What's this ?

smokeaddict · May 29, 2011

Anybody know from experience what this might be guys? The belly was brined for 7 days, some flavours inc Maple syrup, #1 cure exactly to weight of meat/ratio. Smoked for six hours. It may be hard to tell from the photos, there is white liquid seeped from the fat, in one or two small places. Not clear, like fat would be if temp too hot and was rendering. It came out of the puncture from the stainless steel hook I use to hag in the smoker. The second photo probably harder still, a section of the fat has disappeared.....either side its there, but a bit of it seems as though it's been removed. There is on the foil I use to cover the bottom of the electric smoker a white dried stain too. There is no smell to the white material. My experience is that if there is a microbilal problem, the stain is black, not white.

I didn't take the meat to a temp, I never do for cured bacon, always fine except once, when the stain was black, I chucked it. Maple syrup maybe has an effect on the fat ? Any ideas folks ? I know it's hard to tell from photos......

Thanks, Gus

alblancher · May 29, 2011

What temp did you smoke at? I'll bet you smoked in a hot smoker? Looks like a reaction between the salt and the stainless steel? Did the stainless have any discoloration?

smokeaddict · May 29, 2011

I smoked @ 60 degrees C, not really hot. The second photo of missing fat isn't near a SS hook. The hooks show no discoloration. It's as if the fat has been somehow converted into liquid fat, without heating to melt.....weird. Thanks for the suggestion !

alblancher · May 29, 2011

Oh Contrare We normally try to cold smoke between 50 and 100 degress F when smoking bacon. I believe the magic number is 115 F for fat to render or up in that range. I think 60C converts to 140 F so you may have been cooking it and rendering the fat. My eyes are not good enough to see specifically what you are talking about but did you have liquid in the bottom of the smoke pan? I cold smoke bacon in a smokehouse and I know the temp is to hot when moisture starts dripping off the bacon and spotting the floor.

Hope this helps.

alblancher · May 29, 2011

That 10C to 37 C

smokeaddict · Jun 2, 2011

Thank you Alblancher,

No fat in the bottom of smoker, just the white "runoff". To my mind, rendered fat is a clear, or yellowish colour, not white. Anyway, I guess the choice is cook some up, or chuck it in da bin ! When your bacon starts to render, what colour is it ? Maybe the butcher sold me some albino pig......

Regards

fpnmf · Jun 2, 2011

Looks like you may have over heated the piece..

When I am using the huge slicer on cold smoked bacon I get a very small amount of white goo too.

It's from the heat of the blade.

Craig

tjohnson · Jun 2, 2011

fpnmf said:
When I am using the huge slicer on cold smoked bacon I get a very small amount of white goo too.
Craig

White Goo Too...Yum Yum!

TJ

raptor700 · Jun 2, 2011

Sounds like alblancher is right on

I smoked @ 60 degrees C, not really hot.

60º C = 140º F

Good call

smokeaddict · Jun 3, 2011

What worried me was the inconsistent nature of it, only on two pieces, very small section, out of four. Thought it might be a cure problem, but since it will be cooked, might be ok. Thanks to all contributors guys!

Regards, Gus

pops6927 · Jun 3, 2011

More than likely it's a inconsistency in the belly such as a small benign growth or pus pocket; these occur in the fat (check your own belly for lumps, lol!). Harmless, you have eaten hundreds of them, you just never knew it. Once fried or baked it will look like any other part of the belly. It's the green or dark blood black pussy ones that you want to avoid.

Bearcarver · Jun 3, 2011

I would go with what Pops said, because I have smoked over 140˚ (smoker temp) a few times, without any such white stuff showing up.

This batch was in heat from 140˚ to 150˚ for the last 4 hours, and the internal was 126˚ when I pulled them:

This was one of my best tasting Belly Bacons of all.

Bear

BGKYSmoker · Jun 3, 2011

Nice bacon Bear

SmokinAl · Jun 3, 2011

Yea Bear that's some good looking bacon!

michael ark · Jun 3, 2011

Nice bacon bear

Bearcarver · Jun 3, 2011

Gus,

I didn't mean to highjack your question post.

I just wanted to point out why I don't believe the heat did that, and I would go with Pops on this one, as I do on most of his replies.

Bear

tjohnson · Jun 3, 2011

"Puss Pockets" = Yum Yum!

I would trim that part off and fry some up.

Todd

smokeaddict · Jun 3, 2011

Yes you did Bear, I reckon you just wanted to show us a bunch of bacon.......and, I for one am glad you did, they look great, that's the colour I aim for. I think warm smoking bacon is the best way to do them too.

Regards, Gus

smokeaddict · Jun 3, 2011

Pops, Thank You ! That makes a whole lot of sense, pussy pigs, hoda thunk it !

Gus

chef jimmyj · Jul 2, 2011

This sounds like protein dissolved in the natural juices. It coagulates when heated. It will turn white on pork, chicken and fish, and turns brown on dark red meats like beef. This happens with brine cured bacon when you first start to cook it, juices run than coagulate... Sounds better than PUSS! YUK!...JJ

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