First Time with Bacon

[thirdeye]

Oh, on the pepper question, I use good quality pepper and use it during the 14-day cure, then re-apply after rinsing. Often, I sprinkle pepper on one side of the slices when cooking. First for flavor, and second to keep track of turning each piece. (a pepper up, or pepper down kind of thing)

You could experiment with turbinado sugar or maple sugar as an alternate to brown sugar.

 

[DougE]

If you combined [email protected]% and salt @1.5%, 17.5g/kg of the mixture would be needed, but honestly, it is way easier to figure for each piece of meat.

 

[Buckeye1]

Tulsa Jeff has a video on wet cure hot smoked bacon. I use this method and love the results.

 

[SmokinEdge]

It can be done. You just mix cure and salt in the correct percentages and figure how much of the mixture is needed per meat weight. I don't do it that way, but it can be done.

Not really Doug. The reason is because the cure #1 will segregate or classify away from the other dry ingredients if mixed in bulk. The bulk suppliers of curing mixes don’t use cure #1 the use straight nitrite and have it blended in such a way that it doesn’t classify away from the salt, rather it binds to the salt insuring even distribution. I never recommend that folks mix up a bulk cure with cure #1. Not good practice.

 

[DougE]

Not really Doug. The reason is because the cure #1 will segregate or classify away from the other dry ingredients if mixed in bulk. The bulk suppliers of curing mixes don’t use cure #1 the use straight nitrite and have it blended in such a way that it doesn’t classify away from the salt, rather it binds to the salt insuring even distribution. I never recommend that folks mix up a bulk cure with cure #1. Not good practice.

I stand corrected, but it seemed like it would work ..........

 

[SmokinEdge]

I stand corrected, but it seemed like it would work ..........

It would, if you could keep the cure #1 evenly mixed. It’s all about granule size and element weight. Nitrite weighs more than salt. They just don’t want to stay mixed in bulk.

 

[thirdeye]

The bulk suppliers of curing mixes don’t use cure #1 the use straight nitrite and have it blended in such a way that it doesn’t classify away from the salt, rather it binds to the salt insuring even distribution.

Yes. Morton Salt, who introduced our Grandparents and Parents to home curing via Tender Quick, and Sugar Cure listed propylene glycol as one ingredient that helped the nitrite and nitrate in their cures to remain in 'suspension' within the salt carrier.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yes. Morton Salt, who introduced our Grandparents and Parents to home curing via Tender Quick, and Sugar Cure listed propylene glycol as one ingredient that helped the nitrite and nitrate in their cures to remain in 'suspension' within the salt carrier.

Yes, I agree. Now days I’m not sure with technology but there are a bunch of pre mixed cures but they are all commercially made to be stable. I would not try this at home.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I've got bacon cold smoking right now. I'm not the least bit concerned about stale smoke--there's very good flow through the smoker today. I use brown sugar at a rate of 1 Tbsp per pound, and apply it after the cure. I let the belly cure for 2 weeks, turning and massaging daily. The bacon will smoke for 10 hours today, then go uncovered into the fridge. I'll then smoke it again tomorrow for another 10 hours. After 2 days uncovered in the fridge, it will be ready to slice and vac seal. Then, as my grandson says, I'll have the best smelling fridge anywhere.
Gary

 

[JBCWCHS06]

Time for another try this time did the dry cure with. 1.5 % Salt, 0.25 % Prague Powder 1 and .75% of Sugar and then after patting it in sprinkled a little dusting of brown sugar and pepper on it. Now sitting in the fridge in a Ziploc bag to sit for 10-14 days might just depend on if I think I can cold smoke it after I get home from work for a couple of hours or just let it cold smoke all day on a Saturday. Will keep up with updates

 

[SmokinEdge]

Time for another try this time did the dry cure with. 1.5 % Salt, 0.25 % Prague Powder 1 and .75% of Sugar and then after patting it in sprinkled a little dusting of brown sugar and pepper on it. Now sitting in the fridge in a Ziploc bag to sit for 10-14 days might just depend on if I think I can cold smoke it after I get home from work for a couple of hours or just let it cold smoke all day on a Saturday. Will keep up with updates

I think you will be pleased. Really no need to rinse after cure, it’s your call, but I just blot dry with paper towels then smoke.

 

[JBCWCHS06]

O

I think you will be pleased. Really no need to rinse after cure, it’s your call, but I just blot dry with paper towels then smoke.

OK good deal was going to ask about all of that. Because in my previous attempt I rinsed off the brine and patted dry and then put black pepper on it and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 12 hours before smoking was wondering if I needed to do it with this time around.

 

[DougE]

O

OK good deal was going to ask about all of that. Because in my previous attempt I rinsed off the brine and patted dry and then put black pepper on it and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 12 hours before smoking was wondering if I needed to do it with this time around.

You do want to leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight before smoking. The black pepper is up to you but know that it won't really penetrate into the meat. It will mostly remain on the surface giving you just that thin edge of pepper on the outside when you slice.

 

[SmokinEdge]

O

OK good deal was going to ask about all of that. Because in my previous attempt I rinsed off the brine and patted dry and then put black pepper on it and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 12 hours before smoking was wondering if I needed to do it with this time around.

I add granulated garlic and fine white pepper at the rub stage. This does leave some flavor, I guess enough to make a difference, but most anything added after the cure cycle will add little to no flavor. I wish that it would, but it won’t.

 

[JBCWCHS06]

Well almost done with my second try at bacon. Just cold smoked it laid the bacon on the second rack close to the smoke stack and the smoke tube in the chamber on the very far left. Put it on at 10 this morning and pulled it off a little after 6 so got a good 8 hour cold smoke and the pit never got above 80 degrees the whole time. Now it's wrapped in plastic wrap sitting in the fridge until Wednesday when I will slice it up. Then I'll fry a little up and really know the result.

 

[philpom]

Good luck, it can't possibly be bad!

 

[SmokinEdge]

It will be delicious. Some prefer a two or three day smoke, until it turns a golden color, but this is not necessary. You will have good eats. I like the smoke to rest about a week or so, certainly a few days before slicing.

 

[LOW_IN_SLO]

Best bacon I've made included an initial dry cure at 2% salt, 0.25% Cure #1 and 1% sugar with desired spices and then rinsed, patted dry, then dusted with sugar of choice and left to cure for another week, no rinse, and put directly into cold smoke for 8 hours, 1 day rest cycle repeated 4 times. During rest days having ~80% humidity at ~50 degrees F with steady airflow is optimal. You can add "layers" of flavors this way with different smoking woods. I credit Brican from this and other forums for informing and pushing me in the right direction.

 

[JBCWCHS06]

Well finally finished up my second batch and I'm alot happier with this one. Only rested it for 3 days before cutting and tried to cut it a lot thinner then last time. The only thing I would change is maybe cold smoke for 4-5 hours for a couple of days instead of 8 hours one day and maybe let it cure for a little longer. Only thing that I can't figure out is my wife said she wanted it a tad bit sweeter would it make a difference if I added a little more sugar in the cure or some brown sugar on top before cold smoking. Overall a lot happier this time. Thanks everyone for all the help.

 

[LOW_IN_SLO]

Well finally finished up my second batch and I'm alot happier with this one. Only rested it for 3 days before cutting and tried to cut it a lot thinner then last time. The only thing I would change is maybe cold smoke for 4-5 hours for a couple of days instead of 8 hours one day and maybe let it cure for a little longer. Only thing that I can't figure out is my wife said she wanted it a tad bit sweeter would it make a difference if I added a little more sugar in the cure or some brown sugar on top before cold smoking. Overall a lot happier this time. Thanks everyone for all the help.

After your first cure, rinse the bacon thoroughly, discard brine and pat dry. Get the sugar of your choice eg. brown sugar, and apply ~2% of weight of the bacon evenly. Set the bacon back in the container for a week flipping a couple times. Take bacon out, do not rinse, discard liquid and place bacon on rack in fridge to dry for 6-12 hours. I cold smoke for 3 sessions with a day of rest inbetween sessions then rest at least a few days always resting bacon around 45 F allowing smoke to mellow out. This will give you a more balanced salt/sugar ratio and caramel flavor from molasses if using brown sugar. Hope this helps.