I will add my opinion 2 say I tried all 3 ways & will not do anything but cold smoke my bacon any more the whole texture is better & my family want me to cold smoke from here now on stead of hot or warm just my opinion plus have to keep family happy lol. I checked sum threads & seems like a lotta high rollers here think the same
~~ DiggingDogFarm offline 4,146 Posts. Joined 6/2011 Location: Finger Lakes Region of New York State Points: 91 Cold smoking is the way to go, 70-75 degrees or less. Because of the high fat content, warm or hot smoked bacon can have a "warmed over" flavor that's unappealing. The length of time you smoke is a matter of personal preference. I cold smoke for a minimum of 8-12 hours, if I smoke longer than that, I allow for a break in between smokes.....it's good to let the bacon "breath" for a while. The bacon should be brought up to the working temp of the smoker to avoid condensation, The surface should be dry or slightly tacky to the touch so the smoke clings well. HTH ~Martin
~~ DaveOmak OTBS Member offline 10,220 Posts. Joined 11/2010 Location: Omak,Washington,U.S.A. Points: 195 Different fats, in the pig, melt at different temps.... same with beef, lamb etc.... You do not want the fat to melt while applying smoke.... I cold smoke all my bacon below 70 deg. F..... After smoking, the temp can be raised to partially cook it.... I prefer to not precook my bacon... Dave Melting point backfat: 30–40 °C (86–104 °F) leaf fat: 43–48 °C (109–118 °F) mixed fat: 36–45 °C (97–113 °F)
~~ dirtsailor2003 OTBS Member offline 5,738 Posts. Joined 10/2012 Location: Bend Oregon Points: 108 Tasty looking bacon! I prefer cold smoked bacon to hot smoked. Typically I smoke my bacon for around 6 hours, put in the fridge for a days rest, then repeat the smoke process. I do this several times until I get the color I am looking for. Usually around 16-24 hours of smoke total when all said and done. After I get the bacon where I want it I let it rest in the fridge for a couple days before slicing and packaging.