# First time curing fail?



## browtine76 (Jan 23, 2018)

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice. I am on day 6 of attempting to dry cure a 3.5 pound pork belly for making sliced bacon. There is practically no liquid being extracted into the bag from the cure, and the meat seems to be hardening in spots while tender in other areas. I bought the belly from a local grocery store with the skin still attached. After it thawed out, I cut the skin off. I used the Digging Dog cure calculator that I found on this site to come up with the following formula for my cure in grams:                                                                                                        Pork belly 1587g, Anthony's Prague #1 3.96g, Sea salt 28.03g, Brown sugar 31.74g (at 2%).    I included pictures below in which I measured out the ingredients to give you a feel for exactly how much they look like before mixing together. It just doesn't seem like enough of a mixture to adequately cover the meat. Also, the lack of liquid extraction is evident.  Thickness is about 1 1/2 inches at the thickest part.                                                                                                                                                     The cure was applied on the evening of January 17 and placed in my garage kept refrigerator. Frig seems to hold steady at 36 degrees. I have flipped the bag daily and massaged the meat but something seems off with this cure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## PerazziMx14 (Jan 23, 2018)

Please delete


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## browtine76 (Jan 23, 2018)

PerazziMx14 said:


> The hardening is expected and mostly on the meat portion the fat stay pretty pliable.
> 
> Little to no liquid... since the meat was frozen and thawed it probably leached out a lot of liquid during thawing. The amount of moisture in the bag can vary depending on the moisture content of the meat.
> 
> ...


Ok, Thank you, I'll adjust the thermostat and check it out


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## SmokinAl (Jan 23, 2018)

The cure amount is right on. I would not worry about anything else. Every time I cure a belly it cures differently, sometimes I get a lot of liquid, sometimes very little. The only difference I do is I cure mine in vac packs. 
But even a 1 1/2" thick belly I usually cure for 2 weeks. Just let it go & see how it looks in a few more days.
Al


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## browtine76 (Jan 23, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> The cure amount is right on. I would not worry about anything else. Every time I cure a belly it cures differently, sometimes I get a lot of liquid, sometimes very little. The only difference I do is I cure mine in vac packs.
> But even a 1 1/2" thick belly I usually cure for 2 weeks. Just let it go & see how it looks in a few more days.
> Al


Thank you. I will wait it out!


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 23, 2018)

I'm doing like 8 lbs like your doing. I did mix my cure , salt and sugar with pepper,onion and garlic seasoning. I had a bunch of mix that didn't even have meat to stick on.. Just have to get it out and massage it everyday and hope it all gets coated good . 
Mine was not frozen first. Just a little liquid in 4 days.


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## browtine76 (Jan 24, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> I'm doing like 8 lbs like your doing. I did mix my cure , salt and sugar with pepper,onion and garlic seasoning. I had a bunch of mix that didn't even have meat to stick on.. Just have to get it out and massage it everyday and hope it all gets coated good .
> Mine was not frozen first. Just a little liquid in 4 days.


Next cure I think I will find a belly that was not previously frozen and compare the results.


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 24, 2018)

Did mine Saturday.. the baggies are just damp. No real liquid accumulated.


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## daveomak (Jan 24, 2018)

Curing previously frozen meat is no problem...  The belly is fine...   let it go for 2 weeks total in the bag and you are golden....


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## Bearcarver (Jan 24, 2018)

Like others said, Don't worry about the amount of liquid in the bag.
Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes very little.
By the time it's done curing most of it is gone (reabsorbed) anyway.

Bear


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## Ed Crain (Jan 25, 2018)

My first cure belly was frozen thawed it put TQ and brown sugar on it started it the 18th massage and flip daily has quite a bit of liquid now from what I’ve read waiting for it to reabsorb


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## Bearcarver (Jan 25, 2018)

Ed Crain said:


> My first cure belly was frozen thawed it put TQ and brown sugar on it started it the 18th massage and flip daily has quite a bit of liquid now from what I’ve read waiting for it to reabsorb




Sometimes it doesn't reabsorb nearly all of it.
Below is 7 ounces of leftover juice from 14 pounds of Dry Cured Dried Beef:


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 25, 2018)

I'm going to go check mine .. 5 days.
Sure smells powerful .. Lol smokinAl recipe with some black pepper, granulated onion and granulated garlic . 







Not much liquids. Just moisture. Sure smells through these 2 gallon bags though.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 25, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> I'm going to go check mine .. 5 days.
> Sure smells powerful .. Lol smokinAl recipe with some black pepper, granulated onion and granulated garlic .
> 
> Not much liquids. Just moisture. Sure smells through these 2 gallon bags though.




You might have missed the point.
There's really no reason to check, because it doesn't matter how much juice is in the bag, as long as you don't dump any out until it is all done curing.


Bear


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 25, 2018)

browtine76 said:


> Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice. I am on day 6 of attempting to dry cure a 3.5 pound pork belly for making sliced bacon. There is practically no liquid being extracted into the bag from the cure, and the meat seems to be hardening in spots while tender in other areas. I bought the belly from a local grocery store with the skin still attached. After it thawed out, I cut the skin off. I used the Digging Dog cure calculator that I found on this site to come up with the following formula for my cure in grams:                                                                                                        Pork belly 1587g, Anthony's Prague #1 3.96g, Sea salt 28.03g, Brown sugar 31.74g (at 2%).    I included pictures below in which I measured out the ingredients to give you a feel for exactly how much they look like before mixing together. It just doesn't seem like enough of a mixture to adequately cover the meat. Also, the lack of liquid extraction is evident.  Thickness is about 1 1/2 inches at the thickest part.                                                                                                                                                     The cure was applied on the evening of January 17 and placed in my garage kept refrigerator. Frig seems to hold steady at 36 degrees. I have flipped the bag daily and massaged the meat but something seems off with this cure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So you see by other examples and testimonials.. 

Your good to go. ;)


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## Ed Crain (Jan 25, 2018)

So I’m shooting for a cold smoke on Sunday. It was only 1.75” thick at 5.5lbs sure hope it’s as good as all of you guys say it is


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 30, 2018)

browtine76 said:


> Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice. I am on day 6 of attempting to dry cure a 3.5 pound pork belly for making sliced bacon. There is practically no liquid being extracted into the bag from the cure, and the meat seems to be hardening in spots while tender in other areas. I bought the belly from a local grocery store with the skin still attached. After it thawed out, I cut the skin off. I used the Digging Dog cure calculator that I found on this site to come up with the following formula for my cure in grams:                                                                                                        Pork belly 1587g, Anthony's Prague #1 3.96g, Sea salt 28.03g, Brown sugar 31.74g (at 2%).    I included pictures below in which I measured out the ingredients to give you a feel for exactly how much they look like before mixing together. It just doesn't seem like enough of a mixture to adequately cover the meat. Also, the lack of liquid extraction is evident.  Thickness is about 1 1/2 inches at the thickest part.                                                                                                                                                     The cure was applied on the evening of January 17 and placed in my garage kept refrigerator. Frig seems to hold steady at 36 degrees. I have flipped the bag daily and massaged the meat but something seems off with this cure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So how is your bacon?  Did you smoke it yet?

 post 5k.


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## Ed Crain (Jan 30, 2018)

Mine went well I put a thread with pictures


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 30, 2018)

Ed Crain said:


> Mine went well I put a thread with pictures



Oh.. Nice. I will have to go find it. 
I think mine I will do THIS WEEKEND.


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## Ed Crain (Jan 30, 2018)

Yeah I’m blaming Bear for all of this I wanting to do dry beef next


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## Bearcarver (Jan 31, 2018)

Ed Crain said:


> Yeah I’m blaming Bear for all of this I wanting to do dry beef next



Dang Old Bear!! :D

Bear


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