Need some first time bacon advice please

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

eichhoma

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 30, 2010
61
11
St. Louis, MO
I picked up a 12 lb pork belly from my local butcher yesterday because I have been dying to try making my own bacon for quite some time.  I have been reading lots and lots of posts on here looking at how others do it on here and I come down to a couple questions I would like to ask to determine my best first time approach here.

I have a large stick burner (Horizon) and I have never cold smoked.  Is there an easy way for me to do that with my smoker or should I do a hot a smoke?  I did notice quite a few posts where fellas seem to prefer a cold smoke than a hot smoke on a belly.  I really struggle to maintain a temp under 200* in my smoker with any consistency at all.

Wet brine vs dry - looks like I see more folks doing the dry and am wondering which would be the recommendation for a first time novice making bacon from pork belly?  I really REALLY don't want to get my family sick - just looking for the most reliable and safe way to get it cured that will impart some good taste for a newbie like me....

Really appreciate any advice I can get on best way to go about trying this for the first time, thanks !

Mark
 
 
I picked up a 12 lb pork belly from my local butcher yesterday because I have been dying to try making my own bacon for quite some time.  I have been reading lots and lots of posts on here looking at how others do it on here and I come down to a couple questions I would like to ask to determine my best first time approach here.

I have a large stick burner (Horizon) and I have never cold smoked.  Is there an easy way for me to do that with my smoker or should I do a hot a smoke?  I did notice quite a few posts where fellas seem to prefer a cold smoke than a hot smoke on a belly.  I really struggle to maintain a temp under 200* in my smoker with any consistency at all. You can get a AMNTS or use a couple of briquettes and a few chips and add a little every 30 min or so. I have used my AMNPS in my UDS to make some fine bacon that was smoked for 40 hours. Smoking at night and resting in the fridge during the day.

Wet brine vs dry - looks like I see more folks doing the dry and am wondering which would be the recommendation for a first time novice making bacon from pork belly?  I really REALLY don't want to get my family sick - just looking for the most reliable and safe way to get it cured that will impart some good taste for a newbie like me.... I have done both and they are easy. I now prefer dry and turn a couple of times every day.

Really appreciate any advice I can get on best way to go about trying this for the first time, thanks !

Mark
Take a look at Pop's wet cure and Bearcarvers Step-By- Step for dry. Maybe try them both and see which you prefer.

Happy smoken.

David
 
What is exactly is AMNTS - or what does it stand for ??  Is that the wood dust that you light and it real slowly burns over a 12 hour period of time? Any idea what temp that would smoke at in a 20" steel offset wood burner?   thanks so much for your reply
 
 
What is exactly is AMNTS - or what does it stand for ??  Is that the wood dust that you light and it real slowly burns over a 12 hour period of time? Any idea what temp that would smoke at in a 20" steel offset wood burner?   thanks so much for your reply
It would smoke pretty close to ambient temp. Tropics has you covered on what it is.

Happy smoken.

David
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky