# 38 pounds of bellie!!! Yaaaaaaa!! Final pics!!



## fpnmf (May 14, 2013)

Picked up a case from Twin Lakes/Piggly Wiggly the other day...

They told me they only come in case of 4 now but they sold one.. knowing I asked for 3..

Great place..

They took the paper off and cut them into vac paking size for me..

Put 4 slabs into the brine and vac paked the rest..

Slabs in the shed fridge and the rest into the freezer..

Here's how I make the bacon..

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/124885/bacon-made-the-easy-way













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      Craig


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## kathrynn (May 14, 2013)

BACON!!!!!  Yummers!  Count me in!

Kat


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## pineywoods (May 14, 2013)

I know that's gonna be good I need to make some again soon


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## pc farmer (May 14, 2013)

Thats some good looking bacon already.  Nice and meaty.


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## Bearcarver (May 14, 2013)

Great start, Craig!!!

Can't wait for the final pics!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## seenred (May 14, 2013)

Looking real good so far, Craig!

Red


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## roller (May 14, 2013)

Nice score Craig ...looking good !


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## fpnmf (May 14, 2013)

Thanks folks!!!

 I havent been eating as much bacon since the onset of the type 2..  but we are just about out..


Roller said:


> Nice score Craig ...looking good !


I been looking at the dry bag pancetta video..

Prolly have to do one..  or two...

         Craig


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## pc farmer (May 14, 2013)

How many pounds are you gonna smoke?


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## fpnmf (May 15, 2013)

c farmer said:


> How many pounds are you gonna smoke?


I got about 16 pounds in the bucket...

  Craig


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## fpnmf (May 24, 2013)

Out of the brine and starting the pellicalization!!!

Looks great to me!!













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Have a great day!!!


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 24, 2013)

Looking great! How long are you going to smoke it for?


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## chef willie (May 24, 2013)

It all looks good but that one slab really stands out....enjoy


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## fpnmf (May 24, 2013)

Chef Willie said:


> It all looks good but that one slab really stands out....enjoy


Thanks!!!

 I am happy with this case.

Prolly gonna do some of Rollers dry bag pancetta with one or two of the slabs in the freezer..

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138252/pancetta-finished


dirtsailor2003 said:


> Looking great! How long are you going to smoke it for?


 Thanks!!!

I dont go by the time..I take it to the color we like..

Will be using pecan and corn cob with some sugar cane this time..

Its hot here now so I crank the mes to 100 for the first few hours to dry them out ..then off and lay the smoke on!!

I like them to look like this..takes 20-30 hours depending on the ambient..













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Have a great day!!

  Craig


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## pc farmer (May 24, 2013)

I did mine for 10 hours, think I will try longer this time. 

Nice slab you got there.


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## wes w (May 26, 2013)

Looks awesome Craig!   Being you are the bacon king... :-)  I have a question.    You say around 25-30 hrs of smoke.   Can that be done in 2 runs or does it have to be one long smoke.   If 2 runs,  do you put it in the frig and go again?

I'm  about ready to do some more myself.    I didn't get a lot of smoke in my first shot at it due to family events, but I want to get it right this time.


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## fpnmf (May 26, 2013)

Wes W said:


> Looks awesome Craig!   Being you are the bacon king... :-)  I have a question.    You say around 25-30 hrs of smoke.   Can that be done in 2 runs or does it have to be one long smoke.   If 2 runs,  do you put it in the frig and go again?
> 
> I'm  about ready to do some more myself.    I didn't get a lot of smoke in my first shot at it due to family events, but I want to get it right this time.


Thanks Wes!!!

If you do it in two runs it would be best to fridge it between runs..

Thanks for the compliment...I am sure some of the ppm gang would disagree tho...hahahahhaaaha..

  Craig


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## Bearcarver (May 27, 2013)

Beautiful Color, Craig!!!

Looks Perfect !!!

Bear


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## michael ark (May 27, 2013)

Looks great as always.


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## fpnmf (May 27, 2013)

Bearcarver said:


> Beautiful Color, Craig!!!
> 
> Looks Perfect !!!
> 
> Bear





michael ark said:


> Looks great as always.


Thanks fellas..

The picture is from an older post giving an example of how I want to finish the current batch..

      Craig


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## fpnmf (May 27, 2013)

I just saw this made the carousel!!!

  Thanks!!!!

  Craig


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## pops6927 (May 27, 2013)

Can't wait to see the finish!  Reminds me so much of the slabs at dad's store, nice and meaty, they're 8 - 10 lb slabs!   Dad got his from Pilgrim Packing Co.  5 per box, ave. 50lb boxes.  Had to unpack them every week, Mon. and Fri. deliveries, 8 - 16 boxes (1 or 2 - 55 gal. drums worth, 400 - 800 lbs.).  Toss them in a barrel, criscross, slide the short ones down the sides, fill up the barrel with brine in whatever room was left and put a plastic 5 gal. collapsible jug full of water on them to hold them down and roll into the brine cooler (could hold 50 55 gal. barrels).  Had a big chart we'd mark the barrel no. on and date it so we'd know when to pull the next one in line come 3-4 weeks.  Remember it like yesterday!  When it would be time to pull them, I'd go into the cooler with a transport cart, use a long hook to pull them up out of the barrel and then push them into the smokehouse area, hang each one with bacon hooks, then into the smokehouse until the next morning and start them up.   They'd have to reach 136° before we could turn them off, then let them cool overnight and empty the smokehouse the next morning into a drip room, ready to fill up again.  Had two smokehouses and always had both running; hams, bacons, custom, dried beef, turkeys, chickens, always something!

I worked full time at dad's store from '70 - '75, while you were in 'Nam; of course part time growing up.  Never ever dreamed in a thousand years you and I would be makin' bacons and enjoying the benefits!  Ever talk to Ray?  Get him interested too!

SO glad to see you enjoying your retirement, as am I!  We made it, bud!  Didn't think we'd make it, esp. after going around Kellogg's Hill curve at 110mph in that Studebaker, hahahah!  But, I'm telling stories out of school!  As they say, those were the days!  Sorry for going on and on, have to repeat memories while I still have them with me, never know when another stroke will wipe them out!


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## jp61 (May 27, 2013)

That's some good looking bacon Craig!

Any idea what breed and are those side or belly bacon?


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## woodcutter (May 28, 2013)

Nice bacon!


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## dougmays (May 28, 2013)

Nice!


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## frosty (May 28, 2013)

Looking great!


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## fpnmf (Jun 1, 2013)

Took them outa the brine and rinsed..then into the fridge for 3 days to dry out..

Something new this batch..no spices after the rinse at all..

Will have just plain smoked bacon...

I also cut a good bit of the extra fat off...

Into the mes with pecan and corn cob in the AMZENs...100 for one hour then no more heat

Out after 12 hours and back in the fridge for a few days..then smoked again for 12 hours..

Back to the fridge for a day then into the freezer to firm them up for the trip to the mighty Berkel..

This batch turned out fabulous..

Reminds me of Pops Dads Bacon..













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   Craig


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## pc farmer (Jun 1, 2013)

Looks great.  I just put more in brine.  Just did plain bacon last time,  want to do something different this time.  

Can you recommend something?


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## woodcutter (Jun 1, 2013)

Man, those are some pretty good looking pictures.


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## jp61 (Jun 1, 2013)

Looks great!

Thanks!


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## fpnmf (Jun 2, 2013)

JP61 said:


> Looks great!
> 
> Thanks!


Thanks!!


Woodcutter said:


> Man, those are some pretty good looking pictures.


Thanks!!


c farmer said:


> Looks great. I just put more in brine. Just did plain bacon last time, want to do something different this time.
> 
> Can you recommend something?


I usually use pepper and garlic..

A fairly heavy coat after the rinse..

  Craig


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## raptor700 (Jun 2, 2013)

Great job neighbor


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## Bearcarver (Jun 2, 2013)

raptor700 said:


> Great job neighbor


Hey stranger,

You should drop in at Craig's, and get your share!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## fpnmf (Jun 2, 2013)

Bearcarver said:


> Hey stranger,
> 
> You should drop in at Craig's, and get your share!!!
> 
> ...


Hahahha he drives by and sticks his tongue out at me...

I saved part of the latest bellie purchase for him..

Aint seen him yet..

I will be ordering some dry bag stuff to make pancetta with it,,it wont go to waste..

Craig


raptor700 said:


> Great job neighbor


Thanks neighbor!!!

  Craig


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## disco (Jun 7, 2013)

An incredible looking bacon. I have learned a lot from your post once again. Thanks.

Disco.


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## boykjo (Jun 7, 2013)

Bacon Bacon Bacon............................
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





........   save some for me............................


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## fpnmf (Jun 7, 2013)

boykjo said:


> Bacon Bacon Bacon............................
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Will do!!!

I see a bacon fest in your future!!!

  Craig


Disco said:


> An incredible looking bacon. I have learned a lot from your post once again. Thanks.
> 
> Disco.


Thank you!!


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