Michael Wickert: What pros know about smoking fish
Michael Wickert is one of Germany's best-known fish smokers: fisheries scientist, founder of the Berlin smokehouse 'Glut & Späne' – and author of the fish smoking book available in the Beelonia shop (36 €), because it teaches the craft exactly as it is lived on Beelonia smokers. This article distils his documented core rules – the sentences that repeatedly appear in the knowledge base as a professional reference.
Last updated: 23 July 2026 · Author: Michael Vering, Beelonia GmbH · All prices: as of July 2026
Reading tip: If you want to apply the rules, start with the trout guide – it follows exactly the craft line that Wickert teaches.
The Wickert rules: Pro knowledge in five sentences
| Rule | The core | Deepened in |
|---|---|---|
| 'Smoking is drying with smoke' | Cold smoking thrives on drying phases – the smoke is a partner, not the main character | Process guide |
| The season limit | 'Above 30 degrees, you can forget about cold smoking' – cold smoke is a matter of cold | Smoking in winter |
| Salt is a craft | Careful salting and drying decide before the first smoke | Calculate brine |
| Quality starts with the fish | Origin and freshness are half the smoking process | Fresh catch |
| Patience beats turbo | Real maturing and airing times instead of shortcuts | Smoked salmon guide |
Who is Michael Wickert? A trained fisheries scientist who turned smoking from a profession into a calling: In his Berlin manufactory 'Glut & Späne', he smokes artisanally over beech wood – regionally sourced fish, classic methods, uncompromising quality. His fish smoking book documents this knowledge from fish science to salt and smoke techniques to recipes – and is therefore the only book in the Beelonia shop's range.
Why Beelonia stocks the book: Because equipment and teaching fit together – Wickert's craft line (real embers, real wood, patience) is exactly what the smokers from Beelen are built for. If you combine both, you have a textbook and a tool from a single mould.
Frequently asked questions about Wickert & the book
Who is the fish smoking book for?
For everyone who wants to go deeper than recipe lists: It explains the why behind salt, smoke, and maturation – from beginners to ambitious cold smokers. The 36 € is the most affordable 'training' in the range.
Do you need the book if you read the Beelonia blog?
The blog provides the instructions, the book the complete craft teaching with depth and photography. Both together make the complete library.
Are Wickert's methods transferable to Beelonia smokers?
Completely – artisanal smoking over embers and smoking dust is exactly the application profile of the Smoky and F series. Cold smoke generator, smoking dust tray, and hanging height cover all the book's methods.
Reading tip: The manufactory philosophy on the manufacturer's side is told in Since 1880.
Learn from the pro, smoke on the original
The fish smoking book plus Beelonia smoker – teaching and tool from a single source. From Beelen since 1880.
Sources and technical basis: Documented Wickert references from the knowledge base (Glut & Späne, 'Drying with smoke', 30-degree rule, craft line); product data fish smoking book (36 €), as of July 2026.
