re: Made Bacon for the First Time

Looks like a good first run!

For the smoking side, I always try and dry it out on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours to form a pellicle if I have time. Then, when smoking I start out as low as I can get my smoker, usually somewhere around 140-160 then keep it at the temp for 4-6 hours and bump it up at the end to finish if the i.t. is below 145.

With salt, I like to do it by percentages of the weight of the belly. I've found that 2-2.25% salt by weight is about perfect for my tastes. I switched to dry brining by percent of weight because it was the most predictable and easiest to replicate once I found where I liked the flavor.

If you want it more peppery, I would add some coarse ground pepper to the belly after it is brined and before it goes on the smoker