smoking bacon... COLD OR HOT SMOKE?

[Bearcarver]

My apologies for the thread derailment, to get back to the original topic, my newb 2 cents is that I did my first ever hot smoke of bacon and I don't really plan on going back to cold. I found that it got more smoke flavor in in the same amount of time, the bacon is easier to slice (I just have a kitchen knife), and the fat rendered out much better when cooking, leading to the sort of crispy bacon I expect from store-bought. Cold-smoked bacon tends to be a little chewy, at least when I've messed with it.

I never tried "Hot Smoked" Bacon, but what you say about it is also true about the Bacon I make, and I Smoke mine at Smoker Temps between 100° and 130°. Gets Great color & Flavor in less time, yet doesn't render any fat during smoking.

Bear

 

[River Bend]

Can anyone give me the storage life of warm/cold smoked cured bacon and hams in the freezer? Im looking at doing a whole pig into sausage/hams and was wondering how long I can store the meat after smoking the Bacon and hams. Do you think you can get more freezer life from green meat or smoked/cured meat. I have searched the net and find anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 5-6 months and would just love some expert advise. Thanks

 

[Joe Sargent]

O.K. I have 3 slabs of bacon, with 3 varities of dry cures. I am almost ready to smoke and I am reading a lot of different options on smoking times and temperatures. Any advice on which methood is preferred for bacon?
Thanks,
Greg

Cold smoke

 

[Bearcarver]

Can anyone give me the storage life of warm/cold smoked cured bacon and hams in the freezer? Im looking at doing a whole pig into sausage/hams and was wondering how long I can store the meat after smoking the Bacon and hams. Do you think you can get more freezer life from green meat or smoked/cured meat. I have searched the net and find anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 5-6 months and would just love some expert advise. Thanks

I'm not an expert, but after 9 years of Vac Packing & freezing:
Raw or smoked, I haven't run into anything that won't last at least 2 years in my -0° Freezer if properly vacuum packed.

Bear

 

[River Bend]

I'm not an expert, but after 9 years of Vac Packing & freezing:
Raw or smoked, I haven't run into anything that won't last at least 2 years in my -0° Freezer if properly vacuum packed.

Bear

Thanks for your info bear, I have never had any problems with store bought meat going bad in a good vac sealed bag but I wasn't sure about home smoked and cured meats. I have never cured/smoked meat for the freezer before its always been smoke and eat lol.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks for your info bear, I have never had any problems with store bought meat going bad in a good vac sealed bag but I wasn't sure about home smoked and cured meats. I have never cured/smoked meat for the freezer before its always been smoke and eat lol.

About the only cooked things I freeze for long periods (in my basement chest freezer) are the things I make a lot of at one time, such as Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Buckboard Bacon, and Dried Beef, and I've had some of that frozen as long as 2 to 3 years, without a problem.
Everything else gets eaten within a few days, and maybe some leftover frozen in our kitchen freezer for a few weeks to a couple months.

Bear

 

[JBPilot]

Almost anything can be kept for a whole lot longer than you think as long as it has been properly vacuum sealed and kept frozen. If you’re in a part of the country that occasionally has power outages (I was growing up) you can take a quart ziplock bag and fill it full of water and freeze it on it’s side so it’s flat. After that put it into your freezer standing upright. That way if you ever lose power you’ll know if your freezer thawed out or not.

I’ve opened and ate meat that was 4+ years old that was properly vacuum sealed and it tasted just as good as meat fresh from the field.

 

[megownm]

A lot of good info in here!

Thanx!

 

[HowlingDog]

I guess I am one of the few who smoke my bacon a bit warmer than a "warm smoke" but not as hot as a "hot smoke - 220+" I try to run about 160-170 ish and get to an IT of about 165 ish. I do use cure #1 but the folks that I share with like the extra temperature. I usually go for about 4 hours using an A Maze N tube in my wood smoker (using charcoal and some wood chunks as well). I may have to bump the temp up a bit at the end but I get good flavor and color. The longest I have smoked is about 5.5 hours at 160-170. There is a little fat rendering but nothing too bad (but I have been known to trim a bit if it is too much so). Everyone loves it!!

 

[Bearcarver]

I guess I am one of the few who smoke my bacon a bit warmer than a "warm smoke" but not as hot as a "hot smoke - 220+" I try to run about 160-170 ish and get to an IT of about 165 ish. I do use cure #1 but the folks that I share with like the extra temperature. I usually go for about 4 hours using an A Maze N tube in my wood smoker (using charcoal and some wood chunks as well). I may have to bump the temp up a bit at the end but I get good flavor and color. The longest I have smoked is about 5.5 hours at 160-170. There is a little fat rendering but nothing too bad (but I have been known to trim a bit if it is too much so). Everyone loves it!!

View attachment 491523

<<<Everyone Loves It!!>>>
That's What Really Matters !!

Bear