Shrimp without shell

[blandfor]

Had a couple of questions for some of the shrimp experts out there.  I made some shrimp and andouille sausage skewers a couple of days ago and did not turn out great.  I definitely over seasoned which was probably the main problem.  I peeled the shrimp(30-40ct per pound) and marinated in olive oil and old bay for a couple of hours and then made up the skewers.  Smoked for about 35-40 minutes at 225 with 1.5 oz of cherry, checking every 7-10 minutes or so after 20 minutes as I did not want overcooked shrimp.  And I got perfectly cooked shrimp, super juicy, but way too salty and it seemed like over smokey for our taste.

So for the questions:  Is there any good rub(store bought or someones homemade) that does not have any salt in it or where the salt is minimal and I can just add a small amount of kosher to it right before cooking?  I really love old bay for a shrimp boil but just did not work here.  I have seen from other posts that most of these are done unpeeled, is there a way to tone down the smoke and still have them peeled?  I really love the shrimp and andouille combo on the skewers so would love to find a way to make work.  Should I use hickory instead of cherry or any other wood.  Still a rookie at this so thanks for the help!

 

[H3]

I live in Panama City, FL. and get some great fresh shrimp. I have smoked them many times and I put them unpeeled in a foil baking dish with melted butter and Cavender's Greek seasoning. I use Apple wood. If they were over smokey, I would not use Hickory. I only use that on steaks. I tried them peeled one time, but I was not happy with the results. The shrimp were stringy and tough. I love Old Bay too, but I only use it on steamed seafood and French Fries.

 

[NDKoze]

There are several threads where they are marinating in Italian Dressing which sounds good to me. I have done this many times with venison steaks and love the flavor.

Regarding wood, Hickory is a stronger tasting wood than Cherry. So, if Cherry is too smoky I would not try Hickory. Sounds like you just need to reduce the amount of wood. You could also try smoking them for part of the time, and putting them in a foil/aluminum pan and cover with foil for the rest of the smoke.

I have yet to try shrimp in the smoker, but the threads here have prompted me to put it on my to do list.

 

[H3]

I used Italian dressing the first time and found the vinegar flavor overwhelming and ruined the shrimp.

 

[Durangosmoker]

I use Cowboy Rub from The Spice Hunter quite a lot.  It is in most grocery stores around me, with the rest of the spices, and is salt free. As for the shrimp, you might find that smoking the shrimp with shells on and the sausages separately works better for you, then peel the shrimp and assemble your skewers. Not as much fun as pulling them from the smoker ready to go, but the shells help buffer the smoke and protect the shrimp from drying out. I agree with the others that you might try a different, milder wood than cherry. Alder is traditional with fish on the west coast, or maple is pretty mild as well. Good luck, and tell us how you make out.