# Walton's Cures and Temp Question.



## kendec65 (Apr 4, 2017)

I would like to cold smoke some bacon and have a few questions.

Has anyone ever used Walton's dry rub cures and while cold smoking

do you need any heat at all?


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## daveomak (Apr 4, 2017)

I have commercial cures identical to Walton's cures...    I currently uses the "Special Maple cure" for my bacon....

https://www.waltonsinc.com/w-special-maple-cure

I use it as a dry rub cure...    I add it at 2% rate ....   that gives 172 Ppm nitrite in the bacon...    200 Ppm is the max. allowed when dry rub is used...  The salt and sugar are perfect for me in the finished product.... 

I cold smoke my slabs at 60-70 deg. F for several hours...  sometimes 4-6 hours per day over several days...   depends on what I want as a finished product..... 

I don't use any cures that have sodium erythorbate added ...   I don't want cure accelerators in my products...    Too commercial for me...

If you have any additional questions...    fire away.....    Dave


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## kendec65 (Apr 4, 2017)

Dave 2% of the weight of the bacon?


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## daveomak (Apr 4, 2017)

Yep....   If the bacon weighs 10#'s...  4540 grams.....   2% = .02 multiplier....  10#'s x 0.02 = 0.2#'s or 3.2 oz... or 91 grams...

Since that gives you just under 2% salt in the bacon, but the correct amount of cure, if you like your bacon a little saltier, you can add more salt...  Some folks like salt at 2.5% as an example...  soooo, 4540 x 0.025 = 114 grams - 91 grams = 23 grams of extra salt you would add.....  

Me being older than dirt, I'm cutting back on salt...   I find the flavor very good...  especially when aged in the refer, during the curing process, for a month to dehydrate the slab a bit, and concentrate the bacon flavor...    then I oven cook it, on a rack, at ~350 ish deg. F...   then I can coat it in maple syrup and bake it more for a maple glazed snack stick of _BACON !!!!_


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## kendec65 (Apr 4, 2017)

I can handle that, and would you recommend for a starter like me to smoke one day 4-6 hours or more till I know what I like. After done smoking how long do you rest it!


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## daveomak (Apr 4, 2017)

If you have the AMNPS...   I burn 1.5 rows of hickory pellets...   a mildly strong flavor of smoke...    Then the belly goes back in the refer, on a wire rack, to mellow for another week or so...   Then into the freezer for 2-4 hours until it gets firm and easier to slice...    wrap a pound or 2 in plastic wrap and into a vacuum bag to seal up for freezer storage...

I have used Pitmasters Choice on the bacon...  It is a mild, smooth smoke flavor everyone likes...  I have used Alder...  the preferred wood for salmon and it's mild and very appealing to all also...  

If you have enough, cut the slab into 2 or more pieces...  smoke for 6 hours one day, remove one slab and smoke the other slab the next day for 6...   

You will be experimenting, every smoke, from now until eternity..   keep notes...  Best of luck...  take pictures and post your results...  

Dave

Below is a description of "cold smoking" from Wedliny-Domowe web site, where Stanley Marianski contributes, and he is also a member on this forum...

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/meat-smoking/cold-smoking


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## kendec65 (Apr 4, 2017)

Thanks Dave!


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