1st try at bacon

[bill in mn]

I have been curing for a week and rinsed the bellies off with cold water and did a fry test for salt content.just fine by me.

I'm trying to make this with allot of flavor similar to store bought. I've seen everything used on bacon ,honey ,syrup,pepper.different rubs,brown sugar .I have some artificial maple syrup will that work ? And how do you get any pepper to stick? I'll be on the road today but will check back later.

I think I have this photo thing down,Thanks Berr-B-Q for the help with that.

 

[meandmytwodogs]

Just pack on the course black pepper. The moistness of the belly itself will hold it in place. Just like applying rub to a different piece of meat. I'm doing my first belly this weekend too. Good luck!

Dave

 

[Bearcarver]

I put the black pepper on after patting dry, before letting it form the pellicle. It's sticks great at that time. You wouldn't even be able to wipe it off if you wanted to.


Bearcarver

 

[rbranstner]

OH Bacon is soo good. The wife and I just had some lastnight for supper and she was telling me how I need to make this again. I only have 8-10 packages left so I better start keeping my eyes open for a pork butt sale at the store. Good Luck.

 

[bill in mn]

Wow Long day but thanks for the help.I'm doing this in a MES and I'll hook up a small fish house wood heater to it and 10' of stack so the smoke has time to cool and then I'll cold smoke it.Can you do to much smoke? I'm allways nervous about getting to much.I have read that guy's will dump the smoke for 10+hrs.Cant wait.thanks Bill

 

[tjohnson]

Bill,

YES....You can overdue the smoke!!!

Check it at 6 hours in your MES, slice off a piece and fry it up. My 1st batch I left on for almost 12 hours and it was waaaay oversmoked and even had creosote in my MES.

2nd time, I set temps in the box at around 130 and smoked 6 1/2 hours with a homemade cold smoker. Turned out awesome!!!

I added honey to my cure, but nothing after that. If you add maple it may not work well for some cooking. You can "Pepper" the bacon easily by brushing on a little thinned out honey and rolling it in cracked pepper, after it's smoked.

Keep the smoke low and not too heavy. an external source can easily create nasty creosote.


Later!


Todd

 

[desertlites]

Yes don't ruin good belly with to much smoke-I smoke mine at 110 max.and after 2 hr. in I start lite smoke for 4-I don't worry about a finish temp. cuz I gonna fry it before eating anyway.mine goes for around 12 hours or so but thats 15# slabs cut in 1/2.good luck and it's nice to have another bacon maker.

 

[Bearcarver]

I have put constant medium to heavy smoke on all of my bacons (top vent wide open).
I have used Apple, Cherry, Hickory, and combinations of those three.
I have pulled them at temps ranging from 129 to 155.
My times varied from 6 to 8 1/2 hours.
I have never had one with "TOO MUCH" smoke.

Bearcarver

BTW: I take my CB to over 160, so it doesn't need to be fried.

 

[davef63]

im with you bearcarver on this one, i cant get them smoked enough at times.
dave

 

[bill in mn]

I have a fish house heater that I set away from the MES and got it going with some coal.Threw in some hickory and there you have it ,cold smoke.I think the length of the stove pipe helps keep it cool.the loader on the MES is 3" the same as my stove pipe.and thanks to TJohnson I got these stainless steel hooks ant the hardware store and I'm set.