# Is this a correct bacon calculator?



## ddrian

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/dry-cured-bacon-calculator-and-procedure

I was looking to see the end results from some that have used it.?

Thanks


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## wade

There are many cure calculators out there however the one we usually recommend is here 

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html


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## wade

You may find this helpful


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## daveomak

ddrian said:


> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/dry-cured-bacon-calculator-and-procedure
> 
> I was looking to see the end results from some that have used it.?
> 
> Thanks


I will answer your question....  FWIW...I would cut the salt to 2.5% maximum... seems above 2.5 %, most think it's too salty...     Yes, that calculator is correct...  Some folks resort to 1 rub instead of 2 or 3...    Nothing wrong with multiple rubs...   If you have concerns about the 200 Ppm nitrite concentration, 200 Ppm is allowed when a dry rub is used...    to be "technically correct", reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is on the slab,   FDA rules for commercial establishments..  Since you are not commercial, +/- 10% is not significant....    If you do a brine/cure, where you soak the belly in a nitrite/salt/sugar solution, 120 Ppm nitrite is recommended, FDA also... and reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is left on....  To be "close enough", shoot for 150 ish Ppm on all your bacon...

I personally use/do the dry rub...  I rub and set the belly on a wire rack, in the refer at 38 deg. F for 2 weeks, or longer....  rinse....  dry.... form a pellicle and cold smoke at or below 70 deg. F....   then return to the refer for 1 more week rest, on a wire rack.....  that's to let the flavors "soak in" and continue to dry the meat for a more intense bacon flavor...   partially freeze and slice...     makes some awesome bacon...  

Try different recipes and times and temps (smoking temps) until you find a killer recipe...   everyone does this stuff different...     My recipe calls for 1.75% salt, 0.25% cure #1 and 1% sugar...  The 0.25% cure #1 puts the nitrite at ~150 ish Ppm nitrite....   the 200 Ppm and 120 Ppm nitrite, in the FDA recipe, are maximums for the method used..   BUT, being we are "home curing", those are very good guidelines to try and follow....


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## hoity toit

DaveOmak said:


> I will answer your question....  FWIW...I would cut the salt to 2.5% maximum... seems above 2.5 %, most think it's too salty...     Yes, that calculator is correct...  Some folks resort to 1 rub instead of 2 or 3...    Nothing wrong with multiple rubs...   If you have concerns about the 200 Ppm nitrite concentration, 200 Ppm is allowed when a dry rub is used...    to be "technically correct", reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is on the slab,   FDA rules for commercial establishments..  Since you are not commercial, +/- 10% is not significant....    If you do a brine/cure, where you soak the belly in a nitrite/salt/sugar solution, 120 Ppm nitrite is recommended, FDA also... and reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is left on....  To be "close enough", shoot for 150 ish Ppm on all your bacon...
> 
> I personally use/do the dry rub...  I rub and set the belly on a wire rack, in the refer at 38 deg. F for 2 weeks, or longer....  rinse....  dry.... form a pellicle and cold smoke at or below 70 deg. F....   then return to the refer for 1 more week rest, on a wire rack.....  that's to let the flavors "soak in" and continue to dry the meat for a more intense bacon flavor...   partially freeze and slice...     makes some awesome bacon...
> 
> Try different recipes and times and temps (smoking temps) until you find a killer recipe...   everyone does this stuff different...     My recipe calls for 1.75% salt, 0.25% cure #1 and 1% sugar...  The 0.25% cure #1 puts the nitrite at ~150 ish Ppm nitrite....   the 200 Ppm and 120 Ppm nitrite, in the FDA recipe, are maximums for the method used..   BUT, being we are "home curing", those are very good guidelines to try and follow....


DITTO what Dave says. ! comes out perfect every time.

HT


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## wade

Salt and sugar are very personal tastes and vary from recipe to recipe. As mentioned above, 2% to 2,5% salt works well for most tastes - though some commercially ready blended bacon curing salts will take it up as high as 4-5%. Unless you are looking to get flavour from a specific type of sugar then it the primarily there to balance the saltiness in the cure. As a general rule of thumb use 50% weight of sugar to salt.


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## ddrian

Thx for the great advice


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## ddrian

Dave 
Thanks for explaining the difference between brine and dry cure ratios. That was bugging me. 
Is there a weight to time in the cure for brine and dry cure that is reliable or is it by thickness or ???





DaveOmak said:


> I will answer your question....  FWIW...I would cut the salt to 2.5% maximum... seems above 2.5 %, most think it's too salty...     Yes, that calculator is correct...  Some folks resort to 1 rub instead of 2 or 3...    Nothing wrong with multiple rubs...   If you have concerns about the 200 Ppm nitrite concentration, 200 Ppm is allowed when a dry rub is used...    to be "technically correct", reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is on the slab,   FDA rules for commercial establishments..  Since you are not commercial, +/- 10% is not significant....    If you do a brine/cure, where you soak the belly in a nitrite/salt/sugar solution, 120 Ppm nitrite is recommended, FDA also... and reduce the nitrite by 10% if the skin is left on....  To be "close enough", shoot for 150 ish Ppm on all your bacon...
> 
> I personally use/do the dry rub...  I rub and set the belly on a wire rack, in the refer at 38 deg. F for 2 weeks, or longer....  rinse....  dry.... form a pellicle and cold smoke at or below 70 deg. F....   then return to the refer for 1 more week rest, on a wire rack.....  that's to let the flavors "soak in" and continue to dry the meat for a more intense bacon flavor...   partially freeze and slice...     makes some awesome bacon...
> 
> Try different recipes and times and temps (smoking temps) until you find a killer recipe...   everyone does this stuff different...     My recipe calls for 1.75% salt, 0.25% cure #1 and 1% sugar...  The 0.25% cure #1 puts the nitrite at ~150 ish Ppm nitrite....   the 200 Ppm and 120 Ppm nitrite, in the FDA recipe, are maximums for the method used..   BUT, being we are "home curing", those are very good guidelines to try and follow....


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## daveomak

All the calculations I have seen are based on meat thickness...   Molecules travel at a "given" speed through the meat muscle...   Temperature has an effect...  The size of the molecule has an effect...  Temperature is generally regarded best at 38-40 def. F...  colder slows the curing time...   warmer, bacteria can multiply faster...  You don't want the bacteria to multiply faster than the curing agents can control it... 

Sugar, being a larger molecule, is slow to penetrate....  That's one reason short time curing can taste salty...   sugar counteracts the saltiness... 

I've been sticking with 7 days per inch and usually 2 week regardless of thickness......  works well for me...   I also been using 1.75% salt and 0.25% cure #1... that sets the salt at close to 2%...  1% sugar seems to balance the salt well.. 

There are methods for dry rubs in hams..   multiple applications of cure and salt, over time, while refrigerated....   also salt only rubs, but they lack the "ham" flavor you get from nitrite...  BUT...  they give you a very intense pork flavor that is awesome...  usually heirloom pig is used for that particular method as American pig is severely lacking in depth of flavor..


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## wade

When dry curing bacon, within reason, it is not possible to over cure as you are applying a fixed amount of cure that you just need to give sufficient time to penetrate the meat. Once it has reached equilibrium throughout the meat it will not hurt to leave it longer. Dave uses 7 days per inch which is a good guide but you can leave it longer. I usually use 10-14 days when dry curing belly and loin.

With slab muscle the bacteria will be on the meat surface and the moment you apply the cure the high concentrations of topical salt this will dehydrate and kill most surface bacteria. As the salt penetrates the meat the surface concentrations will then drop until you theoretically reach your calculated 2.5%. For meats thicker than ~3" (or meats that include a bone) then people often choose to to use an injection brine rather than a surface dry cure.


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