Personally, 3/4 cup of salt is nearly twice what I use. No need to make it shelf stable with all that salt. I have never had a batch turn sour, not sure what that means exactly. I let my brined fish sit in the smoker for up to 4 hours before I even plug it in. The fish will create a pectin or glaze that keeps the fish moist if you allow it to air dry for a few hours before smoking. My brine consists of less than half a cup of canning salt, dark brown sugar and organic unfiltered apple juice. I sprinkle cracked pepper on the fish after I pat it dry and let sit in the smoker for several hours before I begin smoking. Then vac pac while warm and then allow 3 days or so in the fridge before eating. The vac packing surrounds the fish with oils which allows the surface of the fish to become moist again. This stuff is great and friends and family really go crazy over it. I have even smoked fish for other people using this method. Never had a batch go bad, ever.
p.s. you wouldnt want to air dry for more than an hour or two on any day over 70 degrees. In the fall and winter, 4 hours works great. I use less salt than what most people use simply because the fish gets eaten so fast there is no reason to cure it with so much salt.
[ 09-17-2003, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: TundraIII ]