10.5 Bacon-If you where to sell it?!?!

[wkahler]

Well here's the issue, pork bellies aren't free so its hard to just do it and give it away.  I have given away about 30lbs of bacon so fare, and now people are coming back and saying they want more and are willing to pay.  Well the issue is i figured in the cost of the belly and all the ingredients and in order to break even on 20lb slab i have to sell it for $2 per lbs. to break even.  I'm not looking for another side job of making bacon, no pun intended LOL, but i love making it just was thinking of doing the breaking even idea.  Do any of you guys do it and sell it to your friends/family?  By the way if i sell it does it mean i have pay royalties to 10.5 LOL!!!

[GusRobin]

there is also the cost of running the smoker, pucks, and your time.

[pfowl01]

I haven't sold the bacon.......but I did process about 120lbs of deer this year for people at work. I was charging them $4.00lb gross weight and they had to help me do the work/clean-up. I figured if I'm gonna do it, it's gotta be worth it!

[wkahler]

Yeah i figure the cost of the material minus pellets as i am using a Trager.  I was thinking $3.99 for non friends if the word got out and things started to take off!!  I know the guy that did my deer this year had a flat price on the base processing, aka ground up steaks and roast etc.

[NePaSmoKer]

Just a word of caution

Its all good if you can sell to friends and they dont let it get out to like the FEDS (USDA)

[Tenpoint5]

  By the way if i sell it does it mean i have pay royalties to 10.5 LOL!!!

Yes!! Unless your busted by the Feds. Then I know nothing of your activities!!

[wkahler]

 By the way if i sell it does it mean i have pay royalties to 10.5 LOL!!!

Yes!! Unless your busted by the Feds. Then I know nothing of your activities!!

That was my thoughts and concerns about the USDA and stuff like that, oh yeah who's 10.5 and who names there kid that  :D  :D

[Habanero Smoker]

 By the way if i sell it does it mean i have pay royalties to 10.5 LOL!!!

Yes!! Unless your busted by the Feds. Then I know nothing of your activities!!

That was my thoughts and concerns about the USDA and stuff like that, oh yeah who's 10.5 and who names there kid that  :D  :D

I don't think the USDA will be sending black helicopters.  :) :) But you  should have concerns about getting a visit from a government official, such as from your local, county or state health department.

[NePaSmoKer]

  By the way if i sell it does it mean i have pay royalties to 10.5 LOL!!!

Yes!! Unless your busted by the Feds. Then I know nothing of your activities!!

Yeah the big black SUV's parked all along your street might have the neighbors thinking  :o

[wkahler]

It would look like a scene out of men in black LOL!!

[smoker pete]

This is just me but I would think that after a while it would get old doing all that bacon for friends/family.  Man does not live by smoking bacon alone.  I'm not saying not to do it but here's what I might do:

• Write down a detailed procedure with what to buy and where.  Pork Bellies, spices, etc.
• Copy of 10.5's instructions for curing the Bellies, rotating, etc. and make a copy for everyone
• Hold a Pot Luck Social and have a detailed show and tell so that everyone will learn how to cure their own Pork Bellies at their homes
• Smoke a belly or 2 to show them how
• Set up a schedule so that you smoke a batch of bacon every so often and your friends/family can bring their Bellies over
• Or better yet ... You know the old saying:  Give a man a fish and he'll come back for more ... Show a man how to fish and I'll show you a beer drinker ;D  No wait - How did that old saying go anyway?
• Who knows, once you show your friends/family how to do their own bacon they might even go out and get their own Bradley Smoker ;)

[manxman]

Must admit I just stick to bartering nowadays, have sold stuff in the past but all it takes is a friend of a friend to end up with foodpoisoning and complain to the local authorities.

Chances are the food poisioning will be due to a dodgy Chinese takeaway or that persons bad food hygiene but no matter what you will be the one taking the heat!  >:(

There is a good crowd of us who barter stuff and occasionally we include others but there is not the same comeback as actually charging for something.

Bartering works well for me, even had uPVC door fittings renewed last week in return for some smoked scallops and bacon!  ;) :)

[wkahler]

Yeah i do the barter thing most of the time, but it seems this time they came to me and wanted to know what i would charge for a slab. I mainly told them i don't want to sell it just buy me the stuff and i will do it for you.  I like the idea of getting them the list of stuff and then i can show them and then if they want to do it just have it ready and bring it over and i will smoke it for you!!

I told my one friend he is the guinea pig for me, whenever i do something new i toss some of it his way to see how he likes it to get a outside taste to it.  I told him its all good as long as he doesn't end up with botulism we did something right LOL!!  Plus i tent to me very picky on my own stuff so i like to have someone that will tell me if it sucks or is good!

[manxman]

he is the guinea pig for me

Friends like that are good, I have a couple who do tasting for me and always give me an honest answer. To date I have avoided poisioning them!  ;)

[Tenpoint5]

he is the guinea pig for me

Friends like that are good, I have a couple who do tasting for me and always give me an honest answer. To date I have avoided poisioning them!  ;)

Co Workers are also good subjects for this kind of experimental taste testing!!