[nannyplum]

I've got a lovely piece of fresh salmon, got the wood chips, got the bbq to do it in. Advice needed now, do I need to brine before smoking, roughly how long to smoke for. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Womble]

Silly question perhaps, given that you mention the BBQ, but hot or cold smoked?

[ZacB]

From memory equal parts salt & sugar, cover the bottom of your sink. Side of salmon in on top ,then cover with more salt / sugar - leave overnight. Wash off following morning, leave to dry & then smoke. We'd smoke for a few hours, 4ish from memory but that would be cold smoking. Good luck

[nannyplum]

Womble, it is cold smoking, just so easy to use the lidded bbq.
Thank you ZacB just the info I wanted.

[oor wullie]

Either cover it in dry salt (1/2 hr or so I think) or soak in brine (a few hours) (sorry I can't remember exact timings or how strong the brine should be and I'm not at home to look at my notes - I have always used brine so can't comment on using dry salt).

You could add a bit of sugar/pepper/dill/other flavours to the brine if you want but it's not needed.

Rinse the fish in fresh water and hang it somewhere cool overnight to allow a slight "skin" to develop (apparently this takes the smoke much better than the wet fish).

Smoke for 10 to 20 hrs depending on your smoker and taste. 

Just to be absolutely clear we are talking about cold smoking (it's just I have only ever seen BBQs used as hot smokers).

[nannyplum]

Yes it is definitely cold smoking, the bbq is not lit, just the wood dust? smoking in the bottom of the bbq and the fish up on a rack near the top.

[cloddopper]

We use 75 % cooking salt 25% soft brown sugar to prep the salmon  do it for an hour turn it over & recover if needed
 at th end of twohours  it lises almost 1/5 of it's weight to a solutuion of salt sugar & water which uyour pour off .
 I then wash it under cold running water . set it on a colander to drain for a few minutes then use paper kitchen towel to dry it off . lay it out on carving plates a& gentyly smear  oilive oil ove one side . when this side has gone tacky dry ( pedicle has formed ) turn it over dry it off again  & treat with a little more olive oil  again  put it inthe fridge uncovered till the pedicale has formed then  place it on a pizza mesh /mat in the smoker .
 We give our salmon two smokes in the smoker with out taking it out
 first smoke was at 13 .00 hrs to day the second one was started off at 20.30 hrs ..it will burn through 7 be taken out at 0730 is tomorrow .
Both Alison & Holly love this method of salmon smoking as it is a more flavoured smoke & firmer flesh than shop purchased smoked salmon .

 I picked up this basic idea d from Dick Strawbridge's book on home smoking several years ago.
 I also finished the second smoke of several pounds of different cheeses yesterday morning .
 I 'm currently  using a 15 kg sack of beech sawdust .. .  It's not as strong / harsh as oak smoke

[farmers wife]

interesting - when you have finished do you slice it immediately and pack or leave it whole?  I assume it has a good length of time left in fridge.


Would like to have a good with some organic salmon.  Seeing that top notch salmon is so blinkin expensive.