Mix all the ingredients together in a container large enough to hold the liquid and the salmon. Mix until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Submerge the salmon in the brine, skin side up, and put it in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours (we brine it overnight at our house). After you brine it, take the fish out and rinse brine off in cold water.Pat dry your fish with paper towels, and then once its dry let it sit and air dry for 1- 2 hours (this step is optional, but results in a more flavorful smoked salmon, as it prepares the meat to let the smoke adhere better for that great flavor).  This is a good time to check again for any small pin bones. Prepare your smoker while the fish is drying, according to your smokers direction. Once your salmon is smoked, I prefer to cool it down and add to the fridge (I like mine cold).  It is also a good idea to store it in an air tight container.

Once you have air dried the salmon, spray the wire racks of your smoker, and put the salmon skin side down on the racks. We like to add cracked black pepper to the top of the salmon before smoking it, but that is optional based on your tastes. Smoking is complete when the fish reaches 140°F at its thickest point. This generally takes around 2 to 4 hours.