Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Smoking fish,

wet brine is the only way to go for fish imo , try your same method with a wet brine and I wonder if you dont have enough heat in your smoker , hence the mushy center. Skin on and sliced into 1.5 to 2 inch slices not going all the way thru the skin.

I made my smoker out of a weber round barbeque. Took the burner unit out of my little chief, and mounted it on the bottom of the weber. On the top of the lid I mounted a single hot plate with temp control. For a brine I use 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup rock salt, half cup wine vinegar, 1 gallon water, half a bottle of raspberry chipotely sauce. Cool brine in refer before soaking, then let fish soak for 5 hrs in refer. Remove from refer, pat dry and then air dry at least 30 min. I smoke at least 2 pans of hickory chips, and keep temp around 180 for 6 hrs. Flavor is awesome! 58gscott

I cold smoke all of my fish everything from kipper to salmon strips.

Each method has a brine recipe.

For kipper its a combination of water, salt, brown sugar, soy or teriyaki sauce, and a little molasses. It amounts to a 10% salt total and the fillets are then left in this for 24hrs. I then take them out and hang them on racks to dry and smoke for 3-5 days depending on weather. More often than not a have to add heat (small electric heater) to the smokehouse becuz of this gaddam wet assed climate (I miss Fairbanks)before they start drying. Smoke is produced by woodchips in a #10 can, with holes in the bottom and lit with a mapp gas torch. A piece of flat steel is laid across the top of the can leaving only a 3/8" or less gap for smoke to escape. I can get a 4hr burn with it.

For salmon strips they are done the Athabascan way......80-100% saltwater brine for a couple minutes dunked in fresh and hung up to dry. Same smoke method.