Ok guys, here's a dumb question for ya,
I put 11 pounds of pork belly in the fridge with 11 tablespoons of TQ, some brown sugar, and a little maple syrup. I put this in on Friday afternoon (9-18-09). My plan was to pull it out of the fridge today(10 days), rinse it off, test it, maybe soak it & test it again, then dry it off a bit & put it back in the fridge to form the pellicule. Then I was going to smoke it tomorrow, because tomorrow was supposed to be sunny out. Now they changed the weather predictions to rain today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Would it hurt to keep it in the fridge another two days & smoke it Thursday?
I was told you can't cure it too long, but just how long can I keep it on hold in the fridge at 36 & 37 degrees, like it is now?
I know you're only supposed to keep the bacon in the fridge for a few days after it is smoked and sliced, so how long can I get away with holding it in it's present state before smoking it?
BTW: I'm set up on the front porch. The porch has a roof over it, but a blowing rain could get all over my Masterbuilt & my home made cold smoker (with hot plate). I'd much rather do the smoking on a non-rainy day, and not take the chance on ruining my equipment!
Thanks,
Bearcarver
PS: Yes I am taking pictures.
I put 11 pounds of pork belly in the fridge with 11 tablespoons of TQ, some brown sugar, and a little maple syrup. I put this in on Friday afternoon (9-18-09). My plan was to pull it out of the fridge today(10 days), rinse it off, test it, maybe soak it & test it again, then dry it off a bit & put it back in the fridge to form the pellicule. Then I was going to smoke it tomorrow, because tomorrow was supposed to be sunny out. Now they changed the weather predictions to rain today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Would it hurt to keep it in the fridge another two days & smoke it Thursday?
I was told you can't cure it too long, but just how long can I keep it on hold in the fridge at 36 & 37 degrees, like it is now?
I know you're only supposed to keep the bacon in the fridge for a few days after it is smoked and sliced, so how long can I get away with holding it in it's present state before smoking it?
BTW: I'm set up on the front porch. The porch has a roof over it, but a blowing rain could get all over my Masterbuilt & my home made cold smoker (with hot plate). I'd much rather do the smoking on a non-rainy day, and not take the chance on ruining my equipment!
Thanks,
Bearcarver
PS: Yes I am taking pictures.