Bacon fresh from the smoker, wrap or not?

[Smoke em if you got em]

In the past when I cold smoked bacon, I wrapped it in pink butcher paper and refrigerated it for a day or two before slicing and vacuum sealing it for the freezer. In viewing many videos on line, some wrap it in plastic wrap immediately, and others don't wrap at all, and one even left it unwrapped in the fridge for at least 5 days to dry out a bit to concentrate the smoked flavor.

So, I'm curious what others do here to get the best out of their bacon fresh from the smoker (regardless if it is cold or warm smoked) and why? Have you tried different methods to find the best one?

I'm fortunate that I have a commercial refrigerator in my garage with mostly beverages and sealed up bulk items, so the smoked smell is not an issue for me in that fridge. I think it smells awesome, and fortunately (and more importantly) my wife agrees.

Your replies are appreciated!

[lostclusters]

I've never heard of anyone cold smoking bacon before

[Smoke em if you got em]

"Pretty much all the bacon you buy will be cold smoked," according to this link.

https://eatcuredmeat.com/bbq-hot-smoking/cold-smoked-vs-hot-smoked-bacon-which-is-better/

[realdocBBQ]

I cold smoke a lot. Sometimes I cold smoke ONLY, sometimes I cold smoke then hot smoke.

Either way I almost always leave it open in the fridge for a day or three to 'mellow' out the smoke a bit and firm up, develop a bit of a pellicle or rind. It works well for me leaving it unwrapped - and I like that my garage fridge ALWAYS smells like tasty smoky bacon. lol

[Smoke em if you got em]

Thanks for the reply! I'm going to try that method on the one I smoked today instead of the pink butcher paper wrap that I've done in the past. Then I'm going to try the double plastic wrap on the next one like Barelfly does and see what we prefer. Yep, you gotta love that smell when you open the garage refrigerator! Homemade sure beats the store bought! We haven't bought store bacon in over three years now.
We grind our own hamburger too, what a difference that makes compared to store bought.

[barelfly]

I usually double wrap with plastic wrap and into the fridge it goes for a few days before I slice or eat. But I don’t cold smoke, I do more of a hot smoke/feather on and off smoke, so I guess that’s more of a medium heat smoke???

either way..that’s gonna be some great bacon!

[Smoke em if you got em]

I've seen quite a few who do the double plastic wrap like you do. I need to try that to compare to what I've been doing. It seems to me that it would keep the smokiness in instead of dissipating some.
Thank you for your reply!

[barelfly]

Smoke em if you got em - I like to keep in that smoke and after it cools completely and sits a few days, like you say it definitely has the smoke! Which I like. But, I think everything I smoke, the second day seems to stand out more with smoke. So, does the plastic help with that? I don’t know… just the way I go about it.

[Oakgrovebacon]

I cold smoke for 3-4 hours, then wrap in paper and into the fridge. Next day I vac seal the whole slab and put in the freezer. After frozen solid slice and package in meal sized portions. I do have a 12” commercial slicer and it will slice bacon frozen. It does thaw some while working with it. I need to get a few bellies to do before spring. Have not done any this winter as I found quite a bit in the freezer around the holidays.

[Smoke em if you got em]

I also have a 12" slicer that I just replaced the belt on. I'll have to try that from fully frozen. I've sliced them after being in the freezer for a few hours, and you're right they thaw some while working with it. A full belly slices up fast though with that 12" blade.
Thanks for the reply!

[realdocBBQ]

Jeez, you guys with your 12" slicers. I got freaking 'blade envy' over here... lol