kil2k wrote:That looks like beautiful bacon! You'd go with ageing / drying at room temperature rather than in the fridge? Would ~20°C be too high?
Wheels has given the correct temperatures
When I was but a young lad just starting off in the trade many, many moons ago -- it seems like an eternity so far back in the annals of time
Maturing rooms used to be alongside the curing fridge (walk-in cooler) ours (the one I worked at) was in the basement of the shop. The temperature of this room was close to but not over 45F (7C)
At my present location I do not have the luxury nor the space (at the present time) for a room to be set up for the sole purpose of the maturing room I have an alcove within the Kitchen prep area which has a cool breeze passing through it so keeps the temperature down around 14C - 15C (summer only) Autumn, winter and spring temperatures are way down
20C is way too high and out of the safe zone
I've cured the belly for 14 days, and Friday will be the tenth day [after curing] vac packed in maple syrup. Would it be fine to leave hanging and age in the cold smoker after smoking it?
Again -- depends on your temperature's -- I was home (UK) a few weeks ago and it must have been unusually bad weather as for the two weeks I was over I saw nay a drop of rain -- just blazing sun -- which I must admit I had not seen days like that since my childhood -- besides that it always rains when I go on holidays
Hanging said bacon hanging in the smoker would be fine if it was like the one I use enclosed within a building as one needs to leave the doors ajar to let the humidity escape -- too much moisture within the air/chamber is bad for your products --- So no it is not feasible to leave the bacon in the smokehouse
HTH