Smoking baon in freezing temps?

[biaviian]

I'm wondering if anybody has done this. I hope to be curing a belly tomorrow or next week which may put my smoking time into freezing temperatures. I have never done a belly in the winter like this. Do you think it will take on the smoke being frozen? The trend looks like it won't be in the single digits like these past two weeks.

I guess it would be a good experiment. I plan on splitting the belly into 4 pieces and do a side-by-side of Pop's cure and using tender quick. I suppose I could smoke two of them in freezing temps and turn on the MES for the other two.

 

[forkin pork]

Well I've only made bacon a couple of times. So I hope someone else chimes in on this cuz I'd like to know the truth.
However, I like doing this type of smoking, cold smoking, I feel it lends a nice smoky favor.
I don't think there gonna be a problem, but very interested in hearing from someone that has experience.

 

[pc farmer]

Froze bellies wont take smoke very well. I would heat up the MES then cold smoke.

 

[motocrash]

I don't know...though i'd like to!I think next time I will click on "watch thread" up there on the right so people don't have to read through my drivel and I can still find out.

 

[SmokinAl]

I think I would just set the MES at 100, and keep it there.
You are still cold smoking the bacon, and you will get plenty of smoke on it without rendering any of the fat.
Al

 

[wild west]

Ive tried cold smoking at just above freezing temps in my mes 30 and found that you need some heat to get above ambient temp to get air circulation. You want the smoke to pass over the meat and flow out rather than stagnate in the smoker giving you bitter creoste

 

[captainjosh]

Ive tried cold smoking at just above freezing temps in my mes 30 and found that you need some heat to get above ambient temp to get air circulation. You want the smoke to pass over the meat and flow out rather than stagnate in the smoker giving you bitter creoste

I have found, just as Wild West says, that it takes a little heat to keep the smoke moving thru good. I would do what Smokin Al recommends, but make sure you using either an AMNPS or an external smoke generator because at 100 degrees my MES 30 won’t generate smoke unless it is very cold out. The heating element won’t kick on enough to keep the chips burning. I smoked some cheese last week at an ambient temp of 30 degrees, using my external smoke generator with a 2’ piece of 3” dryer vent between that and my MES 30. I kicked the heat on every so often to keep the box between 45 and 60 degrees. When I do buckboard bacon, I leave it set on 100 degrees.

 

[Bearcarver]

Won't work good while frozen.
I've always found that the temps of between 100° and 130° works best for putting on a good smoke.
Under 100° works too, but it takes at least twice as long for the same color & flavor.
Never had any Fat Render below 140° Smoker Temp.


Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Double post--Sorry

 

[smokin pop-pop]

I don't know what your conditions will be but I just put 4 pieces of belly totaling
13# in the smoker at 830 this morning . I have a masterbuilt 40 propane and
didn't even hook up the tank. I just checked the temp. outside ( after reading
this thread, minor oooops ) and its 37 degrees out . my tube smoker seems to
be chugging along with no problem

 

[smokin pop-pop]

Just checked the temp in the smoker it’s at about 70 degrees so the tube does create some heat.