Smoke 'em if you got 'em

[MasterDaad]

I've been looking at smokers only to find out my Grandpa left my father what appears-to-be a very nice electric smoker which has been sitting in an attic for nearing two decades.

So now I have the tools... I need to acquire the talent.

I can google but the group here may help narrow the field considerably from the google garbage.

I browsed the general forum and didn't find a good spot to ask smoking related questions (and frankly this forum seems to be the most active) -- so I'll throw it out there.

Where's the best place to start research or links to smoking instructions/recipees?

Thanks!
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

Here is a video I put together on whitefish, but I use it on all trout too and it works great. It even includes the recipe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBTptFyfe3c
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[dubob]

[quote MasterDaad]I've been looking at smokers only to find out my Grandpa left my father what appears-to-be a very nice electric smoker which has been sitting in an attic for nearing two decades.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]You didn't say which brand of smoker your Grandpa left, but if you want a realy GREAT place to find answers to all your questions, here is the best forum I've found to answer them.[/#800000][/font]
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[url "http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][/#800000][/font][/url][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][url "http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php"]http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php[/url][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Even if it isn't the best smoker made (a Bradley, of course - []), this forum will give you a ton of valuable information.[/#800000][/font]
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[downed_Phly]

I second the Bradley Forum. A helpful bunch of fellas that know all there is to know about smoking. And if you want a great recipe for smoked trout, check out bouches (sp?) recipe on that site.
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[big_griggs]

Search for SkunkedAgain and shoot him a pm he is what I call the master of Smoking[][] fish[angelic]
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[MasterDaad]

I just looked at what I "inherited" and it is a Luhr Jensen Little Chief -- from circa 1985 by the look of the instructions.

I browsed the new ones and they were under $100 -- so I'm not sure I'm going to bother with the "inherited" model.

But hey it did get me excited to get going! I'm planning to bring back some fish to smoke this weekend!
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[Charina]

Most of my experience is in commercial operations that don't translate well to home curing/smoking. But I have used one of those thin-walled aluminum diamond pattern shell smokers. In cool weather you will need to wrap it in insulation to get warm enough unless you use cure (nitrate based) to be able to cold smoke.
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[DKStroutfitter]

Give the Little Chief a try before you buy a smoker.
There are a lot of better smokers out here but he Little Chief works.
Just be sure that the heating element works and that you have a pan for the chips.

Have fun with the new toy.
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[MasterDaad]

Ok, I'll give it a try this weekend. The pan for chips is there.

I'll test the element this evening and make sure it is in working order.
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[Jazzperch1]

[quote DKStroutfitter]Give the Little Chief a try before you buy a smoker.
There are a lot of better smokers out here but he Little Chief works.
Just be sure that the heating element works and that you have a pan for the chips.

Have fun with the new toy.[/quote]
+1 love my little chief.
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[odthefly]

The key to smoking is the Byrne! soak the fish for 24 hours! When you smoke them make sure you rotate the upper grill with the lower grill or you will have a heavier smoke taste!
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[dubob]

[quote MasterDaad]I just looked at what I "inherited" and it is a Luhr Jensen Little Chief -- from circa 1985 by the look of the instructions.

I browsed the new ones and they were under $100 -- so I'm not sure I'm going to bother with the "inherited" model.

But hey it did get me excited to get going! I'm planning to bring back some fish to smoke this weekend![/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I started with that model years ago and it does an okay job on fish - not so well on more complex projects like ribs and such. And heed the warning about wraping the unit with insulation (I use a moving quilt even with my Bradley during the winter month's). And yes, if you fill all the racks, you will need to rotate them several times to get an even doneness and smoke flavor on all the fish in the smoker.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Oh, I fixed the link above so that it now works - at least it did for me just now.[/#800000][/font]
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[MasterDaad]

Thanks for all the advise everyone!

Hopefully I can get a tug or two in the next couple of days to bring home and try it out!
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[submoa]

http://www.smoking-meat.com/january-31-2...-food.html

The link above does an email about once a week you can sign up for. He sells rubs, marinades etc. He puts on some killer recipes though. The emails I enjoy, lots of things he does are good, I've tried a few and they are fantastic!

I can't smoke a fish to save my life but have the ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket down pretty well. I have an electric with a thermostat which looks like a mini beer fridge. I like it with the exception of the cold weather it will not start until I hit the controller with a hair dryer to heat it up. Once it goes it is great. Only a problem in the winter obviously.

I will likely go propane with my next one.
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[MasterDaad]

I thought I'd report on Little Chief Smoked fish batch #1.

I essentially printed out and followed one of Tube Dude's methods for try #1 (quick cure method).

I had a bunch of small trout fillets from 13-14" trout... normally not worth the effort.

I went a little longer on the smoker given the cold weather and my inexperience (and my family's preference for stuff burnt instead of raw) so they turned out a bit dry....

But other than that they are pretty dang good. Definitely better than "store bought jerky" for snacks.

With some bigger smoking candidates hopefully on the horizon, I think this was a first go at what will be a long-term hobby.

I already have some ideas to try for next time.

Thanks for all the help!
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