Hi, has anybody got any pointers about flavouring woodchippings when hot smoking trout.

Thanks in advance.

Chris.

I think that the trick is to flavour your fish before smoking by using different marinades. A dash of whiskey or brandy in the marinade is more effective than putting if in the wood chippings
Bill

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Handeman

Don't try to use industrial sawdust.the blade contaminates the sawdust with oil.not good for you.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

I used to add some demerara sugar to the oak dust. Probably not good for you either - but then neither is the smoke from the oak dust!

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My hovercraft is full of eels

B and Q do a range of fruit tree chips that will add a hint of flavour.

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

I've never seen a sawmill that oils the blades. Industrial sawmills that I'm familiar with use giant band saws.

The one that I know you shouldn't use is sawdust from wood cut with a chainsaw. That definitely contains bar oil, which would be nasty.

I don't favor sawdust anyway because it burns too fast and too hot.

One of the better woods IMO is apple. Even better, it tends to be available for free because anyone with an apple tree has to prue if they want good fruit. Therefore, there's always a stack of small branches to be had. Look around your neighborhood. Other fruit woods are good too. Pear, plum, crabapple, cherry.

Always soak wood before it's added to the fire. I usually just use wood to finish the smoking, how much depends on the amount of meat.

BTW, hot smoking isn't just for fish. Try doing some chickens, pheasants, or pork.

Grouse


Grouse

I am with the others, fully dried hard/fruit woods are good. Chips and chunks are my favorite to use. My favorite woods are oak, pecan and apple.

Avoid pine as it is full of resin and you dont want to be eating resin flavoured fish

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

For hot smoking chicken in the barbecue, we sometimes put a big handful of fresh green sage leaves and rosemary twigs onto the coals along with the wood chippings.

Use these pellets most of the time, many different woods to choose from, but usually use hickory, oak or the jack daniels.

Wood Smoking Pellets | Useful Stuff


Have tried soaking chips in red wine and whiskey etc, but to be honest it just tastes/smells of smoke, all trace of soaking agent has gone, bit like flavoured tobaccos, smell lovely before being smoked but once lit it just tastes of tobacco.

Plumpy