You people are all maniacs.

[Susquehanna]

Hello.

I came across this forum when I was looking to buy an electric smoker. I'd been digging through company websites, Amazon reviews, and whatever else I could find before eventually landing here.

All I wanted was information about what smoker I should get. Instead, I found people droning on about PID, burping smokers, wireless dual probes, thin blue smoke, and a ton of other jargon that no person in their right mind would want to know.

After sifting through all that mess, I decided to purchase a Smokin-it #2 and be done with it. I didn't need to bother with all the minutiae that you smoking geeks love to wallow in. Put meat in smoker. Add wood. Add heat. Eat meat a few hours later.

But then three days ago I did my first smoke. Just some simple turkey jerky.

Dear lord. It was delicious.

I went to bed that night thinking of what I would do differently next time to improve the flavor. Longer time and lower heat? Ramp up the heat? Apple wood instead of hickory next time? I woke up thinking about how I'd smoke a brisket this weekend. I passed the afternoon wondering how to smoke a trout.

I now recognize the error of my ways. You people are maniacs, indeed. Fantastic, smoking maniacs. I would be honored to join your ranks.

Please accept my apologies, and please tell me, do I dry brine or wet brine the trout?

I have to know.

 

[old sarge]

Welcome from SE Arizona. I found one small series of posts regarding trout and brining. Link is below.  You just may have to contribute your success or failure at brining and smoking your trout in the fish section. Seems as a wet brine was used, recipe and times in the link.
Again, welcome to the forum.

https://www.smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=4868.msg44735#msg44735

 

[Walt]

Brine trout just as you would salmon. Use chips or slivers because it will be a brief smoke of 45 minutes to 1 hour @ 170. An IT of 135 will ensure it is flakey & moist. Great to eat as is or is a perfect base for a smoked fish dip. You are correct, in that there is a bit of overthinking on some of these more obscure topics. To each his own.  Good luck.

 

[Susquehanna]

Thank you both for the advice. I’ll give it a whirl today and let you know how it goes.

 

[lcdearman]

Welcome from central Texas! I ended up here the same way, searching reviews trying to decide what smoker to get. I am a geek to start with though, so I immediately fell in love with the data. I’ve even started keeping a log of my cooks so I can compare and tweak to my own tastes. Can’t help you with fish though. Having grown up in Louisiana, if you are gonna cook fish, it should be fried .

 

[barelfly]

Welcome from the Land of Enchantment!

Walt mentions brine as you would Salmon, and I dry brine salmon. I’ve tried wet and didn’t like the texture. Thought it was a bit mushy. So, I always dry brine now. But, that’s the fun here - getting to try out various ways and find what you like.

Enjoy the trout and let us know how it goes!

 

[swthorpe]

Welcome from Delaware -- you have found the right place!  Cheers

 

[Glock_21]

LMAO

Best intro ever.

Welcome from Oklahoma.

 

[OldeSmoker]

I have to say I really enjoyed your intro. Walt is spot on with the trout. When cooking the fish while smoking, that is exactly how I do it. Turns out great every time. When cold smoking salmon I use a dry brine/cure. Welcome to the SI ranks. Enjoy that new smoker, sounds like you already are.

 

[Susquehanna]

The trout turned out pretty well. It was a bit too salty for my tastes, but man, the smokey flavor was just great. Will adjust the dry brine accordingly next time.

The fish itself turned out pretty well. Walt, I took your advice and went with 170 for an hour. It was pretty much spot-on. The trout was too thin to use the probe, but an hour seemed to do the trick. Used a chunk of applewood. Didn't have chips. Thought about putting the chunk in the blender but my wife frowned upon it. Killjoy.

Thank you again for the advice.