Dert, morning... think about this.... Weigh each belly... weigh out 2% salt, 1-2% sugar, and 1.1 grams cure #1 per pound of belly.... rub it all in and saran wrap like you did for 10-14 days... rinse, dry, form the pellicle and smoke... If you like more sugar or salt etc., add more next batch until it tastes perfect to you... no soaking.. no guess work on how much salt you are removing... no water added back into the belly... belly always comes out the same every batch... for more intense bacon flavor, after the rinse, let the bellies rest in the refer, on a rack, un wrapped, for 1-2 weeks so it can dry out more.. Now you are getting close to 1950's bacon.....
My last batch I did just that... Bride said it was the absolute best bacon...
spices can be added during the rub step... during the drying step.... for additional flavoring....
Dave
