My salmon is ready for smoking when a pellicle forms. This has taken a good 3 days.

The flesh is firm and you might describe the feel as light leathery.

It is cured and tastes beaut even before smoking.

I think the cold smoked flavour is more subtle than hot smoked.

Just a personal opinion and am sure not everyone would like the texture or taste.

For me though - nothing compares!

It takes an enormous amount of shagging around to smoke this way.

There's something very satisfying about the whole DIY thing though

and the final result is worth it,

 

Set the smoker alight in the morning.

 

I then bugger off on the farm or go fishing for the day.

 

Take out cheese, trout garlic pastrami in the evening and then leave the bacon in for another 12 hours smoking overnight.

 

Every one seems pretty happy with the flavour and timing suits with whatever I happen to be doing.  I imagine that smoking for less time would work fine as well.

Have two thin fillets and had to throw out too much flesh on the bones. Can only improve - hopefully.

That's a long time you're smoking for FarmerBrowne. Have you tried different times and what were your results?

Have you tried cold smoked trout yet Kezza?

 

We cold smoke because it tastes excellent and keeps really well in the fridge

 

Plus the technique we use to produce the smoked trout costs SFA and leaves coin available to purchase expensive shimano fishing gear.

 

Wet brine

1 cup non-iodised salt

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

pepper corns

crushed garlic

sprigs of rosemary

juice of one lemon

1 cup The Famous Grouse whiskey

The brining and drying are all done at room temperature.

I've got a cold smoking attachment a bit like FarmerBrowne's.

4 hours smoking with oak wine barrel sawdust combined with more rosemary that's been oven dried then chopped fine. 

Also smoked 2kg of cheese for the first 2 hours. It takes more than a month to mature and just gets better with age.