Excalibur Bacon Cure time, ratio, and tips

[Noehlert]

Hello all. I am going to try to make some bacon at home for the first time. I have two bellies ready to go and the Excalibur Bacon Cure. Looking for some tips so I don’t have an end product that is too salty. I had a friend follow a recipe for bacon and said it was so salty that it was not edible. In our house we actually prefer the “lower sodium” bacon that you buy at the store.

One belly is 4 lbs 4.5 oz and the other is 4 lbs 7.8 oz.
Can anyone give me a rough idea based on experience how long a belly this size should sit in the Excalibur Bacon Cure before rinsing and smoking? I don’t really want to just take a guess on something like this. I believe the longer you soak it and more you rinse it the less salty it will be from what I have read. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I need to make sure I am available to smoke them on whatever the target date is for brine time before I put them in. I think I will do one regular and then one with black pepper to try out. Thanks all!

[Garry Tarpley]

I just made 2 ten lb. bellies, be sure to get the bacon booster it help a lot getting that bacon flavor. i did the injected style held over night and smoked the next day. After the cooling I soaked twice rinsing and it’s not salty at all. Used the Walton’s " How to " That’s on the web site. Best I’ve made, 3rd time.
Good luck

[Denny O]

Take a look at this thread “Got Bacon?” that I made giving you the way I make bacon.
https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/4828/got-bacon

[gus4416]

You can allways cut a piece before you smoke it and fry it to try if to salty soake it again keep doing it till you get it where you want it

[mherman]

Before smoking, instead of simply soaking it, I rig up a hose to provide a slow but steady stream of fresh water that carries more salt away. Then after smoking an ice bath will take away more salt.

IMHO, the added saltiness is why I cure and smoke my own bacon.

[bleathery]

If saltiness is an issue, you should look at the Equilibrium method, then you shouldn’t have to worry about rinsing.

[Denny O]

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