# Bacon not crispy when cooked



## lou-q (Dec 22, 2014)

I have been smoking bacon for over three years in a cold smoke brick smoker.
For some reason when I fry it, it doesn't get very crispy.
If I cook it longer to crisp it, it stars blackening the edges.
We use pure maple syrup in our brine.
Our original recipe called for a  cup of maple syrup for every five pounds so we cut it in half (thinking that the sugar in the maple syrup was the cause) and it is still not crispy until the edges start burning.
We brine it in plastic bags for at least a week then rinse it, lay it out or racks to dry for about an hour.
Then into the smoker which has been pre-heated to 150 degrees.
After the internal temperature has reached 127-128,  off with the supplemental heat, hold the door open until the smoker is below 90 degrees and smoke for about 18 hours at around 80 or less degrees.
Any  suggestion will be welcomed.
Thanks,
Lou


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## daveomak (Dec 22, 2014)

All of my bacon is cold smoked below 70 degrees....  Pork has several "grades" of fat....  some start melting at 86 deg. F...    I bake the bacon on a wire rack, on a double layer sheet pan at 350 Deg. F for 20 minutes... check it... longer if needed to get crisp...   The fat is saved for use later..  The 2 sheet pan layers keep the fat from burning....  The bacon is cured in a brine/cure liquid....  Bride will bake 2-3#'s of bacon at one time...


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__ daveomak
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## mr t 59874 (Dec 22, 2014)

I cook my cured bacon very similar to Dave.  The highest that it is baked is 325°, depending on the thickness, this usually takes around 30 minutes to render all the fat out.  If you have the time give 225° for a couple hours a try, it is wonderful.  This method prevents the sugar from burning and results in a fully cooked crisp bacon with no black edges. 

Tom


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## Bearcarver (Dec 22, 2014)

Lou-Q said:


> I have been smoking bacon for over three years in a cold smoke brick smoker.
> For some reason when I fry it, it doesn't get very crispy.
> If I cook it longer to crisp it, it stars blackening the edges.
> We use pure maple syrup in our brine.
> ...


Must be your Maple Syrup.

I Dry cure my Bacon with TQ, then Smoke it in temps between 100° and 130° for about 10 to 12 hours, and have never had any fat render.

Then I fry it in a Pan in about 15 minutes. It gets crisp but doesn't burn. Sugar burns--Must be the sugar in the Maple Syrup. IMO.

My Step by Step:

*Bacon (Extra Smoky)*

Bear


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## mr t 59874 (Dec 22, 2014)

Mr T 59874 said:


> I cook my cured bacon very similar to Dave.  The highest that it is baked is 325°, depending on the thickness, this usually takes around 30 minutes to render all the fat out.  If you have the time give 225° for a couple hours a try, it is wonderful.  This method prevents the sugar from burning and results in a fully cooked crisp bacon with no black edges.
> 
> Tom


Besides keeping your sugars from burning, another reason to keep your bacon cooking temps low.

A bacon cooking study, "Effect of Frying and Other Cooking Conditions on Nitrosopyrrolidine Formation in Bacon" (Journal of Science, Vol. 39, pages 314-316), showed no evidence of nitrosamines in bacon fried at 210 °F for 10 minutes (raw), 210 °F for 15 minutes (medium well), 275 °F for 10 minutes (very light), or 275 °F for 30 minutes (medium well). But when bacon was fried at 350 °F for 6 minutes (medium well), 400 °F for 4 minutes (medium well), or 400 °F for 10 minutes (burned), some nitrosamines were found. Thus, well-done or burned bacon is potentially more hazardous than less well-done bacon. Also, bacon cooked by a microwave has less nitrosamine than fried bacon.

Tom


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