question about smoking fish...

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cle-q

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 28, 2016
11
23
CLEveland, Ohio
Hey guys.  I hate Salmon, but I want to smoke some for my mother for mother's day.  My smoker has never seen fish...I've heard that if I use it to smoke some fish, everything I cook afterwards is going to taste like fish.  Is this true?  Don't want my ribs tasting like salmon.
 
Even without overlooking the fish smell will be present, even after cleaning. If I use my GOSM for smoking fish I give it a good two weeks before smoking anything else.
 
I smoke fish all the time and have never noticed a fish smell or taste , with that said I keep my drip pan covered and ussually do thin fillets for about an hour .
 
Have you experienced this problem by baking fish in your kitchen oven? I have not had a smell problem with either the kitchen oven or smoker. Perhaps, it may be the fish I bake, fresh salmon, perch and walleye.

T
 
I smoke a lot of fish (including salmon) and I do not have a problem with it causing my smoker to smell. The freshness of the fish is important. If there is any smell at all before you smoke it then don't use it as it isn't fresh. When you do smoke it make sure that you have a drip pan or foil underneath the fish to catch any drips. It is important not to leave any of the fish juices in the smoker or they will start to smell.
 
 
Hey guys.  I hate Salmon,,,,,,,
I think this is the real issue here.   
yahoo.gif
        Where are you located?  I'd bring some of mine over to have you try if you lived nearby.  Like Dave Omak, I have dedicated fish smokers but I really think that if you were just planning to smoke fish once, any lingering smell probably wouldn't last very long after a couple pork or beef smoke sessions.
 
I've been away for a few days, so this post may be a day late and a dollar short.  But I had a thought that our different experiences might come down to what kind of salmon we are smoking.  Mainly I smoke chinook/king salmon, and smaller amounts of coho and sockeye.  I haven't smoked pink salmon, but I use to grill them and do consider them to be a smelly fish.  I've never smoked chum/silver salmon, or atlantic or farmed salmon.  The differences in the fish could be a factor here, anyone else agree?
 
Jmo,but as long as the fish are nice dry after coming out of the brine,2-4 hrs usually for me on drying racks with a big fan moving air across them,there shouldnt be any issues regardless of speicies of fish...good drying and decent drip pan to catch a little fat and ur good to go:)
 
I smoke salmon and trout in my wsm at least a half dozen times a year and never had any issues with lingering odors....I do make sure the fish has a good pellicle formed and I do not run water in my drip pan but I make sure to foil it so all dripping collect on the foil. If I had water in the pan and let the oils fall into the water, where they would boil and steam away, then I could see maybe there being some leftover fish odor.
 
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