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Yo all, has anybody used the cold smoke baffle to smoke bacon belly in the AQ? How did you go about it. I have read quite a few threads on this site, but with so much conflicting info. I'm not sure where to start. So if anybody can help me I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you ahead of time. I have 10 lbs. of pork belly I want to cure and smoke. Not to name names but Vicki had some great ideas about the subject, or anyone else for that matter. Peace out, "Q"
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I am so sorry about no one getting back to you. I have been so busy since school started up again for my three kids.

I hot smoke all of my bacon at 200* until 150 internal. I read in the book Charcuterie that traditionally most bacon is hot smoked. That is why I hot smoke. It turns out a great product and is very easy to do, so I will stick with works best for me.

It is worth experimenting, I am sure it would taste very good. I just like it precooked, because at 150 it is fully cooked and lasts in my fridge longer. I don't know enough about storing times of the cold smoked product, but it is cured so I am sure that would store ok too.

Let me know what you have done or how it turns out when u do.
I tried to cold smoke, best I could on my FEC 100. Got r running steady at 145-150 and loaded 70 pounds of bellies in and let it run over 20 hours. The bellies were flavored great and lost 20-25 percent of their weight. The flavor was concentrated and the slices were much firmer than my normal hotter smoked six-hour or so bacon. The important thing is to bring the internal temp over 140 degrees. Attached is a pic of a the 70 or so pounds I did some time ago. The black and green spots on the bacon are from the rust spots on my old not-so nickle-plated racks. I have stainless ones now, much better!!!!

I'm on a no-smoking stent now due to my deployment to Qatar, especially pork!!!!!.

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Brigs, if you're asking me, the bellies were as dry as I could get them. After curing, I soak them in water for about three hours to leach out some of the saltiness. Then I rub em down with Brown sugar or pure maple syrup, letting set overnight in the sweetness. The next day,I dab the stickiness off best I can with paper towels and put them in. I've tried drying them overnight to form a pelicle, but have never had much luck.

The FEC 100 produces clean smoke from the real wood fire, so sootiness has never been an issue. With all those wonderful nitrates floating around from the real wood fire, the invisible smoke penetrates the meat, rather than laying on top. It seemed like I would get more of the layed-on-top flavor when I smoked bellies in my electric smoker. But it's all good with bacon.

The only time I got a bitter flavor with the FEC is one time when I smoked some jerky with 100 percent hickory pellets. Note, most pellets are 60/40 Oak/Flavorwood so they are much milder than 100 percent hickory. My jerky was 1/8th inch thin and I smoked it very low and slow. It was oversmoked. I've never had any oversmoke issues on other meats or with jerky using blended pellets. I have used some of the 100 percent hickory pellets on bacon and no problems, but I really like apple or cherry with bacon.
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