Wet vs dry cure

[earthquake5683]

I've read tons of recipes and info on curing meats.  Let's use bacon for conversational reason.  Dry cure is 1 tsp per 5 lbs.  What if I was using a wet cure?  None of the recipes are consistent. I could cure in 3 gallons of water or 30.  Any insight? 

Thanks

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Nope, no insight. It's all just "Hollywood."

 

[foamheart]

Bacon

There is two excellent tutorials here. Pops which is a brine and BearCarvers which is a rub.

Here is what I understand, max heat allowable is approx. 140 degrees. The warmer the bacon the better the smoke holds on, but you don't want to "Cook" it or render the fat. So from what I have seen some do cold smoke with a smoke generator the entire smoke. Some of the more seasoned veterans do extended smokes gradually increasing the temp from 100 to approx. 140 carefully watching to not render the bacon. Some small amounts of weight loss are generally given to loss of water from curing. Less than 5% seems acceptable.

Cold smoking can but doesn't require a cooling medium like ice. More normally its achieved by just using a smoke generator with no additional heat from the smoker.

If you still have questions and don't we all I would suggest you read either:

Bearcarvers Tutorial

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/108099/bacon-extra-smoky

 Craigs Tutorial (Pops Brine)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/124885/bacon-made-the-easy-way

 These guys are ahead of the curve on makin bacon.

Standard cure is a dry rub, and is a mathematician's dream. The brine or wet cure above is courtesy of Pop Fassett (Pop's Father). He designed it and had it certified by the USDA if I remember the history I read on it somewhere here on the board.

Cure is not open to interpertation. Its is a fixed science, and deviation can cause serious sickness and injury.

 

[susieqz]

 i bow to pops.