newbie needs help

[parishollow]

Hi there, I just bought and am trying out the new digital BS.  I am unsure of what to expect, how long to smoke.
I cured with salt/sugar (3 to 1) for about 14 hours. I have been cold smoking for about 5 hours.  Temps in the oven at about 100ºF. I am using Alder pucks. Oh, After the filets had dried for about an hour in the fridge and felt tacky I covered some in brown sugar and some in maple syrup.  I am looking to make the "candy salmon" that Whole Foods makes.
How do know when its done? Have I gone about this all wrong? The small end cuts are pretty salty even though I put less salt on that end but they do have a solid texture, not dried out but not moist either.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks,

[tsquared]

Welcome to the forum! You might want to consider making your next batch into strips ala the kummok strips stickied at the top of this board. As for your tails: I too use a dry salt/sugar when I cold smoke but a couple of points need to be made. First, most people cold smoke when they are trying to do lox or "scotch smoked" salmon ( the stuff you put on bagels). Salmon candy is usually(but doesn't have to be) done at higher temperatures. You mention your tails are very salty. I don't smoke the tail portion of my fillets anymore as I find it difficult to control the salt in them as well. If you do want to continue to do them, the barest sprinkling of salt on the tail will serve you well. Let us know how things turn out. there's always the next batch....
T2

[owrstrich]

indian style salmon or candy salmon is something that is way to complex for me...

i would follow the fish experts here like tsquared and kummok...

here is the link to the sticky thread...

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=107.0

take some photos and post them here so we can see what we are missing...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[parishollow]

Thanks for the replies, I also went to the Whole Foods market and looked again at their candied salmon and saw that like T2 said, it was hot smoked.  Next time I will go that way.  Also will do the strips instead of the big pieces.  I will post a couple pics later tonight or tomorrow.
It is a blessing to find such a good group of folks in this community.  Thanks for the help. I am sure I will be needing more.  I want to smoke every thing in sight now. 
Oh, the thicker slices did taste better, not as salty but maybe not as candied as I was thinking it would be. Perhaps marinating longer in the maple/brown sugar will help. That and hot smoking it as well.

[parishollow]

Just thougth of another question while reading Kommuk's recipe.
Why brine cure when the temps go above 200º?  I thought the brineing and curing was to kill bacteria so it will last longer.  I must be thinking of something else?
Also, does the brine work out so the meat isn't so salty and the cure I put on or did I just put too much on in the first place?
Having fun experimenting but don't want to waste good fish.
Thanks again for the help.

[tsquared]

Reason for brining--you are right, it was originally done to prevent bacteria build up. It is now done only partially for that reason. Our predecessors found that dry salting or brining the fish gave it an attractive taste and that is why we continue to do it today. The problem you are having re the oversalty taste is because of the difference in the thickness of your fillet between the thickest part and the tail. To dry salt a fillet including  the tail, sprinkle the tail with only a dusting of salt and increase to 1/4 '' on the thickest part. I personally dry cure with salt, then sugar afterwards. You don't have to be so picky with the brown sugar because you are going for the salmon candy anyway, so oversweetness isn't a problem. As for wet brining like in Kummok's recipe, once again uniformity is the key to getting what you want. A thicker strip will take longer than a thinner one to get properly brined. I am going to cut back a little on the salt when I next do a batch using Kummok's recipe. (Next weekend) Don't give up, you will find a method that suits you--it's worth the effort.
T2

[iceman]

If you have some whole filets or uneven cuts of salmon you can also use a 60% wet brine. I think I posted it in the recipe forum under samon brine #2. It gives a fairly even flavor throuhout the cut without over powering the thinner parts. Just a thought. :)

[parishollow]

Thanks Iceman, I will give that a look.