Stremellachs: hot smoking salmon in strips

Stremellachs is the fastest way to home-smoked salmon: cut into strips, leave overnight in a 7% brine (70 g salt per litre), dry for 1–2 hours and then smoke for about 90 minutes at a constant 85 °C – exactly the values from the Beelonia video. Unlike raw cold-smoked salmon, Stremellachs is cooked, juicy, flaky and on your plate the very same day. "Stremel" is Northern German for strip – and the strip shape is the trick: it cooks quickly and absorbs smoke all around.

Last updated: 3 August 2026 · Author: Michael Vering, Beelonia GmbH · All prices: as of July 2026

Reading tip: The raw brother with cure and cold smoke: the smoked salmon weekend project. Same fish, two worlds.

What is Stremellachs?

Stremellachs is hot-smoked salmon fillet that is cut into wide strips before smoking – "Stremel" is Northern German for strip. In the hot smoke, the fish cooks through and is therefore ready to eat, unlike cold-smoked salmon, which remains raw.

• Origin: East Prussian speciality – the Oeconomische Encyclopädie already described "Striemel-Lachs" in 1858 as Königsberg street food.
• Distinction: Smoked salmon cures at 20–30 °C in cold smoke and remains translucent and sliceable; Stremellachs runs at 60–85 °C in hot smoke and becomes firm and flaky.
• Condition: fully cooked at 63–68 °C core temperature – therefore edible without further preparation.

How is Stremellachs made?

In four steps: cut the salmon fillet with skin into strips, place in brine, let it dry and hot smoke until the core reaches 63–68 °C. Commercial smokehouses and home smokers follow the same path – only the oven temperature differs.

• Commercial: mild salting, beech smoke at up to 80 °C, core 68 °C – this is how Norfisk describes its Stremellachs, for example.
• In the smoker at home: 7% brine overnight, 90 minutes at a constant 85 °C – the higher oven temperature for a shorter time hits the same target core.
• Consistency beats temperature: If the heat fluctuates, albumin coagulates and leaks out white – the most common causes are collected in the smoking troubleshooting guide.

Preparing Stremellachs: the recipe from the Beelonia video

1. Cutting: Divide the salmon side crosswise into 4–5 cm wide strips, pull the pin bones with fish bone tweezers. The skin stays on – it holds the strips together on the grate.
2. Brining: 12 hours in the 7% brine, kept cool. The slightly stronger brine (compared to 6% for trout) reliably seasons the thicker strips all the way through.
3. Drying: Rinse, pat dry, air dry for 1–2 hours until the pellicle forms. If you want peppered salmon, press coarse pepper onto the still slightly sticky surface now.
4. Smoking: On the grate (skin side down) for about 90 minutes at a constant 85 °C – in a regulated electric oven, this is a setpoint, not a juggling act. Target core: 63–68 °C.

Why a constant 85 °C? Salmon is more sensitive than trout when hot smoking: if it's too hot, the albumin coagulates and leaks out as a white mass, and the meat becomes dry. 85 °C cooks the strips evenly in 90 minutes, keeps the protein leakage to a minimum and gives the alder smoke time for colour and flavour. A small albumin edge is normal; a lot of white protein means: check the temperature next time and dry it better.

Alder or beech? Alder is the classic salmon choice in Scandinavia – mild, slightly sweet, with a warm colour. Beech provides the stronger standard flavour. Both work; the video uses the Beelonia sawdust tray with fine smoking dust.

Serving, storing, varying

Stremellachs tastes great lukewarm on its own, cold on bread and pulled apart in pasta or salad – chilled, like all hot-smoked fish, it only keeps for three to seven days. The pepper variant is the classic; equally popular: brush thinly with honey before smoking (caramelises slightly) or top with dill. The values for all smoked goods can be found in the shelf life table. For guests, calculate 150–200 g of Stremellachs per person as a main course – portion planning for the holidays is in the Christmas menu plan.

Eat Stremellachs warm or cold?

Both are correct: Stremellachs is fully cooked and ready to eat – it tastes great cold on bread, and when slightly warmed, the smoke flavour becomes more pronounced. If you serve it warm, you are only bringing it up to temperature; it has long been cooked.

Warming up Stremellachs without drying it out

Warm in the oven at 60 °C for 15–20 minutes and do not let the core exceed 60 °C. Higher temperatures press fat and liquid out of the already cooked meat – it becomes dry and tough. The same 60 °C for 15 to 20 minutes is also recommended by Deutsche See.

• Oven: 60 °C, 15–20 minutes on baking paper, skin side down – the gentlest method.
• Pan: without fat, 2–3 minutes over low heat on the skin.
• Microwave: covered for about 90 seconds at 600 W – the fastest, but most likely to dry it out.
• Freshly smoked: let it rest for 10 minutes and serve lukewarm – then it doesn't need warming up.

Frequently asked questions about Stremellachs

Can I use frozen salmon?

Yes – frozen farmed salmon is perfectly equivalent: thaw gently, then brine normally. Since Stremellachs is fully cooked, the freezing requirement discussion for raw cold-smoked salmon does not apply.

Grate or hook – how is Stremellachs smoked?

Lying flat on the grate, skin side down – the short strips would tear off on a hook. An oiled or pre-shaped V2A stainless steel (AISI 304) grate prevents sticking.

Why did my Stremellachs turn out dry?

Too hot or too long – salmon is less forgiving than mackerel. A constant 85 °C, 90 minutes as a guideline and, when in doubt, measure the core temperature early (63 °C is enough).

Reading tip: All temperature corridors for fish are bundled in the smoking temperature table; the drying basics are explained in the pellicle article.

Sources and technical basis: Beelonia video "Smoking hot-smoked salmon" (7% brine 12 h, 1–2 h drying, 90 min at 85 °C); Stremellachs core temperature 63–68 °C according to manufacturer specifications (Norfisk) and cold fish dossier; albumin mechanics from the troubleshooting dossier. Prices: beelonia-shop.de, as of July 2026.

Matching items from our range: smoking dust in the shop.

Matching items from our range: smoke generator.