Refreshing Pop's brine due to small liquid capacity

[rohfan2112]

So, I'm making smoked pork chops and have put a pork rib roast into Pop's Brine. The container I'm using only allows for about a little less than 1 gallon of brine to be used. There are about 7 ribs to the roast.

Since the roast is only sitting in about 7/8 of a gallon of brine should I dump it at about the 1 week mark and add all new brine? Or should that amount of brine be okay for the entire 17-day soak? I plan on cold smoking the pork roast so I want to get the brining process perfect.

 

[JC in GB]

Pop's brine is a good all around brine. I am presenting an alternate to that method that may fit your needs.

You could do everything by weight and not have to worry about the total quantity of brine.

I use what I call the 10% brine method.

I make a brine that is 10% of the green weight of the meat for curing. This brine is mixed so when equilibrium is achieved a known quantity of salt, sugar, and NaNO2 are instilled in the meat. This brine can be injected or used as an equilibrium brine.

Example:

Canadian Style Bacon (Back bacon)

4 kg Pork
400 ml water

11 g Cure #1
70.4g NaCl = 1.85% salt = (81.4 g NaCl - Cure#1)
88 g sugar

Mix dry ingredients with water.
Hot water will make mixing easier but you will need to drop the solution to below 40 degrees before using it as a cure.

Bag your meat and push out most of the air. Flip top to bottom once a day for 7 - 13 days.

Smoke and bring IT to 150 - 155 F

Just curious, why such a long brine on pork chops? The meat should reach equilibrium in a few days at most.

JC

 

[bill ace 350]

If the brine was made according to Pops recipe, you are good as long as the meat was submerged and cured for an appropriate length of time.

 

[jcam222]

As long as the meat remains submerged you should be fine. I prefer curing the chops already cut as opposed to whole roast. Faster cure and more smoke surface area per chop.

 

[rohfan2112]

Thanks for all the comments. It appears the roast will be okay as it sits without refreshing.

JC--The chops aren't yet cut from the rib roast. I'll do that after cold smoking. I've always done a 14 day brine for bacon and Canadian bacon so I figured I should do the same with the rib roast.

 

[Fueling Around]

Thanks for all the comments. It appears the roast will be okay as it sits without refreshing.
...

No. You do not want to dump and refill with fresh brine. Too much nitrite if you go the distance for brine time.
Pop's brine is a universal cure that is not based on meat weight nor final amount used to cure your meat.
As bill ace 350 stated you need correct time in brine.

JC in GB uses the equilibrium method. I haven't tried that method, but will use on my next loin bacon.

I recently pulled a buckboard bacon pork shoulder out of Pop's (lite) brine after 20 days.
I did add more sugar 4 days prior to the completion.
It goes on the smoker tomorrow.