On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 12:28:57 -0400, "Don Phillipson"
wrote:

"Fred" wrote in message
m...

I would like to know more anout cold smoing
Can you elaborate a bit - ?
I tried it w some sockeye salmon (lox) but then I was afraid it would be
undercooked or smoked so I smoked them as normal a for a litte less time
I would like to know more about and have more confidence in cold smokimg?

Vendors of smokers usually explain, e.g. see
http://www.bradleysmoker.com/faqs.asp
Generally hot smoking (at 150 deg. Fahr. or hotter) is
cooking for eating today and cold smoke (100 deg. F)
is for storage (a month in the fridge, a year if frozen.)
Cold smoking takes two or three times as much time.
My portable Abu smoker (size of a shoebox, burning
alcohol) cooks a fish or cheese sandwich in 20 min.
(No need to brine fish. Mixed salt and red pepper is
lightly sprinkled beforehand. The red pepper helps
you see what you are doing.) My Luhr Jensen smoker
hangs 4 to 8 whole sides (max. 16") where they are
smoked 7 hours for storage.

Recommended brine for cold smoke:
Brown sugar 0.25 lb.
Salt 1.25 lb.; we use coarse pickling salt
Lemon Juice 85 ml. = 85 c.c. = 3 fl. oz (at 29.5 c.c. ea.)
Garlic 3 or 4 cloves well mashed
Dill weed 3 tablespoons
Oregano ample pinch
Marjoram ample pinch
Water 15 cups (@8 oz.)

Time: max. one hour per (weighed) pound of fish.
Rinse afterwards under a running faucet and dry
overnight (hanging from a bulldog clip) before
smoking for several hours.

You seem to know what you want and how to do it - I am curious, though - have
you tried a lower cold temp for a longer time period for your "cold" smoking?
The reason I ask is that your temps seem a bit higher than what I'm used to
insofar as the general description of "hot" and "cold" smoking. If I understand
your premise hot = for eating immediately, that is what we do for things
like "BBQ" - pork ribs, brisket, etc. However, we tone it down a bit for things
like sausage, hams/tassos, or jerky, and even moreso for fish. I guess,
technically, I'm more accustomed to hot, warm, and cold smoking, with the warm
and cold being used to both flavor and preserve and the "hot" used for
"cooking." This, IME, is somewhat different than smoking as used as a
preservative method - "hot" and "cold" in general terminology and warm and cold
in my description above - that happens to taste good as a side benefit.

TC,
R