Curing temp range

[squirtthecat]

I've got a belly bacon and a back (Canadian) bacon curing in my garage 'FrankenFridge'..  (Coleman PowerChill running off of a Ranco temperature controller)

Using the Ranco, I can keep it cooled down to a particular temperature. (give or take a couple degrees)

But what if it gets too cold out there??  It's 12° outside now and heading to somewhere around 2°.   When does the 'curing' process shut down?  

The fridge is hanging around 37° for now.   I've got a 500 watt halogen work bench light on above it, which provides a little bit of warmth where the fridge is sitting.   My garage is insulated, but not heated - I've never had anything freeze out there..

TIA,
STC.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

The generally recommended range is 36 -40 °F. Most curing times in recipes are based upon the historical 36 - 40 °F for cures that included nitrate.

Nitrate cures come to a screeching halt below ~36 °F because the bacteria needed to convert nitrate to nitrite go dormant below 36 °F.  Nitrite only cures will continue working down to the freezing point, which in meat is ~28 °F.  But the rate becomes increasingly slower at lower temps -- normal chemical kinetics.
 
If you're using nitrite only and your temps drop below ~ 34, just add the time it was below 34 on the back end.  Given the variation in meats, actually judging completion by feel is probably more appropriate.

[squirtthecat]

Thank you sir!   These were cured with Cure #1 (pink salt) and Morton Tenderquick.   I'll keep an eye on it for the next 2 nights. (when we are seeing the almost 0° temps)   It is bouncing between 37 and 38° now.   I'll see what the Ranco is set and, and maybe bump it up a degree.   My thermapen hanging just above the fridge reads 45°, so that is the temperature of the air being sucked into the fridge when the fan kicks on.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

I have no idea how your fridge functions, but if it were me I would focus on trying to assure that the ambient temp around it stays above freezing and preferably above 40.  Some refrigerators do strange things when the surrounding air temp drops below the interior temp set point or below freezing.