curing and smoking bacon

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mudduck

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
331
11
nettleton ms.
i started curing a butt sat the 20 th for bbb it is dry
started curing port belly today the 24th 1dry and 1 wet
can i wait till it all is ready before i smok or do i need to smok the butt after 7 or 8 day or can i wait on the belly whitch will be 11 or 12 days before the belly is ready and smok it all
 
I pulled my bellies after 7 days, rinsed them and let them rest for a day. Smoked them in my MES for 6 1/2 hours.

Maybe someone with more experience could possibly chime in and state why to cure longer than 7 days?


THANKS!


Todd
 
Don't know where you got your numbers.
My shoulders (BBB) usually take a little longer than the bellies, because the shoulder is usually thicker.
Length of time curing I use is as follows:
Measure the thickness of the piece.
Divide that in half.
How many quarters are in that?
Then add 2 days for safety.

Examples:
Butt (shoulder) is 3" thick.
Divide in half = 1 1/2".
6 quarters are in 1 1/2".
Add two days-----6 + 2 = 8 Days to cure.


Belly at thickest part is 2" thick.
Divide in half = 1".
4 quarters are in 1".
Add two days for safety-----4 + 2 = 6 Days to cure.

I would put the 8 day cure in two days before the 6 day cure, so they are ready on the same day.

If your numbers are correct, you'd be waiting 4 or 5 days from one to the other. I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep the one in cure that long, but I just don't think your numbers are right. Was the one 3" thick, and the other 5" thick?

Or am I missing something?


Bearcarver
 
what temp shoud i smok at 120 to160 or what
inter temp to what and how long doing bbb and belly bacon
going to used hickory and a little apple wood
wish me luck and thanks for your help
 
Personally I would smoke at 120 or even lower. With bacon I smoke to get the smoke flavor and don't worry about the internal temp because I'm going to cook it before eating. The exception is most of the time I will take Canadian Bacon to 155-160 so we can slice and eat cold for sandwiches. Skin off bellies I do 9-10 hours and skin on bellies I did once for 10 hours and it wasn't enough smoke for me I'd go 12-14 I think. I think a lot has to do with how much smoke flavor you want as far as length of time in the smoke
 
What Piney said is fine. He gets good results from his formula.
I do my belly bacon & BBB at higher temps:
I start at 100, and put a lot of smoke on. When my element stops running enough to make the wood smoke, I bump it up 10 degrees to get it smoking again. I keep doing this until I get up to 180 or 190 smoker temp. I usually only have to smoke them this way for about 7 to 9 hours. I have removed my bacons at 120 degrees, 130 degrees, and 140 degrees internal temp. They were all great. So between mine & Piney's, I would say anywhere from 100 degrees to 140 degrees would be good. I would avoid taking your smoker temp up high enough to boil or cook it, because you're going to fry or broil, or bake it anyway. I like to get a nice reddish brown color on the outside, and I'm done.

I take my Canadian Bacon over 160 degrees too, so I don't have to fry it later. I just warm it up slightly when I want to eat it. It'll melt in your mouth.

Have fun,
Bearcarver
 
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