I recall reading an article here on the basics of the WSM, and one of the "rules" was that smoking fish on the WSM will add an off flavor that will invade future smokes of (non-fish) meats. (The rule also bars hot dogs, strangely). I'd like to try smoking a hunk of salmon but don't want to mess up that wonderful terroir I've developed over the years. Does anyone have experience with this? Can I smoke fish just once in a blue moon without issue or should I avoid altogether?
-
-
That is simply not true. Just run your smoker wide open, after the cook to burn off all of the fish oil. Open all of the dampers, and crack the door to get the heat way up. You will wrap the thermometer on the dome, but that is okay. Let it burn for as long as it will go to use up all of the coals in the smoker. Then you should be fine. I have cooked Salmon and Hotdogs in my PBC without issue, as long as I burn it out. My buddy smokes trout and salmon in his WSM, regularly, then does a "Burn out" at the end of the cook and he is good to go. You just want to make sure that you are burning out the fish oil. You don't need to do a burn out after hotdogs though. This article seems to be misleading. IMHO.Last edited by Spinaker; May 11, 2017, 11:56 AM. -
I agree 100% with Spinaker on this one. It's baloney. I've done plenty of salmon, trout, shrimp et.c. on the same grill as I do pork butts, brisket, et.c. I am sensitive to odd flavors, but have never noticed any 'crossover'. Like Spinaker says, let'er rip once you're done cooking, that keeps your grill clean.
Many people choke their grills if there is charcoal/briquettes left, that way it can be reused the next day. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but my reasoning is: coal is cheap, and I'd rather clean out my grill after every cook than save a few cents on charcoal. Plus, it saves me some elbow grease
Comment
-
Thanks Gents!Comment
-
Meathead warns against fish oil buildup in smokers, so I've never smoked fish in my PBC. I reserve it for the gasser which I can wipe down easier. I don't smoke a lot of fish anyway (I don't eat it); just an occasional batch of salmon filets for family and guests.
Here's what Meathead says about it: Fish oils get into everything
Fish oils permeate anything. They can get into the scale and greasy drippings built up inside your cooker. It is a good idea to give your smoker a thorough washing after smoking fish. Another technique is, after removing the fish, give 'er all she's got Scottie and get the inside rip snorting hot to burn off any of the oil buildup. If you do a lot of fish, it might be worthwhile having a separate smoker just for fish. This is one of the few meats that I think tastes best on an electric smoker since the smoke is less intense. Pellet grills also excel at smoking fish since they, too, produce a delicate flavor.
KathrynComment
-
Never had any issues in the BGE. I do a rip-roar once or twice or thrice a year.Comment
-
I have done fish several ways over the years on all of my grills/cookers with no problem. I do agree with the comments about burning off afterwards. It sounds like someone doesn't like fish or hot dogs to me. Lol!! The only fish to never cook on your prized cooker would be Lutefisk!! If you are not from the midwest and don't know what that is don't worry it's just as well you don't know!!!!! LOL!Comment
-
Weber sells a rack for hanging fish in the WSM's so any notion that smoking fish in one will ruin it for any other purpose seems insane. I have their hanging rack (which I use to hang ribs) and I don't recall any warning about smoking fish and what that might do to using a WSM for other things afterwards.
Even if smoking fish leaves behind something that might impact later cooks of other items a WSM (like a PBC) is made from non-porous materials and it is very easy to use some dish detergent and a garden hose/pressure washer and sponge to wash out the interior. I do that once every year or two anyway as that also affords me a good opportunity to get "up close and personal" and inspect for any nicks in the coating and check for any rust (my WSM is a decade old and is so far nick/rust free).Comment
Comment