Mmmmm smoky bacon. A new project!

Ok. So after reading a bunch on the subject, I decided to go simple for the first run. I did a couple things different from the brine recipe I was given.

Here is a breakdown in grams, so in the future, changes are simpler.

Based on a US gallon = 3785 grams, i used:
3785 grams water
165 grams kosher salt
130 grams of pure maple sugar
200 grams dark brown sugar
1720 grams of pork loin

6000 grams total weight of brine and meat x 0.000120 Ppm / 0.064 % nitrite = 11.25 grams cure (The Prague powder I got was 6.4% nitrite)

I completely mixed the brine, then injected in several places, recovering the run off, maintaining the proportions. Purchased a new container for the purpose, now the waiting game.

My tunnel vision, while preparing/trimming the loin, mixing/weighing ingredients had me forgetting to take photos, but here are the 2 pieces in the brine.


http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu37/bladebuilder/LL_zps2120bc0f.jpg
After removing the loins from the brine, and rinsing them. I did the recommended test fry. A nice mix of sweet and salty. neither overpowering. this is gonna be good! 24 hours on a rack in the fridge to dry up. It the smoker in the morning!


So at 0-DARK-30 I fired up the A-Maze-N pellet smoker with maple pellets, and set it all out in my offset smoker/grill.


We have thin blue smoke!


So after 4 hours of cold smoke, (45 degrees) I upped the temp in the smoker to 150 for 2 hours, then 180 for 2, and 200 till internal temp was 150. (actually hit 156) I was busy eating dinner.

Sorry for the poor light photo, after a day or so in the fridge to mellow out, I will get better ones. The color isnt as dark as the photo shows... Not sure why.

Has a nice maple smell, and a decent, clean smoke smell. Not overpowering at all. Gotta say I am pleased for a first attempt!

 

Phase II
Smokehouse!!
So, I'm really hooked bad!! I started with a simple back bacon question, now I have 60 pounds of belly on the way, and of course, had to start a smoker! Mainly because I don't already have enough on my plate, but hey, I needed the distraction right?

I had intended to go with a full cedar build, then thought about a cinderblock base, but with winter closing in, I took cues from some other builds I have seen here in my research.

I priced cedar lumber for the framing, and holy crap!! It's expensive here!! So spruce framed it will be!!

Base framed

Sides and front framed, base complete

Sides and front attached to base


So, managed to get the walls closed in today, and the roof framed. The Cedar I purchased was in bundles, and of course, the best boards were on the outside. SO even though I bought an extra bundle to be safe, I am still short.

So This is how it looks. I went with floor registers, instead of a chimney after looking at a bunch of different builds. These are the larger size, 2 baffles in each. It is looking better than I thought it would. I have very little framing experience.

Dimensions: 36" x 36' 6'6" front. 6' back. Dimensions to underside of the roof. I was gonna go 6' front 5'6" back, but I'm 6'4" and I hate ducking!

 

You sir are my hero!

 

Very cool. Thanks for posting.

 

op

 

I wanted bacon... so i went to the store, and bought the raw materials to build a smoke house lol

nice one

 

Nice back bacon Pierre!

 

So excited to read about bacon but then I saw the pork loin and got confused. But then I remembered you're Canadian. 2

 

Awesome! What are the plans to get the smoke in there Pierre?

 

That's exactly what I was going to say.

How's my bedroom coming along?

 

Well O' Keeper of the Smoke!! I have a couple options for making the "Thin Blue" happen. This smoker will have a propane burner in the bottom (bottom 2 feet will be insulated, and shielded with stainless steel.) So I can put a smoke pot on top of the burner, should I want a hot smoke, holding 250 - 300 F inside should be no issue. If a cold smoke is required, the A-Maze-N pellet smoker will do the trick. It will run 10 plus hours on less than 1 pound of pellets. O filled mine this first go, and it burned 10 1/2 hours, and used two thirds of a pound.

 

When I show up on your porch one of these days, you're going to have to adopt me.

 

All you need know is your own pigs.

 

Wow looks great!! that smoke house is seriously solid with the doubled up lumber for the framework.

 

Sounds like a plan! cold smoked hams for Christmas?

 

Jim, would love to know how to do a ham... Will have to see!! I have 60 pounds of pork bellies on route though!!

Quick update on the build... Did the doors, and corner trim today. Mounted the door, realized my hands were shaking... Oh yeah! Haven't eaten or had anything to drink since dinner yesterday!!

 

That looks amazing, Pierre! I'll need you to come help me set up my new shop, when that time comes.

 

That looks fantastic!

 

I suggest you look at a heat source that will maintain 140-180 f if you really want to get into fish and sausages.

In that volume the propane may be able to be dialed down that low, I am not sure.

 

Ah! 60 pounds of belly coming! Stay tuned for the dry cure!

Well that depends on how long your coming for!

Lol! We will see who adopts who! Either way, gonna be some good eats happening!

Burner is on route. Will take a bit of practice, but should be able to hold from 100 to 300F. The burner I have coming is 30000 BTU. With 3 adjustable flame rings. I'll be insulating and heat shielding the bottom. Done quite a bit of figuring before I tackled this.