The Cottage Smallholder

Hi all

I am looking for some help.  My first cold smoked bacon is not as sweet as I want and the outside, especially, tastes a little acrid, sometimes as an aftertaste.  There is alos a touch of bonfire in the smell of it.

I have built a smoker - pine tongue and groove.  The smoke comes from an old wood burner with a long flexible pipe producing a lot of smoke at 68-80 Farenheit.  I have a number of guesses as to the problems and would welcome experienced comment.

I reckon I need to increase the amount of sugar or honey (our own) I use in the mix - cure is in bags.

On the acridity, possibilities include:

• not all my wood was oak, some was chestnut, all was hardwood
• some of the wood still had bark on, often damp to help keep the temperature down
• I used a firelighter and kindling to start the fire - I do not think any was left before the meat went in, but it is just possible
• the smoke is direct from the fire rather than heating a batch of chips and sawdust on a gas ring

Any ideas welcome.

Steve