Search found 1954 matches

by Butterbean
Tue Mar 27, 2012 15:13
Forum: For beginners
Topic: Beginning Slaughtering & Butchering Technique
Replies: 31
Views: 18110

That's a bell scraper. Pretty handy taking the hair off without cutting the flesh. The pig was fed peanuts, corn and a 12% ration along with some out of date tortilla bread. He was a plump bugger. A little moreso than I wanted cause he was hard to pick up by hand.
by Butterbean
Tue Mar 27, 2012 04:37
Forum: For beginners
Topic: Beginning Slaughtering & Butchering Technique
Replies: 31
Views: 18110

Speaking of metal bathtubs. Here is the latest modification to the operation.

Image
by Butterbean
Mon Mar 26, 2012 15:51
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: errors of ommission
Replies: 4
Views: 3551

I disagree. I think anything can be smoked WITHOUT curing salt. Albeit that it might not be safe to eat. Or did your post erroneously omitt the word SAFELY. :mrgreen:

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Its a typical Monday today and as Chuckwagon can attest my needle is stuck on these salts today.
by Butterbean
Mon Mar 26, 2012 15:18
Forum: Microbiology of meat and products
Topic: coloration of dry-cured salami
Replies: 27
Views: 31711

I do like uwanna suggested and make a solution with water and dextrose and pitch the stuff in there to allow it to awaken and start multiplying just as you would do for yeast in wine. I do this in the beginning and allow it to sit while I'm getting the mince ready then I pitch it in at the last and ...
by Butterbean
Mon Mar 26, 2012 02:38
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: Oak for smoking?
Replies: 5
Views: 4616

Why peel the bark? (just wondering)

We have those scrub oaks here too. Most are in the red oak family but like you say they grow on the worst soils imaginable. Wonderful wood for smoking. Great for grilling steaks too.
by Butterbean
Sun Mar 25, 2012 06:43
Forum: Smoked pork products
Topic: [USA] My First Ham
Replies: 23
Views: 13118

Butterbean,That doesn't work very well when I am preparing a dry mix to rub into the meat. A cupful of common granulated table salt is much heavier than a cupful of Morton's® kosher salt or Diamond Crystal® kosher salt but a pound of any of them dissolved in a gallon of water will produce t...
by Butterbean
Sat Mar 24, 2012 16:32
Forum: Smoked pork products
Topic: [USA] My First Ham
Replies: 23
Views: 13118

The salt in cure will effect it. Use a salinometer to test the salinity and then you will know for sure because not all salt has the same salinity. Or, you can look at this chart on this board and decide if the amount of added salt in the cure is significant enough for you to worry about if you are ...
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 22:56
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Post Pics of your Smokers!!
Replies: 237
Views: 191777

There is a graveyard for the tanks not far from the house and I can pick them up very cheap. They are heavy but the thickness of the steel keeps the temperature consistant once you set the temp. Way cool! :cool: There's an army post nearby. I wonder if there's a spare Abrams... :lol: Might work but...
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 22:53
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Building a firebox for hot smoking
Replies: 22
Views: 18742

Personally, I'd love to make one out of brick but I don't know squat about laying brick but I do know how to weld and I have plenty of scrap metal and a good cheap source for tanks so I'd go that way. A very easy build and it turns out to be a very nice smoke is to stand a lp tank vertically and cut...
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 22:40
Forum: Stanley & Adam Marianski author's corner
Topic: Stan And Adam strike again! Another new exciting book.
Replies: 13
Views: 14914

I tried to buy it yesterday and all they had on Amazon was the e-books. I'm gonna guess they sold out. Will try again unless someone has another way.
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 13:32
Forum: Hardware
Topic: landjager Presses
Replies: 11
Views: 12198

Didn't mean to sound critical cause that wasn't the intent. Its just I have a mental scar from witnessing a fluke accident which results in my cringing whenever I see fingers near fast moving sharp things. I cringe whenever I see stuff like this and my frequent use of a meat saw I'm pretty sure I'll...
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 01:47
Forum: Hardware
Topic: landjager Presses
Replies: 11
Views: 12198

Good idea and nice work. Seeing your fingers near the router makes me cringe.
by Butterbean
Wed Mar 21, 2012 01:46
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Post Pics of your Smokers!!
Replies: 237
Views: 191777

A couple of years ago I did a whole hog for a college team and two sororities. You should have seen the puzzled look on some of the girls' faces. It was priceless. Once they got the hang of it they polished it off though and everyone had a great time.
by Butterbean
Tue Mar 20, 2012 22:37
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Post Pics of your Smokers!!
Replies: 237
Views: 191777

There is a graveyard for the tanks not far from the house and I can pick them up very cheap. They are heavy but the thickness of the steel keeps the temperature consistant once you set the temp. True, its large but its also versitile but apparantly its not big enough since I have another one a bit l...
by Butterbean
Tue Mar 20, 2012 19:30
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Post Pics of your Smokers!!
Replies: 237
Views: 191777

This is Wilbur - one of my builds. I designed it to make use of surplus pecan wood that I'm constantly having to pick up and burn. The goal was to create a do-all smoker that would BBQ, hot smoke and cold smoke. Essentially, just has a fire box on the right and a reverse flow smoker in the center an...