This post is the one time I wish I lived back in Ucluelet. Poof gone. Back in Horsefly.
Thanks Nog.
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This post is the one time I wish I lived back in Ucluelet. Poof gone. Back in Horsefly.
Thanks Nog.
We used to smoke quite a lot of salmon some years back, nothing on the scale that Nog does. We used the big chief and little chief smokers with great success. The trick is to keep them in the boxes you bought them in and cut a door in the top or front depending on the model. Makes a big difference in the performance of the unit and the outcome of your product. That being said I do have a couple of nice big venison roasts sitting in a brine for corned venison. Should be ready by the 25th. Can't wait.
With the RH being basically 100%, it took three days for the strips to dry properly. Thankfully the temperatures stayed low!
https://i.imgur.com/IZ8qrvD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/e4Cpb7e.jpg
The squirter bottle in the upper left of that first picture is loaded with 50% Maple Syrup, and 50% Black Rum. The Glaze.
Applied:
https://i.imgur.com/TNdwfap.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/F1yWQVM.jpg
Should set up quite nicely overnight, then into the smoker for a spell.
Next load thawing out for Choppy Whacky tomorrow...
And on it goes...
Nog
While that first run of Candy was smoking, I set to getting the next batch ready:
https://i.imgur.com/lUpZDFj.jpg
Takes hours to do, but by the end of that shift Round Two managed a successful splash down:
https://i.imgur.com/YEOXJeg.jpg
No sooner finished that when the run in the smoker suggested it was time. So out of the big box and on top of a house freezer overnight:
https://i.imgur.com/YWj8hK0.jpg
You can sort of see that they indeed are translucent and very much like the Gummy Bear product they got their name from.
A better boo:
https://i.imgur.com/0I56efH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5BCFDKT.jpg
Both The Lady & I concur - another super fine product!
Makes it all worth the effort!
Today is bag and tag day, then prep the screens for their next go.
Be nice to have a day "off" tomorrow!!
Cheers,
Nog
The next batch has sunk into the brine
https://i.imgur.com/a20gYh2.jpg
Time to get them arranged on the screens for drying...
Nog
Round two Racked & under the fans:
https://i.imgur.com/bb7A00Y.jpg
Freezers guarded 24/7 by wolf hybrids and a redneck couple who own lots of toys :)
Wrapped up the smoking of this lot yesterday. Sat overnight on the house freezers to do their thing:
https://i.imgur.com/viM6lms.jpg
Vacuum sealing took around 4 hours this go. Bit of effort, but worth it IMHO:
https://i.imgur.com/SYzbytv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aowgBxS.jpg
Another whole tote full of Yummyness now sits overnight before jumping into the cold box:
https://i.imgur.com/i1WjlpE.jpg
And that's a wrap for salmon. Taking a day or two off, then onto a massive double run of Cold Smoked Tuna...
And on it goes...
Nog
The couple days down were refreshing, but recognizing the mountain of work still staring me down, I decided it was time to get back in the saddle...
After doing a piece count I recognized I'll have to do two runs of this product, as there is no way it could all fit in my smoker despite the latter's rather generous size. That being the case I went with four loins per screen, and loading only eight of the ten screens per run. Makes for an even amount both runs.
Thawing tuna lions:
https://i.imgur.com/GZEYNyP.jpg
Chopping and initiating the dry brine component:
https://i.imgur.com/Qrh8vFF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4iPcXOU.jpg
Capping with the dry brine mix:
https://i.imgur.com/v0gW7gw.jpg
And a couple hours later with four totes loaded to sit overnight:
https://i.imgur.com/YgxoUiF.jpg
I thought it might a tad longer than the usual 24 hours for this part of the process due to overnight temperatures hovering at basically zero. But when I checked them this morning, it appears they are well on their way. Means a quick scramble to get ready for the next stage later this afternoon - the wet brine component.
Stay tuned, more to come soon...
Cheers,
Nog
After 24 hours the dry brine has well penetrated the loins, and largely turned into liquid:
https://i.imgur.com/u8AEJ5Z.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7sfkpmz.jpg
The loins themselves have darkened considerably in this process:
https://i.imgur.com/WBPQHdG.jpg
Continued...