Yep, it's easy to overdo the smoke flavor. And I avoid certain
woods with fish. For example, mesquite is very popular down here for
barbeque and smoking meats, but I never use it for fish; it tends to
be too strong. I like hickory (as long as you don't overdo it), but
cherry is probably my favorite. Alder is nice, but we don't tend to
get a lot of that down here.
*
I use both cherry and apple.
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My other hobby is woodworking, so I tend to have a fair amount of
wood available in the form of cutoffs from projects. I just take
small chunks of wood and soak them for an hour or more depending on
their size. (I throw several in a pan of water and take them out as
needed.) By using hunks of wood instead of chips, you can let it go
without having to worry about replenishing the wood so often. They
also smolder more slowly than chips, which tend to flare up if you're
not careful.
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I've always avoided "shop wood" or any form of processed lumber... I=20
know typically kiln dried woods aren't enhanced with anything, but=20
depending on what was in the kiln before them, I've been concerned there =
*
may be some residual chemicals. I usually rely on a mixture of=20
processed chunks/chips and cuttings from fruit trees that I save up from =
*
trees. My neighbors always wonder why I'm so happy to help prune their=20
trees and haul away the debris =3D) I cut this stuff up into chunks and=
=20
use it along with whatever is available commercially. I've also run=20
some of it through a chipper and saved it in 5 gallon barrels.

Interesting choices of wood. I might try something different next time. Here
in Sweden I think juniper wood,
or branches from the juniper bush is the most commonly used when smoking
fish. Juniper adds a really nice
flavour and when you're out camping that's also the only decent smoking
wood you find. That's a kind of warm
smoking. When I'm smoking fish at home when I have more time for
preparation it's mostly a combination
juniper branches and alder wood. Then it's cold smoking in a smoking
installation me and my father built at our
summer cabin, with the fire being made in a kind of brick owen fireplace.
From the brick owen the smoke is led
by 3 meter pipe in the ground (slightly upwards) to a small wooden
"house", that's 50cmx50cm at the base and
about 2 meters high with a number grids in it to place the fish on. And on
the top there's a small chimney.

Regards
Erik








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