Pop’s brine scalable?

[curmudgeonly]

I wonder if I screwed up. This is the first time trying a brine cure for bacon.

I only have a small chunk of belly and didn’t need a gallon of water to cover it, so I cut the recipe in half.

I woke up early this morning thinking maybe I shouldn’t have done that and considered dumping it out and starting over.

Do I need to, or is it okay?

 

[chopsaw]

I always mix it by the gallon , because that's what Pop's said to do .
He told me not to make half batches .

 

[in. pred]

bacon a long cure be safe! cant hurt much to start over.

 

[curmudgeonly]

i bet that was for meat to salt ratio though?

Thanks for the two replies. It’s not much to base a decision on.

I expected more replies. Surely I’m not the only one wondering about this.

 

[chopsaw]

It’s not much to base a decision on.

What more do you want to hear ?

I always mix it by the gallon , because that's what Pop's said to do .
He told me not to make half batches .

 

[gmc2003]

Thanks for the two replies. It’s not much to base a decision on.

You asked a question and chopsaw Rich(whose a very respected member) answered it. Pops didn't recommend cutting his recipe in half.

Chris

 

[Quiganomics]

What more do you want to hear ?

Some folks don't want an honest answer, they just want reassurance they're right and nothing more.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Thanks for the two replies. It’s not much to base a decision on.

I expected more replies. Surely I’m not the only one wondering about this.

Keep the meat, dump the brine. Mix up a full gallon of brine like it was meant to be. You're new, your own thoughts made you think you shouldn't have and you asked your question . The response you got is what you expected , but not hoping for. So now you have had three responses.

The members here will make sure you do things in a proper manner, especially when it comes to curing. Can't be said about everything else you see on the web.
Only thing we ask is you be respectful, without drama.

Ryan

 

[curmudgeonly]

You asked a question and chopsaw Rich(whose a very respected member) answered it. Pops didn't recommend cutting his recipe in half.

Chris

I wasn’t questioning his knowledge or ability. I was just surprised that with the forum as active as it is, there was so little response.

 

[curmudgeonly]

Keep the meat, dump the brine. Mix up a full gallon of brine like it was meant to be. You're new, your own thoughts made you think you shouldn't have and you asked your question . The response you got is what you expected , but not hoping for. So now you have had three responses.

The members here will make sure you do things in a proper manner, especially when it comes to curing. Can't be said about everything else you see on the web.
Only thing we ask is you be respectful, without drama.

Ryan

Thanks for your detailed response and for reading the situation so well.

No disrespect was intended.

 

[zwiller]

From memory, Pop's father got the brine approved with the USDA and it was the USDA that said it could not be scaled. From a common sense perspective, it should scale, but alas, USDA said that it does not. The lack of scaling is most likely a safety feature. "Half a tablespoon is 2 tsp right?"

If I went back in time to learn curing, I woulda tried Bearcarver's curing methods much earlier. I have become a HUGE fan on Tenderquick and dry curing.

 

[chopsaw]

I was just surprised that with the forum as active as it is, there was so little response.

Probably because you got the answer in post 2 . Believe me , there's times when the same thing is said many times over . Just not always needed .

His family made a living off this formula , so I trust what he told me . From there it gets complicated . Like , you can mix a gallon and use that in part , but don't mix it in halves .
The amount of cure is low to start with , so halving it weakens it to much . Has to do with concentration levels .

I'm wondering what you mixed up . Half gallon water , 1/2 TBLS cure 1 ,, how much salt and sugar ?

 

[chopsaw]

"Half a tablespoon is 2 tsp right?"

3 tsp = 1 TBLS .