Bacon ruined

[lu1847]

Well I just don't get it. This is the second time in a row now that
My food has come out bitter. Yesterday I cold smoked some bacon. I used a MES 40 with a amnps with maple, hickory, and a little apple(all dust). It was about 35 degrees when I started with a about 10 mph winds. When I finished 10 hrs later it was about 29 degrees. I had the amnps lit from only one end. I had the loader out 1.5" and chip tray out 1". The dust burned for 10hrs. Well 9.45 anyway. So I didn't think that was too fast. I Had nice thin blue smoke. What I did was got the smoker to 100 then shut it off. About every hour and a half it would get down to like 70. Then I would turn it back on till 100 or so and shut off. And so on and so on. I don't know why I'm getting this stale smoke. Seems to have good airflow. I don't know if I'm back drafting or what? I did a smoke a few weeks back with cheese and had the same problem. It's been resting for two weeks now and still tastes bitter. I don't know why this just started happening. All I can think of is the cold weather. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[smoke happens]

Forget about your cheese for another 3-4 weeks, wrap it up and put it in the back of your fridge until then. I had some cheese that I over smoked and about 6 weeks later is was ok.

Is the smoker clean, any nasty things growing inside it?

 

[lu1847]

Smoke happens, it didn't look any different than normal but I'll check. I think I'm gonna crank her up to 275 and let her run all day. See if I can't get some of that bitter smell out of there.

 

[daveomak]

lu, morning......  Did you rinse and dry the bacon, form a pellicle, and get it to room temp first ?? Condensate may have formed on it collecting the smoke on the surface with no penetration....    rinse it in cold water, dry, and store in the refer to "bloom" for a few days....  It will be OK.... 

Dave

 

[lu1847]

Thanks Dave. I did rinse and dry before smoking. I think your on to it with the condensation. With the cold temps outside and the smoker getting warm then cooling. I'm definitely gonna rinse it and let sit thanks.

 

[smokinhusker]

I was cold smoking some hard boiled eggs the other day and had some condensation in there, I cracked the door just a bit and problem solved! It should be fine...let it mellow for a bit.

 

[donr]

Will increased airflow eliminate the condensation issue?

Would a small fan at the exhaust sucking out the smoke help?

Don

 

[daveomak]

Will increased airflow eliminate the condensation issue?

Would a small fan at the exhaust sucking out the smoke help?

Don

Don, evening.... warming the meat to smoker temp (70 ish), having all vents wide open to promote convection currents will stop condensate...  keeping the smoker at 70 ish is probably the main thing that will prevent condensate.....  

 

[lu1847]

I don't know guys. Trying to rinse this in cold water. It has great color but has this bitter smell. I hope it is salvageable after soaking it for a half hour or so then letting it sit in the fridge for a day or so. I guess we will see. I have an I phone and no regular computer so I can't seem to post pics. I wish i could. It might help me on this.

 

[daveomak]

I don't know guys. Trying to rinse this in cold water. It has great color but has this bitter smell. I hope it is salvageable after soaking it for a half hour or so then letting it sit in the fridge for a day or so. I guess we will see. I have an I phone and no regular computer so I can't seem to post pics. I wish i could. It might help me on this.

Your only other option is....  ?????   

 

[lu1847]

Hey Dave, just thought I would let you know that the bacon turned out great. I did rinse it off and put it back in the fridge overnight. Then the next day sliced it up and ate quite a bit of it. I guess the key was to just let it mello for a few days. Thanks for the tip.

 

[tjohnson]

Woo Hooo!

Great to hear you salvaged the bacon!!!

Bacon is not necessarily smoked the same each time.  Variables like ambient temp and humidity, can effect the smoke time.  When it's cold and/or humid out, your pellets will burn a little different, and you have to adjust accordingly.  I start my MES, just like you did, and make sure the internal temp never gets below 70°.  When it's really cold outside, I just set my MES to 100° and leave it alone.

Bacon is done smoking when you achieve the color change you're looking for.  For me, it's somewhere between 10-12 hours.  At around 8 hours, you should start seeing the color change.  This may be plenty of smoke for you, or you may want more.  Don't assume your bacon will be done in the same time for every smoke.  You're conditions are most likely different every time you smoke, and you'll have to adjust accordingly.

Separate the ends and pieces, and use them for baked beans or adding to other dishes, that you want a smoky flavor

Todd

 

[smoker21]

I tried my first bacon Wednsday and it came out a bitter also.  I left it in the fridge for about 18 hours to form a pellicle but did not wait all that long for it to reach room temp.  Outside temp was in the 50's.  I used a AMNSP with Apple pellets that lasted about 11.5 hours in a MES 40 with the flue open all the way and the chip tray open a couple of inches.

Other that waiting another hour or two, can you think of anything else I can try??

Thanks in advance.

JD
 

 

[daveomak]

I tried my first bacon Wednsday and it came out a bitter also.  I left it in the fridge for about 18 hours to form a pellicle but did not wait all that long for it to reach room temp.  Outside temp was in the 50's.  I used a AMNSP with Apple pellets that lasted about 11.5 hours in a MES 40 with the flue open all the way and the chip tray open a couple of inches.

Other that waiting another hour or two, can you think of anything else I can try??

Thanks in advance.

JD
 

JD, morning.... Place the meat in the smoker with the heat on about 100 deg.... let the meat get above ambient temp so condensate does not form on it.... water and smoke = bad flavor.... Turn the heat off if cold smoking.....   Then add smoke...    Dave 

 

[smoker21]

Thank you for your quick reply. 

I'll try what you suggested on my next batch.

JD
 

 

[shannon127]

  Dave is right on as always