Smoking BFT?

[Fish Biz]

FishBiz...any idea what temp your smoker is at? 12hrs seems like a long time. I've done salmon in 3hrs at ~225 degrees. My tuna will be thicker, but thinking I'll cut it in strips and hoping it's more like 4-5, maybe 6hrs.

AAH you are a high tech redneck, got thermostat on yours, If I can contol thermostatically I set it at 225 for 2 hours than I drop the heat all the way down and put a good smoke to it,(i
had a smoker that was the size of a large freezer could hold like 70 chickensfor the market, but now at home i have a little chief) I like to get a nice crust on the outside, belly has alot of fat so i personally like to get it nice and dark on the outside, I hate when it's wet on the outside. I know i'm vague on the time but some people like it not so dark some like it jerkey style so the end game is on you.
Thanks Tim

PS I do not like tuna loins for smoking, the belly is the only part i smoke for personal consumption.

[clt_capt]

I smoke a lot of yellowfin bellies and wahoo bellies - I brine them for 2 - 3 hours in a salt/sugar brine (2 parts salt to 1 part sugar).

I rinse the bellies and air dry for 1/2 hr. Then add your favorite rub (optional)

I set my smoker for 175 and go about 2 hours, then bump the temp up to 200 until done...

[storm petrel]

How long you brine depends on the size & weight of the pieces/fillets/steaks. The brine should be cold. I use a 1/1 mix of brown sugar and kosher or canning/pickling salt. It's easy to over or under brine. You should have a recipe for your brine mixture, and you should know how long you need to brine for the size pieces you have. I use a fan in a cool, dark place to ensure a pellicle (hard glaze) forms on the flesh. If you don't air-dry enough, the fish will suppurate, and look bad. I only use fruit wood, and prefer apple. I bought a good book (the encyclopedia of fish cookery) and followed the directions carefully. I have been selling smoked fish at the Block Island Farmer's Market since '91, mostly bluefish, mahi (which is EXCELLENT smoked), and tuna. Swordfish is great too. Most of the folks here seem to have a good idea of how to smoke...but I have seen folks throw fish in the smoker, and it comes out inedible!!!

[CindyLou]

Ok, so I took another look at this piece of tuna last night (thinking about smoking it this weekend if my smoker isn't frozen) and there are good sized sections of freezer burn. Is that an issue? Should I cut those sections out when I defrost it? Do I need to worry about this piece of fish having bacteria? It has been in the freezer in a ziplock bag since early August...just want to make sure it hasn't gone bad on me before smoking it for hours. I'll feel terrible if it's a wasted piece of meat, but I also don't want to get sick.

[FullStrikeAngler]

Storm P.....how long do you smoke your tuna?

[storm petrel]

Anywhere from 4 to 6 hours...longer on windy days!! We use a gas smoker. When the fish has the right brown color and is firm to the touch, we take it out. There is no set time...we wait 'til it's ready. Tuna is very eay to overdo, then it's dry.....yuck. The fattier the tuna,the moister. That's whythe belliesare so good