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1st Attempt at smoking salmon

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smokesniffer
smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
edited October 2012 in EggHead Forum
Ok, I have some salmon that I caught last year, it is brining as we speak. Plan is to start smoking tomorrow am.I have been smoking salmon for a long time. Will use my little chief for the lions share of the meat, but I want to try to do it on the Egg with out any assistance from any electrically apparatus. I am doing a practise run today, just fired up the large and it did seemly settle in at 180,( just started it about 20 minutes ago). I want to see if it will maintain that temperature today for about 3 hours. Not sure how long I will need to smoke for. I realize it will depend on the thickness of the meat. Plan is to take the meat to IT of 165 +. The question I do have is,,, if the egg maintians temps today, how will it be affected once I throw the cooler meat onto the rack. Will that be the deciding factor if the fire will stay burning?? Or will the cooler meat take the temperature of the egg down to far and kill the fire??I am going to try to keep the lower vent a bit more open and hopefully control the DW to keep the temp in the 180 degree range.
Any tips, suggestions, etc will be gratefully taken. I just don't want to ruin some good slabs of salmon, but I do want to try to master the egg at that temperature. Am I nuts?
Thanks in Advance everyone.
I will post the out come once I am done smoking.
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Comments

  • burr_baby33
    burr_baby33 Posts: 503
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    How about stabilizing the egg around 200.  Then put on the salmon and bring it down or keep at 200.  Last salmon I smoked I hink the temp was around 200-225.  Use alder wood.  Three or four hours should give you a good result.

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    edited October 2012
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    Thanks burr baby33 Got the egg settled in at 200. It is holding nicely. So I maybe able to pull this off. I used chips, but that didn't give much smoke for very long. I will need to pick up  chunks I think. Then I guess I just place them as close to the burning lump and hope for the best. Don't think I'd be able to get down to 180.
    The fun will begin tomorrow am.

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    SS have you seen the coffee can and soldering iron method?

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    no I haven't do u happen to have any links. 
    How ya doing out there in the east??
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Beauty here man! 22* and sun. I'll look for one. Canugghead on the other forum has done it. Basically you just empty the egg, punch a bunch of holes in a big coffee tin, half fill it with Briquettes and wood chunks on top and set it in the egg. Stick the soldering iron in one of the holes and plug it in. The briquettes dont give off as much heat and the wood smolders a long time.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    @LS 22* Whoa!! It is only 11. But it clear and not raining. Thanks for the lead. Got the egg down to 200 so I might try to play it that way. 
    Enjoy that weather
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    It's all bad after today and your 11 will last through the winter. Guys use this for smoking cheese so I don't know how long it would last. Might have to reload.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,332
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    @smokesniffer- with regard to your concerns here "if the egg maintians temps today, how will it be affected once I throw the cooler meat onto the rack. Will that be the deciding factor if the fire will stay burning?? Or will the cooler meat take the temperature of the egg down to far and kill the fire??". 

    The BGE runs on air-flow- once you have the fire going and since adding the fish does not change the air-flow it will have no impact on your temperature control.  The thermo reading will dip due to the air intake when loading the fish but all should return to equilibrium and you should be go to go.  The trick is to only get a small amount of lump going and be patient in getting to temperature.  For more smoke you can load more wood chips throughout the lump.

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    Well Good Morning. Here is the update so far. Hand picked lump and mixed in chunks of apple and sprinkled apple chips in as well.  Preheated the  Egg to 200* with PS in legs up.

    @Thanks louscap I know the theory, just needed reassurance, I haven't done anything at this low a temperature and was worried with the small fire, if there was a chance of it being snuffed out.
    Thanks again. Will post later on how the "whole she bang" turned out. 
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  • judebaclig
    judebaclig Posts: 8
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    The wild salmon I caught at walmart river should be perfectly thaw by now. I will also attempt my first smoke salmon. And of course will check the forum on brine ingredients.
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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    judebaclig said:
    The wild salmon I caught at walmart river should be perfectly thaw by now. I will also attempt my first smoke salmon. And of course will check the forum on brine ingredients.

    =)) =)) =)) =)) =D>
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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    @ judebaclig  You probably are smarter than I care to admit. No fishing licence cost, no fishing  rod and reel to purchase, not having to buy gear, not having to spend as much $$$ on fuel to get to the river. 
    I believe my cost per pound would be a lot greater than yours. lol
    :-w
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Skiddy,

    I used to have a 32' boat on lake Ontario, rigged with the best of gear, best rods, reels, fishfinders, downriggers, thermo sensors, gps, and Loran C. Figured my cost at about $1,250 a pound for fish you couldn't eat.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    U been drinking??? LOL. Skiddy.??? But I hear you, gotta eat it REAL slowly and enjoy every mouthful. :D Going out tomorrow to slay some fish, coho season is here.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Been drinking for sure but all I said was true. Back then they said you could eat the salmon under 5 pounds. Now they say don't eat any. Tastes aweful anyway...they don't get to saltwater

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I see what you mean now. You left coasters all look the same ;)

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    edited October 2012
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    Love ya man!! :))
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    You Canucks are OK no matter what they say about BC

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • judebaclig
    judebaclig Posts: 8
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    smokesniffer Like you, rather catch my own, but been watching st john's river here in Jacksonville, FL and still no salmon run LOL.  Will brine my salmon early morning. Will post the result later.

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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    @ judebaclig would love to hear how it turned out for you. Just finished my batch. It turned out ok, not as sweet as I was hoping for.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Try cold smoked.  Little bit-o McGyver-ing and you can get a nova scotia style smoking.  Steven was talking about the soldering iron method.  He's actually trying to kill you - soldering irons spew volatile lead. (just kidding on Steven trying to kill you).  Perfectly safe if you buy a $10 unused iron if you don't have one laying around.  Bunch of ways to do it.  I built a cold smoker with a hillbilly AC attached because I live in the south.  If you're up in the North, you can improvise with some simple material, and the winter is when that stuff works super well.

    Cold smoked salmon, where it doesn't ever go over 85-90 F, is one of my absolute favorite things to eat on the planet.  I'm serious about that.  um, except for steak tartar...and, dammit, there are so many delicacies.  Anyway, one of my favorites.  Way up there.


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
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    @nolaegghead.. Hey thanks for the info. I did do the salmon on the egg, Temps were just below 200*. I didn't think I would be able to get to down to that and keep it going, but it did, Love these eggs. Next time I will have to try that.
    Thanks again.
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