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Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: coriantonk on December 03, 2011, 05:51:53 AM

Title: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: coriantonk on December 03, 2011, 05:51:53 AM: I am just curious, what are you guys using to brine your Chum salmon. I found one recipe on line. But I was curious what you guys use. I will be smoking them in an electric smoker with Mesquite and Hickory chips.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: allen on December 03, 2011, 07:29:52 AM: Dry rub, 50% rock salt & 50% brown sugar. Place filets in container or tub (I use a bus tub). Cover flesh side with mixture & let set overnight. Next morning rinse throughly & cut to desired smoker size pieces.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Jason on December 03, 2011, 07:32:22 AM: I could be wrong :dunno: but chum Salmon are an oily fish so its best to use a dry brine.
I've never smoked chum but I worked with a fellow in Seattle who would smoke them and for
some reason I remember him saying that to me.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: h20hunter on December 03, 2011, 07:37:04 AM: I use a dry brine...salt and sugar. Id stay away from mesquiet wit fish.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Hyde on December 03, 2011, 08:18:05 AM: The recipe book that comes in the little or big chief smoker has my favorite brine recipe in it. It's their Deluxe Smoked Salmon recipe. Hickory is my primary wood, with a little apple at the end.

Some mistakes I have made in the past:

1. Smoking the hell out of the fish. I smoke for 1.5 hours, the rest is simply drying time.

2. Thinking that crappy dark fish will produce quality smoked fish. WRONG. Crappy dark fish produce crappy dark smoked fish. If I wouldn't eat the fish otherwise, I certainly wouldn't smoke them. (smoking takes a considerable effort and expense).

3. Over drying the fish. When a fillet will break apart evenly, it's time to remove it from the smoker/oven. It will continue to cook even after it's removed. I like moist smoked fish. (not raw, but not dried out).

I would encourage the smoke masters on here to post their secrets.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: boneaddict on December 03, 2011, 08:27:16 AM: Dry works best, and whatever you do, do it as fast as possible. They deteriote really fast
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on December 03, 2011, 08:38:58 AM: chum salmon make the best smoked fish hands down ..I would give my recipe but I am not sure about how many friends I have on here :chuckle: :chuckle: :dunno: I will say this ...Costco holds the secrete to my recipe ...just stumbled on it 2 yrs ago ....go to the seasoning section and look at the different types they have ...It should be easy to find because it tells on itself right on the label :chuckle:Let me know if you find it :chuckle: :sry:
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: boneaddict on December 03, 2011, 08:48:51 AM: I can understand honey holes, secret fly patterns, favorite shrooming areas, but never could understand secret brines. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Button Nubbs on December 03, 2011, 09:14:10 AM: I am somewhat of a fish snob and I will say the best smoked fish I have ever done was when I had caught some CHROME chum. :drool: my secret ingredient was johnnys seafood seasoning. I can't remember the recipe off of the top of my head but I used a brine. Ill see if I can dig it up.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Button Nubbs on December 03, 2011, 09:37:36 AM: Here is the basic version of mine. You can leave it or tweak it some if you like. Its really good on CHROME chum. :tup:

Qt of water

1/2 cup plain salt

handful Brown sugar

2 dashes of garlic powder

soak for 8 hours or over night

Spread out to dry for couple hours

Smoke for 10-12 hrs, change racks during middle of smoking
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: BigGoonTuna on December 03, 2011, 02:16:31 PM: i don't know where the myth got started, but chums aren't oily at all. springers and summer runs have the highest fat content.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: CastleRocker on December 03, 2011, 03:18:21 PM: Quote from: BigGoonTuna on December 03, 2011, 02:16:31 PM
i don't know where the myth got started, but chums aren't oily at all. springers and summer runs have the highest fat content.

My family has been canning salmon since before I can remember. Springers do have a high fat content, but so do Dogs. It certainly isn't a "myth". If you write on your lids what kind, where it came from, date, etc., you will see how much oil the vaccumm pulls out in each sub-species. Chums are one of the oiliest. From what I've seen in my lifetime, early Yukon Kings, Yukon Dogs, and early Kuskoquim Kings are the only fish I've seen that are signifigantly higher in oil content.

I use a dry brine too. Equal parts white sugar, brown sugar, salt. Add whatever else you want, it's not rocket science. Grandparents always said, "Dry or wet brine doesn't matter. Just taste your brine, adjust to how you like it. If the brine is too salty, sweet, whatever, just remember that's what your fish is going to be like". It's always been good advice.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Joe Merlot on December 03, 2011, 10:14:00 PM: I used to brine chums in dirt. Garden really spruces up with the extry goodness.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: johnnyaustin44 on December 03, 2011, 10:27:41 PM: We have always done the dry brine as well up until a few years ago. now we us a wet. dissolve 1 bag of Brown sugar and 1/2 cup rock salt in ten cups of water on cook stove. then add 1/4 cup yoshidas and let cool completely. mix with the fish in a large cooler with bagged ice and let sit 12 hours. use the recipe on all fish and that's how we like it but to each his own. just play with it and see what you like :tup:
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: KenPCPilot on December 03, 2011, 10:29:48 PM: if you are short on time the premixed wild salmon brine i got at Whole Sale Sports was very good. However my family loved it but i would have liked it to be a little stronger and next time i might concentrate the brine more or soak the meat for longer
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: GEARHEAD on December 03, 2011, 10:30:22 PM: 1 part soy sauce
2 part water
brown sugar and white sugar
salt

this is my basic go to for everything, i use a crock pot to brine in. get it all mixed together, let it all disolve, may take an hour or so. i just eyeball my amounts adding for flavor. cover, throw in the fridge for 8-16 hours, then lightly rince, place on papertowels to dry abit and throw in the smoker.

one tip......, zero skin! all that slime will ruin the flavor. fillet it all off, cut into strips taken from belly and back strap, i throw the middle away.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: FC on December 03, 2011, 10:35:50 PM: I skin all of mine too.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: lokidog on December 04, 2011, 10:12:29 AM: Quote from: GEARHEAD on December 03, 2011, 10:30:22 PM
1 part soy sauce
2 part water
brown sugar and white sugar
salt

this is my basic go to for everything, i use a crock pot to brine in. get it all mixed together, let it all disolve, may take an hour or so. i just eyeball my amounts adding for flavor. cover, throw in the fridge for 8-16 hours, then lightly rince, place on papertowels to dry abit and throw in the smoker.

one tip......, zero skin! all that slime will ruin the flavor. fillet it all off, cut into strips taken from belly and back strap, i throw the middle away.

Pretty close to mine, though I didn't skin them (I do scale my salmon which I think removes a lot of the slime) as it helps them not stick so much to the rack IMO. depending on how fast I want to get to smoking, I will vary the proportions of water and soy. Overnight, I do equal parts, for a shorter brine time, I use less water and more soy. I will sometimes put black pepper in the brine and maybe some precut garlic and juice. Usually, I will sprinkle onion and garlic powder on them after removing from brine waiting for them to glaze a little.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Cap.Silver on December 04, 2011, 10:51:49 AM: I like to use Scott's seasoned brine mix for fish from Sportco or Sportsmans warehouse .I might have to change it because it is getting expensive ,but I just don't like the brown sugar aftertaste on fish .It is just me .....
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Ripper on December 05, 2011, 09:46:12 PM: Equal parts fine sea salt and brown sugar. 1cup each depending on how much fish you have. Add 1 tblspn of whatever seasoning you like, garlic, onion, chilli pwdr. Mix it all together, rub liberally on your fish and let it sit in ziplock bags in the fridge for 8 hrs. Oh yea, I cut my fish into pieces. Take out rinse off and let dry. I like to smoke with a mix of apple and hickory. Leave in smoker for 6-8 hours depending on thickness and amount of fish. Run 3 pans of chips, 1 every 2 hrs. This is the simplest recipe that I know and the most consistent. I experimented with all kinds of stuff over the years and this is hands down the best I can come up with. Enjoy
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Encore 280 on December 11, 2011, 04:32:52 PM: DO NOT USE ROCK SALT Use Morton's Pickeling Salt or a non iodized salt. I use the recipe I got from Salmon University, they have good recipes in there. 4-1 dark brown sugar to salt. Go to www.salmonuniversity.com and look for smoked salmon recipes in the left column. Good luck.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: coriantonk on December 12, 2011, 07:21:17 AM: Thanks for all of the replies, I have been a Salmon smoking fool for the last several weekends. The most important part is that the first batch came out alright, but each bathc after got better and better as I changed things and learned what I was doing. My last batch was really good. All told I have about 20+ pounds of smoked Salmon in the freezer now. Thanks again for all your input.
Title: Re: Brine Chum Salmon?
Post by: Encore 280 on December 12, 2011, 07:47:47 AM: I'm taking a bunch outta the freezer this morning and "The Warden's" gonna do up a batch for the holidays. She kinda took over the fish smokin job after she learned it from me, she does a great job. Dry brine in the fridge over nite then rinse in the morning and air dry for about 3-4hrs then in the smoker. Two pans of alder or apple chips then it's just cookin the rest of the time. I stick with the traditional alder or fruit wood. Never tried any of that mesquite stuff, nothin Norwegian bout that. Have fun.