearance.

[Defiant]

I think if you follow Kummok's recipe above, you will eliminate that.  I do think it is ramping up the temperature slowly as indicated above.  Following that recipe, I fortunately have not ever had any.
Kummock's Recipe: http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?105-Excellent-BRADLEY-Smoked-Alaskan-Salmon

[aces-n-eights]

I think ramping temp is important in eliminating boogers, but more importantly is the air drying part of the process.   Don't shortcut this step!  Make sure you have a good pellicle on the salmon before you heat/smoke.  Sometimes i'll air dry overnight, flip the pieces the next morning and then start the heat and smoke.   

[Keymaster]

I think ramping temp is important in eliminating boogers, but more importantly is the air drying part of the process.   Don't shortcut this step!  Make sure you have a good pellicle on the salmon before you heat/smoke.  Sometimes i'll air dry overnight, flip the pieces the next morning and then start the heat and smoke.   

Yep, that pellicle is very important !

[smoker pete]

Can you take a picture of what it looks like and post it here. That would help a lot in trying to help you out.

Boogers show up when I hot smoke salmon but the results are still wonderful!!

[watchdog56]

yep, boogers cooking to fast.

[KyNola]

Boogers show up when I hot smoke salmon but the results are still wonderful!!

DITTO!  It is pretty much an aesthetic thing, an appearance thing.  Shouldn't effect the overall flavor enough to stress about it.  Smoke, eat, enjoy.

[hal4uk]

Boogers show up when I hot smoke salmon but the results are still wonderful!!

DITTO!  It is pretty much an aesthetic thing, an appearance thing.  Shouldn't effect the overall flavor enough to stress about it.  Smoke, eat, enjoy.

MOST fish make "white buggers" no matter how you cook 'em.  Even fried... (ya just don't really notice them when fried, cause they tend to "crunch up").
Brush off.  Brush with lemon-butter.  Serve.