Looks like your salami is maturing as it should. The pH will start rising after about 2 weeks in the chamber, and by the time it's finished it will be very close to what it was when you first started.StefanS wrote:ust got readings of pH in salami baton (not sample) after 17 days in chamber - average 5.24. Used 007 in dose 0.5g/kg. Dextrose - 2 g/kg plus sugar 1.5g/kg. Fermented 62 hours, pH reached 5.12.
I'm surprised that it took 62 hours to bring the pH down to 5.13 using 007. I have used that culture numerous times and while I like the fact that it has the bio protective capability, it acidifies too fast for my liking. I made a venison salami and it dropped to 5.13 in 30 hours. I transferred it into the chamber and the next day it was 4.97. Fermentation temp was set at 21 and I added 3g dextrose. Here, I am embarrassed to admit, I forgot what I read in Gerhard Feiner's book:
Due to its naturally higher glycogen level, meat from horse and deer (venison) acidifies significantly more than the lean muscle tissue of beef and pork.
I should have factored that in and added only 2g dextrose or, better yet, 1g dextrose and 1g sucrose. My oversight is a good example of the importance of not only measuring the starting pH of the meat, but also also taking into consideration other ingredients. For example, paprika contains around 10% sucrose so you have to calculate that into your sugar addition, and conversely, using antimicrobials such as rosemary and garlic might impede fermentation, so if you use large amounts, a sugar adjustment may also be necessary. The addition of ascorbic acid will also lower bring about a rapid increase in acidity.
No necessarily. What you are referring to here is the role of Gram-Positive, Catalase-Positive Cocci, that are found in starter cultures designed for traditional southern European products. In order to impart colour and flavour to the salami the a lower amount of sugar is necessary. But the key here is time, so if you ferment quickly with high sugar amounts and temps over 25, they will be ineffective. But you can still have your cake and eat it too, if you manage your sugar addition, use a combination of dextrose and sucrose (or possibly sucrose only if all the bacteria in the starter can metabolize it), and ferment at a low temp. 007 will ferment at a temp of 16, and you have 72 hours to achieve your goal. That way even if the pH drops eventually to <5.0 the GCC will have done their job.Bob K wrote:If you are looking for a lower Ph or more tang to the taste you can also up the dextrose and sugar. Personally I like the tang, and have never noticed a significant difference in color or depth or flavor if the Ph dropped below 5. Which goes against all that is written....
This is an excerpt from Rodrigo Tarté, Editor, Ingredients in Meat Products Properties, Functionality and Applications, pp.230-231
For reasons of color stability and flavor development, GCC are frequently used in
sausage starter cultures (Campbell-Platt & Cook, 1995) . They are nonpathogenic,
coagulase-negative staphylococci, and/or kocuriae, such as Staphylococcus carnosus,
Staphylococcus xylosus , and/or Kocuria varians . Their main role is to convert
the curing agent nitrate into nitrite through nitrate reductase activity. Nitrate displays
little technological activity as such, but nitrite actively contributes to food
safety and the development of a stable color through the formation of nitric oxide
myoglobin (Chap. 1) . In addition, GCC produce catalase, which removes the coloraffecting hydrogen peroxide that may be produced by nonstarter LAB.
Flavor development by GCC is mainly ascribed due to their metabolic activities
related to amino acid conversion and fatty acid oxidation (see below). GCC are
inhibited by a rapid pH decrease, which may have negative effects on flavor development. This occurs mainly in fast-ripened sausages that are fermented at high
temperatures (above 25°C) and contain high amounts of fermentable sugar (up to
2%) (Lücke, 1998) . If nitrate rather than nitrite is used as a curing agent, requiring
nitrate reductase activity, the addition of low amounts of sugars (0.2-0.3%) and at
least 10 6 CFU of GCC per gram of sausage is recommended