Getting rid of smoke smell from drying chamber

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bernieross

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 30, 2017
34
11
I'd like to try drying some cold-smoked, dry-cured bacon. It shouldn't need to be taken down to the full 70%, as it will be cooked. My curing chamber is a converted small (under-the-worktop size), old fridge with humidifier, de-humidifier and relay switches. It's been perfect so far for drying coppa and guanciale. My worry is that the smoke smell will be impossible to get rid of afterwards, and will give a smoke flavour to my next batch of coppa or other unsmoked meat. I hung my last batch of smoked bacon in a cupboard, and it still smells of smoke 2 months later! My curing chamber doesn't (yet) have a fan in it, but I'm not sure it would make much difference, as I open it each day to check progress. I'm wondering if anyone knows a good method for getting rid of the smoke smell when the bacon is finished? Thanks!
 
No. It's too much of a risk - to buy a pork shoulder, prepare it, cure it, stuff it into a beef bung, truss it, hang it, attend to it lovingly for 2 months, and then it turns out smokey! I'd rather not. But if the smoke smell won't transfer, it would be good news, as I could hang smoked and unsmoked meat together. I doubt that will happen though, judging by the amount of time it took to get the smoke smell out of my cupboard, after I hung some cold-smoked bacon in there.
 
Would an open box of baking soda work?

Chris
 
Don't know - a good shout though, and it seems worth a try! I'm really looking for an idea that someone has tried, and succeeded, in rehabilitating a curing chamber after hanging smoked meat.
 
Wipe it down with a damp soapy sponge(unscented soap)?

Wipe again with plain water?

give it a try
 
One reason I'm nervous is that the chamber is currently empty - I took out a coppa and a guanciale about a week ago. I've (twice now) sprayed the inside with clear vinegar, wiped it down, left the door open for it to air, but it still smells strongly of drying pork with a hint of ammonia. If getting rid of the smell of unsmoked meat is so difficult, I'm thinking that putting smoked meat in there might well be terminal! But thanks guys - I'll just put the smoked bacon in there and then try using baking soda. After all, it's only an old small, cheap fridge. I really should find something more important to worry about ! :-)
 
In the end I just used some baking soda and vineagar, and left it with the door open for a few days. It still smells a bit, but I don't think it will be a disaster for anything. Haven't put anything new in there yet.
 
I went ahead and put my slab in it lastnight after 5 hour smoke. Gonna do another 5 hours today. But I put a baking soda in it too and will hope for the best like you!
 
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