Maple and Cajun BBB Inda Smokehouse

[indaswamp]

Boston butts on sale this week....$0.98/lb. So I picked up a double pack 5 days ago. deboned and butterflied them, weighed, sugar cure rubbed in and some real maple extract, about 1/2 TBSP. per slab.
Tonight I opened the frig. and stared....nope, not enough. So I went back and picked up another double pack. This batch will be Cajun bacon made with Steens syrup.

I plan to smoke the Maple BBB with Cherry, Apple, and Maple blend pellet dust. The Cajun BBB with be smoked with hickory pellet dust.

Maple comes out of the cure in another 10 days, then 7 days in the frig. to let the sugar catch up with the salt and equalize, dry out a little bit and get tacky. Then 2 nights of cold smoke...

Here they are inda frig...

Maple on top, Cajun on bottom.

 

[indaswamp]

Thanks Preacher Man...
Almost 40# of Bacon curing. Is it enough now??? LOL!!!!!

 

[indaswamp]

Went with 1.75% salt, 1.75% dark brown sugar, and 156ppm cure #1. 156ppm because I am double smoking and the cure will dissipate over the duration of the cook.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Awesome curing going on at your house when is the dead line for mail order.

Warren

 

[indaswamp]

Awesome curing going on at your house when is the dead line for mail order.

Warren

I'm really excited to have my curing fridge!!! I'm about to start an venison Bresaola with umia dry bags but I need to get the bottom round from my cousin first.
I also want to do a coppa....I may splurge on the cut for that though...I have access to heritage bred pork at a local butcher shop. Locally sourced, pasture raised.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Its great to gain the equipment we like to have.

Warren

 

[indaswamp]

Its great to gain the equipment we like to have.

Warren

Not my first jump into cold smoking....I have helped my buddy prep and smoke using his smokehouse and his equipment. This is the first time cold smoking in my smokehouse. I have the AMNTS Oval...have not decided if I'm going to run an external pipe or leave it in the smoke chamber though. Still undecided and doing trial runs.

 

[indaswamp]

Forgot to update this thread...

I pulled the slabs out of the curing bags on 3/14/19 after 14 days in the cure. Rinsed them off and did a fry test...

I used 2.5% salt in the cure on this batch; little too salty for my liking so I did a 2 hour soak and fry tested it again. Much better.

I had been looking for a way to hang my bacon in the fridge. I found my answer... Had these old stainless steel oven racks that I was going to use as racks in my smoker but they are not big enough..

So using a 4" grinder with a cut off wheel, I cut the curved end off...

Then bent the prongs up more...

Boom....perfect bacon hangers!

I can make a dozen bacon hangers out of these 2 racks.

If you ever run across an old oven, pull the racks out and make you some bacon hangers rather than paying the $10 bucks they want for them...

 

[pc farmer]

I have 3 oven racks. Thanks

 

[indaswamp]

I have 3 oven racks. Thanks

<thumbs up>
I have some stainless steel TIG wire...I'm going to make a hanger hook for each rack and have my buddy tack weld them on for me. You will probably have enough wire in the racks to make hangers if you know someone that can weld them for you...

 

[pc farmer]

<thumbs up>
I have some stainless steel TIG wire...I'm going to make a hanger hook for each rack and have my buddy tack weld them on for me. You will probably have enough wire in the racks to make hangers if you know someone that can weld them for you...

I have a buddy that can tig weld them. Might try to mig them thou

 

[indaswamp]

Cool...I think my buddy will probably MIG them too.

 

[indaswamp]

I may try and pick up a couple more racks... Have a friend that works for the city and have access to the junk pile where they put all the 'white goods' (freezers, refrigerators, ovens and such).

 

[indaswamp]

Tonight is smoke night. I took the slabs out of the fridge @7pm and hung them in front of a fan in the house to warm up to above smokehouse temp. for 3 hours. Hung the slabs in the smokehouse @10pm; ambient temp. was @ 53* and falling. Lit the dust (50% maple, 25% cherry, 25% apple) and she's rolling sweet TBS to 'em all night...will hang in the fridge in the am and repeat tomorrow night...may do a third night...I'll post a pic. in the morning.

Will pull out the cajun slabs to dry in the morning as well. Those will hit the smokehouse in 5~7 days...

 

[indaswamp]

First night of cold smoke on the BBB finished...

Starting to get a little color on the slabs...
Back in the fridge until this afternoon for round #2.

 

[indaswamp]

2 nights of smoke complete...

Taking smoke beautifully....after a fry test, no bitterness at all. 18 hours of smoke so far, Going to smoke at least i more night tonight....

 

[chopsaw]

Lookin good . I like the oven rack idea .

 

[indaswamp]

<thumbs up>

 

[indaswamp]

27 hours of cold smoke complete...

Sample slices...

 

[indaswamp]

Got my tomatoes in the ground on the 21st of March...

I'm looking forward to the first BLT with homemade bacon and home grown tomatoes!!

But I just could not wait! I called my buddy that has a hydroponic farm and bartered a fresh tomato for some bacon...

Oh My!!! Sooooooo gooood!!!!!! I might go fix me another one!!! LOL!