smoker question for you pros

[Sliverslinger]

I just received a new Cajun injector electric smoker for Christmas. I've been wanti.g to get into smoking for a long time, I've got it all seasoned, and hoping to follow the advice I found on this forum and try a batch of pork butt on Sunday. I'm also wanting to try some salmon on new years eve. I ran into an old timer recently who told me that if I smoke salmon in my smoker then I'll never want to smoke anything but fish in it after that. He said that anything smoked thereafter will have a ring of salmon to it. have you pros found this to be true? Do I really need a smoker for fish and another for everything else?

[Russ McDonald]

I am tagging this because that is a very good question.  Since I got a smoker for xmas.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Ive heard that before. Never followed it. Never had brisket taste like fish or fish like possum.

[huntergreg]

I use mine all the time for fish, summer sausage, chicken, all kinds of stuff. never noticed any different taste.     I clean my racks every time I use it though.

[JohnVH]

that old timer is wrong.  Ive smoked a chicken, deer, bear, fish, sausage, etc, with no cross flavors.

[Sliverslinger]

Awesome thanks guys. Headed to cash n carry today to get the first slabs of meat. Gonna spend the morning reading up on marinades and rubs and give it the first go on Sunday.

[sirmissalot]

who told me that if I smoke salmon in my smoker then I'll never want to smoke anything but fish in it after that. He said that anything smoked thereafter will have a ring of salmon to it. have you pros found this to be true? Do I really need a smoker for fish and another for everything else?

big fat old wives tale, pure nonsense do not give it a second thought.... 

Often times my jerky tastes like smoked salmon. I now make jerky in the dehydrator for this reason. Had several people say the same thing after tasting my jerky I made in the smoker... What am I doing wrong Krack?

[carpsniperg2]

Myself and a lot of my friends have a fish smoker and another smoker for anything but fish. That is common for people who use there smoker for salmon and jerky.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I use mine for everything... From smoked fish to smoked turkey and everything in between. Never had something taste different than what i am smoking...

[awallfishnhunt]

i have smoked salmon and black cod in my smokers and never had pork, beef, poultry, or chesse come out fishy

[JLS]

Never had issue with mine, done fish, ducks, turkeys, jerky all in the same one.  Never washed it either

[206]

I think it depends on how much fish you smoke.  When I first got my side pit smoker I was doing a ton of smoked salmon before I figured out it just got too hot for fish and got another smoker.  At that time I did notice a fish smell in some other smoked meats and it was a thing that made you think hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

My fish smoker smells like fish.  This fall I walked into a bar after smoking fish and a stranger speaks up, "Somebody is smoking fish."

I got a kick outta that and felt like the Pig Pen character in Peanuts. I left shortly after.

[Hawgdawg]

I use different racks for fish. Cross contamination is possible. I smoke alot of everything.
smoke out your smoker after fish if going to smoke somthing sensitive like chesse.
Head dishwasher at cast and blast cooking team. Hawgdawg