We're In The Bacon!

bluetang · 01-15-2013, 06:49 PM

I've noticed that a lot of folks are smoking their bacon off at a smoker temp of 200° F, and the product to an IT of 150°F. I wondered why since the bacon was going to be fried, so I avoided this method. I usually smoke at lower temps and pull at 127° F, or cold smoke. This weekend I had to see for myself. Took a belly, cut into thirds, skinned, and dry cured for ten days at 138°F-141°F(cure #1, K salt, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of maple sugar).

Did a four hour soak, changing water once prior to smoking.

Cold smoked for eight hours, apple. Temps were 73°F-80°F for the first six hours, and gradually gradually rose to 90°F.

Belly #2 was smoked in the Pro Q Stacker, using a snake minion, and Australian pine chunks. I was shooting for 130°F smoker temp. Didn't happen. It ran between 145°F and 150°F. (All intake dampers closed!)

Six hours later

Pulled at 127°F

The subject belly was smoked in the UDS at 175°F-212°F to an IT of 150°F(Australian pine chunks). Pulled in Three hours!

Said trio of porky goodness. From the left, 150°F, 127°F. and cold smoked.

The acid test!

The higher temp bacon sliced easily after chilled, the other two needed to be thrown into the freezer a bit to firm up in order to slice.
They were all KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!, But the unanimous favorite was the hot smoked bacon

. Dang, all these years wasted

. AND done in only three hours

.The pieces weighed about 3 1/2 lbs.
We're in the bacon. Thanks for lookin!

IamMadMan · 01-15-2013, 09:07 PM

Great looking bacon......

Thanks for doing the leg work and answering the questions we all share...

You said you used "Australian pine chunks"? is this really pine or is it another name for the popular Acacia wood in Australia???

Bluesman · 01-15-2013, 09:11 PM

Great job and thanks for the hard work...........You guys are killin me with this bacon though.............

Dirtbuddy · 01-15-2013, 09:11 PM

Nice pics!

This reminds me i need to go pick up some belly as we are getting low.

Subzerogriller · 01-15-2013, 09:14 PM

Excellent looking bacon! One more thing I need to get around to trying...

Hoss · 01-15-2013, 09:21 PM

Nice comparison.I would have bet a dollar that the cold smoked would have left the others in the dust. Guess ya never know til ya try em all.

gtr · 01-15-2013, 09:28 PM

I'm kinda surpised the hotter cooked/higher IT bacon came out better. I'm glad it did though, 'cause that's how I do it.

Looks very good sir and thanks for doing this. I always enjoy yer pix and posts!

martyleach · 01-15-2013, 09:34 PM

That looks great. Thanks so much for the information!

chriscw81 · 01-15-2013, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoss

Nice comparison.I would have bet a dollar that the cold smoked would have left the others in the dust. Guess ya never know til ya try em all.

exactly what i was thinking. i may have to try going with a higher temp next time.

Hoss · 01-15-2013, 09:56 PM

Question......????? Your post shows the shrinkage from hot,to med,to cold. Left to right.I understand the hot smoked slab being smaller,than the medium, then the cold smoked remaining full sized.However the cooked pics are opposite of that,it shows the hot smoked slices much bigger than the cold smoked piece if they are in fact in the same position after smoking?Please explain.Maybe the cold smoked rendered that much more,just wondering.

I am guessing the cold smoked is on the left and the hot smoked is on the right in the sliced pic.???

blues_n_cues · 01-16-2013, 02:29 AM

judging by the times & color the cold smoked should have gone a lot longer. I usually keep the pit 50-85 degrees & go for about 24-30 hours.

of course this was a bit hard to read because the thread is 6 feet wide...

JohnHB · 01-16-2013, 02:50 AM

I do not understand. I always dry cure in refrigerator but you are suggesting 10days at around 140f. From my limited experience in long term cooking sous vide it would be cooked 5 times over in the curing process!!! Definitely confuses me.

Phubar · 01-16-2013, 04:01 AM

Yes mon!

fries · 01-16-2013, 04:48 AM

Thanks for the information. I too was confused by cure temperatures. I assume they should be minus 100 degrees, but you all know what they say about assuming.

JohnHB · 01-16-2013, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fries

Thanks for the information. I too was confused by cure temperatures. I assume they should be minus 100 degrees, but you all know what they say about assuming.

40F sounds perfect for me!!!

01-15-2013, 09:11 PM	#3
Bluesman is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-01-10 Location: Fond du Lac, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Great job and thanks for the hard work...........You guys are killin me with this bacon though............. __________________ "98" Green Weber Performer "95" Black Weber Platinum - Dumpster find workin' on it "00" Weber Simpsons OTG 22.5 WSM Smokin' Bucky UDS Weber Q100 Weber Q200 Faster than the Speed of Light Red Thermapen, Certified MOINK Ball Maker Proud Member of the Zero's Club with Voodoo Soup..

01-15-2013, 09:11 PM	#4
Dirtbuddy Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-24-12 Location: Port Coquitlam, BC Canada Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice pics! This reminds me i need to go pick up some belly as we are getting low. __________________ Kamado Joe Classic, 18.5" WSM w/ CyberQ WiFi, 22.5" OTG, Weber SJS

01-15-2013, 09:14 PM	#5
Subzerogriller Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-10-12 Location: Blaine, MN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Excellent looking bacon! One more thing I need to get around to trying... __________________ Chris Good Batch BBQ Competition Team Webers: 22.5 Kettle, 18.5 Kettle, and dual 22.5 WSM's Proud to be supporting our troops: Limited Edition Supahfast Thermapen with US Flag Joined my first TD, and dove headfirst into the Zero's Club. Come to the Dark Side! Join a Throwdown!

01-15-2013, 09:28 PM	#7
gtr Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	I'm kinda surpised the hotter cooked/higher IT bacon came out better. I'm glad it did though, 'cause that's how I do it. Looks very good sir and thanks for doing this. I always enjoy yer pix and posts! __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Jumbo Old Smokey, Pig Hibachi, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. Golden Goose Egg - Got 2 in the nest baby! SPFP Mayzie's keeping an eye out for you! WTFWGALD?

01-15-2013, 09:34 PM	#8
martyleach Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-17-10 Location: Pleasanton, Ca Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That looks great. Thanks so much for the information! __________________ Large Big Green Egg, Cold smokehouse, UDS with hinged lid, Santa Maria pit 26.75" Weber OTG, Weber Performer, WGA MAK One Star General Pellet Pooper Hasty Bake Gourmet Custom wooden handles for BBQ's made by Marty Leach (oh, that's me) www.amlwoodart.com

01-15-2013, 06:49 PM	#1
bluetang Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-06-10 Location: Stuart, Fl Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	We're In The Bacon! I've noticed that a lot of folks are smoking their bacon off at a smoker temp of 200° F, and the product to an IT of 150°F. I wondered why since the bacon was going to be fried, so I avoided this method. I usually smoke at lower temps and pull at 127° F, or cold smoke. This weekend I had to see for myself. Took a belly, cut into thirds, skinned, and dry cured for ten days at 138°F-141°F(cure #1, K salt, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of maple sugar). Did a four hour soak, changing water once prior to smoking. Cold smoked for eight hours, apple. Temps were 73°F-80°F for the first six hours, and gradually gradually rose to 90°F. Belly #2 was smoked in the Pro Q Stacker, using a snake minion, and Australian pine chunks. I was shooting for 130°F smoker temp. Didn't happen. It ran between 145°F and 150°F. (All intake dampers closed!) Six hours later Pulled at 127°F The subject belly was smoked in the UDS at 175°F-212°F to an IT of 150°F(Australian pine chunks). Pulled in Three hours! Said trio of porky goodness. From the left, 150°F, 127°F. and cold smoked. The acid test! The higher temp bacon sliced easily after chilled, the other two needed to be thrown into the freezer a bit to firm up in order to slice. They were all KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!, But the unanimous favorite was the hot smoked bacon. Dang, all these years wasted. AND done in only three hours.The pieces weighed about 3 1/2 lbs. We're in the bacon. Thanks for lookin! __________________ Homegrown 120 Gallon Reverse Flow, Homey, the Homegrown Kettle, 3 UDS's, 3 Stack Pro Q Excel 20, 18.5" Elderly(but not retired) WSM, 150lb Capacity Homegrown Electric and a CA gasserrrr Bicycle Fast Polder Thermo, Indisputably Fastest Purple Thermapen, SAI Satay Grill Thanks landarc for the avatar!

01-15-2013, 09:07 PM	#2
IamMadMan is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 07-30-11 Location: Southern New Jersey Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Great looking bacon...... Thanks for doing the leg work and answering the questions we all share... You said you used "Australian pine chunks"? is this really pine or is it another name for the popular Acacia wood in Australia??? __________________ Humphrey's DownEast Beast W/BBQ Guru

01-15-2013, 09:21 PM	#6
Hoss is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-31-09 Location: Hernando,MS Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice comparison.I would have bet a dollar that the cold smoked would have left the others in the dust. Guess ya never know til ya try em all.

01-15-2013, 09:56 PM	#10
Hoss is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-31-09 Location: Hernando,MS Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Question......????? Your post shows the shrinkage from hot,to med,to cold. Left to right.I understand the hot smoked slab being smaller,than the medium, then the cold smoked remaining full sized.However the cooked pics are opposite of that,it shows the hot smoked slices much bigger than the cold smoked piece if they are in fact in the same position after smoking?Please explain.Maybe the cold smoked rendered that much more,just wondering. I am guessing the cold smoked is on the left and the hot smoked is on the right in the sliced pic.???

01-16-2013, 02:29 AM	#11
blues_n_cues is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-16-07 Location: south central,ky. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	judging by the times & color the cold smoked should have gone a lot longer. I usually keep the pit 50-85 degrees & go for about 24-30 hours. of course this was a bit hard to read because the thread is 6 feet wide... __________________ Blues_n_Cues BBQ Concessions & Catering

01-16-2013, 02:50 AM	#12
JohnHB Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-14-12 Location: Sydney NSW Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I do not understand. I always dry cure in refrigerator but you are suggesting 10days at around 140f. From my limited experience in long term cooking sous vide it would be cooked 5 times over in the curing process!!! Definitely confuses me. __________________ When you stop horsing around it is time to fire up the BBQ & Smoker

01-16-2013, 04:01 AM	#13
Phubar somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-24-09 Location: Utrecht,The NetherPharkinglands Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yes mon! __________________ -TG -WGA (3) -UDS (S,M,L) All fueled by Ecobrasa Coco Briquettes Lowland Smokers Dutch BBQ Champion 2011 - 2012 *Lowland Smokers Dutch BBQ Champion 2013 Low 'n Slow

01-16-2013, 04:48 AM	#14
fries Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 01-14-13 Location: Felton, DE Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the information. I too was confused by cure temperatures. I assume they should be minus 100 degrees, but you all know what they say about assuming. __________________ "Anything worth doing... is worth your best effort" - My Grandpa.