Smoking Bacon???

I cook bacon in a smoker a lot, it's my favorite way to eat it. What kind of smoker are you using?

Your plan sounds good. It really is that simple.

I have been cooking bacon on the Kettle and my big offset smoker for twenty years. (After this much time, you would think it would be done by now........)

I prefer the bacon that is cooked on the Kettle as it comes off more crispy than the bacon strips cooked on the big smoker. I usually run the heat about 300ºF to 325ºF. There are two rows of coals, one on each side, with the bacon laid out in individual strips down the middle of the Kettle. Make sure there is no part of the bacon over the coals as the grease from the bacon will start a fire. I prefer cherry wood for flavoring but pecan or peach works good too. After 20 minutes, I flip the bacon and check again every ten minutes. Cooking time takes any where from 30 to 40 minutes.

When I do this on the big smoker, I try to kick the heat up to at least 275ºF. The hotter the cooking temperature, the crispier the bacon. I do not use a water pan when I do this as the added moisture in the smoker will keep the bacon from crisping. If you are cooking at 230ºF, it will take at least an hour for the bacon to cook. It will get a nice color and taste, but it more than likely will not reach the crispiness that you are looking for. This can be corrected when you reheat the strips in the microwave. One other thing to watch for is where that grease drains. If it gets too close to the firebox, it may catch fire.

Lager,

Juggy

I have smoked bacon up to 3 hours at 225*, but like Juggy said, the hotter the temp, the crispier and quicker the cook.

Flip if you want, I don't. I'd be a little cautious about putting the bacon on the firebox side. I'd worry about it burning, but that's on my pit.

If you are going to use a pan, I would not place the bacon inside it. You want the rendered grease to drip away from the bacon. By being inside the pan, the bacon won't get very much exposure to the smoke. Nothing wrong with using a pan directly below the bacon to collect the grease and by the way, that grease will be very flavorful for using in other recipes. It may not be very healthy, but it will be very flavorful.

On a big smoker, it is not always necessary to flip the bacon, but it is when I cook bacon on the Kettle.

Lager,

Juggy

Yo John, Your plan should work. I am not sure as to how much distance there is between the rack and the collecting pan, but the more distance, the more smoke the bacon will be exposed to. At least that's the way it works on my big offset. Let us know how the bacon turns out.

lager,

Juggy

What rub are you going to use? And now that you are done laughing, seriously. I like to use some Fast Eddy All purpose seasoning on my bacon (no matter how it is cooked)