Smokers & Recipe Help

[TroutKid223]

Hey Shanty guys just wondering if I could get some reliable info. on a good smoker and some tested and approved smoking recipes.  I've been wanting to try it for a while now and decided I've got to pull the trigger on it sometime.  I've looked online and there's tons of info but who knows how solid it is, so I figured I'd ask for help here, I haven't been steered wrong yet.  Any suggestions would be helpful.

Tanner

[golfmechhs]

Just started using a smoker myself. Lots of trial and error. Mine is an electric that I bought from Cabelas. Sure makes it easy to learn. I have been using hickory chips. Love the flavor of them on fish. The easiest brine by far is just salt and water. A tablespoon to a cup of water. There are also some brine mixes from Cabelas that are really good and very easy. I started smoking my trout whole. This works pretty good. It is alot better to use boned out fish or fillets. Just did a batch of fillets the other day and the wife loved it. I have even started eating fish again. Always liked to catch them, just was never a fan of eating them. Hope this helps. You can always PM me and exchange numbers if you want to talk about it.
Arnold

[harry]

A good brine plain and simple i use 2a gallon water 1½ cups kosher salt 1½ cups brown sugar add some aromatics if desired to brine. Leave fish in brine 24 to 36I hrs. Take filets dry eith paper towels and place in front of a fan for a few hrs till shiny on meat side. Add your favorite wood and   Keep smoker as close to 150 degrees as you can smoke fish till it reaches that temp brush filets with honey after about 3 hrs in you will be very happy with what comes out.

[bowhunter68]

Troutkid...i bought a bradley from cabelas and have been very happy with it. They use the round biscuits and feed automatically so you dont get burnt ash on your food etc. The basic brine receipes all work or buy the packets and add water etc. Dont brine them too long or over cook them but we cold smoke cheeses and make sausages etc smokers are alot of fun but buy a good one.

[Hamstn]

I used the 1-tbs kosher/cup water rule, marinated for 12 hours, rinsed, dried, and smoked with Alder and the trout came out way to salty. Did some beef jerky with same ratio and it was just right.

[surflizard]

  I had to cut down on my salt intake so I use a dry rub on the whole kit and kaboodle ! Fish, Chicken, Turkey and wild game ! Much easier for me, rub the meat down well and refrigerate between 24 to 48 hrs, I have never had any trouble with strong salty flavors !
  Don't let the name fool ya, www.GreatestBarbecueRe cipes.com has a lot of really helpful tips and tricks for smoking any kind of meat and it has a really cool, home made smoker design page, you will be suprised by what people come up with to smoke meat !

Smoke on Brothers !
Before !

During !

After ! 

[ID fisher]

This is my jerky recipe,Soy sauce,worst chestire sauce ,brown sugar,ground chili pepper,seasalt,teriyaki sauce,garlic powder,onion powder,paprika,fresh ground pepper,mix in a bowl to taste,marinate in fridge a min of 12 hrs,rack it up and let it tack and dry for two hrs ,smoke 8-12 hrs at 170 -190 depends on meat thickness.Yum!!

[PerchBelly]

Troutkid...i bought a bradley from cabelas and have been very happy with it.

+1 bowhunter68, I also like the ease of use of the Bradley. Bought the pid controller to go with it. Almost a "set it and forget it" operation. Really does a number on a Riggins salmon. Best smoked salmon recipe I've found is on the Bradley web site. Sub-section fish, "Kummok's recipe". There's a thread just on his recipe. He lives in Alaska and fishes year round. He's a nice guy, and will answer any questions if you pm.

[bowhunter68]

Thats awesome perch....whats the pid do?

[PerchBelly]

The pid unit plugs in between the smoke generator tower and the main cabinet. It comes pre-programmed for Kummoks's salmon recipe, but it's easy to change heat and smoke times. His specific recipe calls for at least three changes in temperature, and different amounts of time at each temp.  The basic Bradley smoker has a manual slider knob to adjust heat, so it's easy to over/under shoot a temp setting...and you have to keep watching the clock for next temp change.

In a nutshell, the pid eliminates the need to adjust temperature using the slide control and amazingly keeps the temp within 1 or 2 degrees of your settings. It changes the temperatures for you, and at the correct times. Don't have to keep watching and adjusting temps. Just sit back with your favorite beverage and savor that smell of alder/apple/mesquite salmon being smoked.

[Perch Freak]

I have smoked a few things here and there.
There are many techniques and and recipes. I like a brine better then a marinade. Also, a good calibrated thermometer is a must. I use an oven thermometer on the same rack where the meat is. This gives me a true temp.
The Bradleys are a nice unit for setting and forgetting. I've also had good results in a little chief which is less expensive.
Have fun and the last tip I have is: write everything down. You might figure out a good rub or brine and realize you can't remember what the heck you put in it. Write your cooking times and temps down too.

[bowhunter68]

Outstanding perchbelly the temp control on my bradley is the only downfall....where did you buy your pid?

[PerchBelly]

Outstanding perchbelly the temp control on my bradley is the only downfall....where did you buy your pid?

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14_28&zenid=7765acf17b989aeda869219d4ca565b8

Hope this link works. When I bought mine a couple years ago, they only had one model. I have the single probe model. They're not cheap, but very slick working units. You could certainly smoke anything without one...but darn handy item.

[bowhunter68]

Thanks perch....yeah youd think a $400 smoker would have a better temp controller....i think christopher columbus had a smoker with better temp control....pretty spendy pid but nothing worse than ruining salmon or elk from bad heat.....thanks again i will be buying a pid...

[TroutKid223]

Hey Everyone,  Thanks for the input.  Can't wait to take a crack at it.  I'll let ya all know how it comes out. 

Tanner

[bowhunter68]

Good luck tanner youll love it...

[cerfur]

My son grabed my phone and brought me to this post he is 18 months I spend most of my time on the Massachusetts boards but I can help with this topic first off i am not a fan of eletric smokers you don't get any cumbustion gasses witch to me are very important to proper smoking if you would like the ease of use you get from eletric go with a propane smoker I would really recomend a camp chef smoke vault there are two sizes get the one that suits your needs most of the cheeper sub 200 dollar propane smokers run to hot you want to be smoking at 225 to 250 degreesfor most recipes for many electric is great but if you really get into compition smoking it will be propane or strait wood in a home made smoker...as far as recipes to each ther own expiermnet withs rubs sauces mops brines bbq is like pizza everyone likes something diffrent myself I use apple juice in my water pan on the camp chef a dry rub of parika brown suger chili powder cumion salt pepper cayanee and celery salt on pork then I mix bulls eye bbq sauce with apple juice and use that as a mop I use a comercial sauce yes even though I have culinary degree I know that really they used 25 chefs and focus groups to create that sauce and americas test kitchen has tested it 3 times and it has won every time so I don't think I can do better!  But to each there own I have won bbq competions with and lost to guys who use only like 4 ingredents pends on the judges and who likes what! 

[ChillerThriller]

I have been smoking a lot of type of fish this year and this recipe below works well for trout, whitefish, pike, halibut, salmon, tuna, burbot, anything! Make sure you use real maple syrup though!

 

I also substitute a tablespoon of salt from this recipe with 2 teaspoons of Morton Tenderquick. Helps preserve the fish a bit more and helps keep the texture of the fish.

[big fish #1]

hey get on jurassic pork .com it has some awsome recipes. i use the oily fish one myself and they turn out awsome