Newbie Bacon question

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txshrkbait

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2014
1
10
I bought 25 lbs of pork bellies.1.5"thick, took the skin off and followed the directions and weighed everything out using prague powder #1 brown sugar and salt. mixed up really well and spread on evenly. Bagged them up individually and put them in the fridge on the second, turning them every day
I was planning on cold smoking them this weekend, but I'm not sure theyre ready yet. They have not released much liquid at all and some of the color is still the same as when I started.
???How do you know for sure when they are cured enough???

/ message
 
 
I bought 25 lbs of pork bellies.1.5"thick, took the skin off and followed the directions and weighed everything out using prague powder #1 brown sugar and salt. mixed up really well and spread on evenly. Bagged them up individually and put them in the fridge on the second, turning them every day
I was planning on cold smoking them this weekend, but I'm not sure theyre ready yet. They have not released much liquid at all and some of the color is still the same as when I started.
???How do you know for sure when they are cured enough???

/ message
I weigh every piece and cure that piece. Then I move to the next and repeat. and so on. Then I take the 1.5" that you said yours is and divide by 2 since the cure is coming in from 2 directions. So that is 3/4". The cure will penetrate 1/4" per day so that is 3 days. You add 2 days to that just for any error in spreading the cure or in thickness. So that is 5 days minimum. You should turn it daily. Don't expect much liquid as it will be drawn back into the meat. Their is no harm at all in going much longer in the cure.

The only way to know for sure is to do everything right. 

Happy smoken.

David
 
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