Bacon Gone Bad - Jowls

[pugsbrew]

So, I brined, for two weeks, some jowls and bellies for bacon. I used Pop's recipe. After the brine, I soaked them in water for a day, let them rest in trig for 3-4 days, smoked for a day, then put back in frig for 9 days. I had used a seasoned garlic powder on all but one of the jowls, and something different on the bellies. When I took everything out, the jowls with the garlic had developed a fuzzy mold, the bellies were fine.

Hmmm, why would it do that? I noticed the jowls were a lot fattier than the bellies. Since I've never done jowls before, I had no idea what to expect.

Ideas/comments

 

[daveomak]

Your fridge is too warm, is my guess... Smoked meat should not grow mold... Did you have the meat wrapped in plastic while in the refer ??? That could be a problem also... Unwrapped meat will dehydrate... no moisture, no mold....

 

[pugsbrew]

Frig around 42deg.

 

[myownidaho]

Sounds too warm. I keep mine at 37. And it could also be the fattier jowls will take longer to cure than the belly based on fat content.

 

[daveomak]

Frig around 42deg.

Check it with a thermometer... It's too warm at 42....
A glass of water in the refer... then use a digital therm to check the water temp...
One glass on the top shelf... One glass on the bottom shelf... or check it over a week or 2... End of day after it's been opened and closed many times and in the morning when it's been closed all night.... OK, take notes when you get up for a nighttime snack... factor that in...

 

[daveomak]

Therm I have taped inside my refer... I think the refer is colder than that... I have it set to 38 deg. F... If I turn it down to 36, my ice maker freezes up... THAT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN MORE THAN TWICE !!!! So 38 it is....

 

[pops6927]

More than likely it was the 'seasoned garlic powder' - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4348254/

 

[pugsbrew]

More than likely it was the 'seasoned garlic powder' - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4348254/

Interesting.

 

[Medina Joe]

Great read.

 

[SparkyLB]

Frig around 42deg.

If you can change the setting, shoot for 38. 40-140 is the danger zone, but you probably already knew that. Nasties grow in the danger zone.