# How long to process and smoke a pig?



## scunan (Jun 9, 2010)

I sent my two pigs to the butcher last Saturday for processing and got a call today saying that I could pick them up any time after 1:00 tomorrow. They even have everything I wanted smoked done. Last year I used another processor and had to wait over a month to get my smoked stuff back.

So can someone actully process and smoke 2 pigs that fast and still give me great quality?

How long does everybody else have to wait when you process your pigs?


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

For a typical market weight hog, we normally have them hung for at least 7 days. Smoking and or curing adds an additional week or so, sometimes a little longer. I'd bet that they just hung it, cut it up fresh and are freezing it now.


----------



## scunan (Jun 9, 2010)

farmergirl said:


> For a typical market weight hog, we normally have them hung for at least 7 days. Smoking and or curing adds an additional week or so, sometimes a little longer. I'd bet that they just hung it, cut it up fresh and are freezing it now.


So if they did that where does the smoking come in?


----------



## blaineiac (Jan 10, 2010)

In my area they kill on tues, cut wed and wrap on fri. Cure and smoke takes another week if done on site. Seems a little quick but yes if it is kept in house... I'm sure you'll be very happy with your home grown pork.


----------



## scunan (Jun 9, 2010)

blaineiac said:


> In my area they kill on tues, cut wed and wrap on fri. Cure and smoke takes another week if done on site. Seems a little quick but yes if it is kept in house... I'm sure you'll be very happy with your home grown pork.


They do everything in house and have a huge butcher shop with all their own beef and pork.


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

scunan said:


> So if they did that where does the smoking come in?


It doesn't.

A day or two simply isn't long enough to drain all the blood from the hanging carcass. If you don't hang it long enough, some of the blood pools in the meat and affects the quality.


----------



## blaineiac (Jan 10, 2010)

the blood is drained instantly with a proper stick. The butchers around here hang beef but hogs are cut the following day. Hung overnight for the carcass to chill and then cut in the morning. Depending on the slaughter house, we deliver on Sunday. They kill on Mon. And they are closed on tues for cutting. They will call you by 9 am on wed if the cut sheet isn't in yet.


----------



## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Hogs are cut here much quicker too. Never affected the meat. We smoke our own cuts and it does take time to 'cure' bacon before smoking, if that is what you have had done.


----------



## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Pigs don't have to hang for anymore than 24 hours (without a chiller) and that is for the meat to set not for it to drain. A well stuck pig should have very little fluid under it after hanging. 

Scunan, by last Saturday I take it you mean the 16th October? If that is the case, yes, they will have everything done for you including the brining and smoking. I am quite sure you are going to have some very good pork, bacon and ham.

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------

