Problems With Salami Calabresi

alhunter63 · Post by **alhunter63** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 21:40

I just cut into this "Salami Calabrese" a Len Poli receipe. I made it back in November so it has been drying for about 2- 1/2 months. It has lost about 50% of it's green weight & the color looks great. The only thing I didn't like is that it is real tangy tasting so I checked the PH and it's low at 4.9 and it's not binding tight & breaks apart when I try cutting it. Any ideas what caused this.

Igor Duńczyk · Post by **Igor Duńczyk** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 03:42

To me it looks as if perhaps
- a bit more fat smearing took place during mixing than what you actually had expected (was the fat frozen?)
- too much fermentable sugar was added
- meat fibre denatured too fast, not enabeling any binding, which could be caused by too fast pH drop

Which starter culture was used?
How much fermentable sugar -and which kind did you add?
What was the temperature during fermentation?
Is there more dry rim than the pictures actually reveal? (...doesn´t seem like it)

alhunter63 · Post by **alhunter63** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 17:30

Igor, I used Len Poli receipe http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Sal ... abrese.pdf

The fat was semi frozen when ground like always and I used 2-1/2 TBS of glucose for 10-lbs of meat including the fat. I suspect it may have been the cup of sweet vermouth that may be the culprit but i'm not sure. I used T-SPX for the starter culture. The PH did drop fast and never recovered like it ussually does on the slow fermented salamis. This one is kinda sour/tangy tasting probably because of the low PH.

There is no dry rim and I did also notice that it is a bit oily. Fermented @ 68-70 W/ humidity @ 92-95% for 5-days, total 60 lbs of salami. The other 3 batches (different recipes) were great and already have been eaten.

This batch is still kinda soft and shouldn't be after 2-1/2 months.

Igor Duńczyk · Post by **Igor Duńczyk** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 00:23

As all parametres seems right this case does look a bit odd

Especially as Len Poli´s 0,4% glucose (although I would use dextrose) dosage is one that I would use myself...

But I´m in no doubt that this is a case of fermentation running wild.
And it does require quite an (over)dosage of fermentable sugar to make T-SPX produce tangy sourness.

Mabye as you suggest the sweet vermuth toppled the fermentation proces by making the Pedioccocus as drunk as Danes (Here we say, drunk as a Swede

)

Jokes apart - it IS possible to make starter culture bacteria go beserk by adding some special potion - that is in fact how the "fast" starter cultures were invented

For alcohol in fermented sausage I´d rather stick to wine which usually have a low rest sugar content.

However, if the vermuth should have a sugar content around 10% them it only makes up for a total of 0,9% sugar together with the glycose.
Not really enough to turn the T-SPX into a acid monster. Some other unknown factors must have joined in

alhunter63 · Post by **alhunter63** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 01:31

Thanks for your imput Igor.

and by the way I did use dextrose. Besides being a little acidy, it should still be safe to eat right??

Igor Duńczyk · Post by **Igor Duńczyk** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 08:43

My best guess is that the sourness adds to the safety because not many harmfull bacteria are likely to survive down there...