So far so good I think. I appreciate all the help.
I did some forum searching and don't think I have a straight answer on what I should be smelling and seeing. Using Rhulmans recipie. I attempted to make a mold solution sprayed before fermentation stage from a store bought sausage but I kept it in the over with the light on for 3 hours so maybe not enough time or got too hot.
1. So I am getting a dirty feet and sock, cheese smell seems to be getting lighter or maybe I am getting used to it. Is this good? Not a rotten meat smell just a new smell to me.
2. Out of all 10 sausages I found only 2 tiny pinhead white fuzzys on two salamis where I pricked an air pocket. I touched it and it went away. Do I need to get crazy with apple cider vinegar water mixture just yet?
3. I used pork lion and kept everything near freezing and hand mixed with gloved hands so it dosen't look like I have any smearing. Check out the color. Pretty pale and getting more matte, pale looking. Normal? Is this my good mold starting? When can I expect that nice dark salami color to start forming?
Bonus question. One of them touched my heating element for a min before I smelled it in the fermentation box and is burnt on the end. I'm letting it ride. Thoughts? It's the one right above my temp / humid sensor in the pic
Thanks everyone!