Smokin-It User Forum!

Recipes => Bacon! => Topic started by: Roostershooter on May 05, 2018, 01:15:27 PM

Title: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 05, 2018, 01:15:27 PM
I smoked my 3rd canadian bacon yesterday.  The previous two turned out great but this one did not.  I brined for 6 days using The sausage maker maple ham brine.  The half loin was 3 pounds after trimming. I smoked for an hour at 120 and finished at 200.  The goal was to take it to IT of 145.  Well, after 8.5 hours the temp was still at 127-130, bouncing back and forth.  In fact, the temperature did not change in 3.5 hours.  So after 8.5 hours, i opened up the smoker and saw this dryed up piece of meat.  I checked the IT with another probe thinking the probe was bad but it registered the same.  Why would the meat stay at one temp for 3.5 hours?  The loin was from sams.  Bad loin?  Change up the recipe?  Fryed some up this morning and the taste is good but completely dryed out.  And comments/advice welcomed. 
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: DivotMaker on May 06, 2018, 08:06:48 AM
8 1/2 hours on a 3 lb pork loin??  And to only be at 130??  That completely defies logic.  What model smoker?  And what other kind of thermometer did you check it with?  This just doesn't make any sense, to me!
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 06, 2018, 12:37:31 PM
Makes no sense to me either.  I have a 2D.  Double checked with a Thermopro digital thermometer.  The box temp read a steady 200 degrees.  Turned out like shoe leather really.  Since I am frying up the meat, does the pork have to reach a temp of 145?
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: azbohunter on May 06, 2018, 02:47:32 PM
Wondering if your smoker temps may not be way low, maybe just drying out loin and not enough heat to get to IT? Sounds like a mystery?
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 06, 2018, 03:23:15 PM
I ordered a spare meat probe for the controller.  If nothing else to have a spare.  I think next time I will change recipes and use the 12 day brine and smoke at 235.  It was very strange to see the IT temp stay the same for 3.5 hours on a loin.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: NDKoze on May 07, 2018, 10:04:33 AM
Just a thought, but you may want to try adding some type of heat sink (sp?) like a foil-covered brick or paver the next time you smoke a single loin.

I am not sure that this would have caused it, but smoking one tiny 3lb loin in a 2D could result in the temperatures going all over the place. Smoking such a small piece of meat is essentially like running your smoker empty which we all know does some wild things.

I agree with the others that your description does not make sense. So, just throwing out a possible cause.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 07, 2018, 01:09:21 PM
Thanks for the tip!  I did not know that smoking small amounts of meat caused wild temp swings.  I am confused on finish IT temps however.  If i have a cured piece of meat and I plan on cooking it after its been smoked, is a IT of 145 necessary?  I do not plan on eating my smoked bacons cold whether it be a belly or a loin. 
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Walt on May 07, 2018, 02:12:38 PM
I have never experienced wild temp swings in my #2 regardless of the size of the protein.

If your protein is cured, IT of 145 isn't necessary.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 07, 2018, 02:29:58 PM
Ok, then just smoke until you get the color you want and pull it.  That is good to know.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: NDKoze on May 07, 2018, 02:34:56 PM
I have never experienced wild temp swings in my #2 regardless of the size of the protein.

If your protein is cured, IT of 145 isn't necessary.

The #2's do not experience quite the swings as the #3's do, but I would be surprised if you do not experience some pretty significant temperature swings if you run your smoker empty or with a very small piece of meat with little mass.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Walt on May 08, 2018, 09:09:30 AM
He has a 2D. I have the auber bypass. An analog unit may experience that when newer. The layers of seasoning over a few smokes should mitigate that. The digital units should always hold steady. I cook single tenderloins (which are even smaller) without any fluctuations. But, this is a headscratcher so I can see throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks!  Good luck.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: NDKoze on May 08, 2018, 10:37:32 AM
He has a 2D. I have the auber bypass. An analog unit may experience that when newer. The layers of seasoning over a few smokes should mitigate that. The digital units should always hold steady. I cook single tenderloins (which are even smaller) without any fluctuations. But, this is a headscratcher so I can see throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks!  Good luck.

Good point Walt. The smoking with a small cut of meat is definitely more of an issue with the analog models that aren't using some type of PID.

Like you said, we're just throwing ideas at the wall here hoping that something will make sense. ;)
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 09, 2018, 04:01:11 PM
I plan on using a different brine recipe and doing a whole loin from sams.  After trimming it will weigh somewhere around 8 pounds.  I will cut in half to smoke.  I plan on smoking at a lower temp, around 180 until 145 IT.  So how long given this scenario should it take using a 2D?
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Walt on May 09, 2018, 06:16:44 PM
This is a guess considering, I have not done this exact smoke @ that temp. I would expect that loin to take somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 -2 hrs @ 225. So 180 may be more like 2.5-3.5 hrs. I would pop in and out regularly to check temperatures after the 1st couple of hours.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: DivotMaker on May 13, 2018, 05:40:36 PM
Ok, then just smoke until you get the color you want and pull it.  That is good to know.  Thanks!

I disagree.  Always go with internal temp on a cut like this.  I also don't think the size would have effected the internal temp reading at all, nor would it effect the box temp on the D model.  Not sure what happened here, but I also would recommend smoking a loin at 225.  Low and slow has not real benefit on a loin...no fat to render!  Faster is OK, unlike a butt or brisket. 
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 14, 2018, 06:06:33 PM
Good  point on the smoking temperature.  I double checked the probe today with my other thermometer with ice water and boiling water.  The ice water temp the probes readings  were identical.  with the  hot water test, the probes readings were within 3 degrees of each other.  Based on this, I do not think anything is wrong with the meat probe.  I have been asking questions on internal temperature trying to educate myself.  If i am not eating the meat right out of the smoker, why is internal temp so important when I will fry it up on the stove to a higher temp than 145 for my eggs benny?    I am trying to have a back up plan if the same problem occurs again on my next loin.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: DivotMaker on May 15, 2018, 08:29:07 PM
If you are curing your meat (using pink curing salt, like #1 Prague powder), you will not need to smoke to 145.  Just keep it refrigerated until fully cooked.  If not, you will need to smoke to 145, or it will be a playground for food-borne bacteria.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 16, 2018, 07:19:12 PM
I am using pink curing salt.  This go around i am using the 12 day brine recipe that is listed in this bacon section.  THANKS!  Everyone has been a big help.
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 25, 2018, 12:51:28 PM
This time around the smoke went perfect!  I used the 12 day brine and cure recipe from here.  Put in the smoker for an hour at 125 and took the meat to 145 IT at a temperature of 225.  Looks much better!  The total length of time was 2 hours 30 minutes. 
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: DivotMaker on May 25, 2018, 06:59:37 PM
Looks good!  How'd it taste?
Title: Re: Canadian Bacon
Post by: Roostershooter on May 26, 2018, 12:24:30 PM
Delicious!