1st Salami Chub is Finished

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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby BriCan » Thu Oct 20, 2016 4:38 am

montanaSalami wrote:There was not good air flow.


What do you actually mean by "There was not good air flow"

How does pricking the case help the case shrinkage as the chub dries?


Believe it or not it helps the water/moisture to escape -- on of the fundamentals of Salame making :) -- Casings are not porous so therefore you are trapping the moisture within the casing -- Yes they will eventually dry out but not before you encounter problems like this

What you see and think is case hardening was an attempt to firm it up by hanging it at room temp for a few days. >30% had been already achieved when I did this


And here we have another problem -- what was the room temperature and can you prove is was the same for the seventy two hours (a few days you said) and also the humidity

From what I am reading this might be a case of rushing it to get them to the desired weight loss and the rush has cost you :(

Most of my curing projects take a minimum of six months to dry, I have had a Duck and Orange Salame that took fourteen months (just over a year) to get to a 40% weight loss -- I have three Pancetta's (rolled) hanging since the 4th July 2015 that needs to get as close to 40% weight loss as it can -- they are sitting at 32% weight loss right now and going by the squeeze test it needs to move up more

I do this for a living and have done for at least forty odd years as my own business

I am only (as others are) trying to help you solve your problem but sometimes it feels like pulling hens teeth trying to get information :)
But what do I know
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:37 pm

BriCan wrote:I am only (as others are) trying to help you solve your problem but sometimes it feels like pulling hens teeth trying to get information :)


I don't believe that pricking the casings can help. The weight lose was rapid. In fact so much so that at times some of the chubs tacky, and this was in 80% humidity and temps in the 50s.

I've got 32 of these chubs, I'm trying different things, and the results are more or less the same. I appreciate your help, but there is to many moving parts to describe it all accurately. As far as I can surmise the one variable that is consistent is the casings.

On a good note, the loosely wrapped chubs (about 5 of them) are firming up in the refrigerator. At least that is what I have experienced on one of the ends that was very wet/soft yesterday, and this morning is substantially improved.
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:20 pm

Okay, I opened a salami from last spring, that used the same casing, and it is perfect.

New theory! I don't really remember, but I think I might have coarse ground and then fine ground the pork for the spring salami. These new ones are only coarse ground.

Also I ordered some salami from Taylor's Market in SF, and the salami is as hard as a rock. I've still some 24 chubs still hanging so I'm going to wait them out till they get HARD.

Also this expensive ($2/Oz) SF salami is not as good. :mrgreen:

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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby BriCan » Sat Oct 22, 2016 3:50 am

montanaSalami wrote:Okay, I opened a salami from last spring, that used the same casing, and it is perfect.

New theory! I don't really remember, but I think I might have coarse ground and then fine ground the pork for the spring salami. These new ones are only coarse ground.


Keep the theory's coming :)

I did a hand chopped one with course (2/3rds) and fine (1/3rd) to act as a binder Worked like a treat the bind was/is perfect :)

I also have made a Duck and Orange Salame -- Duck thigh meat all hand cut course -- I added a small amount of pork which was ground course then split in two and half was ground fine -- Again no problems with the bind casing or otherwise :)

The one thing that is constant with all my Salame's is that they all get pricked so never any problems :)
But what do I know
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:47 am

I'll certainly be pricking the casings next time. I'm doubtful of the results, but there's no negative. My next equipment purchase is an electric meat grinders so grinding is not such a chore. My Wesson #32 manual is far more work then I want, and since its purchase I find myself grinding way way more then I ever imagined. Not fine grinding for better binding, I'm becoming more certain, is the culprit.
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Mon Oct 24, 2016 6:30 pm

Seems that the Chubs are all done, 30% weight lose or thereabouts, and are all in stasis. The "curing" room is in the 40s and with what feels like winter already, I am thinking I'll just let them hang till March or April of next year. More fun to look at them hanging then to only imagine them at the bottom of the freezer.
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:43 pm

I took all the remaining and hanging chubs outside and brushed them off. The white mold was getting thick and making a mess. Weight lose continues and the chubs are getting quite hard. :D The ones that were soft, especially in the middle are firming up quite nicely. IMO, the 30% weight lose is ready to eat if you must, but not yet completely done.

I ordered more starter culture and casings enough to make 100lbs come this spring time. Probably begin mid or late March. :)
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Re: 1st Salami Chub is Finished

Postby montanaSalami » Sun Nov 13, 2016 6:18 pm

All Done! These 19 Chubs of Finocchiona Salami is the last of the 80lbs effort. The previous 13 Chubs are being eaten, given away or donated to the raffle. I let these go to almost 40% weight loss, to allow them to firm up. The texture is ideal, firm whereas before some were soft in the middle. There is some meat separation in some of the Chubs still, and next time I will fine ground them after the coarse ground to help get a better bind. I’ve already the supplies and half the pork shoulder meat to make a 100lbs in the spring time. Next up is the Sopressa Veneta da Friuili (uses white wine and a "Sweet Spice") Salami this coming spring. Probably late March.

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