Smoked steel

never froze one from poor richards, but vacuum sealed the last ones that we smoked and ate them for a year without a problem or change in taste.

*but if i did freeze one from there, i'd take the skin off of it first

Try a Freezer.

Freezing them ruins the taste, unless you can try to vacuum pack as was said. That may save the day. Mine got fishy tasting and it was still "ok" but not the taste of fresh. Christmas is coming, I got one for last year. Ask Santa!!!

i have vaccum sealed them and ate them almost a year later and they where just fine.

Doh!  I thought it was two weeks and I just threw some away.

I brought some back to Athens with me and gave to my deacons. Achieved the desired effect, "Wow, pastor. That was great. You need to go and get catch some more of those."

I would think that freezing it would ruin the meat , as said before turn it into mush.

As long as you use a dry brine (4 parts dark brown sugar to 1 part canning salt) and also dry the fillets on a rack, until the pellicle forms, to get as much moisture out of the meat as possible before smoking.  You should be able to vacuum seal and freeze the finished product for a long time without the taste or texture changing at all.

If you use a wet brine and ending up with a moist product then freezing will probably not work nearly as well. 

ORIGINAL: SteelSlayer77

I would think that freezing it would ruin the meat , as said before turn it into mush.

As long as you use a dry brine (4 parts dark brown sugar to 1 part canning salt) and also dry the fillets on a rack, until the pellicle forms, to get as much moisture out of the meat as possible before smoking.  You should be able to vacuum seal and freeze the finished product for a long time without the taste or texture changing at all.

If you use a wet brine and ending up with a moist product then freezing will probably not work nearly as well. 

I have never used a wet brine. Always a dry rub before I smoke em. I dont have the time to let them soak so when the smoker is ready to go a dry rub gets put on and right onto the racks in the smoker they go and 4 to 5 1/2 hrs later well I have to say "mouth be drippin"

Putting on a dry rub right before smoking is completely different than using a dry brine when smoking fish. 

With a dry brine you coat the entire fillet with a thick crust of the sugar & salt mixture (as much as you can pack on), then let it brine in the fridge for 12 - 24hrs.  The dry mix sucks all the moisture out of the fish and you end up the next day with no dry brine and a bunch of liquid in the container, because it has sucked most of the moisture out of the fish.  Then lightly rinse in water, and dry them further on a rack with a table fan for an hour or two till a shiny glaze forms.  The fillets will be about 1/2 the size from what they started and have a candy like coating before they even go into the smoker.

Anyway you smoke fish, it will probably come out tasting good.  But with this method you are removing the moisture from the fish and actually preserving it, it will last way longer in the fridge and freeze much better with virtually no side effects from freezing.

No worries, no way is necessarily right or wrong.  I'm just trying to point out that if you want to freeze smoked steel, that is the way to do it without the fish getting mushy. 

I might try to start experimenting with a rub.  I can make a really good cajun rub, but not sure what else to try.  Do you make any of your own dry rubs Deetz, or what do you like to use?

Let me try again:

Smoked Salmon / Steelhead

Dry Brine -  4 parts dark brown sugar, 1 part non-iodized canning/pickling salt.   Apply generously so that the fish is completely coated and has a thick crust all around it.  Refrigerate 12 - 24hrs. 

* Avoid rock salt, sea salt, and iodized salt because these contain impurities and additives that can cause bitterness and off flavors. Curing salts should also be avoided since they contain nitrites.

Drying - Lightly rinse the brine off of the fillets.  Place fillets on a rack with a small table fan blowing over them on low for 30mins - 2hrs, until a shiny glaze (pellicle) forms on the fish.  This should be done at room temperature just prior to smoking.

* Drying accomplishes two things. It allows the salt to penetrate and to become evenly distributed throughout the flesh of the fish (equilibration). Secondly, the surface of the fish dries to form a "pellicle" or tough shiny coat. The pellicle seals in moisture and makes the appearance of the finished product much better.

Smoker Temp - Smoke at low heat, 150-175 tops.  Do not let smoker get too hot. If the fish cooks quickly it will not turn out right.  Do not get your heat up to 200.  It will cook, barely get any smoke flavor, and will taste like you grilled it for 10 minutes.  Not what you are going for when you smoke fish.  You want the fish to absorb smoke and go through the process. If it gets too hot it will cook quickly and then you may as well take it out because it will not absorb any more smoke flavor.

* Fish that is smoked too quickly and at 200-250, will taste like a baked filet with liquid smoke poured on.  

Target Internal Fish Temp - 160 degrees for 30 minutes within 6 - 8 hrs.
* Wait at least 5 hours minimum before bringing the internal temp up to 160.

Storage - After the fish has been smoked, allow it to cool to room temperature (this will prevent condensation) and then do one of the following:

1. Wrap and refrigerate below 38F until consumed. Use a good plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Smoked product can last as long as 14 days in the refrigerator. 

* I prefer storing in a brown paper bag, which helps wick the moisture away, and replace the paper bag every few days.

2. Wrap and freeze. Use a good freezer wrap and aluminum foil to protect the product, or vacuum seal.

Just opened a cajun filet from poor richards ate half about 3 1/2 weeks ago which was awesome, but pitched the other half was too wet and strong tasting. So 3 weeks tops imo.

hmmm I would think this all depends on if your are smoking to eat, or smoking to preserve it. as I totally find the flesh of fish disgusting I don't do either, but I do have a book on the art of curing and smoking meats, if anyone would like me to look up what it has to say in the book I would gladly do so, just PM me

X2, properly done.. i.e. cured, it lasts waaaay longer than two weeks. The problem most will run into is an improper brine. When you do this, bacteria has a chance to get a start, thus causing a short shelf life. Usually, a touch of mold is present to confirm this. Ever see the vacuum sealed smoked salmon for sale in the gift shops at the Anchorage or Seattle airports? ingredients are ........... salt, and alder smoke.

Never had a problem with mushy end products. I also prefer a wet brine. One thing that will guarantee a mushy filet is if you start the smoke process with the filet being the slightest bit frozen.

To the OP, freezing will, in my experience, create a slightly saltier taste in the filet. If PR is telling you they will be mushy if frozen, and others say it gets too strong and unpalatable, then I have to question their process.

ORIGINAL: Blowchowski

X2, properly done.. i.e. cured, it lasts waaaay longer than two weeks. The problem most will run into is an improper brine. When you do this, bacteria has a chance to get a start, thus causing a short shelf life. Usually, a touch of mold is present to confirm this. Ever see the vacuum sealed smoked salmon for sale in the gift shops at the Anchorage or Seattle airports? ingredients are ........... salt, and alder smoke.

Never had a problem with mushy end products. I also prefer a wet brine. One thing that will guarantee a mushy filet is if you start the smoke process with the filet being the slightest bit frozen.

To the OP, freezing will, in my experience, create a slightly saltier taste in the filet. If PR is telling you they will be mushy if frozen, and others say it gets too strong and unpalatable, then I have to question their process.

The smoked Salmon you see in stores is a cold smoked product, that is a bit different then hot smoking, cold smoking takes a brine soak, and a  salt cure rub,  and then can take more than two days in a smoker at no more than 70 degrees, that method isn't very favorable for the back yard smoker