My dad just got a smoker. I have some fish that I caught this season in the freezer (salmon, trout, etc...) that I would like to try and smoke. What's a good method? I heard to put a little bit of apple juice in the water bowl. What else? I cant wait to try it out. I hope I don't mess up the fish. Also, whats a good way to smoke ribs or other types of meat? Damn I'm getting hungry!!!

Well, the key to rolling a really good...

Oh, you mean [i]that[/i] kind of smoking.  Nevermind.

I have had the best luck with Salmon when I cool smoke it (don't cook it, just slowly smoke it over very cold coals (just enough heat to make the wood chips smoke), and put it as far away from the heat source as possible.  Brine it overnight in a brine made with salt, soy, worchestershire, and seasoning (I like to throw in some brown sugar, too).

Jerky is similar, basically drying and smoking at the same time.  

Cheese is good, but you REALLY need cool smoke for that.  Freeze the piece of cheese first, then suspend it in a box with a few holes in the bottom.  Use the box as the lid to the smoker (keeps it cooler above it)--just make sure the box doesn't catch fire.

I like to smoke Turkey and Ham (those Cheap grocery store hams are pretty good after they are smoked for a while).  Never had much luck with beef other than jerky.

AFARR

BRINE BRINE BRINE!!!  Overnight in the fridge.  Use above items.  Maple syrup is good in a brine for Turkey.  I put Bourbon in everything.  I also like hot sauces and pepper in my brines.  Apple juice is good, Orange juice with birds!!

Soak your wood chips/chunks in water.  Get your fire going and coals burned down before you add wood.  Then add wood and get smoke rolling before you add meat.  Have smoke going BEFORE you add the meat.  Keep fire small and to one side in your smoker.  Don't be in a rush, give yourself plenty of time.

Cook as low and slow as possible.  Sounds like you have a basic smoker.  Apple juice in water pan is good for Salmon.  OJ for birds.

A good "quickie" recipe for Salmon, that I use even if you don't soak in a brine overnight.

3 parts Soy Sauce
2 parts sugar
2 parts Dry Sherry
a little Ginger is optional.

Mix enough to cover the Salmon.  Drink some of the Sherry.  Toss the Salmon in the homemade Terriyaki marinade sauce for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours.  Drink more Sherry (you can substitute Bourbon for the drinking part).

Take Salmon out of marinade, coat both sides with olive oil.  Smoke skin side down or hang over fire etc..  Baste every 30 minutes with olive oil.

Wrap Salmon in tin foil, cool in fridge, put out with "fancy" crackers.  Great for holidays, parties and football TV weekends.  This is easy and you can't miss, just don't over cook the fish.  In your smoker it will probably only take 2 hours even with what you think is a cold fire.  If anything you smoke is under cooked, you can always finish it off in the oven for 30 minutes, but now it has that smoked flavor.

I've never tried smoking fish before but for beef and chicken if the smoker was a water pan:

2 cups white wine
1 1/2 clove of garlic
1/2 cup dried bell pepper
1/2 cup parsely
1 whole onion cut in half
1 tsp dried mint
1 tbs liquid smoke ( I usually leave this out)
2 tbs Lea & Perrins
6 drops bitters

Honey and water is good for chicken
Sprite or 7up mixed in water is good too.

I also like pecan wood for smoke. Good smoke flavor but it's not overpowering like mesquite or hickory can be.

1 each fresh salmon side,
boneless

1 lb kosher salt

1/4 lb granulated sugar

1/4 lb light brown sugar

1/2 oz ground black pepper

1/2 oz allspice

1/2 oz ground ginger

Place the salmon, skin side down, in a suitably sized non-metallic pan.  Mix all dry ingredients well, then place on salmon to
completely cover.  Cover the pan and refrigerate the salmon for 18 hours.  Remove from the refrigerator and rinse all seasoning
off the salmon.  Drain well and pat dry.  

Return the salmon to a clean, dry pan and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours, UNCOVERED, to
allow the salmon to 'dry'.  

Cold-smoke the salmon according to your smoker oven's manufacturer directions.  Use
approximately 2 ounces hickory or alder wood with the temperature set at 100 degrees.  Smoke the salmon for 15-20 minutes, the turn the
smoker OFF and allow to stand, without opening the door, for 4-5 hours.  Please note that if the salmon is cooked over 100 degrees, it can become mushy in texture.

Thanks for the suggestions. I smoked a few trout yesterday for about 4-5 hours with hickory wood and apple juice in the pan and it turned out pretty damn good. I want to try a chicken next.

Just one word, HICKORY, you cant go wrong.[:D]

Also try alder wood i have used that for some albacore it comes out good.

Always keep some incense and Visine handy! Oh, wait. Wrong kind of smoke.