First time bacon

[the smoker]

I should add that with the BBB it was the thicker meaty parts that had the ham flavour not the pieces with lots of fat. Maybe the fat to meat ratio makes a difference? Never had the ham flavour with belly bacon but I only cold smoke bacon now so that might also be a factor?

I noticed the jam flavor with really thick pieces as well. I didn't use any sugar with this batch. I wanted a pure bacon this round. But I'll be adding a small amount of sugar on the next one. I didn't want it to caramelize on me while cooking in the CI. Why is cold smoking better? What temp do you run at? I don't have the ability to cold smoke right now.

 

[Murray]

I noticed the jam flavor with really thick pieces as well. I didn't use any sugar with this batch. I wanted a pure bacon this round. But I'll be adding a small amount of sugar on the next one. I didn't want it to caramelize on me while cooking in the CI. Why is cold smoking better? What temp do you run at? I don't have the ability to cold smoke right now.

I don’t find caramelization an issue except around the edges. Cold smoking isn’t better or worse, it’s what we like. I have a MES, in the summer I pick a cold day(Canada)and cold smoke at what ever ambient temperature is. In the winter I let the MES heat to 70-80F shut it off and let it cool to 40F then turn it back on so my smoking temperature is a yo-yo between 40F and 100F. With cheese it’s the same only I pay closer attention to the upper limit.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm no bacon expert by any means, but I think the leaner the belly the more of a hammy taste you'll get. Your bacon looks mighty good from my screen.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[the smoker]

That seems to be what everyone's saying about the ham flavor. I seem to be noticing that the thinner ones do have the bacon flavor in looking for

 

[the smoker]

I don’t find caramelization an issue except around the edges. Cold smoking isn’t better or worse, it’s what we like. I have a MES, in the summer I pick a cold day(Canada)and cold smoke at what ever ambient temperature is. In the winter I let the MES heat to 70-80F shut it off and let it cool to 40F then turn it back on so my smoking temperature is a yo-yo between 40F and 100F. With cheese it’s the same only I pay closer attention to the upper limit.

Cold smoking is definitely on my list of things to try

 

[Murray]

You have a stick burner, correct? All you would need is a insulating blanket of sorts, a heat source for winter operation(light bulb, small hot plate) and a smoke generator(Amazen tray) and pellets/dust and a remote digital thermometer. Ideally you would want a warmer winter day. Opens up a whole new world of smoking without having guests waiting for supper to finish. Looking through this forum, if it’s not moving or nailed down someone has tried to smoke it. The cold smoking list of foods is only limited by you imagination.

 

[Fueling Around]

I am not a bacon expert. REPEAT

I do have loin bacon recipe that fits my taste. To me, loin bacon is the perfect meld of ham and bacon flavors. I need to make another batch. We get farm fresh eggs in exchange for smoked meats.

Belly is still a work in progress. I'm waiting for the prices to come down. Until the supermarket and box store bacon is less than raw belly I will wait it out. Trying to get the flavor and texture I remember from my youth of local slab bacon.

Just did my first shoulder (buckboard) bacon. Did not get a big ham flavor. I think that was because I injected Pop's brine (salt, sugar, and nitrite) in the muscle. Needs to be thicker sliced as it is very lean compared to belly if you want to fry it out. It was fully cooked (pasteurized)per daveomak method.