Project "A"

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partycook
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Post by partycook » Thu Jun 23, 2011 21:29

Hi fellow sausage makers,

I tried to do a post yesterday and it didn't send. Well I managed to get my salami stuffed and into the fermenter on Monday. Temperature has been holding at 68 and the humidity is at 90 per cent fan speed at about 1/3 of full. I am going to go down and spray dip the mold culture a bit later tonight.

John
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Post by ssorllih » Thu Jun 23, 2011 22:34

Hi Dave, my chamber is foil lined and plastic film covered one inch foam. Today I have two 3 litre bottles of ice and melt water in there. The box is pretty nearly air tight except for the door which fits very well. There is a two inch fan that blows at about 6 MPH at the fan, when you get a little away from it you can hardly feel in on your hand. My box is about 32 inches tall and 24 front to back and 22 from side to side. It came out that way as the best cutting for a 4x8 sheet. I suggest that you feel the outside of your chamber. If it feels cold or cool get some sheet foam insulation and paste it to the outside. I figure that opening the chamber a couple of times a day is more than enough ventilation. I sprayed a mist of water on the insides and it evaporated in about 18 hours. The sausages feel like a healthy, cool to chilly baby's leg. Rather silky but not dry dry.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 01:27

Hi guys,
Ross' avatar says "passionate", and I believe it! He wrote,
"The sausages feel like a healthy, cool to chilly baby's leg. Rather silky but not dry dry."
Can you imagine what someone would be thinking if they were just tuning in? :shock:
Ross, that description couldn't be more welcome. It means "equalibrium" is being achieved! Good, good, good!

Partycook! Nice to hear your news. Keep it up. It sounds like you're well under way. Did you remember to write everything in your log book? Records times, dates, activities, temps, and humidity. And be sure to keep an accurate count of the hours during fermentation. Tonight as you go to spray the M-600, note the condition of the surface of the sausages. The casings shouldn't be too wet, but not bone dry either. Once the mold begins, you can relax just a little.

Just think hombres! In just a few short weeks, you'll have a few hundred bucks worth of genuine southern European Allysandra. :mrgreen:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by ssorllih » Fri Jun 24, 2011 02:13

CW should I be seeing any sign of the mold yet? My experience with mold spores is that they are harder to eliminate than to introduce. And another question, is this the same mold used on Brie cheese?
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Post by uwanna61 » Fri Jun 24, 2011 02:44

Hey all
Thought I would report in. All looks good. Temperature holding at 57 degrees, humidity is stable, if I don`t open the door! Humidity here on the east coast is up and expecting rain the next few days. Perfect fermenting weather for the project P, which I finished this evening. Below is a photo of day four from project A. Dipped the salamis (project A) this morning before work. The salamis actually had white mold on them before the dip! It was exciting to see mold, hopefully I`m doing something right.

So far here are a few tips I have learned/picked up since joining this site:

1. Mix all ingredients with meat well. (Started using my 25lb hand crank mixer I bought a few years back, from Cabelas. Works much better than mixing by hand).
2. Meat temperatures ( keep meat cold as possible)
3. Use cracked pepper, instead of store bought! Much better flavor!
4. Fermenting time (Other recipes I have followed recommended 24 hour fermenting time for the same or similar recipes I have created this past week).
Below I included a photo of my project A, can`t wait to try a bite!

Image
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 05:58

Hi Uwanna. Hey dude, until you surpass the 75 hour fermentation period, you may wish to raise your temperature by ten degrees. As you go into the drying phase, then it will be fine to drop it back down to 57. Right now, the micrococcus (now called kokuria, by the way) and staphylococcus xylosus or staphylococcus carnosus need to have the temperature just a bit higher to develop color and flavor. This is very important in this stage of the fermentation.

How is the balance of "equalibrium"? Are the diffusion and evaporation balanced? If you have extra moisture on the casings, increase the air speed just slightly.
Let me know how its going Uwanna.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Fri Jun 24, 2011 07:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 06:42

Hi Ross, Great questions.
It`s just a bit early to see any sign of the penicillium nalgiovense yet. When you surpass the 75 hour mark and we go into the drying phase, you may wish to spray them again as we reduce the temperature also. Mold must have at least 75% humidity in order to survive. In meat cultures, penicillium chrysogenum is also used, but when it comes to cheese, cultures of penicillium roqueforti and penicillium camemberti are two of the more popular choices. They too, are available from Chr. Hansen in Denmark (Bactoferm™). It is distributed in Germany.

Just as a curiosity, sausages are usually "dipped" just after stuffing, but generally "sprayed" a few days later, just as the drying period begins. It isn`t critical by any means - just convenient. And you are most correct in saying they are more difficult to eliminate than to introduce. That`s why I like the idea of using plastic sheeting in your cabinets, although you`ll still see the flaky white stuff continuing to grow long after you remove the sausages. I`ve had good success with wiping out the chamber with a sponge dipped in a PineSol or bleach and water solution. Be sure to rinse very well. If you wish to be a little more drastic, place it in direct sunshine at low humidity.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:44

Controlling Your Fermentation Chamber

The home sausage maker must have the upper hand in the management of temperature and humidity. Understanding these two elements is the first step of successful dry-curing. Actually controlling them is not as easy as one may imagine since in nature, it is most difficult to find the constant conditions required for the time required - typically weeks to months.

If the process of actually controlling both factors becomes too labor intensive, the enjoyment can be removed from the hobby of sausage making. Fortunately there is equipment available to assist us during the process so we don`t have to continually dampen and hang towels, fan the air out of the chamber twice a day, or continually fiddle with a heat or cooling source - all of which become mundane pretty quickly!

It is important to realize just how greatly specifications may differ, especially if a bio-culture is added. For instance, some "super fast" cultures of Bactoferm™ may require more than 105°; F. in temperature. On the other hand, the slow cultures may only specify 68°; F. in 90% humidity, dropping ten more degrees just three days later, while the humidity is decreased to about 70%. For this level of inconsistency, we need to be able to adjust controls precisely and easily.

A freezer, rather than a refrigerator, may be the best choice for a curing cabinet, as a refrigerator has a bulky freezing compartment to remove... with a separate set of controls. A refrigerator is designed to operate below the temperature of 40°;F. A freezer typically operates at about 0°;F. How do we bypass the controls (set by the manufacturer), that hold the temperature down? The answer is by purchasing a device called a "line voltage thermostat", about sixty bucks online - double that price from sausage suppliers. I can adjust the model I ordered, to operate between thirty degrees below zero to a hundred degrees above, and it includes a temperature probe. Complicated wiring? Naw. All you have to do is plug the freezer power cord into the LVT and adjust the thing to the desired operating temperature - a simple twist of the dial. When you`re not using the freezer for dry-curing, you may wish to use it as a refrigerator to keep your suds cold. Simply adjust the dial.

Typically, a refrigerator maintains a humidity level of only about 30% to 40%. This dry environment would case-harden a salami in no time at all. Depending on the area you live in, the frugal remedy may consist of merely a lipped cooking sheet-pan holding just enough water to cover a pound of salt spread evenly across the surface of the pan. Although it may be a little inconsistent, it will provide about 70% relative humidity. The trouble with this method is that we often need 90% for fermentation. So, we introduce frozen jugs of ice - replacing them frequently - another labor intensive pain in the Ask me what I use. :roll: It`s called an "in line humidistat" that controls a child`s room humidifier. The humidifier takes up little room and it`s plugged into the humidistat, (sensing the relative humidity). The control is set for the desired level of humidity, and presto - I forget it. The only hitch in the get up is that there are two types of humidifiers available. One provides warm-moist air, the other, cool-moist air. That`s the one you want in your fermentation chamber - the smallest, cool-moist air model you can find at your local hardware store. Be sure to use distilled water in the thing.

Dave asked me about his "frost-free" model refrigerator. Some models are timed to kick on for half an hour every twice a day. Other models periodically turn on at different times set by the manufacturer. In any case, the defrosting mechanism struggles to eliminate the moisture that we are trying to retain. It must be disconnected. Trace the wire and disconnect it. Often it is encased inside a tube that runs beneath the cooling coils. If you are using an in-line humidistat to control a humidifier, you`ll find that it kicks in as the defroster attempts to remove moisture. If you cannot locate the wire to disconnect the thing... Don`t worry about it! :shock: uhh... that is... unless you are using only a tray of salt to add humidity to your chamber. In that case, you`ll have to go after that little wire with a particular vengeance and a glint of impairing mischief in your eye. The size of the cutters you use to disable the thing depends upon how much trouble it was to locate in the first place!

Please note that Seminole has provided several pages of instruction involving the installation and use of these controls beginning on page 364 of his book, "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages". Diagrams are included so even a layperson like me can plug the danged thing in.

For reference:
Green Air™ makes a decent in-line humidistat. See it at www.greenair.com.
McMaster-Carr™ has a good LVT at www.mcmaster.com

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:53

Don't forget to keep accurate notes fellars!
Record the temp and humidity frequently for comparison.
Check the equalibrium frequently by looking at the casings.

Has anyone seen my ol' pal JBK? Everything OK John? How is your project coming along. Anybody want to bag this stuff and go fishin' for a week?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
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Post by Dave Zac » Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:14

So I'm at 58.9 degrees this morning, 75% RH...gotta get the humidity up a bit but things are looking much better. Trying more (smaller) iced bottles covered with a towel as Ross suggested. I covered the chamber with a heavy quilt and I think that helped a bunch too.

And, I am getting mold! Seems to have taken about 75 hours to start to develop. Feeling pretty good about things this morning :lol:
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Post by ssorllih » Fri Jun 24, 2011 13:20

There are trade offs no matter what you use for a system. Water vapor will condense on and cold surface. My ice jugs get covered with frost and then with liquid condensate as they warm but the moisture is not lost. Condensate on refrigerator cooling coils is drained into a pan under the compressor where it is evaporated by the compressor heat. Thus CW has to run a humidifier to make up the lost moisture. I will probably upgrade my system in the future but for now I have a effective very low cost system that needs 5 minutes of my time twice each day.
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Post by uwanna61 » Fri Jun 24, 2011 13:24

Hi Uwanna. Hey dude, until you surpass the 75 hour fermentation period, you may wish to raise your temperature by ten degrees

CW I took these photos last night, at that time it was 96 hours. I dropped the temp down 4 degrees at hour 72, then it sat for about 6 hours. Then I dropped down to 57 degrees at 880 hrs. The casing are dry to the touch. I believe the photo has a glare that makes the salamis look wet..
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Post by Dave Zac » Fri Jun 24, 2011 14:23

ssorllih wrote:There are trade offs no matter what you use for a system. Water vapor will condense on and cold surface. My ice jugs get covered with frost and then with liquid condensate as they warm but the moisture is not lost. Condensate on refrigerator cooling coils is drained into a pan under the compressor where it is evaporated by the compressor heat. Thus CW has to run a humidifier to make up the lost moisture. I will probably upgrade my system in the future but for now I have a effective very low cost system that needs 5 minutes of my time twice each day.
Concur... :wink:
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Post by ssorllih » Fri Jun 24, 2011 21:29

When I got home from work today I checked on the pigs and they are just starting to show some mold. Rather uniform except the ones that I have handled. Those are a bit blotchy. I wonder if the mold will spread or if I should spray them again just for good measure? Temperature and RH holding steady.
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 24, 2011 23:39

Grrrrreat Guys!
OK, after hour 72, lets begin to ease the temperature down a bit along with the humidity.
Over the next 24 hours lets drop the temp to about 57 degrees F. After that, we'll need to drop the temperature by only ONE degree every two weeks... until we arrive at 54 degrees F.

During this same time period, we'll need to reduce the humidity incramentally also. Slowly lower it to 80%. During the last week, we should be at about 75%.

I'm glad to see all of you doing so well! :grin:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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