Country Cured Ham - From Go to Show: Q/View

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awesomeness.  Now I realize that along with rinsing mine and scrubbing it with a brush that I probably should have cold soaked it for an hour as you did.  Oh well, I am moving forward with massive salty ham and will cold smoke that baby this sunday!

That is.. unless anyone thinks I can soak it for an hour tonight, let it re-hang in the fridge until Sunday and it would still be good to cold smoke and have most of that water evaporate out by Sunday?
 
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The ham's taking on an interesting appearance, Mr. T. Any surprises yet?

Also, you're 2 months into this ham. Are you thinking of starting anytime soon as part of an ongoing rotation?
 
No surprises yet.  Everything seems to be going as it should. Knocking on wood.

Picked up two pork bellies and ordered another ham today.  Get it next week.
 
No surprises yet.  Everything seems to be going as it should. Knocking on wood.

Picked up two pork bellies and ordered another ham today.  Get it next week.
Sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck.

Are you going to take the same approach with the next ham, or do something different?
 
Are you going to take the same approach with the next ham, or do something different?
I think I will use the same curing process that was used on the last one as it is working well, but may adjust the time that it is aged.  Thinking of six months.
 
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the wait is killing me. i want ham! SHOW ME THE HAM!

happy smoken.

david
 
Mr T... how long do you plan on cold smoking this baby once it is done it's equalization period?

I gave my ham 7 hours of cold smoke on Sunday, and then another 8 hours of cold smoke yesterday, using my AMNS with the pitmaster's blend of dust.  Wondering if I should put her back in there for another session on Wednesday.  If I can give her another 8, that would be 24 hours total, which I believe is one of the recommendations for total smoke time.
 
Mr T... how long do you plan on cold smoking this baby once it is done it's equalization period?

I gave my ham 7 hours of cold smoke on Sunday, and then another 8 hours of cold smoke yesterday, using my AMNS with the pitmaster's blend of dust.  
trizzuth,  Using the pitmaster blend pellets with a AMNPS, I smoke my bacon for 72 hours to obtain a good color and leaves a very good smoke taste to the finished product.  That being said, I presume the ham will take at least that long.  I will be smoking this one with hickory pellets though.  Will be taking it to a chestnut color.  If I have to, I will use the Smoke Daddy also.

 How is your color and how did the big smoker work for you?

T
 
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I'm with you, but am thinking Christmas or maybe Thanksgiving at the earliest.
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Will start another next week.  Might try it this fall.
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I'm willing to wait maybe by then  q-view will be a thing of the past and they will have figured out sample-Q!  Just grab a piece right from the screen, mmmmm. Course that might lead to fewer postings...
 
Need to post pics. Hot damed she smells amazing and looks just about the part too. I rubbed a little brown sugar on her before putting her into big Bertha. Now she has a good 24 hours, but my chestnut color is decent in most areas but pretty light in others.... Hanging in my basement right now, I will toss some pics your way soon.. Must go into basement and sniff big again..... Must....
 
Great news, you know that Bertha must have worked well for you, that's great.  Looking forward for pics.

Tom
 
Great news, you know that Bertha must have worked well for you, that's great.  Looking forward for pics.

Tom
Thanks Tom, taking your advice and I know the Ham needs much longer as it is 20 times as thick as the bacon, so she's out there in Bertha right now while I am at work.  Started the AMNS only on one side this morning and left her there for the day to mellow out with some more smoke!  

Once the smoking phase is done, it should be fine to hang it for the 4+ months in my basement that's about 50-60 degrees, correct?  As soon as we get anywhere near spring, I always run my dehumidifier down there and keep it around 55% humidity, so I am not really concerned about it being too moist..
 
trizzuth, As you well know by now there are many different ways of curing a ham.  What we are trying to do is replicate the weather in the ham belt states.  After putting all the info together for curing a true country ham, I tried to split everything down the middle.  When equalizing, some call for putting the ham in a plastic bag and refrigerating, another hanging it in the fridge bare, another hanging it in a room between 50 - 60 degrees and another at around 70.  I chose to hang mine in cheese cloth at 50 degrees.  After the equalization period it will be smoked and then hung in a room at a temperature between 70 and 90 degrees being sure to keep it below 90.  It needs the warmer temps so the enzymes can do there job and flavor the ham as they will be dormant at cooler temps.

Hope this answered you question.

Tom
 
Thanks Tom, this does help, and you make a very good point about replicating the environment of the Ham belt.  Unfortunately for me, it's winter up here in the north east so I won't really get into any warmer temps until spring/summertime, especially anything above 70...  I can just hang it for a very long time so it eventually gets those warmer temps..  In general it needs at least 4 months at those warmer temps, correct?
 
Thanks Tom, this does help, and you make a very good point about replicating the environment of the Ham belt.  Unfortunately for me, it's winter up here in the north east so I won't really get into any warmer temps until spring/summertime, especially anything above 70...  I can just hang it for a very long time so it eventually gets those warmer temps..  In general it needs at least 4 months at those warmer temps, correct?
Just got in from plowing snow myself.  Yes, at least four months, but why waste time?  More than four months would be even better.  Find a place in your living quarters maybe a closet to hang it.  Place it in a tight knit stocking or cloth bag of some sort, this will keep the flies and such off while permitting the mold to grow.  You can also wrap in butcher paper (non waxed) or use brown bags for paper then bag. The main objective now is to get it in where it's warm.
 
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