I need some advice. On several occassions I've smoked salmon filets after letting them sit overnight in a salt brine. I smoke them for 3 hours, they turn out great but are too salty. How do I use a salt brine and prevent the fish from becoming salty?

Don't brine them as long. I generally only brine salmon filets for 1-2 hours, then rinse well and air dry for an hour or so under a fan. Creates a good balance of flavor and moisture.
Richard

if you want to brine that long you might consider doubling the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. this helps prevent the salt from "burning the meat".
but since you are not curing for preservation i dont think. just cut your amount off salt to your taste. it should work just fine
jack
2 Greyhounds smokin

Make a brine that will float a potato - this is about 3/4 cup of pickling salt to 1 quart of water. Then brine the fish for 2-3 hours. After that, as RPM says, dry with a fan on a rack until the pelicle forms - this is like a dry coating that forms on the outside. If you put your finger on the fish in will be dry and the outside firm. Good luck!

Oh, I forgot to say that adding 1/2 cup of good maple syrup to the brine won't hurt anything.

Thanks for the suggestions. All of the recipes I've found on brining call for brining overnight......I assumed it needed the time to cure and that I must have been doing something wrong because of the salty taste.

I guess we should have asked what your goal with the salmon is. If you are hot smoking, your brining is most likely to add moisture and flavor to the fish. If you want to coldsmoke the salmon, then you want to cure the fish. Two very different results. Something as delicate as fish can take on the moisture and seasoning pretty quick, so I would recommend just reducing the time if you are hot smoking. If you are cold smoking, you might consider a dry process rather than a brine solution.
Richard

That's very helpful RPM. I'm hot smoking. I'll cut back on the brine time!