Ok I took the plunge.. looks like friday will be the day :o)

[Onlymenotu]

1st of all want to say Hi to all the guys& gals out there

Ok so here we go.. I've been lurking about the fourm a few weeks now * reading up* I'm been intrested in making my own Salami & Sausage & sutch for some time now! So last weekend bought the basic stuff to get me started * ie handgrinder,manual sausage stuffer,casings ect ect... oh and last but not last is the pork and spices* Being new to it all I'm using theSpuddy's easy Salami recipe to get started and Like I said being new to it all didn't have all the scales to weight the grams out and sutch and the saltpetre is sutch a small amount as it didn't convert to oz or any of the U.S. measurements very well... I used a small converter program called convert witch can be dl here for free http://joshmadison.net/software/convert/ and coverted everything over from grams to grains, and used my rcbs 505 reloading scale to measure the proper amounts out

So everything is cut up in grinder size pieces with the cure and spices in the fridge waiting till friday night * after work* witch is the day I plan to grind and stuff the Salami and hang in the house till Sunday morning witch will bascily the 24 hour waiting period before moving it to a cooler area...

Now this is where I have a couple questions. I have access to a storm/root cellar witch give the desired temp and R H I need * or so I thought) It has a temp of 40degs f * 4.444 C* with R H of at least 80% * thats where the scaleI bought stops* and it's pegged there I would think this would be pretty much a connstant no matter what the outside temps does so the temps is on the low side of the 46- 64 degs F * 8-18C * listed in the recipe.... will this work/hurt anything other than possably slow the drying process down by a few more days or should I look else where to hang it till the temps warm up to mutch then move it to the cellar?

question 2 is the recipe says

If you want to you can experiment with additional flavourings such as coriander or fennel seeds, cardamom, cumin, chilli, paprika, chopped salted capers, Green peppercorns (the ones in brine). Up to your imagination really. as long as the basic recipe (meat/salt/nitrate) ratio remains unchanged.

so it would be alright to had peppers and cheese to it then? * ie it won't mess anything like PH ect ect*...

any way tks for looking and I'll try post some pic's of it in the different stages...... Again tks for looking boys & girls

[othmar]

Hi Onlymenotu and welcome to this forum. I am no salami expert but what you explain here with the temps looks fine to me. As you said it might take a bit longer. There are real salami experts here who surely will help you with more valued tips than I can.

I am happy for you that found joy in making you own sausages. Just take it easy one step on the time this will go a long way to keep beginners frustration to a minimum and don't do any "risky" business until you know what you are doing. It is always best for a novice to follow the recipe. Later as you gain knowledge and convfidence you will have plenty time and opportunity the experiment.

[Onlymenotu]

tks Othmar I look foward to learning and trying new things

[othmar]

tks Othmar I look foward to learning and trying new things

Your very welcome. Like I said just take it easy, if you go to fast or want to much before you ready you will set youeself up for disapointments.

I just see on your profile, another guy from Illinois. Like to share with me where in the middle of Illionois you come from. Just wondering. I use to live in Illinois, Richmond, McHenry county for more than 10 years. Still have many friends around there.

[Onlymenotu]

Your very welcome. Like I said just take it easy, if you go to fast or want to much before you ready you will set youeself up for disapointments.

lol well thats pretty much how the 1st try started out.. Disaster 101
Everything started out fine and got worse and then got better at the end again
(1) grinding trimings and cheese worked like a treat ( at least as well as a manual grinder can ( I'll be putting a motor on it soon* witch I had always planed too*)

(2) the mixing of meat,cheese,peppers ect ect.. all when fine (as would have been expected as it was mixed manualy by hand )

(3) *disaster strikes it's the begining of the end* well as mentioned above I had bought a manual (horn style) stuffer...I loaded up the 32-35 mm casing witch I knew were a little small for salami.. but were the biggest natual casings I could pick up localy.. and want to get this project started without any farther wait.
he he grabbed a couple big hands full of the meat paste and packed it down in the horn carefuly removing the air from everything and...and started pushing the handle down...and out came what I was looking for:D (visualy the nice coarse pieces of meat,fat,cheese and peepers)... for all of about 3inches Oh the one little detail I left out was I was pushing on the handle with all I had and I may have just 3whole oz of casings......and had 11 more pounds of meat to go:evil::oops:

(4) made my 911 call to a friend of mine to borrow his eletric grinder with stuffer tubes and made a flying trip to town.. thank god he was home:D .. or I would still be trying to stuff it....

(5) made it back installed the largest plate he had * scence it had done been ground once* and I wanted the Salami texture/look...witch I knew deep down in my heart wasn't going to be there on a second/regrind and it wasn't but We managed to get the casings stuffed and tied with a texture more like a hot dog

(6) the hanging went very well

(7):shock: cleanup time speaking of HANGING my wife had a funny LQQK in her eye as she looking at me with all the extra things I had dirtyed in my stuffing adventure..it was quite a mess!

(8) I know the texture is all off and it's not viusaly pretty as I wanted,,, but I still have high hopes on it's taste,,,* only time will tell.. now the waiting and watching begins and thinking what the next project will be....* all this said it hasn't dampened my spirts,,, after all it's live and learn,,,* and I got a lot of learning to do as you've just read *

I just see on your profile, another guy from Illinois. Like to share with me where in the middle of Illionois you come from. Just wondering. I use to live in Illinois, Richmond, McHenry county for more than 10 years. Still have many friends around there.

othmar, I'm loacated about 35 miles south of Springfield( the capital) in a largely rual county - Macoupin it's like the 10th largest county in the state but is like one of the least pouplated countys in the state. * just the way I like it, they can keep the city life as far as I'm concerned,,, And Chicago could fall off the map to and send of our money back down state*


Any way Cheers and If I'm not to about this flop I may even try'n post a few pic's later

[othmar]

Thanks for telling me your location. Illinois used to be my "playing field" so I have a very good idea where yo live. Very nice area down there, you are one lucky person.

Okay, here is what I think is the problem with your sausage making effords.

Every sausage maker should own two major tools. These are, a meat grinder (mincer) and a sausage stuffer. I will say this until the day I die and I am not sponsored by anybody so I am not going to say to make you spend more money than actually is necessary.

A grinder (mincer) with sausage stuffing attachement is not very good. The reason for this is that the meat has to be turned trough the machiene two times. First to grind it and then again to stuff it into the casings.

Sure some will say that they season the meat before they grind it up. But here is the hang up with that. By seasoning the meat and then grind it and stuff it in one go, there is no way that the seasoning will be evenly mixed into the sausage meat.

The problem with grinding the meat twice. The meat will become to fine and will smear. Thus it will be very difficoult to make the sausage mixture bind properly.

Here is what I would like to recomend to you. Save up a little more money, not much, and then buy an electric meat grinder. On the web or in your area you can find places that sell good secondhand equipment. Then buy a proper sausage stuffer. these things come with different sizes kettels. You really do not want to spend any money on one of this fill horns and el cheppo meat grinders. But I do not need to tell you that, you already made your experience with these cheap things.

With the equipment you have now there simply is no way that you ever will improve your sausage quality, because the equipment will not let you do it. It is that simple. Please do not take this the wrong way, I am not comming down on you. But it upsets me when sausage makers, specially beginners, go to cheap. All what this does is take the fun out of sausage making by the word get go. Then they get upset and loos interest and that upsets me.

If you can't find the proper equipment please let me know and I will find you a place near your home or in Chicago where you can get good new or secondhand equipment.

Keep in touch my fellow sausage maker.

(Heck that turned into a long post)

[Onlymenotu]

tks for the reply othmar,

hey no worries on thinking,your bashing my equipment (as I do agree with you as you get what u pay for)acctual I'm more than sure I'll be happy with the manual grinder after adding the eletric motor it done a good job grinding other than the physical labor it took and I will only be using it a few times a year to make sausage and sutch.. but for the big jobs like grind up my deer harvest I'll still take the to town to the commercial grinder a friend of mine has( it came out of a large grosery store chain5hp 3phase with a phase coverter on it to bring it down to single phase 220 volts) It's so sweet I couldn't imagine anything else I'm spoiled on it

now as for the stuffer it was never my intent to grind and stuff at the sametime or use the grinder as the stuffer thats why I bought the horn stuffer to use as a stand alone stuffer and as you said as it was cheap...... thats what I got junk...acctual I've got a old lard press-sausage stuffer-grape press that has a small crack in it witch shouldn't matter using it as a sausage stuffer..I just need to find the stuffer nut and tubes for it witch I've seen /just need to get them ordered is all

[othmar]

Having that motor on the grinder will be a big improvement.

Perhaps in time you also should look into buying a good quality sausage stuffer. They are quit affordable.

Having the right equipment not only will improve the joy of making sausages. It will improve the quality of the sausages too.

The secret to making good quality sausages is to "torment" the meat and/or sausage mixture as little as possible and to work as fast as possible. There is nothing more detrimental to the sausage quality than the warming up of the meat and/or sausage mixture.

Meat and/or sausage mixtures shouls be keept as cold as possible at all times. If the equipment is not efficient it will take to long and the meat will get to warm. Or you have to stop in mid production and put the meat.sausage mixture back in the fridge for a couple of hours to cool down again.

It is for this reasons why I always advice to use good and proper equipment rather than cheap dual purpose equipment.

If you can share sausage making equipment with friends then that is a big bonus. In my neighborhood a few hunters got together and purchased, on my advice, all the equipment needed. The meat grinder is 1hp machiene, such as you would see in meat stores and the sausage stuffer is a 3 lt. upright hand operated. The hunters shared the cost of all the equipment. Once or twice a year they get togehter and make sausages all day long for everybody.

Personally I find this a very good arangement because the work of making sausages is swift since there are many hands on deck. They advice each other on techniques but just as important it is a social gathering. Last but not least it is very cost effecttive since the cost of the equipment and maintenance is shared and finally since the sausage makers all work together no one can accuse the other guy of breaking something or to have to clean the others mess up.