Slow Weight Loss

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ericrice
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Slow Weight Loss

Post by ericrice » Thu Jan 30, 2014 23:41

I detailed in another string that I had a curing room built earlier this year - I have had very little circulation in the room and constant humidity right around 75%. All seems well but I'm still a bit concerned with the lack of circulation. Weighed the first batch I did this year - genoa in 61mm casings (collagen). Good covering of bactoferm mold and no bad mold. A month in and I have a 19.5% weight loss, seems reasonable but the salami still feels very squishy at this point. Also on a batch put in more recently the mold is powdery on the outermost edge but underneath very moist and a somewhat yellowish appearing thin layer - kind of pasty feeling.

Am I overthinking based on the slow weight loss or has anyone experienced anything similar?
Assuming good mold and the right humidity range can something other than a very slow cure go wrong with little air flow?

On a side note I have since put in an incubator fan which runs with the humidifier so I am getting a little more air movement now.

Appreciate any suggestions.
Occupation?? Part time Butcher, Chef, Microbiologist, Scientist and Meteorologist – does what pays the bills really matter?

Eric
ericrice
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Post by ericrice » Wed Feb 05, 2014 00:08

Okay, I may be asking for trouble but I am interested in others thoughts. For my salami's that had the film my concern was the inability of water to migrate out. I attempted to wash them down with a vinegar/water solution but the coating is similar to smeared fat and seemed impossible to remove it. So I re-pricked one of the salamis, somewhat as a test and I'll monitor it's weight loss along with the others from that batch. I have no doubt re-pricking 4 weeks into the cure and at 20% weight loss isn't recommended but as I think through the safety hurdles taken (cure, ph drop), it is doing its thing whether I pricked it, cut it in half or left it alone. So that leaves me thinking what risks did I open myself up to by doing that? I assume the main concern would be with bacteria getting in there that otherwise couldn`t? I guess I keep coming back to is it a necessity to have a "sealed" product until shelf stable? I understand the risk with a "void" in a salami but to me that is a different situation as air isn`t getting to that.
Occupation?? Part time Butcher, Chef, Microbiologist, Scientist and Meteorologist – does what pays the bills really matter?

Eric
Igor Duńczyk
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Post by Igor Duńczyk » Wed Feb 05, 2014 08:58

Hi Eric,
My best bet is that water migration from the inside will not be blocked unless the "film" seems to have become hardened.
And I don´t think pricking will get you very far as the migration should take place simultaneously through all of the surface of the salami.
Bacteria getting in should not he a likely hazard as pH and water activity has probably dropped sufficiently beneath the casing.
What is interesting is how the inner structure looks like? 20% loss in four weeks does sound a bit on the low side.
With a 61 mm casing four weeks should be sufficient for a slicable consistency, so why not slice one of genoa´s -take a picture and post it? Then we can continue the diagnosis.
Wishing you a Good Day!
Igor The Dane
ericrice
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Post by ericrice » Wed Feb 05, 2014 17:30

Appreciated Igor - I plan to weigh again this evening to see the progress over the last several days of the whole batch. We both agree on the weight loss being low given the length of time. They also still seem too soft internally based on my experience. I'm confident they are not ready. I'll follow with the additional weight loss later and will look to cut into one and post pics - rehang and share the ultimate outcome. Hopefully the initial high humidity and lack of airflow has just resulted in a very slow initial weight loss.
Occupation?? Part time Butcher, Chef, Microbiologist, Scientist and Meteorologist – does what pays the bills really matter?

Eric
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Post by ericrice » Thu Feb 06, 2014 19:07

Weighed again and I am currently at 722g from 979g starting, so 28% weight loss. Did cut into it and as I had suspected based on the feel it is still very squishy and pasty inside, like raw meat. I will attempt to post the picture I took but imageshack is acting up for me. No real signs of case hardening and given the high humidity and lack of air movement that makes sense. It is still losing weight - about another 4% over the last week. I'm now wondering if I had the fat smear - never been an issue and I keep my meat/fat cold through the process but the symptoms seem to fit the bill based on what I have read. Anyone have experience with that?
Occupation?? Part time Butcher, Chef, Microbiologist, Scientist and Meteorologist – does what pays the bills really matter?

Eric
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