Cold vs. Hot Smoke Bacon

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Mountaindewbass

Found some matches.
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Howdy Y'all. Ive been around here for awhile..but never really posted much...or ever.

Here's the deal. I have 5 lb's of pork belly curing, im on day 6 and thus im faced with an issue. Which do you prefer..hot or cold smoked belly.

I have a brand New Stoker and Amaze n Smoker with Apple pellets..so im torn on which to use this week. I also have a cyberq wifi..so the stoker isn't anything to "new." Im wanting to use one of my gizmos..but not sure which would be better for the meat(cold vs. hot)
Any advice and personal experience is well received.

About me. Three Big Green Eggs(2 lg, and 1 mini)
 
Smoking bacon at 200F, the result is absolutely delicious. I've never cold smoked but I know cowgirl can help you--she has her own smokehouse she built even.

I've had bad experience with A-Maze-N pellet smoker with making things bitter and would never use one for smoking bacon, but that just could be my user error.
 
Hot smoking is anything over like 90 degrees..or something crazy like that. The bacon will be cured so im just not sure if the flavor is better if its just cold smoked(since itll be cooked again) or if i should just follow Ruhlman's method and cook it at 200 until IT reaches 150..to make sure all bacteria is deceased.
 
Mountaindewbass said:
Hot smoking is anything over like 90 degrees..or something crazy like that. The bacon will be cured so im just not sure if the flavor is better if its just cold smoked(since itll be cooked again) or if i should just follow Ruhlman's method and cook it at 200 until IT reaches 150..to make sure all bacteria is deceased.
Click to expand...

I smoke at 200F until 140F. Isn't all the bacteria dead with all that cure? SHould I be going to 150F instead? I know a lot of people, including brethren here, go to just 140F.
 
I've done both. I preferred the cold smoke. If the meat is cured there is no reason you HAVE to take it up to 140. I used the amaze n smoker and I loved it. Some of the bad reviews are from people who don't give their chamber enough air flow and fill it up with dirty smoke. Turn that stoker on when the you light the maze so there is some air flow and you will get a nice thin blue smoke without all the heat.
 
I have done both and really did not see a big difference....I have 13 pounds drying in the frigde now and will be smoking it this weekend. I will hot smoke these as they have the skin on and it just peels off after hot smoking
 
Thanks for your replies. Yeah..next time ill be trying hot smoking..for the simple ease of removing the skin and fat. I did all that "hard" work before I began the cure.

Also @bourbonbarrel what temp would you set the stoker at to puff air on the amaze n smoker?
 
It's a matter of preference. I prefer cold smoking.
 
Isn't cold smoking better if you want to make bacon weaves? It'd be stickier and stay together better?
 
I've yet to try cold smoking bacon but have hot smoked nearly 700-800 pounds of it (things escalated quickly once I started making it) over the last year and 1/2. Building a smoke house and doing some cold smoking is on my radar but I have not been disappointed by my hot smoking attempts.
 
Im assuming my bacon consumption will increase in the coming months :) But for now..the bacon is to accompany some eggs and toast for breakfests and to wrap ABT's, Pork shots, and moink balls
 
I warm smoke my cured bacon..

normally run my smoker at 200F for 2 hours and then temper it a bit to maintain light blue smoke (using Hickory wood chips)
for another 2 hours or so until the bacon hits 140 F -
then I shut down the heat.. the temp of the bacon still runs up a couple of degrees after that...

here it is.. hanging & laying to cool down..:laugh:
1932328_734893136543398_1658650164_n.jpg


1958419_734894239876621_1563312279_n.jpg
 
I cold smoke for 3 to 4 hours depending upon how thick it is, and then slowly raise the temperature to 180 then to 200 until an internal temperature of 150°.

The initial cold smoking imparts a greater amount of smoke flavoring which I like in my bacon, sausages, and hams.

.
 
IamMadMan said:
I cold smoke for 3 to 4 hours depending upon how thick it is, and then slowly raise the temperature to 180 then to 200 until an internal temperature of 150°.

The initial cold smoking imparts a greater amount of smoke flavoring which I like in my bacon, sausages, and hams.

.
Click to expand...

yep :thumb:

works out great!
 
Mountaindewbass said:
Thanks for your replies. Yeah..next time ill be trying hot smoking..for the simple ease of removing the skin and fat. I did all that "hard" work before I began the cure.

Also @bourbonbarrel what temp would you set the stoker at to puff air on the amaze n smoker?
Click to expand...

doesn't really matter. Just set to any higher temp and let it blow. I use a ball valve on my pit to regulate how much air gets inside the chamber. You are just looking to get some air circulating so the smoke is cleaner.

My last batch cold smoked.

1510578_10203081058491159_362515249_n.jpg
 
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