Smoking Brines

[timberhall]

does any one have a good all popose smoking brine. I tried one last summer and the fish ended up tasting like I was chewing on a salt lick.
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[Top_of_the_chop]

I have a great one that I developed for smoking the trout I catch ice fishing. The biggest secret is making sure you use NON-IODIZED SALT and rinse the brine off the fillets slightly prior to smoking after a good 12-24 hour soak. Also, use a combination of alder wood and cherry. If you don't rinse them off, they will taste salty. Also, DO NOT RE-USE YOUR BRINE from one batch to another. The salt draws out the bad stuff in the fish to help preserve it while the other ingredients like sugar etc. are absorbed in the meat for flavoring. Used brine will not perform the way it's supposed to. Hope this helps, PM me if you would like a copy of my recipe and I'll see what I can do...
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[downed_Phly]

This is one of my favorite brines from the Bradley smoker forum. If you haven't checked them out, google it. Click [url "http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?445-Smoked-Trout"]here[/url] for the link.

[blue]Ingredients:[/blue]
[ul][li]5 pounds of trout fillets[/li][li]40 ounces cold water; (1 quart + 1 cup)[/li][li]1 cup coarse salt (8 ounces or 227 grams by weight)[/li][li]1 cup brown sugar or maple syrup[/li][li]4 ounces cognac (Not an expensive brand but a good quality cognac)[/li][li]4 ounces honey[/li][li]1/4 cup lemon juice; fresh[/li][li]1 onion; coarsely chopped[/li][li]2 cloves of garlic; coarsely chopped[/li][/ul][blue]Directions:[/blue]
[ol][li]Combine all ingredients; except fish in a large non-reactive container. Mix well until all the salt and sugar have dissolved.[/li][li]Place fillets in the brine, making sure that all parts of the fish are submerged. Refrigerate and brine for 18 hours for thick, large fillets; or for thinner fillets 1/2 inch thick or less brine for 5 to 7 hours. Occasionally stir the fish around.[/li][li]Remove fish from brine, and quickly rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and allow to air dry for two hours, or until the pellicle is formed.[/li][li]Place fillets in a 135 degree F (57 degrees C) preheated smoker. Apply two hours of smoke; preferably apple or cherry, and continue to cook until fillets reach the texture you like. Total smoke/cook time should be 6 to 7 hours.
[ul][li]Alternate smoke/cooking technique:
[ul][li]Starting at 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), for the first hour;[/li] [li]increase temperature to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for 1 hour;[/li] [li]then finish at 175 degrees F (80 degrees C); until the trout reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).[/li] [/ul][/li][/ul][/li][li]For best results allow fish to "age" in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. This will allow for the smoke and other flavors to fully blend together.[/li][li]Fillets will keep refrigerated for two weeks, and at least six months frozen.[/li][/ol]
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[TopH2O]

Here's the brine I use when smoking salmon or trout. My wife and I don't like salty tasting smoked fish, so my brine contains about half the salt of normal brines. It won't keep as long in a refrigerator so I vac pack and freeze all my smoked fish and then just thaw some out when I need to use it.

Brine mix for trout and salmon
12 cups cold water
1 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
2 cups non-iodized salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 heaping Tbl spoons garlic salt
1 heaping Tbl spoon pepper
2 Tsp paprika
2 heaping Tbl spoons lemon pepper
1 level Tbl spoon oregano
The juice of two oranges
The juice of three lemons

This brine makes a very large amount and will work for a big load of fish. If you don't need as much brine, just cut all of the ingredients in half

Mix the brine well and place thawed portions of the fish into the solution. Store overnight, or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. After brining, rinse the fillets in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Let the fillets air dry for about 30 miutes and they will develop a little bit of a glaze. This is important as it adds to the flavor later.
Space the pieces in your smoker so there is room for the air to circulate. Smoking times will vary with the unit. I find with my 30" Masterbuilt smoker that 2.5 to 3 hours at 200 degrees works well for thick fillets from the salmon. Less time would be required for the thinner trout fillets. I had good results on trout fillets using about 1.5 to 2 hours at 200 degrees on my last batch. I suggest you check the doneness once in a while to avoid over drying the fish.
I use wood chips I get from my own apple trees. I save all the smaller limbs from the annual pruning. I cut the branches into small pieces and then put them in a cardboard box to dry for about two or three months. I like the flavor of the apple wood and it is available commercially. All of the wood chips you can buy will produce some good flavors. I've also had good results with the Jack Daniels oak barrel chips, but they are a little expensive.
I had a Little Chief smoker until last summer. I found that I couldn't even use that smoker if the air temps were below about 70 degrees. My new smoker keeps a steady 200 degrees even if it's cold outside.

Mike
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[timberhall]

[indent]thanks for every ones help. I think I should have mutch better luck next time.
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[Gumbo]

If it was too salty, you just left it in the brine too long. Also, you need to rinse the fillets after brining to remove the salty residue from the surface of the fish.

Here's the best fish brine I've used:
[font "Calibri"]
· 2 quarts water
· 1 cup brown sugar
· 1 cup apple juice
· ½ cup non-iodized salt
· 1 cup soy sauce
· ¾ teaspoon fresh black pepper
· ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
· ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
· 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
· 4-5 heavy glurps Tabasco sauce

Brine fish 4-6 hours for fillets, 10-12 hours for whole fish. Remove fish from the brine, rinse in cool water, air dry to form pellicle. Smoke with apple or alder wood. Do not oversmoke.[/font]
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[pookiebar]

I like to keep things real simple.

For red fleshed fish - salmon or trout

2 quarts water
1 cup kosher or sea salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 tblspoon cheyenne pepper

White meat fish like cat fish, white fish, etc.

2 quarts water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tblspoon lemon zest
3 tblspoon black pepper
3 cups soy sauce

MM MM Good!!
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[Lettsfish]

Nathan:
Regardless of which brine you use, make sure you thoroughly rinse the fish and dry it before putting in the smoker. This makes a BIG difference - I know from experience!
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]Don't use a wet brine ........ I used to use a wet brine and it's over rated and expensive ......... I just use non iodized salt and dark brown sugar and dry brine the fish ......... Then I season them with fresh ground pepper and pickling spices, as they are smoking ........But you can season them any way you prefer. Click below for instr.[/#502800]
[#502800][/#502800]
[#502800][url "http://www.salmonuniversity.com/rs_htss01_index.html"]http://www.salmonuniversity.com/rs_htss01_index.html[/url][/#502800]
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[fisherman]

Here is another one I have used for trout and salmon for about 10 years:

6-8 cups cold water or enough to cover fish
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup non iodized salt
1/2 white vinegar
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Jerkspice (optional)
1 teaspoon dill weed (optional)
2 pickled jalapenos - chopped
3-4 tablespoons Tabasco
1-2 bay leaves (optional)

I adjust the salt and sugar either way. Some people like it sweeter, some saltier. Mix all ingredients till salt and sugar are dissolved.
Marinate for 2 days in cold fridge for total penetration.
Large fish I fillet and remove skin.
Smaller fish I remove skin, head, tail, and smoke whole.
If you leave the skin on put 3 slashes on each side for brine and smoke to penetrate.
Remove from fridge, rinse, pat dry with towels. Put on drying racks, allow to dry for 20-30 minutes before putting in the preheated smoker. Add 1 heaping pan of chips at the start and 1 at the end of drying cycle. Some people like it drier, some moister.

For years I used 1/2 alder and 1/2 apple wood chips. I now use only cherry wood for fish and jerky both.
I use a little chief smoker. It still has the original box around it as extra insulation, with holes cut for the cord, pan door, and breather holes on the bottom sides.

When it is sub zero outside, I put it in the shed with one of those halogen work lights that get very hot to heat the space.

For Channel cats I like the basic 1/2 salt, 1/2 brown sugar brine. Fillet and skin fillets. Early season fillets are less oily when dried, later season they tend to be very oily.

You can adjust this recipe for you own taste how ever you want. Enjoy !
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[Old_Coot]

"Brining" is curing. The longer fish is "brined", the more "cured" it is. Now, if you plan to be keeping your smoked fish at room temperature for days on end (like the old pioneers had to) then you’d better soak them in a brine for a long time to make sure it is well "cured". But since the invention of refrigerators and freezers, long “curing” times are not required. I have heard some of you reply with “5-7 hours”, “over night or at least 8 hours”, “a good 12-24 hour soak”, and even “marinate 2 days”. Holly salt flats, Bat Man, that’s got to be some salty fish there!!!

I think that Gumbo called it the best when he said “4-6 hours for fillets”.

Personally, my recipe is for just two hours in the brine for fillets! What gives the fish the best flavors are the smoke and a good “rub”. Brining is over rated. Even though I have yet to smoke fish that haven’t been brined at all, I suspect they would taste great anyway.

One benefit to longer brine times is that the longer the brine, the more moisture goo that is pulled out of the meat … less dripping during smoking. My two hour method allows for much drip and goo. But then too, my method makes for a more moister delicacy.

Also, Gumbo suggested that you rinse the fish after marinating before smoking them. He is right on again. If a strong salty flavor is something you like, marinate longer and rinse less.

Again, a good rub makes all the difference. Here is a rub that I use. (I have to give Tube Dude the credit for the initial concept and mixture. I just changed it to my liking a little bit.):

•1 part black pepper
•1 part garlic powder (no more!)
•6 parts brown sugar

Attached is a copy of my smoking recipe, woods, smoker, heat control tricks, etc.
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[fsh4fun05]

Well wrote, brine can ruin fish (trust me, lol). I looked at your .pdf and you've got the bases covered, the only thing missing is the temperature. I started with a charcoal years ago but went to an electric because it is so easy to control the temp.
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[neveronsunday]

[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Excellent info -thanx for sharing. Got a new Brinkman can't wait to try out - now to Porcupine and a little luck![/#ff0000][/font]
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[FOD]

A brine is liquid and has a higher ratio of salt to sugar. A cure is dry and has more sugar to the ratio. Curing fish is a longer process and you want to press as much air out of whatever your wrapping the fish in. Foodsavor bags work great for curing. Just thought I'd chime on what I know about it. I once made a cured steelhead tar tar and it pretty much spoiled me on eating red flesh fish forever, to say the least. Take the curred fillets and mince them up along with minced shallots, chives garlic, lemon,dill and some olive oil and black pepper. Slice and toast off some baguettes and your in business. You can add a little sriracha if you like alittle heat. Also you can add a little sesame oil to the batch for a little more authentic effect.
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[Gumbo]

Coot, I also just like to hot-smoke fillets with no curing or brining. Just season the fillet with salt and pepper and place in a hot smoker. Cook to an internal temp of 140.

This is my preferred method of preparing smoked salmon.
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[Old_Coot]

[quote fsh4fun05] ... the only thing missing is the temperature ... I went to an electric because it is so easy to control the temp.[/quote]

Good point Fsh4fun05. I don't go by temperature simply because of the smoker I have. As most of you know, my Little Chief has no temperature control. After much experience, I have learned to know how long to smoke my fish for my given unit. Often times I hear folks complain that they can't smoke with a Little Chief in the winter because it won't get hot enough. The trick is in "insulating" the unit and it works just great in the coldest of winter. In fact, winter is when I smoke most of my salmon.

But yes, if you can control temperatures, then that is a good way to go. I just prefer to manage the "time" rather than the "temperature".
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[fsh4fun05]

Time is why I went electric, easier to judge time when you can have an even temp. during the whole process. Depending on smoke/meat/dry rub/marinade, etc. I'll add whatever I may need after 3 hours, big meats get a temp. probe to check center temps. I think I might try some pork country ribs again this weekend, it's like candy in my house.
lol, my daughter told me she was a "meatatarian", it was a proud moment for me. She comes up with ideas and we throw it on the smoker. I'd like to try white bass and/or catfish again, I haven't had much luck on white flesh fish.
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[RILEYFISH]

This has been great reading and some great info. I have been using a wet brine and have been very happy with the final result as have those that I have shared them with. My brine consists of pretty much most of what you all use. I am going to try the doing them with just a rub this next batch and see how they turn out. That sounds really good.

I think this post generates a new one, probably have to change boards though, with all of the different smokers on the market, what do you have? How often do you use it and your favorite rubs, recepies and meats. I have a Louisiana grill, just like a traeger, and love it!
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[fisherman]

The main difference in smokers is the heat factor, and the smoke temperature. My little chief is more of a dehydrater smoker, with a constant 170 degrees. The Brinkman style smokers are more cookers with a slow low cook style of cooking with added smoke flavor. Then you have different styles of smoke houses, some with the higher heat for quick drying and smoke flavor. Others with the indirect heat and cool smoke.

The more moisture in the fish the quicker it will go bad, the less moisture, the longer it will last. It disappears pretty fast by the people that like it.

My friend that taught me to use a smoker uses a dry brine for fish. We use a dry brine for jerky, called big buck jerky cure.
Another friend uses an old fridge with an electric frying pan for the heat source for the wood chips. His brother uses a little chief, with a hot plate burner in place of the the electric heating element. Their fish is cooked and smoked in just a few hours. These are big fish and taste excellent.
Just follow the directions for whatever style of smoker you have. Adjust things to your own taste. It all tastes good !
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[WaveWolf]

[#804000]If any of you get down to the Wasatch Fly Tying Expo today, Camp Chef is giving a DVD for smoking foods and outdoor cooking ........ They demo a Jerky making thing-a-ma-whatever, that squeezes out ground up jerky on the smoker trays ....... Hmmm, ........ I wonder if that would work if you ground or chopped up fish, with the flavor mixed in?[/#804000]
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