First time wet curing pork belly

[Cody_Mack]

The amount of water depends on the container you will use to cure the meat. The meat needs to be submerged at all times during the cure.
Choose your container
Add the meat
Add enough water to completely cover all pieces for the long haul
Remove the meat, then measure or weigh the water inside the container
Use that weight plus weight of the meat to plug into the calculator
Use that same water or same amount of water when mixing the cure

 

[SmokinEdge]

The cure percentage is 0.25%
The number to use to calculate is 0.0025 multiplied by 1000 = 2.5.(in grams)
As stated you can use pop’s brine, it works fine, but if you want to do things right, weigh the meat, salt and cure #1 and apply in appropriate % to meat weight. Once you get used to it this is the best way.
454 grams per pound. So weigh in pounds and multiply that number by 454 for the meat.

 

[Buckeye1]

Wet Curing Bacon for Beginners

I, of course, recommend starting out with wet curing if you're doing it for the first time. It's a safe way to get your feet wet and then you can move on into dry curing and more advanced techniques as you go forward. It's wet cured with instacure #1 for 10 days, salt tested, air dried, smoked...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I used Jeff's method. The bacon came out great. I wish I would have taken more photos. Shared a bunch with family and friends. They all keep asking when I am making more.

 

[DougE]

Wet Curing Bacon for Beginners

I, of course, recommend starting out with wet curing if you're doing it for the first time. It's a safe way to get your feet wet and then you can move on into dry curing and more advanced techniques as you go forward. It's wet cured with instacure #1 for 10 days, salt tested, air dried, smoked...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I used Jeff's method. The bacon came out great. I wish I would have taken more photos. Shared a bunch with family and friends. They all keep asking when I am making more.

Try doing a dry brine next go for comparison. Wouldn't surprise me if you find it to be even better.

 

[JckDanls 07]

but if you want to do things right,

Your saying Pop's brine isn't right... I disagree with this ... Pop's brine is right as well.. and as said.. WAYYYYYY easier

 

[SmokinEdge]

Your saying Pop's brine isn't right... I disagree with this ... Pop's brine is right as well.. and as said.. WAYYYYYY easier

I do disagree with you on this Keith. Pops brine,,,,,,,,, it’s absolutely marginal, but if it works for you, that’s great. I myself will never use it again. I do respect the fact that you and many others here like it and use it though.

 

[bigolebillsbbq]

Wet Curing Bacon for Beginners

I, of course, recommend starting out with wet curing if you're doing it for the first time. It's a safe way to get your feet wet and then you can move on into dry curing and more advanced techniques as you go forward. It's wet cured with instacure #1 for 10 days, salt tested, air dried, smoked...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I used Jeff's method. The bacon came out great. I wish I would have taken more photos. Shared a bunch with family and friends. They all keep asking when I am making more.

Yeah I guess if I used 1 gallon of water with an 8.5 pound belly 1 heaping tablespoon of cure would work perfectly! Thank you!

 

[Buckeye1]

Try doing a dry brine next go for comparison. Wouldn't surprise me if you find it to be even better.

I'll have to look into that.

 

[DougE]

I'll have to look into that.

Help is just a post away if you have any questions about dry brining bacon.

 

[bigolebillsbbq]

Try doing a dry brine next go for comparison. Wouldn't surprise me if you find it to be even better.

Yeah I will definitely try that on my next go!

 

[DougE]

Yeah I will definitely try that on my next go!

Nothing overly complicated. Weigh meat, calculate amounts of cure#1, salt, and sugar needed for that weight. Mix the ingredients up, and apply about half of it to each side, including the edges. Bag it up and let it ride about 14 days, massaging and flipping, daily. The last one I did, I also dusted with coarse black pepper and granulated garlic after applying the cure.

 

[Buckeye1]

Help is just a post away if you have any questions about dry brining bacon.

That is what's great about this site.