Icefever Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 10 minutes ago, Wade said: It is easy enough though to move the singled sealed bag out a few millimetres and press the seal only button to get the second seal. Never thought of that, we did have a pork belly spoil once, we did it in the sous vide and it blew your head off when we opened the bag after cooking.....needless to say it went in the bin. Today we start on our trip down bacon road....didn't have the time the last few days. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao Tzu I've taken my first step this morning, followed Wade's instructions to the T. 1 & 2....There was a small piece of bone, maybe missed by the butcher I'm not sure....so I trimmed it. 3.... Rind off....I'm chuffed I think I did a good job. ? 4....It finished at 983g. 5....All salted & sealed. 6....Ready for the next 10 days in the fridge....notice the double seal on both ends..... thanks for that Wade. I'm now thinking of doing another one but this time add the Bay leaves, just to run alongside each other for comparison. Because if this works out well it ain't going to hang around very long... Ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Nice work mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 The whole side is now cut into bacon size slabs.....first was Wade's pepper spice, 2nd was a brown sugar, and the last one has bays leaves in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 You can also use a combination of pepper and szechuan pepper. It gives the bacon a slightly citrus edge. Not recommended for a first attempt though ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 On 7/26/2018 at 3:27 PM, valve90210 said: I have a Bookers card, all I took in was my headed paper and an invoice I'd previously sent out to a client, and that was for my self-employed work as a graphic designer, they didn't seem too bothered with checking anything out really, though to be fair this was a few years ago, so they may be stricter now. Hi Scott. I've just filled in the online form, got a customer number, now just need to take in any paperwork that will cover whatever they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 From my experience they do not scrutinise them closely. After all you will be spending money there ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 Just be creative. Get your utilities bill, copy and paste a part of the bill that has no writing on it, over the original name and address, the simply type your “Business Name” and address there. Print it out, if they ask, tell them you do not receive paper bills any more only on line so you have printed it out as proof. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 Hmm. Let me think on that. Thx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 Tomorrow we have to nip to Banbury for an hour or two....on the way home we are taking whatever paperwork Bookers require and if everything is ok we will take a stroll around and price a few things up. We have no room at all in any of our 3x 6' freezers so we need to start eating some of what's in them to make enough space for a box of ribs. Tomorrow is the end of the ten days for our bacon, so we will start the drying period. I've been up the old shed and took a photo of the old girl, she was a working unit when she went in....wonder if she still works?? It may be a good point if it's run while smoking in the hot weather days?? would that keep the smoke nice and cool??? On the other hand, could that make the smoke too cold??? what's the SP on that guys?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 (edited) Nice mate and good question. I am ready to cold smoke but I am concerned at the heat even in the evenings it is up at 24 degs before even lighting the wood dust . Still it is what it is, so I am sure it will be easier come Smokevemer, cold smoking galore the winter though need to shelter the cardboard box! Might be smoking in the garage. That should be ok come winter. Definitely getting some cheese on and vacced fro some colleagues at work who are keen to taste,. Sorry i was not on from last coupe of weeks, projects at work ballonned, so I was in London a lot and was tired when I was getting home, plus some travel to boot.. Edited August 6, 2018 by Justin typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 It is really too hot to smoke at the moment. Use this batch unsmoked and see if you like the flavor, saltiness etc, then when the night ambient drops, you then can cold smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 A lot is said about the ambient temp while cold smoking....so that's why it came to mind this afternoon when I looked at the chiller. I'll have to have a look at what temp she runs at, pop a thermo in to get a reading. I could run her through an Inkbird controller, set the temp at whatever....10c for instance and she'll switch on & off to maintain that temp. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 hi tech nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 At the moment I use the Inkbird to control both cold & hot circuits in a fridge in the brewhouse, it's used as a fermentation fridge. I have two of them but I'm finding I only use one at any one time. That means take the hot circuit out so it runs as a fridge, this will then be used to store both bacon & cheese. Then add the hot circuit to the chiller if it needs it and voila jobs a good un.. ? Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 The bacon is cured so it will take some warm smoking - however as others have said even overnight it is still warm at 16 C. You can do a couple of things... Place a big tray of ice in the bottom of the smoker - the water bowl is good for this. Limit the smoking for about 4 hours and return to the fridge. Repeat several times. Put the cold smoker in the shed and run an exhaust hose from the flu to the outside. Place a portable air conditioner in the shed to cool the ambient air. This is what I do in my smokery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 Onto the next stage, they are out of the vac packed, rinsed, pat dried and now on a rack in the fridge. Photo 1....Black pepper on the left.....Bay on the right. Photo 2...Sweet cure. Ice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 On 7/29/2018 at 9:29 AM, Wade said: From my experience they do not scrutinise them closely. After all you will be spending money there ... You were spot on Wade, went today to both Bookers & Costco and got cards from both, they hardly looked at my paperwork. Ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 The bacon came out today.....we couldn't resist trying it after all this was our first go at making bacon. Covered by a farm fresh egg on Rosie's tomato & onion bread, WOW from both of us. I've read where folks get to eat their home-cured bacon, now we know what it's all about. Only the one photo when we cut the rashers... didn't think about a photo of it in the pan. Ice. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Great looking bacon. Is the next batch on yet? :-). If you need more cure let me know and I can pop some in the post or bring it to the tailgate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 5 minutes ago, Wade said: Great looking bacon. Is the next batch on yet? :-). If you need more cure let me know and I can pop some in the post or bring it to the tailgate. Thank you Sir, I must admit this first go has blown us both away, never thought how easy it is. We do need a slicer to help get a better slice....we're not doing any more this weekend as I need to try and sort out that old chiller and change into a smoker. Did you see/read about the chiller I'm going to use?? because I'm wondering if it still works would it be an advantage to run it while smoking to cool down the smoke?? or would the smoke go down too cold to work?? Yes please to the cure we'll have 3 packs, will see & sort out at the Tailgate bbq with you... as we need to watch what we do over the next 3weeks, as 3 weeks tomorrow we'll be in Portugal before the N. Tailgate do....don't want to come up short with bacon still in the cure. ? Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Great looking Bacon ? ? No more Supermarket Bacon for you two from now on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, Smokin Monkey said: Great looking Bacon ? ? No more Supermarket Bacon for you two from now on. Spot on there Smokin but we need to cut thin slices for when we make a fattie.....hence we want to buy a machine. Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I find that immersion cured (supermarket) bacon works best for the fatties as it is more pliable/stretchy and moulds round the meat better than the drier dry-cure bacon. Give it a try though and see how you get on. A bit of general info - Dry cure bacon will last up to 6 weeks when kept as a lump (I.e. unsliced), vac packed and in the fridge. Once you slice the bacon it should be used within a week - unless it is then frozen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) the world of is myriad, i was doing research on this and it appears to me only the higher end ones were worth it, anything cheaper is really hard to clean or compromised to frustrate. Gadget like this always boil down to cleaning and as slicing meat this is critical.This is what stopped me, to expensive. And space to store it, my kitchen cupboards are full with things and gadgets from years of collecting and surfaces are kept clear bar the cafetiere and recycling food caddy Edited August 10, 2018 by Justin typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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