I have a 14lb spring filleted and brined up for smoking. Only thing is - I left the scales on. I think it would do too much damage to the meat to try and remove them now. Has anyone ever smoked fish with the scales on?

I would have thought someone would reply by now! First of all... good going on the springer!
Now for the smoking of fish with scales. When you bring home the fish try to descale it the best you can, but if you didn't... don't worry about it!!!! You are not eating the skin/scales
and whatever cure you use(hopefully dry- brine) is not affected by such things as scales. The meat is where the salt / sugar and time of brining come into play. So... that is the least of worries in my opinion.

I use alot of sugar in my brine and I have found that the fish comes off the racks better with the scales on. So I never descale fish I intend to smoke. Ive never had any complaints about the scales. Just make sure you get the loose ones off the meat before you smoke it. After it done the scales are locked in place and dont come off.

The only time I ever scale a salmoniod is when I am going to pan fry it after coating it with flour. I never eat the skin other wise.

Leave the scales on. That bronzed chrome makes for a much better display. A good lookin' piece of smoke is half the battle!

Beezer

Yea keep the scales on, that's what I have always done and it does make it a bit easier to take off the racks. And either way it just tastes good!!


-Skeets

No point in scaling fish that I have ever found.Pan fried or smoked I have never seen a difference..

Thanks alot guys! All the recipes I found call for you to scale them first. I thought it might be bacteria related or something. Just wanted to make sure I wasnt going to kill someone.

I am using a dry 3/1 brown sugar/course salt ratio. I used about 1 1/2 cups of the mix for about 8lbs of fillets. I have tried a dozen recipes over the years and this is by far the best. I smoked for 8 hours in a little chief smoker - I used 4 pans of alder and one hickory. Thank god the bear didnt come up and take it all last night while it smoked.

The trick is for best look and flavour - brush the finished product with 1/4 cup brown sugar and a few tablespoons of water to dissolve it. It gets rid of that dry light look when it comes out of the smoker. Got the recipe from a fish store that uses the same smoker and brine for their $20.00 a pound smoked salmon.

I always put a piece of heavy paper - ie grocery bag stuff, under the piece. I cut to the size of the filet and when done smoking, the skin has bonded to the paper and the whole thing peels off. Keeps the racks in the Big Chief cleaner too. No issue wish scales at all, leave em on.

Scales are fine.

leave the scales on...they are just oil...they'll
keep the fish from sticking to the racks.

Cigar