# Bacon smoke question



## buckscent (Aug 21, 2018)

trying my second bacon attempt.  First one as some might know was WAAAAY to salty.  I noticed in a lot of posts that the amazen or some alternate smoke tube is used.  So for what I was going to do after my cure, and what my local whole foods do for there store made bacon is cure, smoke for 1hr, season to whatever you want then smoke another hour.  My question is.... Is using a regular stump type smoker with charcoal and wood not sufficient? Does that get to hot?   Why use the amazen and is that all used with no heat?


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## daveomak (Aug 21, 2018)

If you weigh the ingredients....  Try using 1.75% kosher salt, 1% sugar (so the bacon doesn't burn), and 0.25% cure#1....  (about 1.1 grams per pound).....  That's my recipe...  
The AMNPS can be used to cold smoke bacon, or used with some heat to warm smoke bacon..... and Todd has a variety of flavor woods....   https://www.amazenproducts.com/category_s/21.htm


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## TomKnollRFV (Aug 21, 2018)

The AMNPS was designed for electric smokers, which because they rely on the heating element to also basically atomize wood chips, do not reliable make smoke below 200f <Some not even at 200f>. It can be used to cold smoke, along with set and forget for actually making smoke in an electric smoker, instead of having to constantly reload the chips.

If your smoker uses the wood/pellets for fuel along with the smoke, the AMNPS isn't all that needed unless you plan to cold smoke.


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## tallbm (Aug 22, 2018)

The AMNPS also can smoke up to about 12+ hours or so without fooling with it.  This helps if you are doing a long smoke like people do on bacon.

Also you mention your bacon being too salty.  Dave is right in the approach he mentions to avoid the bacon being too salty.
Should you be using a store bought or off the internet recipe that is untested (by you) then you should be aware of a little trick to avoid stuff you cure in being too salty.

After you cure do a fry test.  Cut a small piece of the meat off, fry it, and taste it.  If it is too salty (even borderline too salty) then soak the meat in ice water for a couple of hours and fry test again.  Continue soaking until you pass the fry test.  Change ice water every 6 hours.

That little trick will help you reduce the salt of anything you cure before cooking it.  

If you do sausage a similar fry test should be done before you stuff the meat into a casing.  If it isn't flavorful enough add more seasoning or if too salty add more meat and mix.  No soaking but this would help you avoid super salty sausage meat.

Best of luck!


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