So for my first attempt I wanted to do, Pepperoni, Soppressata and Genoa Salami.
I used some recipes from here and books I've been reading.
Meats and fats were ground. Cure and spices were added followed by T-SPX culture. Everything mixed and then stuffed into the Umai bags. Made three sticks of pepperoni, two soppressata and one salami. I had leftover meat for the ph testing. Made a slurry and got the meter ready. I got my Milwaukee MW102 ph meter a few weeks before I started. The day I got it I calibrated it. Everything went well.
With the slurry in front of me, I calibrated the meter and I get an error. I tried numerous times and kept getting the same error. Panic sets in. Figuring it was the calibration solutions I ran out to three stores and found Milwaukee solutions. Back home the same error. I put the meats into my frementation chamber, an old kegerator a friend gave me. Set my Inkbird controls and hoped for the best. Next day I called Milwaukee add talked to Jason in tech support. More on this later. I ordered a cheap ph pen which I received on the third day of fermentation. After 75 hrs. The pen read the three meats between 5.3 and 5.2. That was a close one.
So, into the fridge the chubs went. After 17 days the pepperoni was done. 28 days one soppressata lost 40%. 35 days the other soppressata and salami were at 44% and 42%
I had already tried the pepperoni and the one soppressata before the other two were done. It was a hit. Now for the salami which I cut up for my entire family to try. Just amazing. The middle of the soppressata and salami were creamy. Just amazing. I'm happy to say, I did good!
Ground meat, pepperoni, soppressata and salami
Bagged
Into frementation chamber
Pepperoni
Soppressata
Genoa Salami
My first Charcuterie plate
I can not thank everyone here enough for their information, learning experiences and in site on this great hobby. As I type this I have a bunch of meat curing in the fridge. Two Coppas, two Bresaola and two of Redzed' Orange Lonzino. I also did a bunch more pepperoni and Redzed's Salame Calabrese. No disrespect to Redzed for using his recipes in Umai bags. I can't wait to hang your recipes in a curing chamber.
And as for the Milwaukee ph meter, Jason asked me to send it to him so they can figure out what was wrong with my MW102. I received a brand new meter five days later. I called him up to thank him and was on the phone with him four 10 minutes very helpful. I still be using them again.
