There are other threads here about smokeing trout, thourt I would share how I do it
Now I use a Weber grill - I used to smoke a lot of stuff in a big oven with my old man when I was a teenager.
First I prepare the fish, when it's fresh like the one I smoked today I just add salt and let it "dry" in the sun for a hour or two.
When frosen I would dump the fish into a salt solution of 100 gram salt, 10 gram sugar and 1 Liter of water and let the fish defrost in this over night, minimum 6 hours! (1 liter to 1 kg fish)
I mainly use Birch tree for smokeing as I love the strong flavor it gives, apple and pear tree is also very nice. Oak will give a much smoother flavor, not nearly as "smoked" as Birch.
I chop some small peices of seasoned wood, that have been dryed for a few years. Some of it I turn into wood chips with a plane tool, takes me 5 min give or take. I enjoy it and it's cheaper, then buying sawdust for smokeing.
You will need:
A weber or another closed grill or smoke oven.
Trouth
Some beers - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - it's not the same if you don't drink a few cold once!
Birch tree - wood chips and sticks
5 heat beats - when they are all gray, they are ready. Don't rush this, sit down and drink one of the beers
When the heatbeats are fully lit, I cloes the bottom vent in the Weber and place a good handfull chips and another good handfull sticks over the heatbeats. Place the lit with closed vents on the grill, to kill the flames from the chips.
Put the grill and fish into the weber
Open the vent in the lit and let it smoke
Now open another beer and sit down and enjoy your work, depending on the size of your fish and how thirsty you are. This step will last 1-2 beers (or 30-60 minutes) I like a good smoked flavor, so I gave this 740 gram trout 60 minutes.
After about 30 min, I add more wood chips n' sticks and opens another cold beer!
1 hour in the weber and it's done
5 min later
Toast with smoked trout, organic mayo and red onions, salt and pepper!
There is no need for tin foil and stuff like that, not when your smokeing like this. The tinfoil is normaly used to "block" the heat from the heat beats, but I do it the old school way so tinfoil is not needed. The flavor from real wood is much better, compared to useing charcoal or heatbeats - atleas I think so
It's very easy just take your time, relax and have a few cold once while you smoke you fish. Don't leave and forget it, as you will need to check on it and keep the smoke comeing and kille the flames if there should come too much oxygen to the "fire".
