Homemade Sausage Making

My awesome in-laws got me an Apera PH60S meter for Christmas. It won't make me any better at knowing exactly what I'm doing yet, but at least I can measure pH and track progress through the various steps now. Planning to try a Finnochiona for my first salami once I clear out some room in my little fridge.

Best of the holiday season to everyone!

Rich

Nice

Nice!

You will be happy with the Apera. I've had mine now for 3 years and it's still performing well. None of my previous electrodes lasted that long. I also have an additional electrode for measuring pH in wine. Testing pH and understanding its role in meat and fermenting sausage is so important in achieving a good product. Not having a pH meter and trying to make salami is like setting off in your sailboat without a compass.

redzed wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 27, 2020 18:35

You will be happy with the Apera. I've had mine now for 3 years and it's still performing well. None of my previous electrodes lasted that long. I also have an additional electrode for measuring pH in wine. Testing pH and understanding its role in meat and fermenting sausage is so important in achieving a good product. Not having a pH meter and trying to make salami is like setting off in your sailboat without a compass.

I liken this to my journey as a home brewer...... Made my first batch from a kit at the local shop, and somehow, despite violating just about every "rule" in the book, I managed to make a decent batch of beer. Over the 25 years that I brewed beer, I developed a much deeper understanding of the various stages (mashing, boiling, crashing, fermenting, etc.), as well as the most critical areas that needed to be more science than art.

Of course, I get to start charcuterie with some good processes regarding sanitation and understanding/ability to control temps (not to mention I have leftover home-brew gear that I get to use for meat fermentation!) I know the pH meter will give me a much better ability to know and control the fermentation stage, as well as align my tastes with those data points.

Oh, and the only time I was ever in charge of a sailboat was on a small lake with very little wind.....no compass required!

R

I scored the cheaper hanna one for chrissy. Will be getting stuck in once it arrives..