Not sure if anyone is interested in this but thought I should pass it along. If you are on the West Coast within a reasonable distance of Tumwater, WA this might be a real steal-it is a lab. incubator at a surplus auction in Tumwater. Here is a link to the actual item-- http://www.publicsurplus.com/...

Thanks guys-

Pat

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone and a big Thank You for all of the expertise, help and guidance that makes this site what it is.

Pat

ursula, I do use liquid smoke (I have the "Wright's brand,but doubt if it makes a difference which brand) in some recipes that I do not intend to smoke. I do not feel that it is a replacement for smoking or even close to it-but it does impart a rather unique and pleasant(for me and others who have s...

Bob, Here is a link that helps some with this dilemma--- http://www.trichinellosis.org/Distribution___Transmiss.html There is so much conflicting information on all of this that it is difficult to be completely sure of anything. I think Ray has the best solution, if it's not from a source known to b...

snakeoil, what I do is soak my casings beginning from when they arrive. Whether they are in dry salt or a wet salt solution I remove them from the original bag and place them in a plastic container(a well cleaned cottage cheese container with lid works well) with a very heavy brine solution. I use d...

redzed, You need to be careful with any meat from an animal that runs wild in our geographic areas (Eastern US and Canada and in AK). The sub-species Trichinella nativa is quite common in these areas (and has been detected in some mid to eastern locals). The problem with this particular sub-species ...

A great choice, Congratulations Bob--

That is some fine looking fish redzed-and I'll bet it tastes better than it looks!

Pat

Well stated redzed, I also wish them well but will continue to rely on this site for information, advise and assistance. The depth of knowledge here is without compare-- Pat

Ross, You are right about the modern machines, but old school gets it done many times. Years ago I was responsible for a project that required the placement of two 10,000 lb. plus boilers in an elevated mechanical room with only a small entry door(in a vertical wall). I managed to work out all of th...

Chris, I don't have a problem with the pellicle, when I remove the fish from the rinse I dry it well (paper towels) and place it on the small smoking trays that I have (1/4 in. wire grid) and run a small fan on it for a half hour or so. I let it get pretty tacky to touch and then go to the smoker wi...

Hi Chris, That is correct, I usw nothing but the salt and cure#1 in our own smoked fish. The trick, I guess is to get the timing right for the brine soak and then the rinse soak-you can't really do any taste tests so have to play it by ear. The fish does have a bit of an upfront salt taste but not w...

bmyer50- redzed nailed it with his keep it simple advise. I have smoked a lot of fish and the best basic recipe I have found is much the same as redzeds'- I use 1 gallon of water, 34 grams of cure #1 and 412 grams kosher salt, dissolve all ingredients and chill well. Clean the fillets and for fillet...

Thank you very much Maxell