How do you smoke your carp?

[justwannano]

I'm wanting to smoke some carp.
Need to know some details though.
Do you brine it first?
How long?
Care to share the recipe?
What do you use for a smoker?
Mines a store bought one - charcoal. Got it at a yard sale. Never really got it to work correctly.
Threw away a whole turkey my first attempt.
Thought I'd try something a little cheaper this time.
Using charcoal for heat how do you keep the temp down?
So how about some help here.
thanks
just

[Ketch]

I used to use one of those vertical round smokers as well.

Its been quite a few years since I smoked any carp (probably 10 or more) so I don't really remember how long it took. I can tell you my first turkey I cooked for 20 hours on it. It was snowing like crazy and I was making it for Christmas day. Put four posts into the ground and wrapped a tarp around it. Kinda made a little teepee around myself and my cooler, but that's another story...

I personally don't brine my fish when I smoke them. First off, get some hardwood chunks for smoking. A lot of guys I know only use hickory, but I tend to prefer a mix of hickory and apple, bought 50-50. I try to make sure I let them soak overnight in an old bucket so they smoke, not burn. (if you don't have apple chips, soak your hickory in apple juice, it helps.

I am assuming you have the same smoker. deep pan on the bottom, then a rack, set the other pan on that rack, then a final rack with your fish on it?

Here is a link on someone suggesting how to use one of these. http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuehelp/f/f060604a.htm


Personally, I do it a little different for the same reason he explains in the article. I don't use the pan in the bottome to actually put coals in it. I use the pan as a catch pan for hot coals. I put the pan all the way at the bottom, and then I put a rack directly on top of it. This is where I put the coals, that way when they become caked, tap the outside and the cake will drop right into the pan below. I then put the next rack right in the middle with the other pan (my first one didn't have a pan so I used a throw away aluminum pan) and fill about half way with whatever liquid you want to smoke with ( I use a combination of water, beer, and apple juice). Lastly put the final rack on top and this is the only rack you should smoke things on. I usually start with about 3 lbs of charcoal off the bat, then add more as needed. I also put a few 2" chunks of hardwood already soaked in once the coals get good and hot.

Like the link tells you, most times those thermometers on there are junk. Take a good one outta your wife's kitchen drawer, once she tastes your smoked fish, she'll forgive ya. Smoking should be done at NO higher than 200 degrees, if its hotter than that, your cooking it. Also, if ya get hot, throw on some sopping wet chunks and if ya get cool, open the door and stir. Refill the center bowl with more liquid any time it starts to run low.

oh yeah, and about that turkey-quarter 2 apples or pears and throw inside the chest cavity so she don't get too dried out. And if you still have problems burning it, throw down some tin foil under the drip pan and poke a few holes in it. This will allow the ambient temperature to rise, but not allow you to be direct heating the bird.

Hope this helps

[justwannano]

Well I guess I just didn't give that turkey enough time. lol. When it was still cold in the middle after 6 hours I decided to scrap the idea. Thought sal manila might not be welcomed by my guests.
It was one cold december evening when I started it.
Maybe I should have built a teepee too.
Thanks for the tips. We probably have the same type smoker.
have a good one
just

[kkyyoottee]

Take ya some carp fillets cut in 1 inch thick , 2 inches wide, 3 inches long. Set aside make you a brine made out of salt (non idoized) and brown surgar, salt pepper. Put in a non metal container. Before adding fillets put in egg that is in the shell and keep adding salt till it floats. When the egg floats then add fillets stir and rerange fillets each hour for 6 hours. Keep the fillets and brine under fridgeration. After 4-6 hours remove. Rinse in cold water and rinse again. put on rack to dry. (putting a fan by them to help them dry works well) when you see a crystalazation on them you set them aside.

I use a kettle smoker but go easy on smoke since carp are very oily and will absorb smoke readily. I set charcoal on ground and put fillets towards the top to keep heat down over 160 degrees your cooking it not smoking it. You must have a thermomter. I smoke the fillets 4-6 hours and then refrigerate (usually hidden under something or my fillets get raided by kids) Now this is just my way!!

[plainsman]

well, I learned to smoke on a weber kettle grill, and it turned out good. Then I got a weber Smokey mountain,. Not quite as fun, but I'm older now, wiser too possibly, not sure. I use only real charcoal, not briquettesl., I get some wood chunks, chips if thats all thats available. I soak the wood for a couple days, so its good and wet. and smokes instead of burn. I get the charcoal goin, then put water in the drip pan, then put the turkey or whatever on. I've smoked a big turkey for about an hour per pound. That means, I got to check and add charcoal, wet wood, and keep the water pan loaded. I put some aluminum foil over the stuff like a tent, to keep it from havin all the soot settle on it. I don't have a thermometer, but the guy who taught me said if you can't put your hands on the lid and hold them there, its too hot. I agree with that, he knew what he was talkin about, and he was a good smoker, taught me a lot. I haven't had much luck with carp, I was using briquettes and a different smoker, so I wasn't too familiar with it.

[Dreadnaught]

I have found them to be extrmely hard to keep lit, especialy when you try to roll them up in the paper before you wipe the slime off, LOL!!!

[ozzy]

I have found them to be extrmely hard to keep lit, especialy when you try to roll them up in the paper before you wipe the slime off, LOL!!!

I keep thinking Goldfish...

[RandyH]

what you do is take the carp scale it real well. then you take and wash it up nice and clean.... take some cow, dog or cat crap and ball it up put it inside the carp..... cook it for about 12 hrs in the smoker take the crap out throw away the carp its done...............
lol
i had to do that an 80 year old man told me that when i aske dthe same question sorry if your offended
just a joke

[jamminbassplayer]

I own a small electric smoker, so I can't help you with that part. I've only done one carp so far (i'm waiting to catch more!) but I did him up like the cats. I simply gut it (the guts are nasty) and cut its head off (my wife insists, it's actually not nessesary) soak it in salt water with a small amount of vinegar in it (overnight, or a few hours, at least) then shake a lot of seasoning (I use cajun seasoning) inside of it and put him on to smoke for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Now, my electric smoker is a water smoker, but I only put 1/2 cup of water in it (use can use any liquid: beer,lemon juice, apple juice) and I use hickory chips (soaked). The vinegar "disgorges" the fish, and works for any so-called "trash" fish, and it works really well on carp, even the dark red meat tasted good. It tastes a lot like chicken (where have we heard that before?) and the bones are large and easy to pick out. :roll_eyes:

[catfishrollo]

thanks for the recipe, but no thanks!!! lol...rarf! ugg,, eahggg!! smoked, baked, fried or raw!!!! you guys can have it!!!!! the only way i know it is good, is after it is released, and i wash the slime from my hands!!! good eatin to you and goodluck! ROLLO!!:hungry: