Fish Smokers - What Type Of Smoker Do You Recommend -

[jewgaffer]

Hi Raiders

Having seen some posts on smoking fish and particularly trout and blackfish, and looking at the pics of those tasty looking Tailor caught recently and cooked in a Fish Smoker by PeterS and his good friend and fishing mate Pick-A-Box-Syd, I am considering buying a Fish Smoker for myself, my wife and our extended family to use on those special outdoor get togethers when we cook our food on the barbecue.....

While I was recommended buying an Australian stainless steel smoker made in Queenland called a nipper kipper which costs around eighty dollars I believe, I would like to hear your opinion on your own preferred smoker.....

Smoking fish and meat in its own brine is a healthy way to eat, provided that it is done properly as there can be some pretty bad bacteria particularly in fish and under cooked pork as well as chicken and some types of meat etc.

I would like to hear your thoughts on your own brand of smoker or especially your preferred smoker and the different types of fuel etc you use for smoking.... Also what is your preferred way of smoking fish and meat etc........

I would also like to hear about your preferred receipes for smoking fish according to the species and particularly your tastiest receipes for smoking fish, and particularly receipes that might be good enough to include for future reference in the Kitchen Forum....

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited September 1, 2009 by jewgaffer

[rooster]

i hot smoke , cold smoking is nice to preserve for extended periods but is time consuming and involves

pumping smoke through a pipe to a second chamber holding the meat for 10 to 15 hours

mine is a 44 gallon drum with both ends cut off with an angle grinder,

one end about 2 inches from the top where the (pourer) with lid is for smoke outlet

the 2 inch lip is then flanged out with the nearest hammer so it sits back on its original position.

half a dozen holes are punched into the lid and meat hooks threaded through to hang the meat or fish on.

this then sits on three bricks in an area not affected by wind, as the air flow and temperature changes can affect the outcome.

i find the prunings off fruit trees, i think you prune after flowering so now is a good time to stock up and pretend to be working in the garden, provide the best flavoured smoke, apple, cherry etc, dried then run through a domestic chipper, preferably your neighbours. cedar and hickory also are great but can be expensive.

cooking times vary depending on how big the smoker is and how much you put in it, and how it is stacked,

expect to have to experiment to get your formula right, this may involve several fishing expeditions. . .

as fresh is best. . .

whole fish like mackeral, tailor salmon should be gutted, not scaled and crusted in salt and placed in a tray in the fridge for 5 - 7 hours before smoking. trout for 3 -4 hours

fillets and steaks should be marinated in a raw sugar with a bit of salt solution in a bowl in the fridge for 4 hours. not longer.

soak the wood chips in water for an hour so they smoulder and smoke when added to the heat.

kettle and gas barbies are good if they have a wire rack and air inlet, outlet

build a small fire and let it die down to coals, remove the fish from the fridge and wash off the salt or marinade thoroughly, then add the wet wood chips to the fire and hang the meat, open beer.

when beer is finished check the smoker.

chicken and pork also work well

[james7]

G'day Jewgaffer

The $50-$60 Syd and I spent on a smoker was a great investment. We got it from a well known "MART" a few years ago. It's stainless steel and has two racks.

This is what we do:

Soak the fillets in a salt and brown sugar solution for about an hour. Approximately 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon brown sugar per 600mls water. (I personally like soaking them for longer - 2-3 hours)

Pat the fillets dry and put them skin side down on the racks. Smoke them for 15-25 minutes. (The time depends on the thickness of the fillets)

We found it is much better not to overcrowd the racks to allow the smoke to circulate easilty.

As for fuel, we've tried 3 or 4 different types and they were all good. I think they were about $6-$7 a bag. They seem to last for ages. We use about one handfull per smoke.

Also, make sure you really clean the smoker well after smoking. (That's the worst job!)

We like tailor and sweep fillets the best.

What we want to try next is chicken, sausage, oysters, pork, or something different. If anyone has any ideas or advice it would be good to hear it.

Cheers

Peter

Edited September 2, 2009 by peterS

[jewieslayer]

Hi Byron i have a stainless smoker its good for salmon,tailor etc and cheese very tasty next time i am going to try a chicken or duck.As for sawdust there are heaps of flavours just try a few and see what you like

Cheers Tim

[slinkymalinky]

I can't remember the brand of my smoker but stainless steel is a must. Before this one, I had a galvanised smoker and it doesn't stand up to the abuse of smoke, heat, fish juice, etc, etc. If you want to get really into it you can build a smoke house in the back yard.

For the nifty portable smokers the 2 most important tips are to line the bottom with foil so cleaning up is infinitely easier, and be picky about your sawdust/chips. Each wood gives a different flavour and I use Hickory as my own preference. To avoid getting sawdust on the fish, which can happen when dripping juice spatters, I also now put another sheet of foil over the top of my wood.

These days I soak my fish in brine for half an hour to an hour before smoking, then I coat the flesh liberally with Ketsup Manis (sweet indonesian soy... can't vouch for the spelling), or brown sugar, salt and brandy(or Scotch or similar).

Cheers, Slinky

[gretsch]

I use my Webber with hickory chuncks. Very good.

[james7]

Thanks Andy

Those oysters sound great! Can't wait to give them a go.

Also why do you clean the smokers after each smoke? I just scrape the bottom each time I use it.. do you think it affects flavour?

We really clean it out because we found that the smoke tended to have a slight stale smell when we didn't clean it well. I suppose it could have been just our imagination.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who's tried chicken or pork. What pieces or cuts are best? And sausages, do they work okay? How long do sausages take and does the smoky flavour get through the skin?

Cheers

Peter

[Andy Loops]

Thanks Andy

Those oysters sound great! Can't wait to give them a go.

We really clean it out because we found that the smoke tended to have a slight stale smell when we didn't clean it well. I suppose it could have been just our imagination.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who's tried chicken or pork. What pieces or cuts are best? And sausages, do they work okay? How long do sausages take and does the smoky flavour get through the skin?

Cheers

Peter

mate my kids love smoked drumsticks - cook a bit longer than seafood.. we make them a little salty in a salt water broth for a bit longer than fish.. there is a thai fermented sauce (doesnt sound very nice) but it is awesome and perfect for smoking will put a pic up of the bottle later.

smoke flavour gets into the drumsticks especially the fatty bits. Did some pork ribs two weeks ago came out awesome mmm

FYI - I left a side of atlantic salmon in a light brine for 2 days (got lazy/caught up) then smoked it - was unbelievably good. might try this with other fish as usually I only do an hour or two in the brine.

PeterS - do you wet your woodchips before smoking? I have never done this but going to next time.

[slinkymalinky]

mate my kids love smoked drumsticks - cook a bit longer than seafood.. we make them a little salty in a salt water broth for a bit longer than fish.. there is a thai fermented sauce (doesnt sound very nice) but it is awesome and perfect for smoking will put a pic up of the bottle later.

smoke flavour gets into the drumsticks especially the fatty bits. Did some pork ribs two weeks ago came out awesome mmm

FYI - I left a side of atlantic salmon in a light brine for 2 days (got lazy/caught up) then smoked it - was unbelievably good. might try this with other fish as usually I only do an hour or two in the brine.

PeterS - do you wet your woodchips before smoking? I have never done this but going to next time.

Here's a couple more Andy,

Try chicken wings... they're quicker than drumsticks or thighs and come in convenient finger-food size portions

I also really like beef sliced really really really fine... makes awesome alternative to cabanossi or the like for on bikkies... particluarly with soft cheese or relish. Only needs to go in the smoker for 5-8 minutes... if it's left too long it goes dry and leathery but when it's right it's awesome. MMMMMMMM

Love the sound of the pork ribs. I'll have to give that a go

[Andy Loops]

hehe I can see the smokers getting a workout this weekend.. Going to try that beef it sounds really good - I have tried it once but came out terribly..

can you get away with chuck steak or need something tastier?

[rooster]

electric semi commercial smokers with thermostats and timers

are a pain in the neck to get spares fo,r and the parts are usually imported and expensive

they are also expensive to run and flimsy material.

[myocard]

I've never cold smoked anything, but for true BBQ I use a weber smokey mountain cooker. Easy to use and cheap to run. Everything that comes out of it tastes great.

[arpie]

That Webber looks interesting - looks like a middle section has been added to make it taller!! A buddy smoked a whole chicken in it for Xmas Lunch once! Yummy!!

Hey Byron - this is how I started to do my smoked blackies/tailor (Page 1) then on Page 2, I started doing the blackies whole & so much easier (less mucking round!)

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=21929

You can even make a smoker out of 2 Round S/S bowls .... just make sure one is slightly smaller than the other to act as a lid. Just line the bottom with Alfoil & put in a round cake rack. It is an easy method to take camping with you!

Cheerio

Roberta

I have half cooked chicken breasts, then put them in the smoker to finish them off, so they are not too strongly flavoured & it is yummy!

Edited October 15, 2009 by Roberta

[lambo]

hey mate

i use a "aussie fish smoker" made by southern metal spinners in sth aust. all made in ausie. its stainless and works a treat. bonito, salmon, tailor, trout etc all smoke up a treat. i usually rub them inside and out with brown sugar and a bit of salt. i usually fillet the bonito and salmon immy on capture and leave the rest whole (cleaning/bleeding ofc). i smoke the fish using various types of sawdust u can get fm bbq's galore etc. about 10/12 mins hot smoking does the trick for 2 racks of fish. when they are cool remove nay of the salt/sugar residue, the enjoy.

as i am a bit slack, i only clean the wire racks.

cheers

[myocard]

I find that hickory is overpowering for poultry & fish.

Hickory does the job for pork, beef & lamb.

For chicken, turkey & fish I use apple wood chips - the flavour is not as intense.

A hot, clear smoke also makes a difference. A smouldering smoke, before the chunks are alight, also taints the food - particularly delicate white meats.