Anybody have a good procedure and recipe? If not, I'll probably take the one from the Little Chief Smoker cookbook and adapt it to the FE100. thanks.

Hmmm I can only think of onr good way to do a smelt..... 1 hook through the head 1 through the middle of the body, cast it out and hope for a big Northern pike to come along...

No really I have never tried smoking them but who knows it may be good. Let us know.

Little Chief (my first "smoker" many years ago---I kept the cookbook) calls smoked smelt "The Beer Drinker's Friend". They go great with a good brew.

You're talking about the little smelt, like 5" long & down? Do you eat 'em with the bones?

Never had smoked smelt, but have eaten many a deep-fried one, usually with a Blatz - but I do pick out the bones.

Yep, the little guys. I'm smoking them head, bones and all. WAY too much trouble to clean them first. 8 lbs is over 100 fish. I used to eat them this way floured and fried as a kid, too.

Let me know how they smoke out. I'm going down to the Cow 2/12

The smelt turned out great. I smoked them on "Smoke" for about 3 hours and then turned it to 180 for a couple of hours then my wife said we had to go to the hospital to visit a friend. I figured I had two hours or so to go so I put the FE on a timer and turned it back down to Smoke (about 125-130)

When I got home it was off and I thought it could use another hour so I fired it up to 180 again. Time for bed so I turned the smoker off and opened the door (it was a 40 degree night, so it was just like my frig).

This a.m. I found the smelt in great condition: nice and dry, but still moist, with great smoke color and taste and just the right saltiness. Bagged them up and put them in the frig. Some time tonight I'll vac seal them in smaller bags and toss them in the freezer.

Hay KD

How about posting up that Luhr's receipe? Of course please post credits.

Well I tired that Luhr's receipe. Talk about salty.

I shoulda knowed better a cup of salt to three cups of water.

Not to worry about floating and egg, with that brine ya could float the whole chicken.

Here is a link to the whole Luhr-Jensen recipe book. Thanks Luhr-Jensen!!!
http://www.smoke-house.com/LCRBweb.pdf

Trex: betchya forgot to RINSE the brine off. I completely rinsed everything and it isn't too salty at all. And I'm very sensitive to things that are too salty.

Nope I rinsed them, but I think I shoulda used a pressure washer.

When the main run comes in I'll take some more, nest batch 1/3 the amount of salt.

Have you ever tried a dry squaw candy brine on smelt?

Never have used a squaw candy brine. But I have a recipe and might give it a whirl.

BTW, did you head and gut your fish before brining? I didn't. Left em whole. So when I rinsed them, didn't have to open them up to make sure I rinsed the inside of the buggers. And I rinsed them REALLY well. And I think the amount of salt used is necessary for preservation, because they're treating these like jerky. With less salt, you will definitely have to freeze/refrigerate the end product to prevent spoilage.

Yah-- I head,tailed and gutted. And I rinsed out the inside real good.

I'm still cutting back on the salt though. Cause I put in an ample shot of Tender quick, and besides they didn't last that long.

Wife liked them, then of course she likes Anchovies too. (Go figure- more bait)