New guy from WNY

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Intergalactic Captain

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 16, 2024
3
1
Hey all, been a lurker for a few years and decided to join for a few reasons. First and foremost, you guys maintain a proper forum that feels like things did 20+ years ago. Been grilling, smoking, canning etc. most of my life, but I've been meaning to get more "advanced" for a while now - bit the bullet and started with bacon this past summer.

60+# later I'm hooked, testing the waters with dry curing, and excited to see where I go.

However, we all stand on the shoulders of giants - something as simple as bacon is actually kind of terrifying when you are an outsider looking in - but the community here provided the confidence to give it a shot with confidence.

. . .

So what can I give back? A whole lot for the cheese lovers here. I've been running packaging equipment in the food industry for the past 15 years, the last 5+ being at Yancey's Fancy. Any questions you might have as to anything regarding our products or those of our controlling interest can probably be answered by me, with a couple of caveats;

None of us signed NDA's, but no trade secrets will be shared. Cheese chemistry = NO, I keep the other machines running. Anything else is fair game.
 
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Welcome from Kentucky!
60+# later I'm hooked, testing the waters with dry curing, and excited to see where I go.
Dry cure the best way to do bacon, IMO. Cures the bacon in equilibrium so it's never too salty and gives you a drier end product to smoke as opposed to doing it in a brine.
 
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Welcome aboard captain. I started my bacon and sausage making journey a year ago and I only dry cure. That's based on recommendations from the knowledgeable folks here such as Doug DougE DougE , Eric SmokinEdge SmokinEdge , John Fueling Around Fueling Around , among many others. Since you've been hanging around here for a few years, I'm sure you realize the vast knowledge and the willingness to share it, so don't hesitate to ask questions. By the way, we can help you spend your money...🤣
 
Where you hanging your hat? I'm in CheektaVegas, about 10 mins. from Sausage Maker. Did smoked sausages, ribs, etc., haven't attacked brisket yet, as don't know what to do with all that meat. Did some dry cured but can't spring for a dry curing chamber.
Be safe and welcome to the club. Good bunch of guys, willing to spread their knowledge.
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome! Haven't heard cheektavegas in years since my buddy had a place out there, I'm in lyndonville or Lockport between my place and my girlfriend's. Hopefully just one soon, looking to buy our own this year.

I went with dry equilibrium for bacon from the start for a lot of reasons and have not been disappointed. Hot smoked the first round and then built a 30gallon UDS for the rest - pellet tray in the bottom gives 2-4 hours of heavy "medium" smoke (120ish) that is perfect for us after 2 weeks of equalizing.

By dry curing I meant salumi - we tried my first round of "mini salami" last night and nobody's dead yet, so I guess the tips and tricks you guys have offered work ;) . Tonight is a different recipe, and a couple more after. I realized I could cheat time and get an idea of my drying conditions by running the same recipe in 19mm, 31mm, and 2.5" collagen casings at the same time - haven't tried the sticks yet, but the 31mm are technically perfect and the 2.5" should just about be ready to pull and equalize. Two lonzas and two pancetta tesas should be another month or so with another two and three starting next week.

My dad went nuts going into Y2K and among other things we got into food preservation. I have zero qualms with jerky, dehydrating, canning, or pressure canning - but there's always just been something unnerving about "hang up some meat and see what happens" . . . Y'all make it look too easy ;)
 
Welcome to the forum Captain. I like that moniker (Charles Gonna Smoke Gonna Smoke ) and I hope you do as well.
A few years before joining I got into wet brine curing meat. Yeah changed over to dry brine and haven't looked back. There is an infamous injection cure that I have yet to try
 
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