Salami newbie question: Did I use too much TSPX.

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ronbo
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Salami newbie question: Did I use too much TSPX.

Post by ronbo » Thu Jan 26, 2017 04:10

Hi everyone,
My first time posting. Ive made a few kilos of fresh and smoked sausages the past year based on the work of Rytek Kutas and Stanley Marianski. All have turned out well. This weekend I entered the world of fermented sausage (salami) after a thorough reading of Marianski's Art of Making Fermented Sausage. Becuase i dont yet have a curing chamber setup, i chose to use the 50mm Umai casings.

I made 3 dry salamis each of 7 diferent types. All has gone well and the first 13 are in the fridge at 36F after 67 hours of fermenting at a constant 68F (but probably only 50% humidity, my guess rather than the 85% humidity recomended by the recipe.). Recipes specified 72 hours fermentation at 65F-75F. Good color has developed and some good firmness but maybe more moisture loss than expecfed due to the low humidity. Loss over all is bstween 14-16 % depending upon salami type. Is this normal?

Also, since i was scaling the recipes from 5kg down to 1kg it was difficulf to measure the amount of T-SPX which would have been 0.6g for 5kg and 0.12g for 1kg. My scale is only accurafe to 0.5g, so i had to try to convert to an equivalent volume measurent. The besf i could do was a scant 1/8 teaspoon. In retrospect I think this may have been 1.5 - 2.0 times the amount of starter culture specified by the recipes. Good color did develop during fermentation, but is using too much culture going to created problems im not yet aware of?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Im looking forward to becoming an active member of this group now that I have more time for sausage, salami, whole muscle cures, smoking fish, boudin, and barbeque!
Cheers and Thanks!
Ronbo
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Butterbean
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Post by Butterbean » Thu Jan 26, 2017 06:38

I don't think adding extra would harm anything other than the wallet.

Welcome to the board. Greetings from and x-Rock Hillian.
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Bob K
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Post by Bob K » Thu Jan 26, 2017 13:46

Like Butterbean said no harm done, in fact it is difficult to add too much. I would start will .5 gram minimum for 1 kilo. The amount referred to in the recipes is based on what an envelope of culture is capable of producing.
When using the UMAI bags you can disregard the humidity, the membrane controls the water loss.

While the color and texture are a good indicator the only way to know a sausage is fermenting properly is to check the Ph.
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Post by Steve Schroeder » Thu Jan 26, 2017 16:25

As Bob K and Butterbean observed, adding extra colonies of the the bacteria in T-SPX won't do any harm. It's activity is largely limited by the presence of the sugars (dextrose, usually) in the forcemeat. Unlike some of the other starter culture we use (B-LC-007, for example) T-SPX work not as much by reducing pH as by reducing Aw. In practice, the goal is thorough and even distribution of the small amount of ingredient throughout the mixture. We usualy di this by increasing the actual volume of the starter culture by mixing it with distilled sterilized water so its easier to blend into the forcemeat. From the mfr: "For slow/mild acidification. Less acidity and no sour flavor; enhances the aromatic flavor and appearance of fermented meats. Also assists in moisture removal and the breaking down of Nitrate into Nitrite for more efficient curing. If using T-SPX for traditional method of drying this culture will not provide food safety through lowering pH level but, it will help lower Aw. Use for products needing at least one month's time for drying and do not ferment with this product over 75°F.
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Bob K
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Post by Bob K » Thu Jan 26, 2017 16:47

Steve that is not from Chr Hansen, It is TSMs take on the culture. T-SPX does lower the Ph to a safe level, how low will depend on the amount of sugars added and the fermentation temps.

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... e/cultures
ronbo
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Post by ronbo » Thu Jan 26, 2017 17:42

Thank you all for the advice and guidance. Sounds like the amount of T-SPX I used will be ok. Fortunately I was able to use the specified amount of Cure#2 (2g per Kg meat) so I think thats ok too.

Quick question about curing to the finished weight. The target is a weight loss of approx 30%. Is that 30% off the stuffed weight, or 30% off the weight at the end of fermenting? You see my salami's lost about 15% weight during fermentation. It was much, much more that I expected.
Thx!
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redzed
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Post by redzed » Thu Jan 26, 2017 18:15

As has been pointed out already, you really can't over dose with bacterial culture as long as the sugar amount is within range. And as Steve mentioned, when preparing small amounts, you actually should add more.

As to the starting weight, it is the "green weight" taken right after stuffing. Your loss during fermentation is a bit high, and that is because of the low humidity you had it in for almost 3 days. Next time put the sausage into a chest cooler, put a pan of water with salt in it, close it tightly and leave it for 48 hours at room temp. Then transfer into the fridge for drying.
ronbo
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Post by ronbo » Thu Jan 26, 2017 19:50

BIG Thanks redzed. Such a privilege to have guidance from all you Masters! I will definitely use that method for fermenting next time!
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