Roll Call From Mississippi

[themainman]

My name is Ricky Main and I'm from Mississippi I don't have a smoker yet but am planing on building a smoker like ATCNick's

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/130460/cedar-smokehouse-construction/60

except I'm planning on using cypress instead of cedar. I don't plan on doing a lot of BBQ smoking my main reason for building the smoker is because I have a large farm and raise my own pork and beef. The man I use to butcher uses chemicals to cure ham, bacon, and sausage. I am wanting to get them green then smoke them myself but am sure once I get to using the smoker I will be using it for a lot more. If you have any suggestions I would be very grateful since I have never built a smoker or smoked before. What woods do y'all like for ham, sausage, and bacon.

Thanks Ricky

 

[alblancher]

If you are cold smoking meat you will be using cures.  Anything that will go in low temperature, low oxygen environment for any length of time should be cured.  If you can get your smokehouse temps up over 200 degrees you have more options.

Welcome to the forum

 

[themainman]

From what I read on ATCNick's smoke house it was hard for him to keep it below 180

 

[alblancher]

Are you familiar with the differences between cold and hot smoking?  Their intended uses?  You mentioned bacon.  Bacon is normally cold smoked, sliced and fried.

 

[themainman]

I watched a video on YouTube a man cured it in fridge for 5 days then smoked at 180 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours then put back in fridge, sliced, and fried will this work well and what temps is good to smoke sausage.
Thanks for reply

 

[gary s]

[h3]

Hello and welcome from East Texas. This is a great site, lots of information and great people that are willing to throw in their two cents worth on about anything.   [/h3][h3]  [/h3][h3]Gary[/h3]

 

[alblancher]

I am opening a can of worms here but in my opinion bacon has to be cured, cold smoked, chilled and allowed to rest before frying or freezing.  The 180 degree cooking temperature will "cook" the bacon and you'll probably loose some of the nice fat.  I don't think 1 1/2 hours is enough time to get sufficient smoke into the meat.

When I prepare bacon I dry cure at least 10 days, smoke at least 24 hours, rest in fridge at least an additional week.  But that's the way I do it.

If I am preparing a large amount of sausage I will cure it for at least 4 days, cold smoke at least 10 hours, and let rest at least 48 hours.  It then goes on a smoker at 140 - 180 degrees for a couple of hours and the cooking temp gets gradually raised until the IT of the sausage gets to a safe temperature.  Or I freeze it after cold smoking for final cooking later.  Smaller amounts of fresh sausage (not cured) are ground, mixed, stuffed, allowed to rest 24 hours and then smoked. Your smoker temperature can be what ever you want it to be but we normally start on the low side and gradually raise it to normal 225 - 250 cooking temps.    Sausage and bellies can loose a lot of fat when cooked at too high a temperature and they take a long time to absorb all that good smoke you are looking for.

The smokehouse you describe will work fine for most of what you want to cook.  If you intend to cold smoke you can make use of the cooking area of your smoker and just provide an alternative cool smoke source. 

There is a lot to learn about the different styles of cooking the members of this forum use.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Ricky

Welcome to the Smoking  forum.   You’ll find great , friendly people here, all more than willing to answer any question you may have.  Just ask and you’ll get about 10 different answers—all right.  LOL.   Don’t forget to post qviews.

Gary

 

[themainman]

If you are cold smoking meat you will be using cures.  Anything that will go in low temperature, low oxygen environment for any length of time should be cured.  If you can get your smokehouse temps up over 200 degrees you have more options.

Welcome to the forum

Are you familiar with the differences between cold and hot smoking?  Their intended uses?  You mentioned bacon.  Bacon is normally cold smoked, sliced and fried.

I am opening a can of worms here but in my opinion bacon has to be cured, cold smoked, chilled and allowed to rest before frying or freezing.  The 180 degree cooking temperature will "cook" the bacon and you'll probably loose some of the nice fat.  I don't think 1 1/2 hours is enough time to get sufficient smoke into the meat.

When I prepare bacon I dry cure at least 10 days, smoke at least 24 hours, rest in fridge at least an additional week.  But that's the way I do it.

If I am preparing a large amount of sausage I will cure it for at least 4 days, cold smoke at least 10 hours, and let rest at least 48 hours.  It then goes on a smoker at 140 - 180 degrees for a couple of hours and the cooking temp gets gradually raised until the IT of the sausage gets to a safe temperature.  Or I freeze it after cold smoking for final cooking later.  Smaller amounts of fresh sausage (not cured) are ground, mixed, stuffed, allowed to rest 24 hours and then smoked. Your smoker temperature can be what ever you want it to be but we normally start on the low side and gradually raise it to normal 225 - 250 cooking temps.    Sausage and bellies can loose a lot of fat when cooked at too high a temperature and they take a long time to absorb all that good smoke you are looking for.

The smokehouse you describe will work fine for most of what you want to cook.  If you intend to cold smoke you can make use of the cooking area of your smoker and just provide an alternative cool smoke source. 

There is a lot to learn about the different styles of cooking the members of this forum use.

How do u cure your bacon and sausage?