smoking fish
 

I've had a number of people ask me to smoke some for them. but will it make smoker smell like fish when i'm done? or would i have to reseason my smoker to get fishy smell out of it?

I have the exact same concern! My wife is a fish and poultry only type (more pig for me!), and she keeps asking me to do the same. I've been avoiding it for the fear of never getting that smell/flavor out. Please advise!

Just buy a Fish specific smoker........ Problem solved :mrgreen:

I have smoked a lot of fish in my electric Cookshack smoker and never had a problem with an aftertaste or smell.

I smoked bluefish and stripers in a smoker about 10 years ago. Even with a powerwash, I could not remove the strong smell of fish, and when I fired it up, the smell intensified.

I had to buy another smoker for meat and use that smoker only for fish.

Oil from the fish will leave a strong odor in your cooker.
Will it affect other things you cook? I don't know and did not want to find out, but the smell was terrible.

I would suggest to get a cheap smoker to use for fish only. When you smoke fish it is not usually in large quantities so a small smoker like a "Big Chief" or something similar would work fine as a cold smoker or as a hot smoker.

Maybe it has to do with the type of fish you smoke.

Fresh fish shouldn't have any odor.

I've not had a problem with fish in any of my smokers.

Only bad fish stinks

Smoke salmon all the time in one of mine, also meat loaf, chicken, turkey. Never a problem with any after fish.

I smoke salmon in my wood smokehouse and it never had any kind of fish smell afterwards.

Down here at exit 36 I smoke bluefish and striper quite often. After a quick burn with my weed burner, the cooking grate has no smell at all....and there isn't any in my drum. Maybe you're cooking the fish too hot thereby having the oils splatter all over? Just a thought...

Thanks, I'll try the weed burner...

After smoking Salmon...I will get a little residual smell from my smoker...never noticed any flavor carry over...and by the next cook smell is gone.

I smoke salmon about twice per month and grill about once per week and the only time I've ever noticed a smell is when I haven't scraped the grates. After the pits heat up, I've never noticed anything, and more importantly, my wife has never noticed anything.

Any oily fish like bluefish is gonna leave a smell whether fresh or not. Think that's bad, try mullet.