Smoked Halibut -- Anyone done it?

[wehill]

Halibut is my favorite fish.  Have never smoked it.  Couldn't find evidence of anyone here that has experience smoking halibut.  I did some internet research and found a recipe that I think I will give a try unless someone has a better idea.

Here is the one that I thought sounded the best.
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Ingredients
    6 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
    2 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
    A pinch of salt
    A pinch of pepper
    ½ cup white wine
    4-5 lbs. fresh smoked halibut fillets

Instructions

    Mix wine, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish. Place halibut fillets in mixture and let rest, in the fridge for 1 hour.
    Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F and add alder wood chips.
    Place fish in smoker and let smoke for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Fish should be able to lightly flake apart when it is done cooking.
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I have a lot of alder scraps from some old furniture construction work I did a few years ago.  And, I have always wanted to smoke with alder, so I can now give that a try.  The rest is pretty simple and I like simple.

 

[wehill]

Well, this was a disaster.  The alder was the culprit.  The minute I opened the door to the smoker I knew it was going to be bad.  All I had to do was see the color on the beautiful halibut.  In all my years of smoking I have never tasted pure tar.  The halibut was coated with a tan colored film that was horrible.  I did some reading on alder and I think the specie of alder I have is the wrong wood specie for smoking.  What I discovered is that it is the Western Red Alder that is used for smoking salmon etc.

I think I will try this again, but with a different wood.  I think the sugar maple will be my next choice of wood.  The halibut reached an IT of 140 at with the smoker set at 225 F in almost exactly 45 minutes.

 

[SuperDave]

How much wood are you using?  For a delicate flavored white fish, I wouldn't use more than an ounce. 

 

[wehill]

How much wood are you using?  For a delicate flavored white fish, I wouldn't use more than an ounce.

From reading some information on other sites, I think I used the wrong speci of alder.  And, as you suggest I think I likely used to much wood.  I really think it was the kind of wood I used as opposed to the quantity.  I'm going to give it another try sometime later this week.  Will take your advice and put in maybe an ounce of sugar maple.  Of all the wood I have I think that is what I will try.  Think I will just try a small piece this time ... live and learn.