New to brining/curing questions

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JDeadwood
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New to brining/curing questions

Post by JDeadwood » Sat Nov 19, 2022 15:46

New to the board, sorry if this is in the wrong section. Ive tried searching threads out here but the answer is still alluding me. Trying to demystify the process for myself since there are so many different styles of brining/curing with Cure#1 and the inherent dangers of nitrites. There are different weights and calculations for so many styles and techniques it makes my head spin. Really could use a good flow chart of which technique to use and the amounts of cure for each. The 144g of cure to a gallon of water seems excessive but is the easiest calculation Ive found on the net.

Past year Ive been trying to get into brining and smoking meats. Found the meatandsausage site and love the extensive list of recipes and instructionals.

Im making this Pastrami recipe:
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/hams-o ... s/pastrami

I split a brisket into the point and flat and am doing both as pastrami. 2500g point, 3600g flat.

Just made a full gallon of brine with info from the recipe and references from the brine guide and Chuckwagon's guide with beef bends.

From the recipe I multiplied the regular (non cure) salt by 3.78 to equate it to a full gallon. 381 kosher salt. 90g of cure #1 total in the gallon. I assumed the recipe meant the 90g for a full gallon putting it under the 200ppm for pumped brining max. So 465 ish gram total of salt. This would put it around 40 SAL rather than the recipes listed 35 SAL.

Mixed up the gallon. Weighed out 40 percent of the two pieces of meat. 10% of that was injected the other 30% covered each. Let brine in my fridge (4 days for the smaller point, 5.5 days for the larger flat). To be on the safer side dried it in my smoker for an hour at 155 then smoked at 250 degrees until I got the internal temp to 165.

Howd I do calculation wise? Nitrite poisoning in my future? Botulism?
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redzed
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Re: New to brining/curing questions

Post by redzed » Thu Nov 24, 2022 02:44

You are right, there are so many charts, methods and different ways in measuring salt and nitrite. The problem is that the charts are based on the uptake rate if the nitrite and it's not an exact science. I simplified my brining by making an 8% brine and brining the meats anywhere from four days to two weeks, depending on the size. What I mean by an 8% brine is that I use the equivalent of European curing salt, 80g to each litre of water. To make a kg of this curing salt, mix 100g of Cure#1 with 900g of non-iodized salt. That will result in curing mixture with .625% sodium nitrite. That is how hundreds of thousands of people brine their meats in Poland and other parts of Europe. Tried and true method and easy to prepare. And as long as I see the the meat is cured completely, I don't worry about not having enough nitrite.
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Re: New to brining/curing questions

Post by sambal badjak » Fri Nov 25, 2022 16:51

Do you shake this mix properly before use?
Just by hand?
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Re: New to brining/curing questions

Post by redzed » Fri Nov 25, 2022 20:56

Always shake it or mix it. Nitrite has a tendency to settle. I do that with regular Cure #1 as well.
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Re: New to brining/curing questions

Post by JDeadwood » Sun Nov 27, 2022 13:24

redzed wrote:
Thu Nov 24, 2022 02:44
You are right, there are so many charts, methods and different ways in measuring salt and nitrite. The problem is that the charts are based on the uptake rate if the nitrite and it's not an exact science. I simplified my brining by making an 8% brine and brining the meats anywhere from four days to two weeks, depending on the size. What I mean by an 8% brine is that I use the equivalent of European curing salt, 80g to each litre of water. To make a kg of this curing salt, mix 100g of Cure#1 with 900g of non-iodized salt. That will result in curing mixture with .625% sodium nitrite. That is how hundreds of thousands of people brine their meats in Poland and other parts of Europe. Tried and true method and easy to prepare. And as long as I see the the meat is cured completely, I don't worry about not having enough nitrite.
Well with this recipe since I was going to be smoking at 230-250 I wasnt so much worried about under curing than over curing with too much nitrite. I tried a few of the recipes from the main site last year, didnt realize there was a forum or Id have asked then. The 90-144 grams of cure #1 to a gallon seemed massive (and expensive) but I assumed because with the pumping and the short brine time it wasn't going to over nitrite my meat correct? I prefer a shorter brining times as I just dont have the room to brine for 3-4 weeks with something as big as a full brisket.

Ive heard of your method before I follow a German Butcher on youtube (Ekkahard) that mixes up a similar salt mix to recreate the style of curing salt they have in Europe. I might give it a try for brine curing. I think most American based recipes for actually mixing into sausage meat roughly equals the same percentage.
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