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  1. cybball

    Belly Bacon Done Curing?

    I'm doing belly bacon.  Have a 20lb belly cut up in 4 pieces (roughly 5lbs each).  I am trying Pop's Brine this time.  His recipe to a T.  I split them up putting 2 sections into 2.5 gallon zip locks. (2 total).  I mixed up the brine (w/cure) and poured it into each bag.  I drew out the air and...
  2. cybball

    Funky Tasting Bacon

    I've made bacon about 3 times now.  I'm using a dry cure and letting the bellies cure for around 8-10 days.  This last batch I made (and even batch #2) had a kind of funky taste.  Not really rotten, but a nasty taste in the fat.  I cut the slices fairly thick and normally bake them when...
  3. cybball

    Quick Bacon Question

    I'm dry curing bacon right now in the fridge.  3 x 4lbers and 1 x 5lber.  They each have a different flavor, along with the cure (instacure #1).   When done this week, I'm going to take them out of each bag and rinse/soak with fresh water.  I know you want to dry the skin some before smoking...
  4. cybball

    Cured / Brined Chicken Smoke!

    I picked up 4 whole birds last weekend. I put the birds 2 per bag) into 2.5 gallon zip locks. I poured a gallon of Pop's brine in each bag. They went into the fridge on Monday night.
  5. cybball

    Bulk spice?

    Where does everyone buy your spices? Would love to buy some big containers of things like paprika, pepper, etc. Grocery store gets expensive buying the little ones for rub and sausages. Thanks! Jason
  6. cybball

    1st Shot at Bacon

    Going to do some bacon this week. I ordered some cure #1 and have whT I think should be everything else. Can someone give me a basic cure recipe to use per pound of belly? i know the spices are fairly variable but have seen a LOT of different ways. I would sure appreciate it. Thanks. Jason
  7. cybball

    Chicken and Cure??

    I am kind of newer to smoking. Been doing sausages mostly. I know that when doing sausage, cure is used to prevent botchulism. That to me makes sense. I don't, however understand why most poultry, when smoked, only uses a brine without cure. I have done chicken and ribs in the past without cure...
  8. cybball

    Sausage coloring

    I just pulled a 25lb batch of Andouille from my smoker.  It's been on for 9 hours.  Started at 120 for an hour to dry them (hog casings), then 130 for an hour, and so on up to 180.  Held at 180 until IT at 155.  Most of the sausage has that nice reddish color.  It's clear that a few didn't get...
  9. cybball

    Bratwurst Help

    I'm on my second year of making fresh venison brats.  Using 50/50 mix with pork shoulders.  They taste awesome.  I really need to master using hog casings, as I like them better.  However, I used collagen casings, which are super easy.  My problem is that when I separate the links to cook, the...
  10. cybball

    Turkey and sausage?

    Planning to smoke a batch of andouille tomorrow and also a wild turkey breast. I plan on low and slow for the sausage. Will slow temp increases from 130 to 175 be ok for the turkey? Didn't know if the turkey should be hotter for a shorter time? Any thoughts on how to tackle? Thanks!
  11. cybball

    Pulling pork cold?

    Well, I tackled 40lbs of boston butt all day yesterday (not literally) :). Hit the stall that went on forever, not to mention the snow storm with high winds that hit, so last night, I brought them inside and put them in the oven at 250 for the last 2 hours. Got them up to 204 and pulled them...
  12. cybball

    Chickens and Thermometers

    When doing chickens, is it best to put my thermometer probe (Maverick 73) into the thigh or the breast? Sounds like the thighs take a little longer to cook. I plan to (spatchcock) both birds if that matters. Thanks for the help. I've just seen a few posts where the breast turned out great...
  13. cybball

    Can I thaw frozen brats and smoke them?

    I made a 25lb batch of brats a month ago and froze them. I used the Hi-Mountain kit and DID use the cure. I have since purchased a Masterbuilt XL propane smoker. Is it possible to thaw them, smoke them, and refreeze? I won't do that next season, but did this go around as I didn't have a...
  14. cybball

    Iowa guy!

    Just joined the site after lurking around for a while. I live in Iowa, where the temps can be a little rough for smoking, but I tend to grill all year round and just bought a Masterbuilt XL Propane, which held up really well a couple nights ago at 20 degrees with a stiff breeze. Great stuff on...
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