My new smoker didn't come with any recommendations for breaking it in, anyone recommendations or should I just start it up?
It's a 2 rack 50lb electric smoker.

If it's a big chief smoker, it's just a metal box and a simple heating element. There's nothing to 'break-in' really, just start using it...

Yea I didn't think there was much you could do with it, just remembered people talking about breaking in their smokers. Wanted to be sure, thnx!

Actually, you should run about two or three pans of chips before you put anything in it. The inside should be coated with a thin layer of brown from the smoke.

I forgot what this process is called though. Maybe somebody knows. I'm having a brain fart right now.

seasoning

I started using my Big Chief right out of the box. The fish tasted great. I think the brown coating is more from the fish oil / brine evaporating off the fish.

If it's brown you have been gettin down :p

Yeah, I just bought a brand new big chief this weekend and immediately smoked some of my recently caught coho in it w/out doing some sort of break in.

As for the taste, I took a bunch of it to work and was told by several people that it was the best smoked salmon that they've ever had. I just used the Luhr Jensen 'deluxe smoked salmon' recipe.

Aaron

H2O, we are all waiting for you to chime in on this one

Seasoning!

It was right on the tip of my tongue.

Thanks TK

Well I burned the smoker in for 6 hours will be testing it out tomorrow, for my first batch of smoked salmon. Guess I have to figure out what I like as far as brine, etc.... Oh well, will let you know how the first batch came out... Will be sending a filet to my mother in New Mexico.

Went simple with the first batch, brown sugar, seafood seasoning, salt, tobasco, garlic salt, will use beer and water in the smoker, hope it turns out well.

Some people like a salty brine, some like a sweet brine---I personally like it a little on the salty side.

One thing I got turned on to a few years ago was Chinese Plum sauce (Sun Luck brand in the Asian food section of big grocery stores)---put a little on the top of your piece just before eating it and prepare to enjoy one of he finer things in life!

Thnx for the input Rory, sounds like something my wife would like, I tend to prefer a simpler pallet. I'm a basic meat and potatoes man, tend to avoid the more exotic tastes.

"Went simple with the first batch, brown sugar, seafood seasoning, salt, tobasco, garlic salt, will use beer and water in the smoker, hope it turns out well."

Smoking salmon has two phases - smoking and drying. If you put beer and water in the smoker you'll introduce a bunch of unwanted moisture in the process and will be 'steaming' the salmon and not drying it. Unlike ribs or something that needs the moisture, salmon has lots of oil in it.

Just my two cents...

I would run a couple of pans of chips thru it. Get it good and hot then cool it down and your ready. I like to use a water pan in mine and the fish dries out just fine. Helps control the heat and can be used to add flavor. I am putting some pics from my last batch below.
puttin fish on the racks

loading up the smoker

smokin

The eats yum

Coolpix! Thats a nice smoker you got.

Yeah troller, is that a homemade jobby or.....

I dig it. Me and my buddy were talking the other night about a bigger smoker. We use a Bradley, which works awesome and a Cookshack, which is awesome but a little on the small side.

The smoker was at one time a warmer over for rising bread or dough. We took out the electric element and plumbed in the propane burner and cut a whole in the bottom. The racs were made out of rod stock and wire mesh and welded. We put well over 100 pounds of fish in it and still only used about 2/3 rds of the racks.

troller that is one bad arse smoker

Holy smoker's troller. What I want to know is where you're getting all those fish???