I'm planning to smoke some fish (probably salmon or trout) this weekend, and a number of the recipes I've looked at call for temps in the 145-160 degree range. I'm used to smoking at the 200-250 degree zone, and have never gone below that range. I'm wondering if I should use less charcoal, or just wait longer than I usually do to get down to the temps I'm shooting for. If I put a full chimney of charcoal into the WSM, will it eventually get and stay in the range I want if I manipulate the bottom vents appropriately?
How do I get and stay low?
- Thread starter Tom K.
- Start date
Mike Zarecky
TVWBB Pro
Do a search on this! I've read something before on it. I think they started with fewer lit coals using the MM. I think the trick is to start out low and stay there rather then trying to bring the temps down.
MIkeZ
MIkeZ
Rick Soliman
TVWBB Pro
Tom-
I smoke salmon all the time and the 200-220 range is fine. You want to pull the fish at about 150 degreese. Also are you familiar with the Minnion Methoud of firing your cooker? See my link I have posted. Basically I fill about half a ring with kingsford and put 8 lit coals in the middle and close up the cooker with a full waterpan. If you close the vents right away you will stay around 190 the entire cook. I would suggest the brown sugar rub recipe from the cooking section of the board its excellent.
Brown sugar rub
Minion Method
I smoke salmon all the time and the 200-220 range is fine. You want to pull the fish at about 150 degreese. Also are you familiar with the Minnion Methoud of firing your cooker? See my link I have posted. Basically I fill about half a ring with kingsford and put 8 lit coals in the middle and close up the cooker with a full waterpan. If you close the vents right away you will stay around 190 the entire cook. I would suggest the brown sugar rub recipe from the cooking section of the board its excellent.
Brown sugar rub
Minion Method
Gary R Miller
TVWBB Super Fan
Can't remember where I seen this but someone wrote in that they used 4 pieces of charcoal, layed them on top of there wood chips. It maintained just a little over 100 degrees if my memory serves me right. I would try this and do a short dry run an see what happens. Maybe even 6 pieces of charcoal will be suffiencent
Bruce Bissonnette
TVWBB Guru
Tom,
What you are talking about is "cold smoking" as opposed to hot smoking which is what we usually do in the WSM with temps btw. 225-250.
If you go to the search function above and enter "cold smoking" it returns with about 7 pages of info and posts about cold smoking and the method and issues associated with it.
Good luck!
What you are talking about is "cold smoking" as opposed to hot smoking which is what we usually do in the WSM with temps btw. 225-250.
If you go to the search function above and enter "cold smoking" it returns with about 7 pages of info and posts about cold smoking and the method and issues associated with it.
Good luck!