Hello all. I just got done smoking two batches of Copper River salmon in my AQ. I brined the salmon overnight using Mr. T's brine recipe (very good!), smoked at 220 F for an internal temp of 145 - 150 degrees. The only difference was the first batch used apple wood, the second cherry. The first batch was perfect in texture and flavor. The second had an acrid, slightly bitter flavor and a somewhat unpleasant aftertaste.
I am trying to figure out the reason for the differing results, and I don't believe the difference between apple and cherry is the culprit. The only other thing I did differently was to open the AQ near the end of the second smoke to quickly check the internal temp with my thermapen. After closing back up, I noticed a short period when a new plume of smoke came out the vent. I am guessing that the sudden lowering of the smoker temp when I opened it causes the heater to come on and try to catch up the set temp, possibly causing some late heavy smoke on the fish, which messed up the flavor.
Does this seem plausible to you guys? Another, possibly related question: Why would the internal temp of the fish during cooking suddenly decrease by a couple of degrees (the reason I opened the smoker)? That occurred just about at 140 degrees. Any ideas about this are welcome. Thanks!
Jay
Original Post
I've gotten the most gorgeous color of red every time I've smoked with cherry. In my 020, I've preferred to smoke salmon with maple. I have noticed a couple of times in my 020 after opening the door the element came on and caught the wood on fire. I too noticed a large increase in the amount of smoke coming out, re-opened the door and saw the wood ablaze. 
