Planning to smoke some crappie for a fish dip. You guys that have smoked fish before what type of wood do you recommend?
Smoking fish?
- Thread starter Tn Joe
- Start date
I've only ever "cold" smoked (wasn't a true cold smoke) a cured salmon filet using maple. If I were to hot smoke a freshwater white fish, I think I would use any hardwood (pecan, oak, or hickory). Fruitwood might be a little less pungent than I would want for something like this. Maple might not be the right flavor either. Definitely not mesquite.
Gronkmonster
Well-Known Member
Tried smoking fish once. Rolling it was a challenge. Next time I may try a bowl 
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
Oak and fruit woods if you get ahold of any. Cherry, peach, pear, apple. Brine your fish whole with skin on and soak your wood chunks adding every so often to keep the smoke rollin.
Use apple on cedar plank salmon. That's the only fish I smoke though
Hunter0678
Well-Known Member
Ive smoked a bunch of different fish for dips, Crappie does not work well imo, not much oil in it and comes out bland. I have made some amazing smoked fish dip out of white bass though. I normally use a fruit tree wood but also mix in a bit of hickory for a little stronger smoke flavor.
Well I smoked some crappie fillets with pecan wood for about 25 minutes and it was way to much smoke. Going to try it again for less time.
Kevo222
Well-Known Member
Rolling it was the easy part, trying to keep it lit always drove me nuts.Tried smoking fish once. Rolling it was a challenge. Next time I may try a bowl
I tried smoking some red snapper once and the smoke way overpowered the fish. Might have been a cedar plank. Either way, I wouldn't use such a mild fish and looks like you had the same issue.
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Go with a light smoke at low temps. Something like cherry or apple. Or you could make the dip with the raw fish, place not in the smoker in a small aluminum dish and smoke the whole dip. I wouldn't use to much smoke though or it will be overpowering. I would only actually let it smoke for an hour or so then just let it bake after that without adding more wood. Just my opinion though.
Soft Talker
Well-Known Member
Smoked "black" mullet dip is hard to beat. "Cracker" style of course. Saw palmetto root or buttonwood coals 
How did you do it? Were the pecan chunks flaming, smoldering, or hot coals? If it were me doing that, I would say to use chunks and fill about half a chimney with them. Burn them down until they're coals, let the temp go to about 225°, then throw some chips on to smolder and flame out quick.
If the wood was still burning, that's going to put off some acrid smoke. If the temp is high, it's probably going to cook faster than actually absorbing smoke. But either way, fish is tricky to get right since it's really easy to overpower with smoke and/or seasoning.
