Wood for smoking

New Avon Arms
U

User00035

Well-Known Member
Bought a whole salmon yesterday because smoked salmon was silly money. I want to fillet it and smoke portions on the stove top in a covered pan.
It's a bit last minute and about the only clean wood I've got to hand is some silver birch or some cedar and larch.

Can I smoke with these? I like the idea of trying the birch. Anyone smoked with birch?
 
I have a stove top smoker - you will be hot smoking, not cold and the fish will come out cooked.
I suggest that actually using it on the stove top could be a mistake, due to the smoke and fish smell. You will not be popular.
Outdoors is better, if possible. I use a Trangia meths stove for heat, which is plenty.
Can’t say that I notice the effect of different woods. Has to be hard wood though. Use sawdust, not solid bits - a few spoonfuls is enough.
Let us know how it turns out.
 
Thanks. I wasn't happy about using soft wood. I know birch is safe. You can drink the sap, after all.


BTW, sorry, posted in wrong sub-forum. Mods, could you move to carcass prep/recipes. Ta.
 
Stayangry said:
I have a stove top smoker - you will be hot smoking, not cold and the fish will come out cooked.
I suggest that actually using it on the stove top could be a mistake, due to the smoke and fish smell. You will not be popular.
Outdoors is better, if possible. I use a Trangia meths stove for heat, which is plenty.
Can’t say that I notice the effect of different woods. Has to be hard wood though. Use sawdust, not solid bits - a few spoonfuls is enough.
Let us know how it turns out.
Click to expand...
yes, I was thinking the smoke alarms are going to go ballistic. It's in the fridge in the garage where I keep the meat I've shot. So I may as well smoke it down there. Got a little Vango camping gas stove. That should do it. If it works I'll make a proper smoker.
 
As stayangry says you'll be hot smoking, not producing cold smoked salmon as it sounds like you want. If you are happy with hot smoked, try a gentle 50/50 salt browm sugar brine cure for about half an hour and then get a covered BBQ or similar and place some hardwood dust on a tray nearest the coals. Makes a nice product but not cold smoked.

As someone who runs a smokery smoked salmon is just not a cheap pruduct. My salmon will smoke between three to four days before resting then sliced.
 
Thanks. I'll try that.
Yes, I understand cold smoked salmon is not a cheap product. But Supermarkets wind the prices up at this time of year and unfortunately we don't have a fishmonger or a good deli nearby.

Quite happy with hot smoked.
 
If you are going to cold smoke then it's worth going to your local carpenters or joiners and seeing if you can have access to some of their hardwood shavings. I went to mine and they put on a fresh bag when they started their next oat project and I ended up with about 200litres of dry oak shavings which were perfect in a Pro Q cold smoker. I've also found dry seasoned oak branches and run them through a garden shredder and then dried the chips thoroughly and used in a Venturi style cold smoker.

Clearly more hassle than buying a bag of wood chips specifically for smoking but they are expensive and you don't get many. Plus it's more fun do do as much as possible yourself! That first slab of cold smoked salmon, block of cheese or bulb of garlic will be well worth the wait🤤
 
Hickory or Apple are good, oak is ok if it's a stove top smoker try and have sawdust instead of wood chips,you could also try tea and rice,I've been not smoking food for yrs and had some pretty good success,don't try an smoked your fish whole as it might not get any flavour inside,smoked mushrooms are good too .
JB
 
I'm doing a salmon today as well. But I have commercial smoker. Brine the fish first as already mentioned. But one word of caution with the stove top smokers. Don't overdo the smoke. With the lid closed it kinda pressure smokes the fish and it can end up tasking like a pub ashtray. It only needs a light haze of smoke, not an autumn bonfire to impart a nice flavour. At the end, just glaze the fish with some apricot jam.
 
Birch is nice on fish as it has quite a mild flavour for smoking and won't overpower the fish. Make sure you take off the bark as there is a lot of tar in it.
 
You must have a bit of dried oak somewhere (old gatepost) run the saw across it for dust and down the grain for shavings.

Willowbank.
 
Last edited:
Buchan said:
I dry cure 1/3 salt 2/3 sugar mace and ginger for an hour then rinse before hot smoking. Tea leaves will provide good smoke. Birch can release a lot if tar so Id find some true hardwood
Click to expand...
That’s the proportions I used with cure. I also mix light and dark brown sugar.
 
Finch said:
Bought a whole salmon yesterday because smoked salmon was silly money. I want to fillet it and smoke portions on the stove top in a covered pan.
It's a bit last minute and about the only clean wood I've got to hand is some silver birch or some cedar and larch.

Can I smoke with these? I like the idea of trying the birch. Anyone smoked with birch?
Click to expand...
Where are you in the South West?
I have plenty of oak dust
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Green wood for cold smoking?
Replies
19
Views
641
Essexsussex
E
Turkey Thigh
Replies
5
Views
425
VSS
VSS
Will steel shot work in a flintlock?
2 3
Replies
49
Views
2K
Smellydog
Smellydog
Unexpected ducks
Replies
13
Views
1K
T.eddie
T.eddie
.223 for roe (Scotland)
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
wildfowler.250
wildfowler.250
ALLHONE hunting knives designed and made in NZ
Back
Top