Mix together the sugar, kosher salt, soy sauce, water, wine, onion and garlic powders, pepper and tabasco sauce in a bowl with a whisk to incorporate thoroughly and dissolve the sugar and salt.
In a 13x9" pan pour a little of the brine in the bottom of the pan. Next place the salmon to be smoked in the pan and pour the balance of the brine over the salmon to cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
After it's brined for 8 hours remove salmon from brine and shake off excess and place the salmon on a rack to drain. Next you'll want to place it in front of a fan or well ventilated area to dry and develop a shiny skin which is called pellicle. The pellicle seals and creates a sticky surface on the fish for the smoke to adhere to. This should take 4 hours and is vital to do. You can also keep it easy and leave uncovered in the refrigerator to do this also. The cold, circulating air works great.
Cut the salmon filet horizontally into thirds for easier handling and transfer to a smoking rack sprayed with oil to prevent sticking. Note: If the filet doesn't have a pellicle, place the brined salmon on aluminum foil about the size of the fish to keep the smoke moving around the fish.
Following your smoker instructions, add an inch of water to the water tray, and using alder wood chips, start the temp at 100°F for 2 hours, then 140°F for 2 hours and finally 175°F for the final 1 hour. Smoke until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Feel free to baste with brine mixture each time you bump up the heat if you like. On a pellet smoker grill: because my Traeger pellet grill/smoker doesn't go lower than 165°F, I smoke for 4.5-5 hours (depending on thickness) and it comes out beautifully. Smoke until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
After removing smoked salmon from the smoker, allow it to rest on a cooling rack for an hour. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate wrapped in plastic wrap or a container and use within 8-10 days.
Notes
Wood chips for gas smoker: Put 1 to 1 1/2 cups of wood chips in a large bowl, cover them with water, and let them soak at least 30 minutes. Drain and put them in smoker box, in an aluminum loaf pan or even a bowl made out of tin foil. When ready to smoke, put the wood chip container over the hot part of the grill. Read more about this in my post on Smoker boxes and wood chips for smoking.