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Here's What I'm Doing Today

Started by Coon, December 15, 2006, 09:39:19 AM

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Coon

A friend of mine was over yesterday and brought me a bunch of whitefish.  Fred must have left 25 or 30 for me.  The fish are in the round yet and need to be cleaned.  I am going to smoke some and the rest will get cleaned and frozen.







Fred Had 12 fillets already brined and ready for smoking.  The little smoker he has does not get hot enough to completely cook the fish so he wanted to try mine out as he has tasted some fish I had previously smoked.  This is the end result readt to be eaten.


Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

sawguy21

I'll be there later. :D :D :D Smoked whitefish is great. Camera is working well too. ;)
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Coon

Great.  Was wondering who was going to offer to come clean fish.  There'll be plenty of eatin' too. ;D ;D
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

SwampDonkey

Well, you'll be eaten good this season.  ;D  Kind of reminds me of smelts (no not salmon smolts  no_no), the flesh is white and they are shiny/scaley fish. They catch them in the rivers here in spring time with a dip net.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

leweee

You sure Know how to make my mouth water. :) Wish I had your job today. :)
just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

isawlogs

 Whitefish ... Man I cant wait till the water freezes up enough to get on the lakes and catch a few of them ... Them sure are good eatin .. 8) 8)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Coon

Well I think it's time for an update.

When I went to the garage this morning to start cleaning fish I found that overnight they had froze solid as the temps dropped.  That meant I had to bring some fish in the house and thaw them out a little before cleaning them.

Completely cleaned 5 of these whitefish and have room for only 4 at a time in the smoker.  I only do 4 at a time because the smoker doesn't have to work so hard to keep the temps warm enough.

Here is a pic of the smoker ready to put the racks of fish in.




The fish are put in a dry brine of coarse salt and brown sugar.  They are put in for 1 hour plus an additional hour for each pound of an average fillet.  These are in the brine for a total of 2 1/2 hours at which they come out.  They are then rinsed off and put on the oiled racks to dry.  I use a small household fan to speed the process.  The fish is ready for the preheated smoker when the fish has a dry glaze (pellicle) on the outside of the fillets.



In the smoker I am using diamond willow split into pieces.  The redder the color of the willow the better the smoke.  Keep in mind the wood must be dry.  I use an old cast iron frying pan as a chip pan.






I have to go rinse the brined fish off now and put to dry.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Radar67

Brad, is that an old refridgerator you are using as a smoker? It looks interesting, send us some details.

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

SwampDonkey

Looks like it's still snowing out there anyway.  ;) Looks like the snow might be getting in the garage.  :o
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

That is definately a fridge made into a smoker.  It is not much to look at but it works.  At the time I made it I needed a smoker in a hurry.  I took out the freezer and all of the cooling lines. Next I took out any plastic pieces that there was.  I didn't have any type of hanger system to use to suspend the racks so I simply pounded some 3 1/2 inch spiral nails through from the inside.  I used an old cookie sheet for a drip tray and an old two burner hotplate for my heat source.  Each burner has it's own dial.   The only time I have needed to use the second burner is when I am smoking in -30C or colder or very windy days.  It's a crude set up but it works.
I use an oven thermometer that hangs from the top rack to regulate my temperature.

Swamp,  The snow always has gotten in inbetween the big door and the wall.  I have a piece of plastic on a piece of pipe that rolls up when the door is needed.  It has been mild out and I haven't been using heat in there for a few days.  Been actually working with that door open during the day.  Just wish that door was on the south side and not the north. 

The whitefish is very tasty.  You guys better hurry if you want some.  Won't last long with my meat hooks in them. :D :D :D
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Radar67

Do you put the frying pan on the hotplate to get the chips going?

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Coon

Stew, yes that is what I do.  you controll the burn of the chips with the heat setting of the burner.  I have not got a proper draft and air intake so a person has to sometimes leave the door open a smidgeon to let the humidity out and create its own draft.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Coon

Thought it was time for another update.  Here's what the smoker looks like inside.




This one shows how I used those 3 1/2 inch spiral nails for the racks to sit on.




Next here is another one of the finished product with the skine side up.



Still waiting on some taste testers. digin_2
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

sprucebunny

Looks yummy, Coon  8)

I've never had 'whitefish' but I love smoked everything else ;D
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

Coon

I would send ya some Joan but I don't think it would get through customs. ;D  Heck they'd probably think it's rotten or something and just throw it out. :D :D.  The smell of smoke even seems to linger through vaccuum sealed bags after a while.  Must seep through the plastic. ???
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

farmerdoug

SD,

Smelt?  Where the smelt. ???

We use to dip them when I was young here in the St. Clair River.  Now we just sit around drinking beer and talk about the good old days of smelt.  Before my time they use to dip them by the truckloads.  But since they planted the salmon in the Great Lakes the smelt have dissappeared.  Maybe we need to plan a smelt dipping party in the late winter in your neck of the woods.

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

Mooseherder

Smelting...we used to dip for em in the wee hours along a couple tributaries that fed into Long Lake, Northern Maine. What a great memory of simpler times. ;) I think there is a 2 quart limit now. And don't get caught by a Game Warden with anything over that amount. Penalties are pretty severe.

farmerdoug

No limit here yet that I know of but 2 quarts would probably take a night or even two to fill anyways.  Although I do ocassionly here of a run where the dippers get a bucket or two, not often though. :(


Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

SwampDonkey

You can fish smelt by dip net or angling on the Miramichi, Bouctouche, Salmon River, Black River, Nashwaak, Keswick, Kennebecasis, Hammond, Aroostook, Little Tobique, Mamozekel, Tobique, Saint John, Salmon River (victoria county), Serpentine, Restigouche and tributaries,  from April 15 - May 31. 60 fish daily bag limit and possession. The rivers I listed require guides for non residents. All boundary waters (with Maine) have a bag and possession limit of 200 (April 15 - Sept 30). They don't mention a season on the Nepisiquit (Bathurst area). I would say that the Miramichi river would be best for catching smelts, that's where grandfather always fished for them.

Silff Lake and tributaries are closed to smelt fishing.

You can fish sturgeon in tidal waters of any river flowing into the Bay of Fundy, no bag limit, 120 cm minimum length. Tidal water on the St John come up to Lincoln, just below Fredericton. Jan. 1-May 31 and July 1-Dec. 31

You can catch white fish in boundary waters with Maine April 15-Sept. 30. Daily bag limit and possession 8.

Go here  and click on Fish Booklet to get a fishing summary.

You can get detailed maps of New Brunswick here also, rivers and streams are marked as well. The map index can be downloaded here.

Lake Utopia dwarf smelt

Some history on the American smelt fishery

Here's the New Brunswick Sport Fishing Forum
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

blaze83

man, my mouth was watering just looking at that fish...It would be gone in a heartbeat if I lived closer than a few hundred miles 8) :D,

I'll need to get me an old fridge and make one of those smokers.. do you smoke up veison jerky in it too?

steve
I'm always amazed that no matter how bad i screw up Jesus still loves me

Coon

I smoke everything from fish to venison jerky, moose roasts, elk roasts it really don't matter what kind of meat it can be smoked in there. 
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

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