A late night knock at the door!

[noboundaries]

Wade, you are truly a great neighbor.

I noticed you just said "trout," and that made me wonder what kind of trout fisherman catch in the UK. I went looking online and found the following educational link. For all the fishermen here at SMF, the author's angler humor slips in about the middle of the article.

https://www.wildtrout.org/content/trout-facts

 

[wade]

I am not concerned with the safety aspect. Rather looking for a short brining step if possible.
Wasnt sure how a strong/short brine/no rinse would taste in smoked (cooked) lean fish. Cold smoked fish is saltier than cooked fish.

The surface of the fish tastes slightly salty - but not unpleasantly so. You can hardly taste the salt in the centre of the fish. The combination makes pleasant eating for me - and I am not a salt lover. If you are hot smoking the fish then you could use a weaker brine and leave it for, say, 15 minutes. You would probably not get the same level of firming of the flesh though as you would get with longer brines. It is really a case of trying it and seeing which works best for you.

 

[wade]

Wow! Nice looking trout.... Beautiful! Did you really smoked it for 20 hours? Isn't it little too long? The reason I am asking this question because if I cold smoke more thicker salmon or carp for 6 hours it getting over powered with smoke.
Is your smoke very light during the process? Thanks!

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker



The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan


These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

 

[atomicsmoke]

Thank you Wade.

I like your setup.

 

[wade]

I noticed you just said "trout," and that made me wonder what kind of trout fisherman catch in the UK. I went looking online and found the following educational link.

If you are picturing our fishermen out in the wilderness for days braving torrential rivers and the expectation of wild bear attacks at any moment just to catch the fleeting spawning migration of the elusive wild trout, forget it...
They fish on lakes stocked with farmed brown trout usually no more than a 5 minute walk from the car park and cafe. The most danger they face is the possibility of a gnat bite turning septic or pneumonia as they fish in the torrential rain :)

The lakes are normally stocked with Brown Trout and that is what I am usually given. They grow to between 40-60 cm (16-24 inches) and most of these were ~40-45cm (16-18 inches)

These pictures are trout from a previous last batch I was given to smoke

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

Friday 8 pm at home. I am sitting watching TV waiting for Joyce to fetch my slippers and pour me a large Woodford Reserve, whilst she finishes cooking my dinner **. A knock on the door... "Hi Wade, can you smoke a couple of Trout for me that I caught today?". "Sure" I said, "bring them in"...

** Those of you who know Joyce will suspect that this may not be totally accurate :)

He struggled in with the very large cool box and he said "I am in no hurry for them".

"How many are there?" I asked

"I am not sure" he said. "Maybe 25 or 30" !!!!!

What was expected to be a nice quiet weekend suddenly wasn't.

The following morning they were all gutted and filleted and in the fridge ready for smoking (there were actually 26 fish). I would normally dry brine them but because of the volume of fish I immersion brined these for 5 minutes (150g salt per litre of water) before allowing them to drain for about an hour. They were then smoked at 20 C for 20 hours.

I didn't take any photos of them with heads, fins and tails but here they are after being smoked and about 2/3 of the way through slicing and packaging the batch.

View attachment 364693

Most of the local fishermen here love to catch the fish but once landed they don't know what to do with them. Some do get returned to the water but many of them get taken home, put in the freezer and forgotten - before being thrown away a couple of years later !! At least when they get them back smoked and ready to eat they don't get wasted.

Those look great Wade! Not sure I've eaten trout before...
I adore smoked haddock though! even though it makes my lips tingle just a little bit :confused:
I would love to smoke some it's just knowing where to start and I'm worried I would mess it up. I like Mackeral too :p

 

[wade]

Those look great Wade! Not sure I've eaten trout before...
I adore smoked haddock though! even though it makes my lips tingle just a little bit :confused:
I would love to smoke some it's just knowing where to start and I'm worried I would mess it up. I like Mackerel too :p

It seems daunting until you have tried it... then you wonder what all the worry was about :-)
The smoked Haddock that you are referring to would be cold smoked and the Mackerel would usually be hot smoked. For the cold smoking you need to be able to get a good air/smoke flow through your smoker and for the hot smoking you need to have good (sub 100 C) temperature control in your smoker. Let me know when you are ready to try either and I can step you through it.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

That was nice of you Wade! You sure done a great job on them!

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

It seems daunting until you have tried it... then you wonder what all the worry was about :)
The smoked Haddock that you are referring to would be cold smoked and the Mackerel would usually be hot smoked. For the cold smoking you need to be able to get a good air/smoke flow through your smoker and for the hot smoking you need to have good (sub 100 C) temperature control in your smoker. Let me know when you are ready to try either and I can step you through it.

Thank you Wade, you're so kind and a blessing to this forum! As soon as I am ready I will let you know then :D

 

[wduguid]

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker
View attachment 364730 View attachment 364731
View attachment 364732 View attachment 364734

The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan
View attachment 364735 View attachment 364736

These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

What are the two exhaust ports for Wade and where did you get the stainless steel box for housing the amnps. Also will the amnps produce enough smoke from outside into a 700 litre vertical cabinet?

 

[wduguid]

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker
View attachment 364730 View attachment 364731
View attachment 364732 View attachment 364734

The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan
View attachment 364735 View attachment 364736

These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

What are the two exhaust ports for Wade and where did you get the stainless steel box for housing the amnps. Also will the amnps produce enough smoke from outside into a 700 litre vertical cabinet?

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker
View attachment 364730 View attachment 364731
View attachment 364732 View attachment 364734

The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan
View attachment 364735 View attachment 364736

These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker
View attachment 364730 View attachment 364731
View attachment 364732 View attachment 364734

The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan
View attachment 364735 View attachment 364736

These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

I use an AMNPS smoke generator in my converted commercial freezer smoker. It produces a constant stream of light smoke which then passes into the smoking chamber. To keep the smoke flowing steadily through the chamber I have fan on the exhaust vent that draws the smoke tars and moisture away. The smoke actually spends relatively little time in contact with the fish so that the heavier tars do not get a chance to accumulate.
I also use almost exclusively Hickory for my smoking which has a sweeter, less course smoke flavour than some other woods.

My salmon sides (which are bigger than the trout) usually stay in for 24 hours however they are usually dry brined for 18-24 hours first.

The cold smoker
View attachment 364730 View attachment 364731
View attachment 364732 View attachment 364734

The flue fan - a variable speed 4" computer case fan
View attachment 364735 View attachment 364736

These photos were taken at different times over the past couple of years. I initially started off with the powder coated (white/cream) cold smoke generator box but I found that it was too small so I later replaced it with the stainless steel one you can see in the first photo.

 

[wduguid]

What are the two exhaust ports for Wade and where did you get the stainless steel box for housing the amnps. Also will the amnps produce enough smoke from outside into a 700 litre vertical cabinet?

 

[wade]

What are the two exhaust ports for Wade and where did you get the stainless steel box for housing the amnps. Also will the amnps produce enough smoke from outside into a 700 litre vertical cabinet?

The second exhaust port in the photo is from the extractor fan that sits above my FEC-120 which is also in the smokery.

Yes, The AMNPS will provide ample smoke for the cabinet that size. I actually use a small fan on the top vent port to ensure that the air and smoke keep flowing through the chamber - and the smoke in the chamber is still dense.

 

[wduguid]

Thanks Wade great help. Have to source a variable computer fan. I’m up in Aberdeenshire and going to cold smoke haddock with info from the forum. Enjoying the group with tons of info.