getting ready for first smoke......


 
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Ron F

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Finally getting ready to fire up the WSM for the first time! I'm going to do the smoked salmon(appetizer version) in the cooking section of this forum. I have a total of six fillets(yep, six!) I'm going to do two fillets with recipe mentioned above using corn cobs for smoke, then two fillets using applewood after the first two are done. Don't know what I'm going to do with the last two.....

I just picked up a pyrex thermometer and did the boiling test and its 12-15*'s off! Does this mean it will be this off at higher temps or will it be even MORE off?? Also picked up a pyrex digital probe. How can I test this? I thought I read somewhere that you are not supposed to stick those probes in water..so how do you test one?

If anyone has any advice on using the WSM please post. It's about 40-45*F here in Michigan right now. Wondering if I should use a little more charcoal than specified in the recipe. Wish me luck!

Ron
 
For purposes of smoking, you can assume that your Pyrex thermo will be the same 12-15* off at cooking temps. It may not be exactly the same at 250 that it was at 212, but its close enough for smoking purposes. As for your digital probe, you can stick the temperature sensing part of the probe in boiling water, just not part where the wire joins the probe. That is the weak spot where water can intrude and mess up your probe according to others on this site. I have never had any water problems with my Polder probes, one of which has been is use for 2 years now. I hand wash it in hot soapy water keeping the wire-probe union out of the water.
 
I'd return the thermometer and get a new one to be sure. I mean, come on, it's brand new it should work correctly, right?
 
so far smoke is going good. I was wondering about the internal temp for salmon. I know its between 140-155* depending on a persons preference, but aren't these temps for more of a 'dinner' salmon? The salmon I'm smoking I want to turn out kind of salty/dry, say for a great snack whilst drinking my favorite beverage, water(combined with hops, barley, yeast, wheat...etc /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif )and playing a good game of poker with the boys...... The recipe I'm using per my first post calls for about 3 hours cook time at that given temp. My fish have been on barely an hour and already at about 128*...The recipe doesn't mention internal temp, just that they were to the authors liking when he pulled them off the cooker.....All in all I'm really not worried, just looking for all the advice I can muster. As you all know this is my first time using the WSM. So far so good, of course the food hasn't been tasted yet/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif....Thanks for all the help..

Ron
 
Yes, 140-155 degrees internal temp is for moist dinner style salmon. I haven't smoked salmon on my WSM, but Chris wrote about it in the Cooking section and he did it for 3 hours until "it was dry to his liking." So check it at 3 hours and see if its dry enough for you.
 
Ron, I have done 1 smoke with salmon on the WSM o )
The one time I did I smoked 5 lbs for 4 hrs at 180-200. Brined, 3-4 pcs small hickory. It rivalled anything you can buy commercially. Moist, flakey, num-num. Could have used more smoke.
Next time it's alder, a tad higher temp, and a bit longer. Don't have an internal temp yet, but even at that the salmon turned out great.
BTW, I have only a candy thermo stuffed in the top vent.
I'm still a newby at this but I gotta say I don't know what it would take to ruin a pc of meat using the WSM short of foresight.
 
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