<![CDATA[Makin' Bacon (EQ Method)]]>Started EQ method cure on this 10lb-ish belly on 7/1 and pulled out out and rinsed last night. Let it rest open in fridge to form pellicle and just put it into my PK 100. Smokehouse plan is following schedule using cherry (or apple, not 100% certain yet):

  • 120F - 1 hour (no smoke) - vents 100% open
  • 120F - 1 hour (smoke) - vents 20% open for rest
  • 135F - 1 hour (smoke)
  • 150F - 1 hour (smoke)
  • 165F - 1 hour (no smoke)
  • 180F till IT is 138F

IMG_2958.jpg

IMG_2963.jpg

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/topic/4076/makin-bacon-eq-methodRSS for NodeThu, 10 Sep 2026 21:14:20 GMTSat, 17 Jul 2021 15:56:04 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:58:23 GMT]]>I have been curing and cold smoking bacon for the last few years…bellies and loins…so much better than what you can purchase. I have a small MES30 that I cold smoke in
…Yours look gorgeous!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43368https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43368Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:58:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:22:41 GMT]]>Surg that looks amazing!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43366https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43366Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:22:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 02 Aug 2021 01:55:06 GMT]]>Surg Your bacon looks killer, nice work!

Maybe grab a few bacon hangers? When I smoked I just ran my dowels through the shoulders of them vs using the hanging hook to raise the slabs up on my PK100 rack setup. Worked out really well.

I have 3 half-slabs of Duroc hog in fridge now using EQ. One plain, another maple syrup/garlic, and last maple syrup/chipotle.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43328https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43328Mon, 02 Aug 2021 01:55:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 02 Aug 2021 01:11:13 GMT]]>Surg looks good 👍. Great job man. 👏

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43325https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43325Mon, 02 Aug 2021 01:11:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sun, 01 Aug 2021 16:42:52 GMT]]>C204DFBD-6973-4EAF-A73A-575C86C4FB72.jpeg E5F902B1-90D7-46A9-89A9-488870E0C686.jpeg 55BE3BCA-04D7-48EE-A650-5884C1846376.jpeg

Came out great! mhighland69 thanks for the input. It’s hard to tell in the picture but I actually had the S hooks through the metal rack which was sitting on top of the wood. The wood was used as spacers on the highest slides for the rack to get the metal rack closer to the top of the smoker. Not sure why I didn’t think of it but I probably also could have hung them horizontally from the rack and eliminated the need for the wood. It was kind of a pain to rotate and flip them. I think I may try to figure out a way to add brackets higher in the smoker to set the rack on. Or maybe metal spacers.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43268https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43268Sun, 01 Aug 2021 16:42:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:09:39 GMT]]>Surg looking good 👍so far. Good luck with the smoke. I bet it turns out great. Can’t wait to do it myself.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43257https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43257Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:09:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:46:45 GMT]]>Surg Another thing you can do is make you a few more hangers that you are sticking through your belly for hangers, and if your belly pieces are to long you can cut them in half and then hang em in the smoker vertically. Cutting your belly in half will not affect your final product.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43232https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43232Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:46:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:42:09 GMT]]>Surg You are welcome! I know the work that goes into this and I would hate to see a whole batch of belly ruined for the amount of time I know that you have put into this.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43231https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43231Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:42:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:38:27 GMT]]>If you hang your belly vertically like you had it before you will end up with a much better, evenly smoked product, that you will not have to turn over or rotate. If you have any questions reach out I smoke my belly like this every time I make a batch.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43230https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43230Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:38:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:35:52 GMT]]>I understand that where you had the wood is the top shelf, what I’m trying to explain is if you leave your top metal rack in the smoker and take the metal racks out below you can hang you belly like you had it, you just hang it vertically from the metal rack that you have your top piece of belly on now. Put you metal hangers into your belly like you had it, and use the grate’s on your top wire rack to hang your belly from.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43229https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43229Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:35:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:28:34 GMT]]>mhighland69
Oh man. Thanks. That Unfortunately is the top rack and I didn’t have the clearance otherwise. Maybe I will go back to the old way for now until I can figure out something better, or buy a bigger smoker.

Switched it up. Thanks again.
9AA33D2A-BDFD-4062-A715-94B064A87D26.jpeg

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43228https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43228Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:28:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:48:37 GMT]]>Just a word of advice, if you haven’t started smoking your belly yet I would take the wood you have rigged in your smoker and put your top metal rack back in and hang your belly from it. The wood you have put in your smoker to hang your belly from can get warm enough that the pores in the wood open up and leave your belly with a rancid taste & ruin the batch, not to mention hanging from your top metal rack will moved the belly higher above your heat element.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43227https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43227Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:48:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:26:01 GMT]]>Jamieson22
Getting mine in the smoker now. Usually do mine flat on the racks but decided to try to hang them. So after a few modifications was able to make it work. Hoping to get some results like yours. Did one with some jalapeño powder. Hopefully some of the flavor will have picked up at this point.

A9BA9709-DDAC-4B66-9A9A-75181F76AE5B.jpeg 7CAD4994-90A7-4A59-9C43-0CEBA030D3FA.jpeg 31D3FEC2-B770-4627-8FA3-99E32F26A114.jpeg E7566195-838F-42A7-A5DE-5B0CC05699C4.jpeg

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43226https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43226Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:26:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Fri, 30 Jul 2021 11:57:58 GMT]]>Looks like what we get from a butcher shop in MN, they call it cottage bacon. One slices makes a BLT, yours looks awesome. Someday I am going to try my own.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43171https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43171Fri, 30 Jul 2021 11:57:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:23:02 GMT]]>Jamieson22 great looking bacon. I am becoming a fan of the EQ method. Looks like you did an awesome job start to finish.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43139https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43139Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:23:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Tue, 27 Jul 2021 22:40:45 GMT]]>Also a fan of this method. It is almost fool proof since you are weighing out the precise amount of salt, sugar and cure based on the green weight of the pork belly. This greatly reduces a finished bacon that is too salty or not salty enough. When done correctly, it also ensures that the nitrite levels are within guidelines for safe curing.

I use a Excel spreadsheet that calculates the correct salt, sugar and cure amounts to use after I enter the green weight of the belly.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43073https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43073Tue, 27 Jul 2021 22:40:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Tue, 27 Jul 2021 22:27:39 GMT]]>lkrfletcher said in Makin' Bacon (EQ Method):

Jamieson22 - I am going to have to research this and try it. Looks so good!

Definitely like this EQ method. A surprisingly small amount of salt/sugar/cure just rubbed onto belly dry. Then put in a bag in fridge for 14 days. I started with 2% salt and plan to dial down to 1.8% on next batch.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43070https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43070Tue, 27 Jul 2021 22:27:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:38:02 GMT]]>Jamieson22 - I am going to have to research this and try it. Looks so good!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43049https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43049Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:38:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:59:24 GMT]]>That looks amazing!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43014https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43014Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:59:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 19:16:41 GMT]]>Jamieson22 that is a work of beauty

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43011https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/43011Mon, 26 Jul 2021 19:16:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 16:20:38 GMT]]>Jamieson22 looks like some good bacon!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42995https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42995Mon, 26 Jul 2021 16:20:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 10:40:36 GMT]]>good looking bacon

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42978https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42978Mon, 26 Jul 2021 10:40:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 03:55:15 GMT]]>Jamieson22 man that looks like it would be great fried up with some fresh tomatoes from the garden, lettuce and a little mayo on a good old fashioned BLT.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42976https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42976Mon, 26 Jul 2021 03:55:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Makin' Bacon (EQ Method) on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 02:55:08 GMT]]>Jamieson22 That looks great!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42962https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/42962Mon, 26 Jul 2021 02:55:08 GMT