I Want To

[Maverick Martin]

Ok

 

With all the recent talk of smoking fish I thought I would try some smoked fillets of cod from Tesco's..I know its sad buying from a supermarket but hey I haven

[Adam F]

Martin,

 

To start the two types as you rightly stated are: Hot and Cold smoking.

 

Hot smoking invloves actually cooking the fish with heat and uses the smoke from the smouldering wood to flavour the fish typically the heat in the smoke chamber would be 75 degs C plus - this method is not an exact science and although results will vary depending on the heat / smoke combination - good results are easy enough, this is also how the cod would have been cooked you bought from Tesco.

 

Cold smoking on the other hand is a completely new ball game. The fish (or meat, cheese etc) is not 'cooked' but preserved using the tannins and oils in the smoke. The temperature in the smoke chamber needs to be around 23-28 degs C and not warmer, the process takes longer, but ultimatly the smoke cures the fish. This is how smoked salmon is prepared. This process takes longer, is more expensive and you need to be very precise.

 

Mt recommendation would be to go hot smoked. The two books that are floating around the club (one mine, the other Wedgers) are a great start, but tons of info in the web also.

 

Get the Stainless Steel Rin Thompson smoker, which is basically two turkey tins, a grill rack and a pair of meths fondue burners. They are about

[blueboatdriver]

Hey Martin, you'll still have to buy the cod from the supermarket.

[alun j.]

Martin,

 

The smoked cod you buy is cold smoked [ cured]...... like bacon...... so it needs cooking; this is difficult to do on a small scale.

 

Hot smoking, as described is much easier......... and cooks the fish; like the smoked mackeral you can buy.

 

The cost and time of the cold smoking process means that producers often cheat! By using colouring and flavours, they can reduce the time and cut the weight loss by dehydration.

 

Did you buy the 'Traditional / undyed' fish?? ........... much better than 'yellow peril' !

 

Alun.

[Wedger]

Purely a personal opinion but if given the choice I would cold smoke everything, at least in the first instance.

 

Firstly, consider a proper cure through dry salt or brine or even a combination. The combination achieves an evening effect on final salt content and tends to draw the smoke deeper and more evenly into the product. As the salt is even, with no 'hot spots' the texture remains even and the final product actually tastes slightly less salty. This eventually leads to a deeply penetrating subtle smoke and a far superior product. It has to be said that this effort/care was as much in the aim of proper preservation as good flavour, traditionally.

 

The old kipper kilns were fired, after the fish had drip dried on the tenters or racks, by tossing a red hot iron into a heap of oak chips. This ensured a slow cold smoke start to the process, as the heat could not build for many hours until the circle of 'burn' broadened and intensified toward the horizon of the heap of chips.

 

If you can achieve something close to this, Smokey heaven is yours.

 

The cheaper shop bought tin smokers 'generally' offer a quick hot Smokey barbeque, which is OK and does provide a tasty alternative, especially when enhanced with a brine, but can't hope to achieve the above.

 

If I had to choose just one smoker, I would ALWAYS have a cold smoker first. Properly cured food, cold smoked well, can always be cooked later, will be preserved properly and impart all of the desirable characteristics.

 

Cold smoker in progress, picy to follow.

 

(Those of us with a

[Adam F]

Trev,

 

Is it not worth adding though (for Martin's benefit - original question) that cold smoking is a long, expensive and fairly tricky process for the novice to undertake?

 

I agree that Cold is superior, but hot is a good way to start and is not expensive - a proper cold smoker is

[Wedger]

Adam,

 

I agree!

But for the sake of a few bits of pipe and a drum the cold smoker isn't rocket science in a functional form, as a process to prove your potential enthusiasm. If you then wish to have a Rolls Royce job that aesthetically forms part of your home and surroundings (a conversation piece for your guests), then progress.

 

One of my favourite cold smokers was built by an old college buddy from a large oak whiskey barrel. It was certainly functional, but looked the dogs danglers too.

 

T

 

If anyone needs a 200 litre drum to have a go, speak to me.

 

[Paul J]

Consider making a brick one, crude but works if you get the right level of heat/smoke.

 

i used to have a kettle type which had a water pan suspended over the coals.

This helped reduce the heat and mixed steam with the smoke. This became self basting and could be mixed with various wine's or other liquids for additional favour.

 

You could rig one up out of a metal dustbin, a converted metal filing cabinet is another option on the cheap.

 

Paul J

[Wedger]

Yep Paul's right.

 

The brick cold smoker (1 cubic metre food box) I used to have, had a remote smoke box(generator)to keep the smoke cool. It still warmed a little towards the end but only to raise an oily glaze to the food which added to the appearance and sealed the surface. I'm not a fan of water bowls, as the whole idea of the cure and smoke is reduced moisture.

If you used an unglazed teracotta pot, LARGE to house the food and pass the smoke through, you could wet the outside and use the old milk chiller principle of 'cooling by evapouration'.

 

T