New to makin bacon and have lots of questions

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dave from mesa

Meat Mopper
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Dec 8, 2009
279
14
Mesa, az
Not sure this is in the right area as there is a "bacon" and a "smoking Bacon" forum here. Not sure why. If it needs to be move Mods plz do.

OK Never smoked bacon before. Been reading all the posts and am getting more and more confused. Would like bacon like you buy from the store but better. Have access to pink salt. Plan on doing about 2 lbs of bellies at a time till I get this figured out. Gonna make a mailbox set up but still have time to do this.

So on to the questions.

Wet or dry cure? Which is easiest for the beginner? Have seen Pops wet and Bears dry cure. Both sound great.

What does this pellicle look like?

Weather is getting cooler but read here somewhere that you can smoke at night and take it out and smoke the next night. Is this correct? Still sorta warm during the day.

After brining I should cut a few slices and fry them. Is this just to check for saltyness?

Does doing 2# vs a whole slab make a diif in the smoking time?

I see some ppl lay the bellies flat and some have them straight up. Any reason for this and does it make a diff in the end?

I like kinda heavy smoke so how long would be enough?

Sorry for the long post and I am sure that I will have more questions.

thanks

dave
 
 
Not sure this is in the right area as there is a "bacon" and a "smoking Bacon" forum here. Not sure why. If it needs to be move Mods plz do.

OK Never smoked bacon before. Been reading all the posts and am getting more and more confused. Would like bacon like you buy from the store but better. Have access to pink salt. Plan on doing about 2 lbs of bellies at a time till I get this figured out. Gonna make a mailbox set up but still have time to do this.

So on to the questions.

Wet or dry cure? Which is easiest for the beginner? Have seen Pops wet and Bears dry cure. Both sound great.

What does this pellicle look like?

Air drying the meat after an hour or so, the meat gets a "sticky" feel to it. Can't really see it, you have to feel it. 

Weather is getting cooler but read here somewhere that you can smoke at night and take it out and smoke the next night. Is this correct? Still sorta warm during the day.

You can do that if you want. Some have success doing it. I like to smoke bacon at 100[sup]0[/sup]  so I don't worry too much about the outside temp

After brining I should cut a few slices and fry them. Is this just to check for saltyness?

Yes. I use a dry cure myself and will test fry a strip or two after soaking the bellies 

Does doing 2# vs a whole slab make a diif in the smoking time?

No

I see some ppl lay the bellies flat and some have them straight up. Any reason for this and does it make a diff in the end?

Depends on how big a smoker you have. My Bradleys work better and i can get more meat in them laying flat. Tradition says you hang them. All up to you. If you hang them the bellies do have a tendency to stretch'

I like kinda heavy smoke so how long would be enough?

Heavy smoke to me is at least 5 hours on up. I gauge it by how the meat looks after 5-6 hours. I like a dark mahogany look to them

Sorry for the long post and I am sure that I will have more questions.

No Problem

thanks

dave
 
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