Mellowing cold-smoked bacon

[lhommedieu]

Just finishing up my third cold smoke using the A-MAZ-N pellet smoker (12 hours).

Quick question: to mellow the bacon for 24 hours, is it safe to put it in the refrigerator unwrapped? Does the cure keep it from getting contaminated? Or should I play it safe and wrap it in in plastic?

Up until now, at each stage (cure, and two rests in-between smokes) the bacon has been wrapped in plastic.

 

[thirdeye]

Wrapping in between your cold smoking sessions helps retain the smoky flavor. You are fine with 24 hours of mellowing, and uncovered is okay because it will dry slightly and make slicing easier.

Watch this video from Benton's. They use a salt only cure, and their holding and mellowing times are quite long.

https://youtu.be/nVNSNGXzmO4

 

[lhommedieu]

Thanks so much.

Funny - I was going to PM you, but noticed that you were in the middle of replying to my post. I used your method to make the bacon. The A-MAZ-N smoker tube is good for a little over 4 hours, but I bought a 6" tube to add another 2 hours, for the next time that I cold-smoke. Maybe I can use a stainless collar and yoke them together? (I decided not to buy the expandable tube version.)

 

[SmokeOCD]

With the A-MAZ-N pellet smoker, I've found that using the smallest container possible gives the best results. I clean out my Kamado and put the maze at the bottom and I can fit a slab of bacon easily. I'll get a nice dark smoke looking slab of bacon. When I use my other (larger) grills/smokers as containers - I have to run it multiple times to get the desired smoke levels.

The slabs are safe in your fridge uncovered, they will lose some moisture and will make everything else in the fridge smokey. Since it's cured, you could even hang it from the beams in your basement or garage (assuming it's pest free). I need a good frost for all the bugs to die off, then I can smoke overnight and the meat can stay out there during the day without freezing, then smoke again overnight.

 

[thirdeye]

Thanks so much.

Funny - I was going to PM you, but noticed that you were in the middle of replying to my post. I used your method to make the bacon. The A-MAZ-N smoker tube is good for a little over 4 hours, but I bought a 6" tube to add another 2 hours, for the next time that I cold-smoke. Maybe I can use a stainless collar and yoke them together? (I decided not to buy the expandable tube version.)

I have a 6" tube also and I will light it before my long one burns out if I want to extend the smoking time. Different brands of pellets will have different burn times too. You might try the U-bolt modification. This slows the burn rate down a little bit.

 

[thirdeye]

With the A-MAZ-N pellet smoker, I've found that using the smallest container possible gives the best results. I clean out my Kamado and put the maze at the bottom and I can fit a slab of bacon easily. I'll get a nice dark smoke looking slab of bacon. When I use my other (larger) grills/smokers as containers - I have to run it multiple times to get the desired smoke levels.

A rib rack works great for bacon slabs.

 

[lhommedieu]

I have a 6" tube also and I will light it before my long one burns out if I want to extend the smoking time. Different brands of pellets will have different burn times too. You might try the U-bolt modification. This slows the burn rate down a little bit.

Looks like the U-Bolt modification helps you to avoid the (recently) dreaded lit pellet spill that happens when I place the tube on its side.

Anyway, I'll mellow the bacon for 24 hours and report back.

 

[larry4406]

@thirdeye - I need to try your smoke tube mod. My tube is oval. I am thinking of adding a flat plat at the bottom of the U-bolt so it will sit on the grate of my pellet smoker.

 

[Smoking Piney]

Educational thread!

While I've never smoked bacon, I do cold smoke cheese every year, and it definitely needs some time out in the fridge to mellow. I never knew bacon needed the same treatment.

Learned something new today! :-D

 

[thirdeye]

@thirdeye - I need to try your smoke tube mod. My tube is oval. I am thinking of adding a flat plat at the bottom of the U-bolt so it will sit on the grate of my pellet smoker.

It's not my mod, but I fully endorse the fact that it works. My 6" tube is oval and you need to rotate and align the U-bolt with the best fit. You are right about the legs on the U-bolt making a good rest for the tube. They don't tip over. I rest mine on a little strip of metal with a paint stick on top.

Instead of moving the tube, I just spin the hanging rack to even out the smoke coverage. These are cured loin hams, Canadian bacon, Buckboarded loins.... whatever you want to call them. I like a light smoke, plenty of draft/draw, and enough time to do the job right.

 

[thirdeye]

Educational thread!

While I've never smoked bacon, I do cold smoke cheese every year, and it definitely needs some time out in the fridge to mellow. I never knew bacon needed the same treatment.

Learned something new today! :-D

Bacon (and cured and smoked sausage) needs some bloom time first to develop the good color. And mellowing takes any bitterness from the smoke time to dissipate.

Cheese and butter are wonderful when gently cold smoked. I sample a sacrificial piece of cheese during the process, and my product is edible the following morning, but I mellow it 2 or 3 days before gifting it.

 

[Smoking Piney]

Always looking to expand my horizons, thirdeye.

Great info! :-D

 

[Whisky]

Wrapping in between your cold smoking sessions helps retain the smoky flavor. You are fine with 24 hours of mellowing, and uncovered is okay because it will dry slightly and make slicing easier.

Watch this video from Benton's. They use a salt only cure, and their holding and mellowing times are quite long.

https://youtu.be/nVNSNGXzmO4

Did someone say Betnons?? Crazy, I literally just got a shipment of bacon from them a few days ago. Intend to fry some up in the next day or two. Haven't had it before. Comes highly recommended if you like smoky and salty, which I'm a fan of both.

 

[lhommedieu]

That Benton's video is the bomb.

Thanks to everyone, especially thirdeye, for helping me here and off-board. I took some of this bacon to my neighbor's house for breakfast this morning. It was delicious!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1wz6...con.jpeg?rlkey=xe4qwlj7hkuu1jhs2ag61bjsu&dl=0

Question: how do I upload an image without having to link it to a URL?

 

[frayedend]

I seem to recall a thread about smoke smell being permanently a part of their refrigerator. If this is your regular fridge you may not want to mellow it uncovered just for the smell.

 

[lhommedieu]

Old, extra fridge in the cellar. I use if for items that my wife says that she doesn't want in the regular fridge in the kitchen, like Thai fish sauce, etc. lol. I've learned to pick and choose my battles, and what remains unseen, is that about which remains unspoken.