Smoked Salmon Questions - PLEASE HELP!!!

[Smokerjunky]

My buddy makes smoked salmon in a Little Chief smoker.  It is ALWAYS excellent.  From what I can find on the internet the internal temp of the Little Chief runs between 165 and 185 degrees.

I have a pellet smoker that has a digital control that runs 160 - 500 degrees in 5 degree increments.  I would very much like to duplicate the product he is getting with his Little Chief.

Here are my questions if anyone would like to chime in here that would be much appreciated!
1)  I am thinking I should run the pellet grill at 160 degrees.  Any suggestions on pellet cooker temp?
2)  I have a cold smoker box that I thought I would put in with the salmon to really get a solid smoke flavor.  Any thoughts on that?
3)  Does anyone have any suggestions on brine/cure prior to smoking?
4)  How long should it smoke?  I really have no idea if it would be the same as the Little Chief.
5)  I am thinking Alder pellets but open to suggestions.

I really appreciate any feedback anyone has on this as I have never tried to do a true smoked salmon.

I want to try this before I try the "Salmon Candy" I saw posted by PZ (OH MY THAT LOOKS AWESOME)

Thanks in advance everyone!
 

[muebe]

160F should be your max temp so you don't fat out the Salmon.

Are you looking for something more like Lox? If so you have to brine then cold smoke.

[ACW3]

My buddy makes smoked salmon in a Little Chief smoker.  It is ALWAYS excellent.  From what I can find on the internet the internal temp of the Little Chief runs between 165 and 185 degrees.

I have a pellet smoker that has a digital control that runs 160 - 500 degrees in 5 degree increments.  I would very much like to duplicate the product he is getting with his Little Chief.

Here are my questions if anyone would like to chime in here that would be much appreciated!
1)  I am thinking I should run the pellet grill at 160 degrees.  Any suggestions on pellet cooker temp?
2)  I have a cold smoker box that I thought I would put in with the salmon to really get a solid smoke flavor.  Any thoughts on that?
3)  Does anyone have any suggestions on brine/cure prior to smoking?
4)  How long should it smoke?  I really have no idea if it would be the same as the Little Chief.
5)  I am thinking Alder pellets but open to suggestions.

I really appreciate any feedback anyone has on this as I have never tried to do a true smoked salmon.

I want to try this before I try the "Salmon Candy" I saw posted by PZ (OH MY THAT LOOKS AWESOME)

Thanks in advance everyone!
 

I have been using Alton Brown's dry rub to prep any salmon or steelhead that I intend to cold smoke.  This usually takes a couple of days.  I usually try to do any cheese or fish when the outside temperature is below 80 degrees.  My best success has been when the outside temp is below 50.  I have gone to the Amazen smoker tube filled with pellets.  I have used alder with great success.  Actually, any fruit flavored pellets should work nicely.  I will usually smoke the fish for a minimum of 2 hours.  It depends on the outside temp and the amount of smoke being produced.  I just watch how well the fish seems to be taking the smoke.  I always vacuum seal my fish.  It is kind of like cheese.  It takes several weeks (four weeks, minimum) for the flavor to work it's way through the meat.

If you use your smoker with heat, you may want to try to reduce the ambient temperature in the smoker by using loaf pans filled with ice (changing often).  The cooler the ambient temperature the better the final product, IMHO.

If the fish starts to fat out, the ambient temperature is too high.  At that point I would probably finish it as a hot smoke instead of a cold smoke.  Try it.  Report back.  There are several posts on cold smoking fish here.

Art 

[aliengriller]

Guess I'm an old fuddy-duddy.   Just prep the salmon with nothing more than salt and pepper--get my SMK attachment ready, then try to hold the temp at 200, not much higher   WHEN I can find alder, use it, it not, apple wood chunks.   Takes several hours, depending on whether I have a whole salmon or just fillets.   Hard to find whole ones around these here parts, ALTHOUGH Albertson's advertised whole pink salmon for $2.99/lb today.   Gonna go check them out.   I can always freeze them for later grilling and/or smoking.   LOVE salmon!

[pz]

I've been using the Big Chief for the past 25 years or more (the same unit - bullet proof and lasts a lifetime) - thought I would give it away after I purchased the Bradley, but am glad that I have not.

I've several other cooking units, but I like the simplicity of the Big Chief, and still use it for dinner salmon and beef jerky.

My method is very simple although it goes against all the advice I have been given about cooking salmon.  All I do is take the fish out of the package and smell it - if any "fishy" odor, then I rinse it and pat dry with paper towels.  If it smells fresh, then onto the middle racks it goes into the Big Chief with a pan of alder.  Once the smoke stops coming out of the unit, I check it for the presence of what most people call "salmon buggers" which are lines of salmon fat that has risen to the surface - if the fish flakes then it is done.  Caution however, I like my salmon on the rare side, silky smooth, tender, moist, yet still flakes easily.  If it is not done, then another pan of alder until it is - the smoker is at the mercy of the ambient temperature.

I've also done the same on a Traeger, which is almost as simple - smoke until I see the fat rising to the surface and then test for done-ness.

The salmon candy is another story altogether - because the fish ends up much firmer, I do not want to lose any of the fat so the temperature is taken up in stages so the rapid rise does not result in surface fat - not my method - designed by a chap on another forum - Kummok

Best of luck on your salmon - it is difficult to ruin salmon unless you overcook it!

[spuds]

Here is a thread I did on mine that was the best smoked salmon Ive ever had,and had others tell me the same thing,its REALLY fine.You will not go wrong following this recipe.

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=10310.0