# Smoking temp?



## kawboy (Nov 30, 2018)

What is the benefits of warm over cold or cold over warm smoking buckboard bacon? If I smoke it to around 145, what will the difference be from just cold smoking? I kind of like the idea of not having to fully cook it to eat it later. Just wondering which way to go. Thanks.


----------



## SonnyE (Nov 30, 2018)

Hopefully daveomak will be along here.
But I read in one of his posts that cold smoking penetrates all the way through the bacon.
Warm smoking tends to stay on the surface.

Possibly you could cold smoke, then heat to the kill zone after. Or use steam to finish it?

I'm a stick in the mud. I like my bacon cooked and served hot, and crispy is preferred.


----------



## zwiller (Nov 30, 2018)

I really think you need to try it both ways and decide for yourself.  Just did some BBB and tried cold and turned out well.  I hot smoked some CB and feel the BBB was much better.  That said, CB was not smoked as long so not a totally fair comparison.  BBB still needed more smoke.  I did 10hrs but will probably aim 8X3 (24) next time.  I agree with 

 SonnyE
 on the cold smoke penetration.


----------



## SonnyE (Dec 2, 2018)

zwiller said:


> I really think you need to try it both ways and decide for yourself.  Just did some BBB and tried cold and turned out well.  I hot smoked some CB and feel the BBB was much better.  That said, CB was not smoked as long so not a totally fair comparison.  BBB still needed more smoke.  I did 10hrs but will probably aim 8X3 (24) next time.  I agree with
> 
> SonnyE
> on the cold smoke penetration.



Well, mine was my first time Maken Bacon, other than raisin Sir Francis Bacon, and letting the butcher do him up. Which I don't count.
I was going on stuff I've read here, and hanging on Dave's apron strings like a 2 year old.

Since I tend to ruin things by over smoking, I did a 4 hour cold smoke, pulled a belly and a buckboard slab, then let the other two finish the ~2 hours of sawdust in the tray. (apple wood)
I liked both, neither one tasted too "Smokey", and the wife liked them. So I quit while I was ahead.

I've decided I like the cold smoking, and using dust (from De-constituted pellets).
I made a couple of blunders, but I learned from them. ;)


----------



## kawboy (Dec 2, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Well, mine was my first time Maken Bacon, other than raisin Sir Francis Bacon, and letting the butcher do him up. Which I don't count.
> I was going on stuff I've read here, and hanging on Dave's apron strings like a 2 year old.
> 
> Since I tend to ruin things by over smoking, I did a 4 hour cold smoke, pulled a belly and a buckboard slab, then let the other two finish the ~2 hours of sawdust in the tray. (apple wood)
> ...


Thanks, I started the curing last night. I think I'll make a dust burner some time in the next two weeks.


----------



## SonnyE (Dec 3, 2018)

kawboy said:


> Thanks, I started the curing last night. I think I'll make a dust burner some time in the next two weeks.



Look at how the AMNPS is made with it's angular troughs. As long as you don't pile the dust too high, the venting between the toughs stops cross firing. (Ask me how I learned that.  )
Anyway, when I went back and looked at Dave's dust burner, I saw the error of my ways. 
Also, I learned to press my dust into the troughs with my thumb. It does not compress much, but it packs it well enough to keep the home fires burnin.


----------

