Project "A"

Locked
User avatar
Chuckwagon
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4494
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 04:51
Location: Rocky Mountains

Project "A"

Post by Chuckwagon » Wed Jun 08, 2011 08:10

Project "A" - Dry Cured, Fermented, Salami
6/15/11 - 9/15/11

Project "A" was named for Salame di Alessandra. This sausage is also known as Genoa Salami. In June 2011, nine WD members decided to undertake this 3-month, dry-cured salami project together while keeping accurate notes for comparison and recording their results for the future reference of those yearning to try their hand at making fermented type sausages in the future. The project began on June 15th and ended on September 15th. Participants were required to "sign up" and invest in a certain amount of basic equipment. We fully intended to show our fellow members that quality salami could be crafted without spending a fortune on specialized equipment. Members were asked to make a cabinet for fermenting, purchase a hygrometer and thermometer, cellulose casings, and Bactoferm™ T-SPX starter culture. Members were also asked to read and study a minimal amount of information provided on the homepage by Stan Marianski. Moderator "Chuckwagon" also provided material to be read by those participating. To be fair to participating members, it was requested that the general public refrain from writing in "Project A" after June 15th.

The project was not intended for beginners in the hobby. Crafting dry-cured, fermented, salami requires prior experience in grinding, mixing, stuffing, and other skills honed by good old-fashioned trial and error in making basic sausages such as fresh cased links, cured-smoked-cooked links, and others.

Some of the member`s projects succeeded, others did not. All the members succeeded in providing much information to those who will attempt making dry-cured sausages in the future. All participants should be congratulated for some very fine work and great ingenuity. All indeed succeeded as their information will ultimately be of great value to those just starting out.

Project A is a very valuable learning resource to those trying their hand at it for the first time. As a learner reads through the information, he may simply avoid the mistakes, oversights, and errors made by these pioneers. There is much technical information recorded, along with photos and remarks. Congratulations to the participants are in order. Thank you gentlemen. Your posted information will help others for a long time to come.

My Very Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon



Hello smoke addicts!

I`ve had an idea in mind for some time and would like to have your opinions. Why not make a dry-cured salami TOGETHER? I believe that many of you good folks are hesitating to make the plunge into "fermented type sausage" for several different reasons. I`ve included a few possible "rationalizations" below. Let`s see if you recognize any of them. :lol:

I am proposing that we open a forum topic solely for the purpose of making a batch of dry-cured salami together - with everyone starting at the same point with the same `lack` of equipment, and limited bucks. We`ll take it step-by-step, allowing everyone a few days to view this message and ponder it over. Then there will have to be some time allowed to order Bactoferm and a hygrometer ($14.95) from your supplier. While you`re waiting for the mailman, you could shop for some great beef chuck and some luscious pork butts. We can share information as we go along and discuss each member`s plans for fermenting and curing and then for storing. We`ll have much to talk about and discuss, and no doubt the forum will be fairly active - but shucks, that`s what we really want... lots of participation and input as we go along. We`ll act as a group and do everything together at the same time. For instance, we will all grind the same day and all of us will stuff casings the same day etc. We could exchange ideas and share thoughts until at last, we each have made a properly air-dried salami.

Today at lunch, I sliced off a thick slice of salami and put it on a sandwich. I had just "pulled" it from the storage chamber and found myself thinking, "This is the best salami I`ve ever tasted"... "Why aren`t the folks on the WD Board tasting this quality sausage every single day?" Bragging? Naw! Is Ol` Chuckwagon just makin` noise because he `knows how`? Nope! That`s not it at all. Shucks, it is simply that I bothered to make my own "quality" air-dried product rather than settling for the mass-produced and hurried-along crap they put in the grocery stores these days, made with inferior ingredients. And you can do it too! Heck, why not use real paprika instead of flavoring oil, and real ingredients rather than flavored chemicals? And for goodness sakes, REAL Boston butt and choice fatback.

OK, have I got your interest and attention? Would anyone out there be willing to participate in this experiment with ALL OF US making a dry-cured salami at the same time? Think of the advantages:

1. You`ll learn how to make dry-cured salami - at last!
2. It will bring several of us much closer together.
3. It will be fun.
4. It will be a motivational step you may never have again to finally get around to makin` the stuff!

OK, Here are a few reasons to talk yourself right out of it! Some of that reasoning might include:

1. I`m afraid it requires too much "specialized knowledge". I might have to read and study a little. And, isn`t there a ton of stuff to memorize?
2. I`m afraid it will fail and I cannot justify the expense if it does fail.
3. It`s expensive and requires too much specialized equipment.
4. It takes too long to cure.
5. I`m too old to learn how to do it, and if I fail, my wife will say, "See, I told you so".
6. I don`t have the time to make fermented sausage.
7. The process is too tedious.
8. I hate mold. After all, won`t that stuff kill ya?

On the ranch, we have a saying for every single one of the excuses listed. It`s only one word but it sums it up. The word is "bullsnot"! Uh... sort of! If you think you are too old, or it takes too much time, or think you will fail... all I can say is "bulls**t". If you think is requires a little special knowledge, you`re right. But hours of study? Nope... hey, this isn`t rocket science! Memorize stuff? Nope. You don`t have time? Again, all I can say is "bulls**t". And I`m sorry that you will never be able to taste the exquisite flavor of genuine, hand-crafted salami - something many of you will never have the opportunity of trying.

If we decide to make this project work, then get ready to experience an entirely new taste in meat flavor. In my opinion, it will absolutely be worth the effort and the time. There`s just no reason why you shouldn`t be able to experience success in making air-dried sausages, especially now that we have Bactoferm™ bio-cultures on the market.

How about expressing your opinions here? Also, let me know if you`d like to take part in this project.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Wed Dec 03, 2014 18:38, edited 7 times in total.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Wed Jun 08, 2011 14:10

Ok . I am willing. Is a five pound batch reasonable size? I only have 30 mm casing do I need larger? I have time. even though as I mentioned it is summer here. I will never be too old to learn something new. So that takes care of the rest of the member excuses concerning age. I have a refrigerator that is used for overflow food storage and I can adjust the thermostst for most any temperature. It is frost free so the humidity is always very low. My house is airconditioned and kept below 80 degrees F.
What am I lacking?

By the way I think that you have a good plan.
Ross
Ross- tightwad home cook
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Thu Jun 09, 2011 04:39

Chuckwagon,
Chuckwagon, I am a craftsman and I make things work. My Dad taught me that a poor workman blames his tools for poor results. but a skilled craftsman can produce good results with the tools at hand. I have told you what I have for tools, mostly, I have a torsion balance that can resolve .01 milligram. So can can measure very small quantities of almost anything. I know how to dilute a milligram in a litre of water and use 5 cc's. please teach me how to use the tools that I have to make good sausage. I read well and have taught myself many skills from books.
Thanks,

Ross
Ross- tightwad home cook
User avatar
Chuckwagon
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4494
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 04:51
Location: Rocky Mountains

Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Jun 09, 2011 08:27

Hi Ross,
You wrote:
I have a refrigerator that is used for overflow food storage and I can adjust the thermostst for most any temperature. It is frost free so the humidity is always very low. My house is airconditioned and kept below 80 degrees F. What am I lacking?
Ross, your refrigerator might not work for a curing chamber as it may need to be kept warmer than the controls are designed to keep it. Also, we need to raise the relative humidity rather than keep it low. You would have to disconnect the frost-free mechanism. How about reading the material found at this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4880

As you are a craftsman, you may wish to build a box of plywood and line it with thick-gauge plastic sheeting. You may possibly be able to place a pan of salt and water in the bottom to produce enough humidity to support fermentation. It will be necessary to also heat the box slightly, using some type of heater - perhaps a slow-cooker heating unit or an aquarium heater. We`ll cross that bridge in a few days. Can you give me an idea how much relative humidity you have where you live?

Ok, we`ll do it. I just got an email from another member (Rand) and he wants to join the venture project. I`d like to wait just a couple of days and see if some other folks might want to take part in the venture also. Let me see if I can intimidate a couple of more prospective salami makers.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Tue Jun 14, 2011 09:15, edited 1 time in total.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
User avatar
jbk101
Passionate
Passionate
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 16:49
Location: Versailles, Indiana

Post by jbk101 » Thu Jun 09, 2011 08:42

Hey Chuckwagon,
I am also willing! But I do have a couple of worries. As you know I am a rookie willing to try and learn but like to have my ducks in a row before I start shooting them down.

I like your idea alot and also like the idea of a miminal investment to start out with so here are some of my concerns.

What basic equipment is needed? I don't have a good area to cure in so what alternatives could you suggest. I have seen where an old ice box is converted into a humidty cabinet are there other altternatives? If so whats you thoughts on them?

If you could give a basic run down of the required equipment and the process in general it might be helpful and even motivate a few to join in :smile:
User avatar
Chuckwagon
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4494
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 04:51
Location: Rocky Mountains

Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:37

Hey, hey John!
I know most everyone has the same concern over rushing right out and purchasing a bunch of equipment. In this economy... forget it! But there`s always more than one way to skin a cat. Actually, the only real expense would be a hygrometer ($14.95), a reliable thermometer, a used computer fan, possibly the expense of an old cabinet of some type, and some plastic sheeting to line it with. The cabinet doesn`t have to be very large. These days, office equipment stores even have plastic storage boxes at very reasonable prices. Bactoferm T-SPX has gone up just like everything else and although it is $16.99 for a 25-gram packet, it will cure 400 pounds of meat! We`ll probably start with ten pounds of salami so you`ll have to freeze the remainder (it has a shelf life of 6 months when frozen). That will give you a half-year to make 390 more pounds of pepperoni and salami! Bactoferm "Mold-600" is $19.99 for a 25-gram packet and will give you enough penicillium nalgiovense to cover the statue of liberty a few times with white, flaky, mold. The remainder may be frozen up to six months also. We will need a few 3" synthetic fibrous casings and the mahogany-colored ones come in bundles of 20 and are 2 feet long. Each casing will hold 5 pounds of meat, so you`ll have 18 casings left over for the next bunch of bewildering, belated, batches. The bundle of 20 costs 15.99.

Our fellow member "Rand" said he picked up a hygrometer at a hardware store for only about six bucks. If you find one locally, you may want to start checking out the relative humidity in your basement or another damp area of about 80% for the 2 to 3 month drying period. Your "curing chamber" will have to be about 90% humidity for 72 hours at about 68°; F. (20°; C.). We`ll drop the temperature for the 2-3 month drying period by ten degrees, down to about 58°; F. (14°; C.). Does all this sound feasible to you?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Thu Jun 09, 2011 14:45

This would be a better project for the fall season. Right now we have temperatures in the 90's and dew points above 70. I have a thermometer hung near an A/C outlet and it reads 75 degrees.

I can get foil faced urethane insulation boards 1 1/2 inches thick and 4x8 feet. That could make a 16 x24 inch cabinet 4 feet tall with lid and floor. It can be "nailed" with long dowels sharpened in a pencil sharpener. That cost would be about 25 dollars. The housing on a crock-pot has a small heater in it that would be plenty for the times when we need to heat. I could probably figure out a way to duct chilled air from my refrigerator.
Do you remember the swamp air chillers that were used in the west before mechanical A/C? Florists use a soft porous foam for supporting flower stems. This foam would provide a large surface area for evaporation for humidity control in the chamber.

I presume that adding salt is to prevent a biology demonstration in the swamp. ;)

Ok. If I convert this from obstacles to challenges and apply myself diligently I think that I can make it work. Some of the crock-pots have digital temperature controls that could be used for the chamber
Ross- tightwad home cook
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Thu Jun 09, 2011 15:31

Challange Number one: control the temperature in the cooling chamber.
Solution go low tech. My refrigerator can make about 100 pounds of ice per week. Humidity water pan in bottom of chamber can be an open ice chest. I routinely freeze water for the ice box on my boat so I can just as easily make ice for the curing chamber. 20 ounce soda bottles are convenient sizes as are 2 litre bottles. Five pounds of ice per day keeps my ice box cold on the boat so a pound per day will probably keep the chamber at 58 degrees. The heater from a crock-pot can supply all the heat I need.
Ross- tightwad home cook
User avatar
Dave Zac
Passionate
Passionate
Posts: 335
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:39
Location: Bristol, NY

Post by Dave Zac » Thu Jun 09, 2011 16:57

Okay, I'll try to be in. I share the same concerns as the others though...I don't think I am equipped to do this right.

Teach me master

Dave
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Fri Jun 10, 2011 00:37

Long before there were refrigerators there were ice houses and men cutting ice on lake in the winter time.
Before we had electronic hygrometers there was wet bulb, dry bulb systems to determine relative humidity.
I believe that if we put our collective minds to work on this we can make this affordable for everyone. We just have to use our heads more and our wallets less.
The advantage that I see in making a curing chamber with foilfaced foam insulation is that we can pull the pins and store it flat if we choose to put it away. Knocked down it would be just 2 feet wide 4 feet long and slightly less than 8 inches thick.
Ross- tightwad home cook
uwanna61
Passionate
Passionate
Posts: 361
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 20:49
Location: Vermont

Post by uwanna61 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 01:19

Bullsnot I'm in! I have a working fridge set up as an incubator, with temp controller and a humidifier with controller. This is right up my alley I have the recourses just need the experience \ practice! The cracked pepper salami sounds interesting.. :lol:
charcutebrew
Beginner
Beginner
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 19:17
Location: Michigan

Post by charcutebrew » Fri Jun 10, 2011 05:19

Ross, I've been thinkin' the same about the foil foam board. Meant to pick some up last weekend but got sidetracked by another project. For warming up, a lightbulb can do the trick handily. For a large converted cooler a 7.5 watt bulb seemed to do the trick, for what it's worth. I was trying to think of a good way to get a small quantity of ice in the chamber, I like the idea of a 20-oz bottle of ice or something...

Just spitballin' without censoring right now, it seems like you could rig up a little computer fan, maybe baffle it a little so it didn't blow directly into the chamber... & even run a bit of ductwork to that inlet so you could use the chamber as a cold-smoke chamber? Though maybe the smoke smell would be too intense for non-smoked meats later?
User avatar
Chuckwagon
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4494
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 04:51
Location: Rocky Mountains

Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Jun 10, 2011 05:57

OK Sausage makin` Dudes! Let`s go for it. As we say out here... Yeeee Hawww! :roll: And Ross, half the people in the west, still use a "swamp cooler" for air conditioning. It really raises cain with their piano tuning, but puts that moisturized glow back into delicate facial skin - so vitally important to those grizzly cowboys and other meadow-muffin kickers out here. :shock:

Shucks pards, I`m glad to see you folks joinin` us for the "project" - We really shouldn`t call it an experiment though. How about we call this thing, "The A - Project" (for Alessandra - meaning "Genoa" type salami). Geeeze, "Alessandra" sounds soooo much more sophisticated than just plain ol` "Genoa" salami - although it is exactly the same stuff! Here`s what I`m proposing:

Salami di Alessanddra by Stan Marianski

2.0 kg (4.4 lbs.) pork butt
2.0 kg (4.4 lbs.) beef chuck
1.0 kg (2.2 lbs.) pork back fat (or fat trimmings)
140 g. salt (3%)
12 g. cure #2 (do not use cure #1 in this recipe)
10 g. powdered dextrose (glucose)
15 g. sugar (3%)
15 g. white pepper
0.6 g. (1/4 tspn.) Bactoferm™ T-SPX
----- Bactoferm™ Mold 600

Optional: Note: To make 5 kg. sausage, about 7 g. of spices and 4 g. of herbs are needed.

120 ml. (1/2 cup) quality red burgundy or other dry red wine (Do not exceed ½ cup).
4 parts coriander (spice)
3 parts mace (spice)
2 parts allspice (spice)
1 part fennel (spice)
3 parts marjoram (herb)
1 part thyme (herb)
1 part basil (herb)

Instructions:

Preliminary steps: Keep a logbook! Record everything you do. Write down dates, times, measurements, etc. Believe me, you`ll refer back to it several times during the process. Save your notes for the next batch. They will be invaluable. Don`t ignore this step. It only takes a few seconds to write down the information you may really need later on.
Thaw the Bactoferm™ T-SPX following the directions on the package. Measure .6 gram (1/4 teaspoon) of the culture and mix it with a little distilled water, allowing the bacteria to "wake up". Freeze the back fat and nearly-freeze the lean meat. Freeze the grinder plate and blade (20 minutes is plenty). Cut the meat and fat into cubes.
1. Grind the pork and back fat through a 3/8" plate (10 mm). Work in small batches and refrigerate the meat and fat at every opportunity. Grind the beef using a 3/8" plate then again using a 1/8" plate.
2. Mix all the ingredients with the ground meat and develop the primary bind. Fold in the fat particles.
3. Stuff the mixture firmly into beef middles or 46-60 mm. protein-lined fibrous casings, making links about 16 to 20 inches long. (Protein-lined fibrous casings shrink with the salami as the sausage dries.)
4. Weigh each salami and record its "green weight". Keep a log book!
5. Ferment at 68°; F. (20°; C.) for 72 hours, in 85% to 90% humidity.
6. Hang the salamis in the drying chamber and mix the Mold 600 according to the directions on the package. Spray the sausages with a misting sprayer or dip them into a solution. Dry the salamis at 57°; F. (14°; C.) in 80-85% humidity for 2 to 3 months (until 30-35% weight loss is achieved).
7. The salamis are stored at (+or- 4°;) 55°; F. (13°; C.) in 75% humidity.

OK salami makin` hombres! This is YOUR party, so we don`t have to make this particular salami if you have another recipe in mind. I`m just makin` a suggestion. I like this one because it will give you experience with most aspects of the craft. How do you folks feel about this recipe?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

PS. So far we have:

Rand
ssorllih
JBK
DaveZac
uwanna61

charcutebrew... are you in?

Anyone else want to become part of the action? Pretty soon we`ll have to order supplies. While we`re waiting on them, some of you will be making your curing chambers. It's not too late to sign up. The reason I'd like to see folks "sign up" is because once we start the project and get lots of dialogue going, I don't think it would be fair to those participating to have unsolicited remarks made from those choosing not to participate. What do you folks think about this?
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
ssorllih
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 4331
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 19:32
Location: maryland

Post by ssorllih » Fri Jun 10, 2011 13:11

I will pick up a sheet of foam board today and a couple of digital instant thermometers(wet bulb/dry bulb) I have several computer fans including one used just for cooling the main processor it is about 2 inches square. If I put a small light on a dimmer switch I can controll the heat. I guess hanging the bottle of ice from the same sticks as the sausage would be convenient.
Do you think that 4 feet tall is too much? Would 3 Feet be a better choice considering top access? Making it 3 feet tall would allow me to make it 2 feet square. Almost 12 cu.ft. Very light weight and easily moved when not in use.
Ross- tightwad home cook
uwanna61
Passionate
Passionate
Posts: 361
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 20:49
Location: Vermont

Post by uwanna61 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 21:05

Butcher Packer order complete today just need some beef chuck, already have the pork and fat. Do we have a start date:?:

Hey Kids, :grin: Remember to................................Click on arrow to view next page...............
Last edited by uwanna61 on Fri Jun 17, 2011 04:45, edited 2 times in total.
Locked