akaShag

I never have done this, but if you have creosote on the inside of the smoker, it needs to be removed with "something" - not sure what, though. Maybe remove the element and put a scrub brush to the inside of the smoker, with some hot water and dish soap, and then rinse a couple times with boiling water?

You need a LOT more room around the door to the heating element, or yes it WILL catch fire. And I can't see the cord, but you need to leave about five inches clear ABOVE the cord, or the plug at the back will melt. Replacement cords are not cheap. And you need a hole in the top for the smoke to escape, or you will end up with a creosote-like covering on your salmon. I would have left the seams open that are sealed with packing tape. The aim is to keep the wind out and some of the heat in, not to make it an insulated box. JMOYMV Happy Thanksgiving bud! Doug

Some of those Canada Geese don't go farther south than Kingston........ Happy Thanksgiving to all! Doug

That looks FABULOUS!!! I have a brined turkey in the oven right now, fifteen pounds will be a lot of leftovers, and I am HAPPY with that! Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Doug

Tune up the skidoo...................

It's all fabulous, Dave, and thanks for bringing us along for the ride! Wishing our fall weather was more like yours, but it ain't. Doug

Guess I missed this earlier...... I have been smoking salmon and trout for a very long time, well over thirty years, and 90% of that has been in a (WET) brine. What a coincidence! My Luhr-Jensen Big Chief smoker RECOMMENDS a wet brine for salmon and trout. As I said on another thread, I always leave the fish fillets on the skin, but yes I remove the dark parts or so-called "blood line" before serving the smoked fish. For sure it is a learning experience. Doug

back to Smitty, Brian might already know that.................? I cut the end steaks off the pork loins, generally about a half-inch thick. Brine is apple juice, garlic and brown sugar, overnight, then into the Big Chief for one pan of smoke. Then BBQ the smoked pork steaks. I use the same brine for the loin roast, but it sometimes gets a second pan of smoke. Roast smoked pork loin is awesome, and the gravy is out of this world. Doug PS) I did up a batch of pork tenderloin bacon and it is pretty amazing stuff also!

ABSOLUTELY NOT, don't get rid of the skin before smoking fish. But who am I to say, I have only smoked several thousand trout and salmon fillets....................... yes indeed, when the fillet is finished smoking, get rid of the belly fat and anything that LOOKS oily. Take the smoked fish off the skin, and dump the grey centre-line meat also. But leave the fillet on the skin for the brining and smoking. Otherwise you are dealing with dried-out fillets, stuck to the smoker grills. And BTW I do salmon candy with the skin on, 100% of the time, and it is awesome. JMOYMV

"you are learning, grasshopper." ?

un-subscribing form this drivel

I am no longer entirely sure who directed me to this site, but it was probably Moosebunk. ANYWAYS, when I tried the acronym he gave me, I got the Overseas Federation of Nigerian Christians. I did not think I was in the right spot............? But I found my way here eventually..... Doug

Yeah, and I was trying to put a roll eyes emoji on my comment so you could see I wasn't serious. But the forum froze up and wouldn't give me the emojis........

I'm still pissed I pulled the 12g instead of the camera when we encountered that polar bear at the Aquatuk. Pictures would have been unreal, lol. ............and the last photos on the SD card might have been of a set of polar bear teeth...............

I own a LOT of rifles, including some heavy thumpers, and have shot just about every cartridge for which rifles have been chambered for over a century. That includes some "elephant guns." If I was going to carry a gun for bear defence, I would go with the 12 gauge shotgun. A buddy of mine, who lived in Yellowknife at the time, also had a choice of multiple firearms when he was in the back country. He carried a 12 gauge shotgun for bear defence. As they say, JMOYMV, and the best gun to use is the one you have with you at the time! But this thread is about a SPECKtacular fishing trip, not a polar bear hunt, so I hope not to de-rail it......... I'll send you an e-mail. Doug

I am just back from a trip to Northern Ontario, 1500 kilometres each way and only two days for the drive each way. I am VERY thankful to be home in one piece, and yes it was stupid to try to drive that distance in that time frame, knowing my own limitations. The Good Lord looks after children and fools, and I am no longer young. Doug

I commented already over on your blog but wanted to tag this for interest here as well. I am just back from a fly-in myself, think I should have gone to the Sutton instead.................? And I still think the first round should be double ought buck to the head, and the next two the slugs. But I hope not to have to find out. Thanks for writing, bud, you sure as hell have a gift for it. Doug

and some of us are born with large fonts but I would rather have a bigger size someplace else........?

YES and welcome to the forum

I would rather have the 32F thanks very much, and a wave full of 54F water in my face today would have been MOST pleasant!!!! Doug

Back from Polar Bear, Bunk? I am heading out this week for an adventure.........but NOT to Polar Bear or Nunavut! Doug

not sure why that post was in bold?????????????????

Just a whole bunch of awesomeness there, Brian. Are you thinking of bratwurst? Doug

That butcher almost certainly will have curing salt and/or Morton's Tender Quick. I just put three pork loins worth of chunks into the smoker for back bacon. They have been brining for over a week...................

Brian thanks for posting the pics. So Pork T-Loin Bacon: I used this rub on the raw pieces: https://www.stuffers.com/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=CUMOBAC1KG Then I put the pieces into a tupperware container in the fridge and turned then a quarter-turn daily for four or five days. This morning I rinsed them with cold water and patted them dry, then rubbed them with Fish Crisp Maple Rub: https://www.loblaws.ca/Food/Pantry/Herbs%2C-Spices-%26-Sauces/Breadings%2C-Batters-%26-Coatings/Fish-Crisp-Gourmet-Grill%2C-Maple-Smoke-Flavour/p/20299325004_EA Then into my Luhr Jensen electric smoker for three pans of cold smoke with maple chips. The smoker doesn't have a thermometer or control, and I did not put a cardboard box over the smoker as I usually do. I checked the pieces after one pan of smoke and two pans of smoke but did not get the colour I wanted so I put the third pan to them. The flavour is fairly smokey, but I LIKE that. Two pans might have been OK, one was definitely not enough. And the stuff is absolutely delicious, like I said, bacon candy! I do pretty much the same thing with pork loin to make back bacon. Doug