Bacon question

[Bspeech]

Hey all,

Quick question on some bacon I have going. First, a little info on what I’ve got going. I have 2, 6ish lb slabs of belly bacon that I started at 12:30pm. Smoker has been been around 70-80 degrees for this cook with a blend of maple/cherry/hickory dust in the amnps.


This is from 5 hours in!

I was planning on smoking somewhere in the 8-12 hour range. My question is, the low tonight is 22 degrees. Do you think the bacon will be ok left in the smoker overnight to begin the rest? Or should I just move it to the fridge?

Thanks in advanced for your feedback!

 

[73saint]

I would think it would be fine. Although it doesn’t get that cold here, I’ve left mine in the smoker overnight both on purpose and inadvertently. Never had an issue. Even if it partially froze, which I doubt it would, I don’t see any issues.

That’s assuming it’s properly cured, of course.

 

[Murray]

The heat retained in the smoker and meat should easily cover you till morning. I’d be curious to compare ambient vs smoker temperature in the morning.

 

[fivetricks]

I feel like I wouldn't want it taking on the flavor of the ambient air in the smoker. But that's just an opinion without experience. 73saint sounds like that wasn't an issue so what do I know?

 

[73saint]

I feel like I wouldn't want it taking on the flavor of the ambient air in the smoker. But that's just an opinion without experience. 73saint sounds like that wasn't an issue so what do I know?

I never considered that. Although, I keep my smoker clean clean, and I always smoke cure it so I don’t know that it’d have an effect. Also, I do tend to put a heavy smoke on my bacon (24hrs), it tends to be the predominant flavor.

 

[Fueling Around]

Don't know your smoker.
I never noticed a bad residual "air" from my smokers. If it was bad while cooling it would be there while smoking, too.
I wouldn't leave it in the smoker in freezing temps. Draw a line and pull it for a rest in the fridge. Covered in the fridge it can draw that air. Freezing ruins a lot of the the smoke process. Learned the hard way.

 

[Bspeech]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Ended up playing it safe with the freezing temps overnight and just pulled it after 10 hours. Into the fridge for a rest for 2-3 days.

This will be my first time doing the rest. The past few times I didnt have the patience to wait any longer before slicing. I have it on cooling racks uncovered on the fridge now. Is that ok? Or should I cover loosely with a towel?

Don't know your smoker.
I never noticed a bad residual "air" from my smokers. If it was bad while cooling it would be there while smoking, too.
I wouldn't leave it in the smoker in freezing temps. Draw a line and pull it for a rest in the fridge. Covered in the fridge it can draw that air. Freezing ruins a lot of the the smoke process. Learned the hard way.

 

[Fueling Around]

I would bag it in plastic. Keep the aroma around the slabs and so it doesn't perfume the rest of the contents of the fridge.
Maybe you have a second fridge as me I don't leave anything open

Congrats on torturing me. Just saw slab pork belly late last year in local retail. No chance to make bacon in the past 5 months.