If it takes 24 hours for the cure to be done yet can be smoked immediately in a dark warm smoker when the meat is still moist. The ECA only begins its work after the meat is 130 degrees.
If the cure hasn’t sat the time it needs to work and encapsulation has kept the CA from working til 130, what’s up?
I believe there’s got to be an answer.

Maybe the citric acid weakens what grows and the cure doesn’t have to be at full strength after The CA is released because the bacteria is weak.
I’m just guessing