I like stuff ( salmon, pork, scotch etc) quite smoky but definitely not ashtray tasting! Some things I've smoked I think are out of the ballpark perfect taste wise, but my wife finds insultingly smoky ( of course, she's wrong but please don't tell her)! Perhaps I have an insensitive palate! I haven't done a ton of bacon compared to many, but have been experimenting awhile. I split that particular smoke into two 7 hour sessions, letting it rest overnight in between. I also ground pellets in the blender into sawdust and put them in my A-maze-n pellet tray which seemed to make a difference, creating a lighter, better smoke. Vac sealing or just putting it in the fridge after and letting it mellow for at least 4 days makes a big difference. This is hardest part because I just want to fry that fresh-smoked bacon ( after I cured it for at 7- 14 days!) right away and eat it. When I have eaten it right away, it is kind of harsh ashtray tasting.So can I ask why you chose to smoke so long? Do you find that you like that amount of smoke or is it a curing thing?
None of this is very scientific by the way, but just offering what I've done.
I just read about a technique where someone cold smoked the belly initially and then followed up with a warm smoke to bring the belly up to 150F. I think want to try that next as I think it would marry the best of both smoke worlds.
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