All this Bacon talk....

NDG · January 29

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?

Focker · January 29

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.

Focker · January 29

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.

Kempy · January 29

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 · January 29

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.

Chubbs · January 29

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

NDG · January 29

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

Chubbs · January 29

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.

Focker · January 29

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!

Chubbs · January 29

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.

Kempy · January 29

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 · January 29

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.

NDG · January 29

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.

Chubbs · January 29

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"?

Kempy · January 29

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 · January 29

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 · January 29

Man @MQ. Looks interesting. Did you take any pics of this? Not sure where I would hang it!

Focker · January 29

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.

Mighty_Quinn · January 29

NDG · January 29

Wow, really great shot . . I have never heard of that.

double · January 29

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.

Chubbs · January 29

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.

Focker · January 29

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? :))

Chubbs · January 30

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!!!

billyray · January 30

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.

Chubbs · January 30

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.

NDG · January 30

@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?

billyray · January 30

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.

NDG · January 30

Thanks Billyray . . do you typically remove the skin before the cure? or cut the skin off after the cure and before the cold smoke?

Chubbs · January 30

I removed mine after the cure and before the cold smoke.

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