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All this Bacon talk....

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Comments

  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    I got package 3 with pellets also but yet to fire it up . . now i am worried. If sawdust is better, could you break up and smash pellets to mimic? 
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364

    I don't think shaking the bag will help.  The little bit of sawdust that is with the pellets will fall through the pellets when loaded into the AMS. 

    The problem is the consistency of pellets vs sawdust.  It is such a small fire when using a cold smoke generator, you need contact with the pellet pieces as they burn.  One little void, and your fire goes out.

       

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    NDG said:
    I got package 3 with pellets also but yet to fire it up . . now i am worried. If sawdust is better, could you break up and smash pellets to mimic? 
    Yeah, that is what I would do if using pellets. 
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Kempy
    Kempy Posts: 188
    NDG said:
    I got package 3 with pellets also but yet to fire it up . . now i am worried. If sawdust is better, could you break up and smash pellets to mimic? 

    I think there is a method to doing this.  I believe it involves wetting the pellets and drying them out in the oven.  I'm going to do a little more research and try to figure it out before the weekend.
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    For what it is worth it is smoking like crazy now! It burned about 3 inches before going out. I would definitely have a torch for pellets with this thing.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    After I pull tonight should I just put back in ziplock bag and in fridge to chill then slice tomorrow?
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    Chubbs . . Selfishly, this is great because you are one step ahead of me . . Thanks for balzing a trail!
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    NDG said:

    Chubbs . . Selfishly, this is great because you are one step ahead of me . . Thanks for balzing a trail!

    Glad to ask the questions my friend. Hope it works for both of us. Maybe next week we will be walking someone else through.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Chubbs said:
    After I pull tonight should I just put back in ziplock bag and in fridge to chill then slice tomorrow?

    I'd pull, ziplock, and rest in fridge for at least several days.  Use your chemoreceptors to sense when the smoke mellows each day or two.  Then enjoy!
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Focker said:


    Chubbs said:

    After I pull tonight should I just put back in ziplock bag and in fridge to chill then slice tomorrow?


    I'd pull, ziplock, and rest in fridge for at least several days.  Use your chemoreceptors to sense when the smoke mellows each day or two.  Then enjoy!

    Thank you sir. If too salty when I finally Slice and cook can I soak in water or will that mellow smoke flavor too? Damn @Focker, I feel like I née to send you some. Been holding my hand for a while now. I appreciate you.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Kempy
    Kempy Posts: 188
    Chubbs said:
    Chubbs . . Selfishly, this is great because you are one step ahead of me . . Thanks for balzing a trail!
    Glad to ask the questions my friend. Hope it works for both of us. Maybe next week we will be walking someone else through.

    We'll I'm a few days behind the both you so keep up the discussion.  I'm following closely.  Posting anything that works or doesn't can only help the rest of us.  I think I got a little bit ambious with 16 pounds.  I'm working with 2 batch, a maple and a savory.  When I'm done, I'm hoping to have 1 maple smoked with hickory, 1 maple smoked with apple wood, 1 savory smoke with hickory and 1 savory smoked with applewood.  I'm getting excited to try each of them.
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited January 2013

    Ruhlman talks about blanching to remove saltiness, never had to do that.  I soak for a short time before smoking. 

    I don't think it would effect smokiness.

    I will PM you my address.  Can't have too much bacon. j/k  :))

    Appreciate the kind words Chubbs.  I've asked the same questions and others have held my hand recently.  ;)

    Smell the slab tomorrow in the fridge to give you a baseline.  It will be harsh and overpowering.  Then repeat every 1-2 days until it mellows. 

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    Kempy no prob, but you got 16 lbs ? Hottt damnnnnn.  

    If i were you i would have posted that. Quickly as an easy "one upper" to all.  Hope we help as i am stumbling through it, but ill post.
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Focker said:

    Ruhlman talks about blanching to remove saltiness, never had to do that.  I soak for a short time before smoking. 

    I don't think it would effect smokiness.

    I will PM you my address.  Can't have too much bacon. j/k  :))

    Appreciate the kind words Chubbs.  I've asked the same questions and others have held my hand recently.  ;)

    Smell the slab tomorrow in the fridge to give ya a baseline.  It will be harsh and overpowering.  Then repeat every 1-2 days until it mellows. 

    Will do the sniff test for sure. Can't wait to give it a try. Have you tried any other meats from "charcuterie"?
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Kempy
    Kempy Posts: 188
    NDG said:
    Kempy no prob, but you got 16 lbs ? Hottt damnnnnn.  

    If i were you i would have posted that. Quickly as an easy "one upper" to all.  Hope we help as i am stumbling through it, but ill post.

    Sorry didn't mean to one-up anyone.

    The purchase of 16 pounds was not intentional.  None of the butchers in my town sell pork bellies but there was a 2 day farm and home show in town and I got to talking with a butcher from out of town on the first day and he happened to have some pork bellies back at his shop out of town.  Turns out he was traveling back to his shop that night and would be returning the next day.  I asked him if he would be willing to bring 10 pounds to the show the next day.  He agreed.  When I showed back up at the farm and home show, he had 2 bellies with him that he hadn't weighed.  Turns out that they weighed 16 pounds.  I simply told him, I would still just take both of them.  At $2.99/lb not too bad a deal.  Besides, my intention is to give a bunch to friends and family.  Especially the guy who is letting me use his garage fridge to cure the bellies.  He is even flipping the bellies for me daily.

  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
    Chubbs said:

    Focker said:

    Ruhlman talks about blanching to remove saltiness, never had to do that.  I soak for a short time before smoking. 

    I don't think it would effect smokiness.

    I will PM you my address.  Can't have too much bacon. j/k  :))

    Appreciate the kind words Chubbs.  I've asked the same questions and others have held my hand recently.  ;)

    Smell the slab tomorrow in the fridge to give ya a baseline.  It will be harsh and overpowering.  Then repeat every 1-2 days until it mellows. 

    Will do the sniff test for sure. Can't wait to give it a try. Have you tried any other meats from "charcuterie"?
    You gotta do the bresaola...so easy, so good.
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Man @MQ. Looks interesting. Did you take any pics of this? Not sure where I would hang it!
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited January 2013

    Not yet.  Hope to try something soon.  Kind of veered off from the bacon recipe a bit.

    Love the book and it is a great guide, but found so much info at places like this

    http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/134/smoking-bacon

    and another bbq/grilling forum I frequent.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    Wow, really great shot . . I have never heard of that.
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    I asked Todd at A-maze-n about the pellets going out and here is his advice.

    It’s starving for oxygen and the pellets are going out.

    When it’s cold outside, the smoke becomes thick and seems to stay inside the smoker longer. Once the weather warms up a little, the pellets will burn better. Even a slight wind helps.

    Make sure the top is wide open and the bottom vent is open too

    We want to get the draft going up and thru the smoker

    Best temps for cold smoking are between 55°- 90°

    One of his customers also does this in colder climates.

    "smoking" when in cold climates!!


    Take your Amaz-'n-smoker and fill it to your liking with the wood pellets of your choice (I used Apple). Now place the Amaz-'n-Smoker in a 200ºC oven for about 15 minutes. Then take outside and light the pellets with a simple blow-torch until they start to flame. Blow out the flames and place the Amaz-'n-Smoker on the bottom shelf of your smoker box.

    Lynnwood WA
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Thanks for the feedback from Todd. Mine ended up going out twice in the 6 hours I smoked the bellies. No worries, still got great color from the smoke. Will post pics later. It was 52 degrees when smoking and 62 degrees inside egg according to maverick. I only went through about 4 inches on both sides of the AMS. My suggestion is to use the torch more than in the hole on the side of the AMS. I started there then kind of went on top some to make sure they were really going. Directions say let burn for 10 minutes, I let go for 12 then blew out flames. Produced great smoke when was running. Look forward to using it again.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited January 2013
    Chubbs said:
     

    double said:
    I asked Todd at A-maze-n about the pellets going out and here is his advice. It’s starving for oxygen and the pellets are going out. When it’s cold outside, the smoke becomes thick and seems to stay inside the smoker longer. Once the weather warms up a little, the pellets will burn better. 

    So O2 molecules per volume of air DO NOT increase as temperature decreases???

    Wish Todd could explain that one.

    Nola, where ya at?   :))

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929

    Day two of letting the belly chill in ziploc bags in the fridge. I am going out of town for the weekend tomorrow after work. What are your thoughts on soaking it in water when I get home from work to mellow out the smoke flavor some? WIll this work? I want to slice it before I leave and freeze it but take one pack with me on my trip. Help!!!

    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
    I don't know if soaking will do much to the smoke flavor, but it will help with reducing saltiness. Slice a piece off and fry it to taste it and see how smoky/salty it is, then soak if necessary.
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    billyray said:
    I don't know if soaking will do much to the smoke flavor, but it will help with reducing saltiness. Slice a piece off and fry it to taste it and see how smoky/salty it is, then soak if necessary.
    Yeah I dont think so either but thought I would ask re: smoke. I only had it smoking for 6 hours, but the AMS went out twice. So maybe 5 hours of smoke? Smells strong though.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    @chubbs . . I wish I could help but anything I share would just be a guess.  I am proposing another question below (sorry), but hopefully my response "bumps" your question up for more expert attention.  

    My belly is at day 4 of the cure and I have a quick question about the "skin".  The skin is currently still on (per ruhlman's advice for maple-cured smoked bacon) during the cure, but I am not clear if it should be removed before the cold smoke or not?  This recipe finishes with a HOT SMOKE and then he removes the skin, but I am doing a COLD SMOKE . . so should I smoke with skin on or off?

     
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
    I cold smoke with the skin off, I think you get better smoke penetration on that side with no skin on. Use the skin to make cracklins.
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    Thanks Billyray . . do you typically remove the skin before the cure? or cut the skin off after the cure and before the cold smoke?  

    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I removed mine after the cure and before the cold smoke.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013