Newbie needs direction

[Mmmm Meat]

Hi,
My name is George. I live in SW WA near the Columbia River. I'm a retired Navy Dentist and have two kids and a wonderful wife. I started smoking fish back in '94 when I was stationed in ADAK AK for a year and had nothing to do after work except for fishing. I've had that old Big Chief Smoker (that I bought in Adak) for 26 years now but never really moved on past smoked fish and jerky till recently. Just for grins, I purchased a Camp Chef pellet smoker about six weeks ago and have been watching YouTube vids on all kinds of meat related topics.
I decided to try some home cured bacon, which is where I'm a bit stuck. I'm moving over to the Cold Smoked Bacon section of the forum to ask for help there. Hope to learn a lot here in the near future.

 

[SmokyMose]

Hi,
My name is George. I live in SW WA near the Columbia River. I'm a retired Navy Dentist and have two kids and a wonderful wife. I started smoking fish back in '94 when I was stationed in ADAK AK for a year and had nothing to do after work except for fishing. I've had that old Big Chief Smoker (that I bought in Adak) for 26 years now but never really moved on past smoked fish and jerky till recently. Just for grins, I purchased a Camp Chef pellet smoker about six weeks ago and have been watching YouTube vids on all kinds of meat related topics.
I decided to try some home cured bacon, which is where I'm a bit stuck. I'm moving over to the Cold Smoked Bacon section of the forum to ask for help there. Hope to learn a lot here in the near future.

Welcome to the forum!
Be careful with those YouTube videos. Just because you know how to make a video doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. I figured out how to can tomatoes from YouTube, but only after watching 10 different ones using different methods and drawing my own conclusions. The worst was a fellow making Italian sausage outside on a picnic table with a guy waving a flyswatter to keep the flies away. Yikes!!
I'm a brine cure guy for bacon, but a lot of folks prefer a dry cure.
You can learn a lot here and don't be shy about questions. No such thing as a dumb question here :-)

 

[chopsaw]

I decided to try some home cured bacon, which is where I'm a bit stuck. I'm moving over to the Cold Smoked Bacon section of the forum to ask for help there. Hope to learn a lot here in the near future.

Welcome . Guys here will be happy to teach you . Pick one thing and start there . This is the place to learn . That way , when you look at other sources you know whats right / safe , and what's not .
Enjoy .

 

[OldSmoke]

I haven’t done bacon yet, but welcome to the forum from the other side of the river! You are in good hands here.

 

[MJB05615]

Welcome from Ga. You'll find your answers here for sure.

 

[sawhorseray]

Welcome to the best meat smoking forum on the planet from Gilbert, AZ! You came to the right place, a ton of knowledgeable folks here. RAY

 

[TNJAKE]

Welcome from Tennessee

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Welcome from Tennessee

Thanks all. I got somewhat mixed reviews on my plan due to the questionable amount of pink salt + Morton TQ. Even if this first batch fails, the dogs will eat well (and get quite fat) over the next six months. The water soak removed a ton of salt - the test piece was still a touch salty, so I gave it another hour then bagged it up with the pink salt soln. and put it back in the fridge for three more days, plus or minus. Then into the smoker!

 

[Mmmm Meat]

I haven’t done bacon yet, but welcome to the forum from the other side of the river! You are in good hands here.

Hey! A homey! I did all my schooling down your way. Go Beavs!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Welcome from Iowa! And you're in a great place for accurate and safe practices information! And I second that notion on you tube videos... I wasted 15 minutes of my life watching a guy grow potatoes in a 4'x4'x4' wooden slat box. Basically watched him pull apart boards around dirt... he grew 1 potato!

Ryan

 

[thirdeye]

Welcome aboard. Keep that Big Chief. I got my first Little Chief in 1975 and a Big Chief in the 80's I really like them..... but they have their limits.

Now that you upgraded smokers new doors will open up, there is a lot of information in the archived posts.

 

[OldSmoke]

Hey! A homey! I did all my schooling down your way. Go Beavs!

My wife went to OSU. What year? We are in Gresham. Trying to smoke a ham in 15 mph gorge winds today. Smoker keeps rolling across the patio.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

My wife went to OSU. What year? We are in Gresham. Trying to smoke a ham in 15 mph gorge winds today. Smoker keeps rolling across the patio.

Ohh man! It hurts to say it out loud. Graduated in '83, then on to OHSU. Retired from the Navy in Longview.
Good luck with that ham!

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Welcome aboard from SE Arizona.

As you were advised above, becareful with some of those Youtube vids.
You can always ask questions here on SMF and get a straight answer.