First Catch Your Tuna, then Smoke!

[Kinygos]

We start with five Little Tunny (Euthynnus allettaratus), the Greeks call them Palamida. They were split down the back with a sharp knife on the boat and chilled immediately. We also have Salt & Sugar 50/50.

We then cover them with the mixture.

After a day they look like this.

I put top to bottom half way through, pour off the liquid, and top up the mixture.
I made these.

I already had this, charcoal, and oak blocks.

I then strung the fish up, but this proved to be a mistake.

They eventually fell down, but were still OK

Previously I had done them laid flat, which is safer, but they still tasted good, even the one that got a bit singed!
Greek fish done British style!

[Di]

aka False Albacore Tuna or Fat Albert (Eh, isn't google great ;D ;D)

[Kinygos]

I need advice about this.
Probably the nature of this design of smoker limits my options. It is after all a barbeque as well, and therefore is designed to hold the heat.

I got a few briquettes alight to get the wood smouldering, but I think this was too hot, hence the fish fell because the heads broke up. (The briquettes(4) were under the wood blocks (2))

Would a plain metal sheet, with room to allow escape of the smoke, between the wood and the fish dissipate the heat?
Should I put in controllable vents in the lid?
Will the wood still smoulder without the briquettes?(limited draft) Last year I had to re-light the wood.
Would plain charcoal be better than briquettes?(cooler burning) I have not tried this.
I really want to hang them up to ensure even smoking. Last year I laid them down and could only get two in at a time. I felt multiple layers would make for uneven smoking.
Part of the trouble is I only do this once a year, so it is a slow learning curve.

I am getting good results, but I am looking to improve.

Any help from someone experienced would be appreciated.

[Liz]

Maybe if you attached the hooks behing the gills rather than the eye they may stay on a bit better and thicker metal so that it doesn't pull through

Is there any ventolation at the bottom ??

and agree that ordinary charcoal would be cooler but the briqettes stay in longer so don't know on that one

[Kinygos]

Actually the heads came off! I put it down to the fish cooking rather than drying, but this is hot smoking anyway. To do cold smoking I would need a remote smoke box.

Is there any ventolation at the bottom

Four holes which are always open.

There is also a side door. opening that would keep it cooler and loose all the smoke!

I got this thing from my fly-fishing club, secondhand, with no instruction book!

I think I will have to lay them flat and only do two at a time, but two layers? The upper would drip on the lower and the lower would take more heat.

I also made it difficult because two fish were twice the size of the other three.

[Liz]

we lit our woodburner last night and it reminded me of this thread ...when we burn coal we keep a couple of the spinners at the bottom a bit open but when we burn wood we keep a couple at the top a bit open ,,so if you could close some of the openings at the bottom it would slow down the charcoal ..and do you wet your wood ??

[Kinygos]

The holes in the bottom of the device have no control to alter them.
Wouldn't soaking the wood produce steam and encourage the cooking?
I wish I had an instruction book for the thing.
There is a temperature gauge on the top, but if you cannot control the fire I can't see what use it is!
Actually as I remember it It showed the process was a bit on the cool side which is why I was so surprised to find the decapitated fish!
Perhaps they needed more moisture removal before I started.
The result was good, apart from the singed one and I don't want them any saltier.
I had it suggested that a crush grid to hold them might be the answer, like those "bats" that you can barbecue the fish in.
The thing is although they are "small" they are bigger/heavier than herrings or mackerel, so perhaps I need to bend up some wire devices to give more support.
Anyhow I shan't be doing it again until next year, which is part of the problem!

[Di]

Oct 23, 2009 20:08:29 GMT Kinygos said:

Perhaps they needed more moisture removal before I started.

Kinygos, you might pick up some tips from this thread (then again you might not ) one of them mentions that you have to have them quite dry before you smoke them.

www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?p=1412488

You'll probably need to copy and paste the link.