Bacon #2

[newsmokerky]

Doing my second slab of bacon. Was happy with first. Maybe a bit too smoky. Wife said it was too sweet, whatever. Lol. This slab is 2 pounds7 ounces. Used just shy of 1/2 tsp Prague #1. 4 tsp each of kosher salt and brown sugar. Slab is thin but gonna do a week cure. Plan to do just heat smoke instead of double.

 

[newsmokerky]

This slab was smaller, and not as thick as the first one. 5 day cure. Soaked in cold water for an hour, changing half way through. In fridge now on rack. Any reason not to leave in fridge 48 hours prior to smoking?

 

[newsmokerky]

Looks and smells incredible. 3 hourish at 170 with apple wood smoke to 140 IT. Let cool to room temp and in ziploc in fridge. Slice tomorrow night.

 

[newsmokerky]

It stalled at 99-102 degrees for a very long time(30 minutes plus). Had one Maverick probe in the thickest cut. I knew that couldn't be right. I pulled the probe, and inserted the other Maverick probe. It jumped to 120. Finished the job out with that probe. After pulling, I double checked with a manual probe, and it was at 140. After I cleaned things up, I did a boil water test with the original probe. Water was rolling pretty good, and temp was showing 184. Plugged in the other maverick probe, and put in the boiling water. Hit 212 quickly. I tossed the other probe.

 

[newsmokerky]

Looks great. Fry test in a bit

 

[newsmokerky]

Very good, zeroing in on the preferred flavor. A little bit too salty, needed a little more brown sugar, and a little more smoke. Increase the brown sugar a bit and reduce the salt on the next cure. I'll do a 2 hour cold smoke on next slab, then do the heat smoke. Another enjoyable project. Thanks for looking.

 

[newsmokerky]

Ever feel like nobody is listening?

 

[yankee2bbq]

I’m listening bud. I am wanting to do homemade bacon, and just been starting to read up on it. So, tell my your recipe that you use and process.

 

[newsmokerky]

On my first slab, I copied Disco's basic process to the letter. I thought it was really good. The wife said it was too sweet, and it was a little heavy on smoke. This batch, I cut the brown sugar in about half, and increased the salt by 25% or so. The first slab I did the 5 hour cold smoke, then the heat smoke to 140 IT. On this slab, I only did the heat smoke to 140 IT. It needed a little more brown sugar, and a little less salt. Also, not enough smoke flavor on this slab. On the next slab, I will increase the brown sugar a bit, reduce the salt back to slightly more than original recipe of 1.5 tsp per lb. Then do a 2 hourish cold smoke, and then heat smoke. This is a lot of fun, and the outcome is delicious bacon. I think I am zeroing in on a recipe the wife will enjoy as much as I do. Good luck to you on your bacon adventure.

 

[yankee2bbq]

Cool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[dernektambura]

I am very confused with imperial measurements to the point that I can't figure what would be tsp to lbs ratio in percentage... anyhow, you were saying it was a bit to salty....good amount of saltiness would be 2% ratio of bacon weight with surface desalination after initial cure...

 

[skidog]

I'm confused by all kinds of this stuff. I bought a gram scale and have been converting everything to weight. I'm really starting to hate recipes that use cups etc. or heaping tablespoon of that. So much easier if it has a weight listed.

By the way nice bacon. I have four slabs curing now. Four different recipes.