First Bacon...

[kingt36]

As I posted in another thread, I picked up 53 lbs of belly from Restaurant Depot a few weeks ago. A few days ago I managed to get one of the bellies, about 10 lbs, separated and cut into four manageable pieces.

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• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

Yesterday,I cut off the skin and got the pieces in Pop's brine.

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• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

Originally, I wanted to dry cure half of it, but that would require a digital scale.

I'm going to give it 14 days in the brine and then move forward from there...

 

[woodcutter]

I don't think you will ever be purchasing store bought bacon anymore.

 

[mneeley490]

Nice! Up here, RD sells 50 lb.+/- boxes of skin-on for $2.05 lb. Same in Atlanta?

 

[smoking b]

Good start 

  You are going to be hooked now!!

 

[dave17a]

 
Nice! Up here, RD sells 50 lb.+/- boxes of skin-on for $2.05 lb. Same in Atlanta?

Paid 3.19 here. As you have seen, meaty as can be. 3.19 per #. Rubs, brine, which is nothing, pellets for cold smpking avaridged 3.64 a #

As I posted in another thread, I picked up 53 lbs of belly from Restaurant Depot a few weeks ago. A few days ago I managed to get one of the bellies, about 10 lbs, separated and cut into four manageable pieces.

20140317_100557.jpg

• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

Yesterday,I cut off the skin and got the pieces in Pop's brine.

20140318_131800.jpg

• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

20140318_130815.jpg

• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

20140318_131815.jpg

• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

20140318_135328.jpg

• kingt36
• Mar 19, 2014

Originally, I wanted to dry cure half of it, but that would require a digital scale.

I'm going to give it 14 days in the brine and then move forward from there...

Good job. Don't be afraid of dry cure!

 
Nice! Up here, RD sells 50 lb.+/- boxes of skin-on for $2.05 lb. Same in Atlanta?

 

[deuce]

 53# of bacon?? 

 Thats Awesome! Cant go wrong with Pops Brine, I love it!

 

[kingt36]

Nice! Up here, RD sells 50 lb.+/- boxes of skin-on for $2.05 lb. Same in Atlanta?

I paid 2.53 a pound. Most of it looks pretty good. I'm excited and have already grown impatient...lol

 

[kingt36]

So, tomorrow is day 10 in the brine. On either tomorrow or Saturday, I will take the belly out, rinse it, pat it dry, cut a couple of pieces to test, season with fresh cracked pepper and sit in fridge overnight.

Is that the right process?

 

[foamheart]

So, tomorrow is day 10 in the brine. On either tomorrow or Saturday, I will take the belly out, rinse it, pat it dry, cut a couple of pieces to test, season with fresh cracked pepper and sit in fridge overnight.

Is that the right process?

Sounds good to me. There is two schools of thought, smoke with the rind and remove the rind after smoke, or remove it prior to the smoke. One way you get a good piece of sow belly for the bean pot, the other you get more smoke on the bacon.

 

[kingt36]

Yeah, I removed the skin before I put it in the brine. I think I'm going to take it out now. How long should it sit in the fridge to form the pellicle?

 

[daveomak]

Yeah, I removed the skin before I put it in the brine. I think I'm going to take it out now. How long should it sit in the fridge to form the pellicle?

Put it in front of a fan to form the pellicle... I lay mine in the MES and fire up the fan for a few hours..... Be sure to rinse it and dry well first with paper towels.... That speeds up the pellicle formation....

Dave

In cold weather, I use a heater and fan.....

Heater.jpg

• daveomak
• Mar 28, 2014

 

[kingt36]

Took the belly out of the brine last night, which gave it about 12 days in. I rinsed it, patted it dry and did the test fry. It wasn't too salty at all, in fact, I could have used a little more salt.

I trimmed it a little more and put some cracked black pepper on both sides of half it the belly then stuck it back in the fridge overnight.

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

 

[kingt36]

I'm preparing the smoker. I'm using my old BBQ Grillware propane unit as a cold smoker. I'm trying to figure out the best way to position the 5x8 AMNPS. I took two photos of the only ways I can think to do it and wanted to ask of you which would be the best, or if there is another configuration. I plan to put some ice in the metal bowl.

In this photo I sat the AMNPS on top of the burner. The burner will not be used. There are several holes around the burner allowing for air flow.

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

In this photo, I sat the burner catty corner across the opening above the burner.

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

I'm open to any suggestions..

Thanks!

 

[kingt36]

I wanted to go ahead and get the belly smoking so I went with the catty corner atop the burner opening. So far so good...the AMNPS is filled with just under a pound of pitmaster's choice pellets.

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

 

[mneeley490]

Looks good so far!

 

[kingt36]

I haven't gotten to this point yet, but when you take the bacon out of the smoker to mellow in the fridge, do you put it in a bag, or just let it sit on the rack in the fridge?

 

[Bearcarver]

I haven't gotten to this point yet, but when you take the bacon out of the smoker to mellow in the fridge, do you put it in a bag, or just let it sit on the rack in the fridge?

I like to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep any good tasting fumes from escaping!!!!

Bear

 

[mneeley490]

I let it cool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, otherwise, everything in your fridge will smell like smoke. That's okay if you have a dedicated fridge just for that, but I don't.

 

[dave17a]

l

I haven't gotten to this point yet, but when you take the bacon out of the smoker to mellow in the fridge, do you put it in a bag, or just let it sit on the rack in the fridge?

Got a dedicated beer fridge in the basement, and kids pop. Haven't had an issue, putting on cooling racks or just fridge racks even on cure, just fine, no bags. Just don't put your water glass in there. Don't liked smoked water really

 

[kingt36]

After 7.5 hours I removed the bacon from the smoker. I was planning to refrigerate it over night and smoke it some more tomorrow, however excitement and that it smelled plenty smoky took over so I wrapped it and stuck it in the fridge to mellow out. I'm thinking I'll move to the next step on Wednesday...

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014

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• kingt36
• Mar 31, 2014