Smoking Bacon Question

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slo n easy

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 11, 2007
11
11
I have 15 pounds of port belly on cure and will be smoking it this weekend. I have seen it said that the smoking temperature should be really low for a long period, say 80 degrees for 7 hours. This is because the meat is cured and I'm only adding a smoke taste.

In other places, I've seen it said the smoking temperature should be around 120 degrees until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is reached.

The pork belly is much thinner than the loins I have done in the past.

Any guidance/advice will be much appreciated.
 
Reaching a higher internal temp than smoker temp might be tough to pull off.
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I smoke my bacon at around 90-100,just to be adding smoke, towards the end I will take it up to 120-this bacon will need to be cooked before eating-fried-etc.When smoking bacon at higher temps to bring internal to 150 or so-your bacon will be safe to eat without cooking.
 
I have done it both ways. Cold smoke and hot smoke.......both are good just a little difference in the end result.........personally I prefered the hot smoke method (partially becuase it get done quicker
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), but the cold smoking gives more smokiness IMO.

Flip a coin on this one. I think you will be happy with the results whichever way you choose.
 
I also cold smoke...I keep the temperature of the smoke below 100 and shoot for flavor, not an internal meat temperature.
 
Thanks for the advice.......will let you know how it turns out!
 
I cold smoke my bacon between 70 and 90 degrees in my walk in cold smoker. I normally smoke the bacon for 6 to 10 hours a day, for 7 days. Its always been VERY good.
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you have a nice back 40! looks alot like mine but arizona.bacon looks good too.
 
Thank you.
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For me, the joy of BBQ is sharing what I make. I keep about a third of what I make and give the rest to my friends. I keep hoping to get them hooked on trying BBQ themselves, so far, only one person has got into it. Oh well, I keep trying.
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Terry,

I have a question for you. You said you smoke the bacon for 6-10hrs a day for about 7 days. What do you do with it when you're not smoking it? Does it go into the fridge? or stay in the smokehouse?

Thanks for any advice,

Chris
 
Hey Chris, I do it in the fall, winter, and early spring, so I just leave it in the smokehouse, its as cold or colder than the fridge. The last batch I did , the outside temp was warmer so I had to move it back and forth to the fridge. Not nearly as easy to smoke, but sure was worth the little extra effort it took to move it, I'm just too darn lazy.
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Terry,

Thanks for the info. I was wondering since its cured meat whether you had to take it out of the smokehouse at the end of the day. I don't have that problem as I only smoke it for 6-10 hours when I do it, but was looking for a little education. Thanks!!!


Chris
 
Big Arms, that is an incredible pile of bacon ya got going! Whee you been? I haven't see you in here since you taught me how to post a thread almost a year ago! Or maybe I just missed ya!
 
Seboke, thank you my friend, I sure do love that bacon.
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I am here most every day but I have to log in each time so normally I just read and let it go at that.

Chris, glad I could help.
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