Curing Landjager

ScottC · Post by **ScottC** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 23:19

I'm new to this forum, and while I've been making fresh sausage for years, I've only recently started learning about dry curing. I've been interested in making landjager, and used Chuckwagon's "Lawman's Landjager" recipe, posted 9/10/14. I converted a used fridge for fermentation, using a combination of salt bath and an electric humidifier (drug store variety) for keeping humidity high. Monitored with a simple digital hygrometer. An electronic temperature controller with built in relays will turn on either a lamp for heat, or the refrigerator's system for cooling.

I just completed 4 days of fermentation and am smoking currently. This recipe brings the IMT to 150°F to kill trichinella, followed by water spray and drying for several weeks.

When I pulled the sausage out of fermentation (between pressing boards), I found some long light grey mold on the casings. This concerns me, but I'm not sure whether it should. I would appreciate some insight.

Post by **Bob K** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 02:03

Welcome to the forum Scott!

Which recipe are you using? It almost sound like a combination of these two? http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=5054

ScottC · Post by **ScottC** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 02:19

Thank you for the quick reply Bob, I appreciate being able to connect with others with a similar interest. The link you sent is the source of my recipe, and I used the Lawman's Landjager recipe.

Post by **redzed** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 03:20

ScottC wrote:When I pulled the sausage out of fermentation (between pressing boards), I found some long light grey mold on the casings. This concerns me, but I'm not sure whether it should. I would appreciate some insight.

Nothing to get concerned about. Just wipe it off with a damp cloth, hand at room temp for a couple of hours and smoke.

Products that are dried after smoking are air cooled and not water cooled. Fermento only gives you a bit of a tang and it is unlikely that there will be any fermentation. In fact, I would never recommend hanging a sausage without a bacterial starter at room temp for 4 days. The part in the recipe about drying a fully cooked sausage "until the water activity is Aw 0.85 or less" is absolutely wrong. Water activity probably hit 0.85 after a hour in the smoker. It is not even a consideration in cooked sausages. And another thing that is way off base here is using Cure #2 in a fully cooked sausage.

Sorry to react this way to your project but had to bring these gaffes to to light. I don't know what CW was smoking when he came up with that recipe. It does not have any traditional roots nor does it have any meat science foundation. There are hundreds of excellent recipes on our forum, but unfortunately this is not one of them. Apologies that you came upon it.

ScottC · Post by **ScottC** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 03:39

OK, well live and learn. I do appreciate the information. I do have a few followup questions:
1. Is there a food safety concern in the 4 days curing (70°F / 70% RH) since I used Fermento and not a bacterial culture?
2. Since this was hot smoked and fully cooked, Aw is probably irrelevant, as I understand your reply. There would be no reason to try it further.
3. Presumably no safety issues with #2 cure in cooked sausage, just not functionally necessary, correct?

cheers,

Scott

Post by **Bob K** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 13:53

ScottC wrote:. Is there a food safety concern in the 4 days curing (70°F / 70% RH) since I used Fermento and not a bacterial culture?

There would definitely be a concern, you can read about safety hurdes in making fermented sausages here: https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... ty-hurdles

With the recipe used:
There was approx ( unless weighed, amount is unknown) 2% salt + cure, 2.5 % is the accepted minimum and 3% is safer
Ph is unknown.
Cure #2 probably should not be used in a cooked sausage.

There is a Langager recipe here: https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... /landjager for the fermented and dried variety. But ask about the correct amount of culture to use for smaller batches....the amount listed is what the whole envelope is capable of.

If you would like to make a fermented and cooked variety of sausage there are several semi-dry sausage recipes here: https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes also giving safe procedures and instructions

.

ScottC · Post by **ScottC** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 17:38

thank you kindly - I'll follow up on the resources you linked!

Post by **redzed** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 18:43

There is a concern but I see many guys out there that prepare their dry cured meats that way. Some even for as long as 7 days. However, I have never seen any of their pH reults to substantiate claims that adequate fermentation resulted with the indigenous bacteria. There is an adequate amount of sugar in there to activate bacteria, but it it also may include bacteria that you don't want. The salt and Cure #2 in the meat are two important antimicrobials and also lower water activity, so the meat is probably OK. Having said that, it would be irresponsible for me to promote this method.

ScottC · Post by **ScottC** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 06:40

Thanks Redzed, I'll take this as a call to do some more research before taking another swing at it. Looks like I need to better understand how to measure pH (back to college chemistry) and Aw (hopefully without an expensive water activity meter). Above all - I need to be confident that my methods are safe.