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I want do cure some bacon using Wheels dry cure calc. I want try some different amounts of salt and sugar and am planning on using pork loin and skinless. If I cut them 2 inches thick, how long would they take to cure? Is there a general rule of thumb then it comes to the length of the loin?

Just dry rubbed? I'd go 4 days minimum and a couple more wouldn't hurt.
I like to use a 1/4" per day to the center as a general rule.

I thought it would cure a lot quicker being not so thick. So length doesn't really matter it's more to do with the thickness of the loin?
Maybe I might go for a combo cure.

I am sold now on Brican's Equilibrium curing. Easy as chips. Quick too and if you forget to take it out of the cure, no worries, it will never be too salty.
My 2 cents worth.
Good Luck,
Jan.

Do you have a link for Bricans eq cure?

Personally I use 2.5% salt plus a cure and whatever spices you want. Divide this in half and cure the meat for 9 days, then add the other half of the salt/spice mix and cure for a further 9 days.
I like to cure in a vacuum bag sealed with some vacuum in it. Clean and no leakage.
Search "Curing Techniques" on the Forum. You will see plenty of recipes and procedures by Robert (BriCan)
Good Luck.
Jan.

To determine the level of salt/sugar I don't think it matters which cure you use: if it's an EQ cure the time-scales should be the similar. Brican's uses longer in order to make a better product: not because it's a technical necessity in order to cure the meat.

For tests like this, I'd use the quick method (wheels) with the 4+ days suggested by DanMcG. When you've found the desired level of salt/sugar then I'd probably use longer maturing like Robert (Brican) does. That will give a better quality product. It's all about a balance between time and quality.

In general quality takes longer...

...and yet people time and again demand quicker!

Thanks. The timing doesn't bother me, you can't rush perfection!
I just thought curing a 2 inch piece of loin would be quicker to cure than a loin of 20 inches. Doesn't seem to work out like that though.

I use a recipe based on Michael Ruhlman's Pancetta recipe and usually leave belly or back bacon in the cure for 7 days, but normally go on how firm it feels.

wheels wrote:In general quality takes longer...

...and yet people time and again demand quicker!

I could not have said it any better .......

Grahamiwa wrote:I use a recipe based on Michael Ruhlman's Pancetta recipe and usually leave belly or back bacon in the cure for 7 days, but normally go on how firm it feels.

Feeling how firm is one way if one is experienced, but myself and other will not trust Michael Ruhlman's recipes as they tend to be quite/very high on the salt

Best way is as been mentioned and that is the EQ (equilibrium curing) way, most do 2.5% salt and 0.25% cure #1 for seven days on bellies and up to fourteen on loins

I do 2% salt and 0.25% cure #1 and leave the bellies and loins down for fourteen to eighteen days ~~ for Quality as Wheels has stated nothing should be rushed

There's no doubt that a good period of maturing after the bacon's cured also adds to the quality.

Phil

wheels wrote:There's no doubt that a good period of maturing after the bacon's cured also adds to the quality.

Phil

Thanks Wheels, I was concentrating on the curing side of things and in inadvertently forgot about the drying time which to me is just as critical as the curing process

At present I am helping out a young chap from Doncaster way as it is his very first time.

Drying as I have told him is a critical part of doing things, he was very chuffed about having cured his loin and was ready to slice for brecky. I have asked him to find a place within the house that is cool that is between 10 and 12 degrees C. with hopefully some gentle air movement as this will facilitate the drying which is part of the maturing/ageing process (a big step that is missed by the large processors and a lot of home cures).

As of this morning upon showing me a photo I told him it was too wet, he weighed the piece and I explained that it had only lost 6.5% in a couple of days and for him to leave until the weekend

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with using the bacon after it has been cured, its just akin to drinking cheep wine against drinking fine wine ~~ the cost and time are not that great

On an average on drying the bacon you would look for about a 15% weight loss (I am doing between 15% - 20%) this normally takes seven days, I do longer sometimes as it depends on the type of bacon I am producing, hence the 20% weight loss

I can vouch for Robert's (Bri-Can) procedures and percentages.
Since I started Equilibrium curing drying/maturing his way I have everybody commenting on the wonderful taste of the finished products.
For smoking I still use an Australian sawdust/chip mixture straight from the Sawmill.
My 6 year old grandson only eats Pop's bacon in the morning, my daughter informed me a week or so back. He refuses to eat the supermarket stuff.
No doubt he'll grow up a charcuterie expert, the seeds are planted already.
Cheers,
Jan.

How much weight loss would you be looking for on a cold smoked belly bacon BriCan? I'll be telling the missus that I'm waiting for quality, not procrastinating.