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Simple smoked salmon question, how long to brine?

by Jason
(Arlington, TX)

I have 2 1/4 pounds of salmon, the best I could find, about 3/4 to 1 inch in thickness. I'm using a basic brine with kosher salt, brown sugar, and water. But how long should I actually brine it for? No website seems to come out and just say it... "Brine for 2 hours" or "Brine it for 5 days"... I just have no idea.

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Simple smoked salmon question, how long to brine?

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by: Anonymous

Here is my take. I live in the Northwest and have fished the rivers and ocean bays for 40 plus years. I smoke my salmon for 2 to 3 days. The longer the better. I have smoked it for a few hours, over night, a day, or several days. The bottom line, like a marinade, the longer the better. If you have the right brine 1/2 salt 1/2 brown sugar per 1 qt of water for a base it wont be too salty or sweet. Just more flavorful. You can, of course, enhance this base with whatever your tastebuds choose, but this always works for me. I have been told it is the best smoked salmon people have ever tasted.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Luhr Jensen (electric smoker company) says...
by: Anonymous

From the booklet that came with my Big Chief Smoker, the times vary depending on thickness: "Brine chunks 1" thick, 8 to 12 hours or overnight. Brine fillets to 1/2" thick about 4 hours and small whole fish or very thin pieces about 2 to 4 hours."

I've always just done overnight regardless and used a more elaborate brine with soy sauce and white wine. Always comes out awesome. Be sure to rinse well and let sit out on the counter for at least an hour until you notice a glossy, sticky pelice form on the outside of the fish. It's necessary for the smoking to cook the fish right. I think it locks in the moisture to the appropriate amount, but not positive on that.

Happy smoking!

Oregon Fisherman
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starstarstarstarstar 		How Long to Brine Salmon
by: SmokerBill

A simple guideline for salmon brining time is to brine the salmon one hour per each inch of thickness. If the salmon is 3/4 inch thick, give it 45 minutes. If it's 2 inches thick, brine the salmon for 2 hours.

Again, this is only a guideline. If your first batch comes out too salty, cut the brine time by 1/3. (If one hour was too salty, brine for 40 minutes the next time.)

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