What did I do wrong

[Bennenrkc]

10 lbs of belly cut in half exactly 5 lbs a piece
5 tablespoons of MTQ per 5lb chunk
a little bit of brown sugar in each
5.5 days in the fridge flipped daily
Took out of fridge cut 1 of them in half to make sure it looked cured all the way through, it did.
Cut and fried a test strip - was a little salty so I put in a water bath for an hour, rinsed, dried let rest for 1 hour
Started smoker, and placed in the smoker about 8:30 p.m. watched all night never got over 135.
took off at 7:00 this morning. Cut off a few test strips fried and the taste is off. It doesn't taste like an ashtray, it is too salty but it has somewhat of a different aftertaste.
They are currently in the fridge in ziplocks slightly opened so they breathe was going to wait until tomorrow to slice and freeze but now am not sure it is worth the effort.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[SmokinAl]

I don't use TQ, so I don't know what the proper amounts are, but from the size of the bacon strips. That looks like at least a 2" thick belly. It would seem to me that 5 days is not a long enough cure time.
I use cure #1 & cure my bellies for 2 weeks. I don't think you cured it long enough, but then again I don't know the specifics of TQ.
Al

 

[Laftpig]

Hello Bennenrck

I am by no means an expert on anything but 10 pounds of belly and only 5.5 days of curing doesn’t sound correct, should be longer, and would effect taste. The problem I found with MTQ is you can’t control the amount of salt in the product. Once smoked I don’t think there is much you can do about the salt content. It should taste good now might improve with strech in refrigerator but unlikely. Save for soups etc.

 

[Bennenrkc]

Please correct me, but I have read several places that it was a 1/4" a day which means that 1/4 top and 1/4 bottom I needed 4 days for the cure to hit the middle. When I put it in I measured it and it was just under 2 inches at the thickest, smoking it seemed to cause it to contract a little, makes me think I smoked it at too high of a temp, but that shouldn't affect flavor.

The next batch of bacon will probably use cure #1 so I can reduce the salt because it is still a little salty. The quick fry test I did after soaking it for the hour had it about right and my wife and I thought it tasted excellent at that point. which makes me think it is something I did smoking. (I wonder if my smoker a rec tec with the cold box isn't giving me enough clean smoke after reading some of MR. T's threads here.

 

[Laftpig]

Bennenrkc

I follow what Bearcarver posts and your 1/4” on each side is one way of looking at it and is the same as the 1/2” per day plus 2 days plus 3 days to be on the safe side. Yours may well be cured so it may not be your problem. Lots of things can go wrong with smoking techniques.

 

[Bennenrkc]

So, I just rinsed off one of the pieces to try and get some of the smoke off (I am beginning to think that I had dirty smoke and read that doing so can help) fried 1 slice up and tastes excellent albeit a little salty.

Laftpig: your points above are well taken I will be a little more patient from here on to ensure that I am not screwing up the cure process. From what I have read I should be fine but I should have added a safety margin, and throw out this recipe for two reasons, 1 too short of a cure, and 2 too salty

 

[smokin pop-pop]

What flavor of smoke did you use

 

[Laftpig]

Deleted

 

[daveomak]

Well, now there's one more suggestion.... Cure meats at 7 days per inch... I cure my pork belly for 12-14 days....

 

[chopsaw]

What was your fridge temp during curing ?

 

[piker]

I have made a lot of bacon over the years. I am not of fan of tender quick because in order to get enough cure there is too much salt. I have a specific recipe I use for bacon that I got off a site some time ago. I forget the amt of salt but I can honestly say everyone loves my bacon. Mind you I have access to some real meaty pork bellies and I vacuum pack them, turn daily for at least ten days for a 2 or 3 lb. piece.I take them to an I.t. Of 130 to 135f in the smoker. I only smoke for one hour as I like it like it lightly smoked. I usually do about 45 lbs. per year.