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Scratching my head

Posted: Wed May 15, 2019 11:41
by LOUSANTELLO
I've made thousands of pounds of soppressata, and every single batch has come out very predictable. On my last batch, I made 3 batches of 25 pounds each using the same 2 recipes ( 1/3, 2/3) using a LEM mixing box, which is what I always use. I used the same amounts of cure #2, dextrose and BLC-007. I usually transfer them into the fermenting ( refrigerator box), but this time I had a friend transfer them. I did not bother teaching him how to load it, but I wasn't too worried about it. After 30 hours at 70F, I tested the ph and the ph did drop to 5.4 as usual. At 32 hours, I pulled them from the fermentation box, weighed them and transferred them to the regular chamber. I did notice some apparent brown lines down the sides of the soppressata's, but I figured it was possible they were touching while fermentation. As the pieces got more red in the chamber, the brown lines were not turning red. After about 5 days, I pressed them by hand and the while mold started growing. Now it's been 6-7 weeks and alot of them were ready at 48% weight loss. Some were larger, so I left them in the chamber. I rinsed them, brushed them, softened the casings enough to peel them back. There were about 4 soppressata's that was still brown in color. As I sliced into them, they were brown thru the whole center, some even with a hole down the middle,,but I know I stuffed them properly. There are also about 5-6 soppressata where the color is spotty in areas brown/red on the outside, although the centers looked fine. No sign of odors. Any clues what could have gone wrong?

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 07:39
by Zork150
Is this the batch from your video Lou

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 12:28
by LOUSANTELLO
It depends on which video. This was the 4 hour video. yes

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 00:23
by StefanS
What kind of casings did you use?

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 00:57
by LOUSANTELLO
Same. 60-65mm beef middles soaked overnight

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 01:46
by StefanS
so - I'm second to scratch my head also. Can touching make bacteria be heterofermentative instead of homofermentative?. (LAB in not right environmental(mostly in presence O2 or not right temperatures) can produce acetic acid, CO2, H2O2 and little of lactic acid). O2 (oxygen) in that case isn't problem, but temperature in touched places can be.

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 02:25
by LOUSANTELLO
This had a brown stripe in them as soon as they came out of fermentation. Im thinking bad mixing job. That’s all I can think

Re: Scratching my head

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 12:40
by Bob K
Lou-
If they were all from the same batch I would second the mixing also.