TomBettle Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 The other half kindly got me a Ron Thompson smoker for Christmas and I decided to try it this evening on a "test" of mackeral that was in the freezer. I had lost the instructions but it looked very self explanatory. After abut 20 minutes of gentle warming and very little "smoke" action from the wood dust the two little burners flared up massively and just a little out of control. I was using paraffin as fuel (the type from Homebase for garden burners) and just assume that I put too much fuel in and once it started getting going "whoosh". My Questions: 1) Was it the right fuel? 2) Was it too much fuel (I thought I had only put a "glug" in each burner)? 3) Is the wood dust supposed to noticeably smoke as it didn't even smoulder? 4) What else may I have done wrong? The mackeral was actually just about cooked and had a very faint smokey taste although I suspect this was more to do with the exploding paraffin than the sweet wood dust! When I lit the two little burners I needed a small wrap of newspaper to get them started and as they appeared very slow initially I left the vent wholes open on the burners. I sprinkled a thin layer of wood dust over the bottom of the cooking tray and placed the fish grill in the "high" position... Please help as I would love to use it properly and more often. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 Tom, I havent got a fish smoker so am not replying with any "wealth of knowledge". However, I have noted that on other fish smokers the burners run on meths. I suspect using paraffin is the problem and I have to say it is not the sort of fuel I would like smoking my food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 Tom, I havent got a fish smoker so am not replying with any "wealth of knowledge". However, I have noted that on other fish smokers the burners run on meths. I suspect using paraffin is the problem and I have to say it is not the sort of fuel I would like smoking my food hmmmm! Me thinks you may have a good point Paul! The faint taste of petroleum was a tad off putting and the whoosh as half my balcony went up was a tad disconcerting. I shall let the parrafin evaporate and try again with meths unless someone comes up with anything else... With regards the limited amount of wood smoke.... After the whole lot had cooled down I gave it a good wash down and noticed I had put the wood dust on what appears to be a drip tray rather than the bottom of the smoker. I guess it needs to be right at the bottom to get enough heat to smoulder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 .....did you brine the fish first? Basically you need to cover the mackerel in a suger and salt mixture for a few hours first to draw out the water - the smoke then flouvers the flesh and not the water in it. Do a search on the site for more details - or give me a call tomorrow - I dont have the inclination tonight to write a full run down on smoking - a bottle of red hasnt helped!! Also - use meths not parafin - and you should aim for a smallish constant flame The chips should smoulder gently, it is a balance of not too much smoke or you end up with raw fish that tasted too strong, or too little smoke and plain baked fish. Hugh Fernley Witingstalls book has loads of fantastic advice in getting started. I also have the same smoker have have produced hunderds of top quality fillets this summer - so dont give up - it is a very rewarding hobby. AF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 Thanks Adam My original post was a bit of a "knee jerk" reaction after nearly blowing up my balcony (slight exageration) and I have subsequently seen info by you and others about smoking fish including your marinade which sounds great (do you use it on other fish too?). The only thing I am still unsure of is whether the wood chips go right at the very bottom of the smoke box or just above on the removable tray? Enjoy your vino tinto Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 the bottom surely? I actually got a cast iron smoke pot and flavour pellets for christmas and cooked a 4lb gammon on the Cobb for NY eve with it - Sugar Maple..............yummy!!!! Cast iron pot goes directly on the heat source - in this case straight on the coals. me thinks I may be after some nice quality wood dust from Mr Rich in due course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedger Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Adam. The book I loaned you some time ago will have all the answers on brines pickles and cures, with quantities and timing. I seem to recall that you should look for a 12-14% weight reduction during brine or dry-salting and a further 3% during smoking. Best to look this up as it's a while since I smoked food regularly. Tom - definitely don't use paraffin!! meths or it's equivalent spirit only, for ovens with an internal heat source. Paraffin is not only distasteful , but also poisonous I believe . Happy New Year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Tom, as Trev states avoid the parrafin like the plague!!! If you have to light your base layer of either chips or dust...I prefer chips, use some form of alcahol. The trick is to keep the fuel hot, so it smoulders, not flames. I'll save you a bag of hardwood chips from my next tree job, I have fourty odd beechs and oaks to reduce last week of Jan, failing that, ask PJ if he's used all the stuff I gave him last year. A good trick with smokers is to place apple wood in the burner, it flavours meat well, and burns slowly when green, giving good smoke. You have my number, call meif you need some. Happy New Year.... Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Tom, as Trev states avoid the parrafin like the plague!!! If you have to light your base layer of either chips or dust...I prefer chips, use some form of alcahol. The trick is to keep the fuel hot, so it smoulders, not flames. I'll save you a bag of hardwood chips from my next tree job, I have fourty odd beechs and oaks to reduce last week of Jan, failing that, ask PJ if he's used all the stuff I gave him last year. A good trick with smokers is to place apple wood in the burner, it flavours meat well, and burns slowly when green, giving good smoke. You have my number, call meif you need some. Happy New Year.... Rich Thanks Rich Would much appreciate a few chippings from any flavoursome tree! After reading the replies I have more or less worked out where I went wrong. Thanks all for your advice! The little burner thingy's take meths not paraffing!!!! These warm (not incinerate) the bottom of the actual smoker causing the chippings / dust to smoulder. These chippings are right at the bottom of the smoker, not on the "drip tray". This smoke goes around the outside of the "drip tray" and gently flavours / cooks the fish. Got any good marinade, recipe tips for smoking Pollock. Once again Thanks and hope to see you all, speak to you at the end of Jan as I am off to the boat show. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedger Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Tom, Happy New Year! You can use any Hardwood dust for smoking (never use softwoods they release toxins .. ..... .. ). As Rich says apple is great even laying a few fine apple twigs on the dust will help. Try also hickory, cherry or juniper. Juniper berries in the dust will do it. I am assuming that your smoker is designed for hot smoking only so you would need to adapt a recipe for cod, using the same or similar for Pollock. Traditionally cod, haddock and the like are cold smoked and cooked later as needed perhaps by poaching. Nothing to stop you hot smoking but I would choose the cut carefully. (nice even loin fillet.... as described by Somerfields ). I suppose small Pollock could be smoked whole, which might give you a result similar to Arbroath smokies. I believe these are traditionally produced from small coallies strung in couples and hot smoked. (someone will know). Have fun. T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Thanks everyone for your tips and advice. Last night I brined two small Pollock fillets. Or I guess that is what I did. I took half a cup of salt, half a cup of sugar, dissolved them in a litre of water and poured that over the fillets and left them for about an hour. I rinsed them off in fresh water and left them to dry over night in the fridge. Stuck them on the smoker this evening for about half an hour and fantastic! Best tasting Pollock I have had in ages. Just in the process of flaking them and making them into a kedgeree like me mm used to. YUM! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Well done Tom - good init! Next time - 1/4 salt, 3/4 brown suger, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder - rub this over the fillets and leave for 3-4 hours (dont disolve in water) when you come back you will find the fillets have shrunk as they water has been absorbed by the brine mix - which will have gone a stickly brown syrup. Wash them off and then smoke them - they should come out even better! Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedger Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Chaps.... isn't this subject huge? and as interesting and varied as our imagination. I can't wait to get started......... I think though my first revisitation to the art will be with dry cured ham and an old recipe for smoked saddle of venison. Last one I did was eight days in the cold smoker . Bon app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 "Isnt it amazing what you see when you havent got your gun??", was the statement from a passing motorist on the A38 near plymouth, when a pair of "wild" boar were spotted close to the road. Ive shot these criters before, while stationed in Germany, and believe me, when smoked, they are superb!!! Best get me bum down west!!! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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