Hi Fellow Smokers

[Waltz]

Hi Les,

No Cure 1? If you do not have any Sodium Nitrite in the cure mix you will need to be careful how you treat the bacon you make with it to be sure it does not develop nasty microbes and 'go-off'. Depending on how much salt you have in the cure mix, it may be ok but you need to keep the bacon cold (no more than 4oC - fridge temp.) until you smoke it then hot smoke it. Smell it and if it seems OK try a small piece before eating lots of it.

[Tulla]

Used 1 cup coarse salt which equates to about 1/2 pint.  Wasn't sure about these nitrates as being a bit green i couldn't trust myself getting the mix right. What i think is the best is to get some of that pre mixed cure until i get a bit more experience and then add my own spices etc, at least i know the mix will be right.

...And thanks Waltz for making me realize that perhaps i really do need to use these cure#1 and sundries.

[Habanero Smoker]

Using a dry brine salt cure, the amount you need to use is 3% of the green weight of the meat you are curing; some sources state 2%. If you are using a wet brine, you need to make a 10% brine, which comes out to about 1 pound per gallon of liquid.

[Tulla]

Thanks for the help here guys. Already i am learning that although the process is relatively easy there are still elements that you must get into the habit of doing right everytime, somethings are not open to personal preference !! lol
With a few pointers i have managed to find a uk source for pink salt. One thing i need to clarify is the salt thing. For those in the UK what salt are you useing. I am going to see if i can find Kosher salt or perhaps Maldon flakes. I used coarse sea salt and some say it is just that....too coarse.
Anyway, apart from the nervousness of stuffing it up i am learning all the time, i just hope the belly and loin survive the cure process and make the trip to the smoker. Last night i took the two packs and wrapped a tight seal of cling film around the alresdy tight bags just to make sure the liquid stays in the bag....will probably end up suffocating the darn hog. ::)
Just looking deeper into a few things and i know this is dumb but i need to get this clear in my noggin.
With the cure #1 i understand but the other nitrite "curing salt" it says to add at 30g per 1kg of meat which is fine but what i need to get clear is that  does all this get added to more salt or do you just mix these per meat weight and rub it in? Sorry to be a dork but hey i'm a newb.

[Habanero Smoker]

Don't worry about asking questions. The only dumb questions is the one not asked.

I'm not sure what cure you are comparing to cure #1. If they both contain sodium nitrite, the percentage of the sodium nitrite must be different. Cure #1 the percentage of sodium nitrite is 6.25, the other cure must have a lower percentage of sodium nitrite. To get the proper amount of sodium nitrite you will have to use more of the cure mix that has the lower percentage.

For cure #1 you will want to add additional salt, and sugar, but keep in mind there are many cure mixes out there that you can use right out of the box without any additional salts or sugars. So make sure you follow the package instructions.

For dry brining I like to make up a batch of the Basic Dry Cure. It is convenient, but if you like more cure flavor you can make your own mix. It has been awhile since I've made my own mix from scratch, but I can tell you what the amount of salt in 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of the Basic Cure; and in that ounce about 70% is salt. I use 1 tablespoon per pound, so I am using about .35 oz. of salt per pound of meat, rounding off to .5 oz. per pound may be easier. When I apply the Basic Dry Cure; that is enough salt for my taste. If you like more salt, you can use more, but be careful. Too much salt will make the end product too salty. As for the sugar, I generally use half the amount of sugar then I use salt. If you want it sweeter you can add more, but I would not go about a 1:1 ratio.

[Tulla]

Thanks Habanero, something you hinted on was going to be my next question. Do the commercial mixes have these ingredients in already. I was looking at a traditional bacon dry cure mix  from the sausage co here in the uk and the first thing i thought was "does this already have these things pre mixed?
As for your % content of the cure #1 and nitrite the figures i have are 2.5 grams per kg of meat for #1 and  30grams of the other. I really need to write this in a bible book as it gets confusing where you saw what and the differences in countries units of measure etc.

Been looking further at the sausage making co stuff.  That cure mix in the last picture, the all purpose curing salt, appears to be all you need to use in the required amounts straight out of the box, am i right? perhaps adding your own ingredients like sugar etc.

[Habanero Smoker]

It is confusing at first, but you will be surprised how quickly you will learn this information.

The premix cures will have names such as Maple Bacon Cure etc., and they will have all the needed salt, sugar and other ingredients mixed in so you can apply it straight from the box as directed. Nothing else is needed, though once you've measured out the appropriate amount, you can add more spices to the mix to give it additional flavor.

[Tulla]

Thanks again you are a great help and most certainly appreciate it.
So with their traditional dry cure mix that they sell, the nitrates and nitrites are already in it, or am i wrong.

I need to learn my salts from my salts !!  :-[

[Waltz]

Hi,
I buy my Cure 1 and Cure 2 from Sausagemaking.org. What they call Cure 1 and 2 is the same as what is referred to on this forum as Pink Salt or Prague Powder 1 and 2. I have never used any of the pre-mixed cures but looking at the site, the traditional dry cure mix has everything - Salt, Sugar, Nitrites and possibly some Nitrates and spices already in it so you just need to use it alone in the proportions they state to get bacon - but mixing up your own is not difficult provided you have a good set of scales and gives you more options for adding other herbs and spices, and its much cheaper.
Another reason for using nitrites is that it keeps the bacon pink after cooking. The bacon you have made without Cure 1 will go a bit grey looking when you cook it. At first it is difficult to imagine that it has the effect it does in the small quantities you use it in but it does - don't be tempted to use more.

[Waltz]

Hello again,
I meant to also say regarding your question on what salt to use. I use coarse sea salt in wet brines and in my dry cure mix when making bacon which I seal in bags. When it is left for a day or so the salt dissolves in the liquid which is released from the meat so it does not matter too much that it is coarse. For cures which I use dry - for things like coppa - which will not be sitting in liquid I use fine sea salt. I can get both types of salt for about £3.00 per kilo, which lasts a while. Maldon salt would do as well but is quite a bit more expensive.

[Wazzulu]

Welcome the guys on here are a wealth of knowledge. 

[Tulla]

Thanks Waltz, appreciate your help. I am starting to get a bit more understanding of this now. I have ordered some stuff from sausagemakers as i do feel when that with all the help you guys have given me, i can knock up a batch of my own stuff.
So far the loin and the belly seem ok, lets hope i can say that in 5 more days.

[Tulla]

How on earth do you post pictures here?

[NePaSmoKer]

How on earth do you post pictures here?

You need a host like

http://photobucket.com/

[Tulla]

Just tried to make an account, what a palava, told me it was a wrong user name and a wrong password....jeez i cant be bothered with all that