Then, you cover them with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Next, you heat up your smoker. I prefer a mix of cherry and maple chips for bacon, but lots of folks like hickory. Any of them will do, however.
Now, place the bellies in your smoker. We use a propane powered one, but electics work well too, so I understand. Be prepared to spend the next 10 or 11 hours watching your smoker.
Don't let the temperature in your smoker exceed 175 degrees, and make sure there's always plenty of wood chips soaking to replace the ones which turn to charcoal. (Save the ones which turn to charcoal in your smoker. You can use them in your Barbeque kettle.)
After your bellies are well smoked, (a minimum of 8 hours, but we like to go a few hours longer) remove them from the smoker. Wrap them in foil and put them in the freezer for an hour or so. Then remove them and remove the skin with a sharp knife. Then, slice your now well smoked bacon with a sharp knife about a quarter of an inch thick.
Put a pound or so in the fridge, and freeze the rest. It will keep for 6 months or so if you wrap it tightly.
It may seem like a lot of work, but believe me Paul, there's nothing in the world like home-smoked bacon. The flavor is out of this world, and it's all preservative and chemical free.
Sorry if I gave you too much info, but I really love the stuff. The Smoker we bought is the best money we've spent in the last year or so hands down.
Regards,
L