Starting bacon for the first time (do I have this right)

[veener88]

Today I picked up our hog that we got at the fair this year and I have one about 2-3lb side in the fridge defrosting. The other 5 are in the freezer want to make sure I get one down before doing them all. I did get the cure from the butchter and they stated to us a 10-1 ratio. So I am guessing for about every 10oz of water I use 1 oz of cure from how it sounded?

What I want to do is get the side in the cure tomarrow and then let is stay in the fridge that I have at about 38F till about sunday morning. From there I want to get the smoker going that morning.

From what I have read is that I want to smoke at around a very cool about 150deg? I am just not sure how long to leave it in smoker. The butcher did tell me that about 1/2 an hour after I pull it from the smoker is the easyest time to pull the skin off the bacon.

Thanks for any tips on this I have been searching I just want to make sure I have the right.

 

[joed617]

Veneer, After the belly is cured it's bacon. The time you smoke it is up to you depending on how smokey you like it.. I smoked mine today at 100deg for 5 hours using hickory .. as far as your butchers cure I have no idea .. I just use kosha salt and sugar no nitrates ..
I would think 150deg would be a li'l high seeing how a rare piece of meat is for me 140deg. But then again .. I could be wrong.
Your math on the 10 to 1 ratio is good... btw .. we want pics .. laugh
Joe

 

[dacdots]

Veener,check my thread titled Cristmas Day Bacons,that will give you a good idea of my method with pics.

 

[veener88]

Thanks,

I just have a quick question I see your brine was

5 quarts of ice water 38-40 deg
1 1/3 cup powdered dextrose
1/3 cup instacure #1
1 lb salt

The cure I have reminds me a lot of brown suger in textrure.

So for me would I take what you have 1 1/3 cup powdered dextrose , 1/3 cup instacure #1 , 1 lb salt and just equal that into the cure that I got from my butcher? This is the main part that is confusing me over all is just the amount to use. The reason in most searches like yours I found you make your own.

****edit*****

I called my butcher I found out I was making this much more harder then it should be. For the bacon they said to coat it in the cure like a rub all over and in every crevis and make sure it is fully covered in water. For the ham it is 1 lb of cure for every 10lbs of pork. So I found about plasic container and I fulled cover the pork side in cure and half filled the container with water I would say about 1/2 gal. When I put it in it was not fully covered so I added about 6 more cups water.

So now it is in the fridge I have it at about 38deg in temp and I will keep in in there till Sunday so it will be in there for about 5 days and then I will get it on the smoker. Then it will be the fun of trying to smoke it. I think I will do it for about 4 hours at 150 and see how it goes.

I have to say this has been fun so far just learning this. If someone would have told me that about 3 years ago when I got this smoker that I would be making my own bacon and buying a hog from the fair for it, and mostly going though about 300lb of lump cole and about 60lbs of wood I would never have belived it.

 

[veener88]

Ok got my first slab of bacon done. I made I would say is about 2.5 lbs. I let is stay in the frige and cure for 6 days. I smoked it at about 125 for 7 hours. (I think I made a mistake when I but it skin side down because the smoking did not get into it till I filped it. After smoking I cut off the skin and let it sit. After about 20 min it was time time to cut. All I have to say is my meat slicer did not like it. The meat was flexable and I have to slice it a little thiker then I like. I am wondering of I would put it in the fridge over night or something before cutting to get the meat a bit more stiff. But I do have to say the bacon is ver good. It has a very nice sweet taste to it and with it being a fresh hog the meat has a great taste so much that I am happy I did not use a rub.

Thanks for your help on this in about 2 weeks I will get a 2nd batch going I have 5 about 3 lb packages still to make.

 

[joed617]

Veneer .. Its easier to remove the skin after it's smoked ... I remove it before I dry cure it . .. and it's easier to slice if you put it in the freezer for awhile first .. Congratulations ... on making your first bacon..

Joe