such a huge variation on times and temp

[MikeST]

Ive been reading back-posts and also various other recipe sites for cold-smoked variations.
There are huge differences in smoke time, temp settings and over-all time in any of the heat.
I think thats what makes this such an "art" i guess.
Anywhere from 2-1/2 hours... to some guys who keep the temp down under 80 and smoke for 12 hours.
I was trying to monitor internal temp for completion ( 140 ) which makes no sense if the temp never gets above 80.

I guess the only answer is experimentation right?
Maybe I should give it a shot this wekend again...and take a piece out every 30 minutes, starting at a couple hours. Then compare all the pieces after everything is complete. I guess thats the only way to know right?

[3rensho]

Not really sure what you're asking.  For cold smoking you need the temp to be < 80F (that means that the main heating element is not plugged in and the smoke generator is placed in either the cold smoke adapter or a cardboard box and connected to the smoker cabinet with a length of dryer hose).  I generally cold smoke for three hours.  Then you need to remove the fish form the smoker, seal in a zip lock bag and let the flavor develop overnight in the refer.  This helps with the distribution of the smoke flavor.  Then slice and enjoy.  If you are hot smoking that is a different story. Let us know what you are trying to do.

[MikeST]

Thanks, sorry for being confusing...its one of my specialties.

Im trying to cold smoke.
And I see huge variations in total smoke time.
So I thought maybe Ill give it another try this wekend and start pulling 1 piece every half hour for comparison. Its the only real way to compare. ( And I do like testing stuff like this )
Ive seen people say they cold smoke for as little as 2 hours, and as long as 12
Hard for a new guy to know how long

[tsquared]

Hey Mike--you have to be careful about interpreting what people say when they talk about total smoke times. I only apply 2hours or so of smoke to my cold smoked fish but the fish are in the smoker for many hours--sometimes 12 or more. Even at 85 degrees, your smoker is DRYING your fish--or I should say removing more moisture from the fillets. With cold smoking, sliceability is very important and the way you can firm up your fillets after you have finished brining (brining is when the real firming up should be achieved but sometimes you don't discover the fillets are too soft until after you have removed them from the brine) is to keep the fillets in the smoker and remove more moisture.
T2

[3rensho]

Thanks for the info.  If you want to try various smoking times then what I'd do is pull a piece every hour and wrap these pieces individually then let them sit overnight in the fridge.  Next day, slice thin and sample each.  That'll get you zeroed in on the taste you like.

[RAF128]

When cold smoking, smoke time is a matter of personal preference.   Some like more smoke flavor and some like less.   It's all a matter of what you like.

[MikeST]

thanks guys, that really does help a lot.
And when I can afford a smoker, I think my life will get a lot easier.
My giant cast iron grill is great , but the outside weather has a huge effect as well as the fire inside. Its always fluctuating.

One thing that originally inspired me was a nat geo special on an inuit village. Here I am checking small variations in temp and smoke... like its a damn science experiment.

these villagers built sort of a teepee out of an old tarp...hung the salmon pieces from the top, then built an alder fire and kept it going all day to smoke.
Point being...is sometimes simpler is better. They just judged it by appearance and taste....
They didnt get all caught up in small temp changes.

Ive had a couple times whn I get the fire and smoke right, then I go inside the house and accidentally fall asleep for a little while. I go out in a panic, and find my fire and temp real low and smoke has almost stopped.... I add charcoal and wood,
And these batches have sometimes come out the best..

[pmmpete]

Mike, when I first started smoking fish, I produced a lot of very tasty smoked fish using a Little Chief smoker.  But the time required to get the fish dry enough varied greatly depending on the outdoor temperature, and in cold weather I couldn't get the smoker hot enough to produce the 145 degree internal temperature required to get kill the microbes which can cause food poisoning in hot-smoked fish.  The advantages of a thermostatically-controlled smoker, either for hot-smoked or cold-smoked fish, are predictability, reliability, and safety.  If you get a thermostatically-controlled smoker, you'll be a much happier guy.