Pig products

[drobertson]

thanks ss14, I still am a little unsure on or about the cold smoking technique, Uncle said they would start a fire with hickory then put it out and just let it smolder,, they had a 3 bushel container they would put the fire in, directly in with the hanging hams,,this how you guys do it?

[sandsawmill14]

dr i use a metal 5 gallon bucket or what ever you can find similar size and shape. set it on concrete blocks to keep from burning floor. in a container like that a fire cant get enough air to burn good enough for much heat so it will put of a lot of smoke. it is easier to build a fire on the ground and let it burn down to coals then put a shovel full of coals in the bucket. then just add small pieces of wood as needed to keep it from going out. dont clean ashes out of the bucket as you will need to add 2-3 pieces of wood at bedtime and cover with the ashes and it will smoke all night and you wont have to build a new fire everyday ;D it may take a week or so to get the hang of keeping the fire smoking 24 hrs a day but you will get it. and it makes no difference if the fire goes out as the meat already has a full cure but it is a pain to start a fire everyday ;) . im building a new smoke house but the weather and a touch of lazy  :-[ has stopped work on it for a couple weeks and it so late know it will be next fall before i put meat in it anyway but i will put some pics of the bucket and smoking the house when i get done.  smoking a new house is just me not something i was taught ;) just looks like it would help with the bugs while the wood dries ;)
also when im smoking i use green lumber scraps with no bark or very little bark the bark seems to make the smoke favor stronger but we have had a hickory mill close by for all of my life. cutting hickory trees for the wood works perfectly fine it just take a lot of work as you will be needing small pieces instead of firewood sized pieces

[sandsawmill14]

i forgot to say after you get all the smoke you want wrap in brown paper and tie paper at the leg end of hams, hang back up and pour black pepper at the top where paper gather and it will keep bugs out if its warm weather doesnt do anything to deter the coons though :-\ >:( and if they find a smoke house they will be very happy but you wont >:( i lost 2 hams a shoulder and a side of middlin  in about '91 or '92 (i was young and dumb but i got over being young  ;D :-[ )

clear as mud now ??? :D :D :D

[yukon cornelius]

Today was day 5 of bacon. Tomorrow rinse and smoke. Last night we sneak previewed the bacon without smoking. It was good! Good flavor and not too salty. The smoking will make it better. I am going to hickory smoke it. I will post results tomorrow 8)

[sandsawmill14]

glad to here its turning out good 8)

[yukon cornelius]

I need ideas for scalding procedures. I have read 155-160 degrees Fahrenheit. I have thought of using a 55 gallon barrel. Trying to get water to 170 and tranfer it to the barrel below hoist to raise and lower the pig. Any ideas if it would work?

[Magicman]

We tilted and propped the barrel up at about 45° and built a fire around it.  When the water temperature got right one end of the hog went in.  It was rolled over, pulled out and then the other end went into the barrel.  Of course all of the "old folks" had done it many times and knew what they were doing.  Me, I was just watching and ready to help scrape hair off.

[sandsawmill14]

a square flat bottom vat works better but a barrel would work  the flat bottom and shallow water helps the water temp to be more consistent we have 1 vat that is rectangle and will do a 500lb hog good we also have an old 200gal fuel tank cut in half we turned into a vat have only used it 3 times in the last 15 yrs and made a mess every time so its scrap far as im concerned >:( im sticking with the flat bottom one.  yukon we have killed a couple of big hogs 750-800 lb that wouldnt go in the vat so we used burlap bags and poured the water through the burlap on the hog and the burlap would hold the heat long enough to get by but it is alot of work to do it that way. when you get a good scald 99% of the hair, the toenails and the outer layer of skin (sorta like the layer when you skin your arm but it doesnt bleed) will scrape off with ease. then take a feed sack ,twist it up like a log and light it then singe the hair of around the jaws and ears and other hard to get to places. i you are doing a hog for a pit bbq be VERY VERY CAREFUL not to cut the skin while scraping if you do when you turn the hog skin side down to finish cooking the grease will run out the cut and catch the hog on fire in the last 5 yrs or so 3 pits have burned to the ground because of this. all hogs were bought at the slaughter house and 2 of the guy noticed the cuts but went a head and took the hogs. i would have just made them mad and refused if it was me but it wasnt ;D  far as water temp i have never checked it with thermometer to know but the way i check it is make a swipe about 12" long that last about a second with your finger do this 3 times in a row and when its hot enough you cant hardly make yourself do the 3rd swipe its ready. and remember if its to hot it will set the hair then you have alot of singeing and scraping and washing but it doesnt hurt the meat at all so dont panic if you mess up  ;) oh yea cutting the skin while scraping doesnt hurt anything unless you  bbq for curing/smoking it makes no difference i will try to get pic of the vat tomorrow

[drobertson]

scalded one pig, bout a 150#'r  shot it in the head, brought it home, cleaned and scalded, it was brutal,, made the fire, a hot one,  two trucks on each side the fire,  had the beast over the barrel, boiling good,, dunked and scrapped, dunked and scrapped, got it, then on the pit,, never knew what the ole timers went through,,til then, we did it, pig fed near hundred folks, with the fixin's  cooked all night whole in a pit, rough one, but sealed pretty good for back then,
11:00 am serve time,, pulled like you've rarely seen,  little ash, should be expected, just good eatin'  the scalding was the worst part of the whole hog deal,,but we did it,,,it was the last time,, 1987'   ;D  I'm not ashamed, just smarter
now,  I think I could get it better now, but not sure I want to,,

[sandsawmill14]

sorry i got long winded but its hard to describe in a few words
dr sounds like the water was to hot normally takes me and my 2 brothers about 20-30 min unless i screw up the water >:( :D :D :D

[yukon cornelius]

Great info here!

[LeeB]

It is good info. I always assumed you scalded them in boiling water. Personally, I skin them but have thought it would be nice to have the skin on the hams and maybe a nice rind on the bacon.

[WDH]

My grandmother would always throw in about a pail's worth of green pine needles into the scalding water.  She said that the pine needles would help the hair slip. 

[sandsawmill14]

i had never heard of skinning a hog before this thread but i'm no professional  :D i dont know how many hog we've killed but probably less than 50 with about 1/2 being cured/smoked and the rest being either bbq hogs or sausage and only about 1/2 of those since all the old folks died out and us boys on our on. now hog killing is both a fun and sort of sad day you never know how much you miss the old folks till something not going just right but i am lucky to to have 2 brothers to help we all have our job 1 of my brother shoots it and i stick it to bleed it out and when one dont bleed we argue about whose fault it is :D i say he shot it dead and he says i missed the juggler :D (a hog shot dead will not bleed) i am  in charge of the scalding , he cleans the out the insides and our youngest brother stays on tractor which is a very important job cause if he turns the vat over when dipping the hog your screwed we have never done that (yet i should say but i have herd of it happening) all in all it is a fun day for us with all the nephews helping and learning but i am the oldest and its sorta hard and sad because i have no one to ask for advice and always remembering when my dad, grandpa and great grandpa were helping but all in all it is a great day we all look forward to  the next one is planned for memorial day and i will get some pics unless some object thinking it would be to graphic

[sandsawmill14]

I need ideas for scalding procedures. I have read 155-160 degrees Fahrenheit. I have thought of using a 55 gallon barrel. Trying to get water to 170 and tranfer it to the barrel below hoist to raise and lower the pig. Any ideas if it would work?

i think 170 will be to hot  ??? just put the fire under the barrel to heat the water be very careful when using a barrel and have it fixed where there is no way it can turn over and spill on you it will cause SEVERE burns that is the biggest problem i can think of using a barrel that and having to dip one end at a time :-\ i didnt get a chance to get a pic of our vat today but i will try to tomorrow

[yukon cornelius]

If I put a fire under the barrel it will burn my shop down! I don't have a way to lift the pig besides my hoist in the shop. I do however have a pump suitable for hot water. My thought was if I started at 170 by the time it was all pumped it would be about right. I can always wait for it to cool enough

[sandsawmill14]

well sometimes you cant get it like you want it :-\  what your talking about will work but not likely to be a pleasant first experience :D :D :D   just be careful and dont get burned trust me i got it splashed in my boot one time and i'll just say i have never wore rubber boots with my pant legs tucked in for another hog killing :'( :'( :'(

[yukon cornelius]

A splash could be very unpleasant. If it will scald a pig then it will do the same to me. I have come to enjoy my skin still on me. I have a week or so before the second pig is ready.

[sandsawmill14]

you have plenty of time to figure it out  just be careful and get a couple of old burlap bags or something so you can pour the hot water on any spots you miss or cant get in the barrel

[69bronco]

We always used to skin ours, seemed like they cured better. Haven't done one in years, brings back good memories of a nice fall day!

[sandsawmill14]

it is amazing how things are done so different in different areas of the country

[yukon cornelius]

I think the bacon cured too long. It is very salty. One small slab was pulled and sampled 2 days early and it is really good. The rest that went the 5 days is too salty. I will try to soak some ant pull salt out. Next try will be 3 days in the cure.

[Magicman]

Our first breakfast after hog killing day was always scrambled eggs and hog brains.

[sandsawmill14]

i always loved them mm but now i dont eat them anymore  ??? there was a reason it was supposed to not be safe several years ago so mom made us quit eating them but now i dont even remember what the problem was but seems like it was about the time that eggs would kill you  : :D :D :D

[sandsawmill14]

sorry to here its to strong yukon :( maybe soaking will help