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Taste is GREAT!!! But it is soft in the middle yet, albeit a minor self critique. And this was with almost 40% weight lose. Only thing I can think to account for this is the humidity. We've been getting hammered with rain, day after day, such that in my curing room the humidity as been 80% or higher.

Thinking more about the soft meat, could it be the casings? They are really really tough, and I was able to pack them very tightly without fear of rupturing them. So maybe they are too tough and do not shrink appropriately, despite my daily squeezing of them.

Here is where I bought the casings (on sale), and maybe the above is why they are on sale.

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=&products_id=276

montanaSalami wrote:Thinking more about the soft meat, could it be the casings?

In all honesty it looks like you might have had a case of case hardening judging by the dark circle around the edge -- cause of this is normally low humidity where thing dry out (surfaces) rather fast thus trapping in the moisture and thus producing what you have here

A question comes to mind -- did you prick the casings -- if so how much ?

They are really really tough, and I was able to pack them very tightly without fear of rupturing them. So maybe they are too tough and do not shrink appropriately, despite my daily squeezing of them.

I do not think so as I am using similar casing for the last three months with no problems

I did not prick the casings. No need to, as the drying rate was fine. Casing just did not shrink appropriately is all I can figure.

I searched butcher-packer and they have some casing that specifically say for salami. Next year I'll try them.

Case hardening is usually from rapid drying early ( in first two weeks ), did you experience this?

montanaSalami wrote:I did not prick the casings. No need to, as the drying rate was fine.

Can you explain this please

What is there to explain?

NCPaul wrote:Case hardening is usually from rapid drying early ( in first two weeks ), did you experience this?

I don't think so

montanaSalami wrote:What is there to explain?

Pricking the casing is one of the fundamentals we teach when making Salame's or in fact any other cased items -- the only reason not too is if the casings is less than 28mm

You stated that there was no need too -- I asked -- Why??

Reason ??

FWIW, it doesn't look like high humidity is the problem - it looks more like case hardening. If the humidity is 80% have they been in a strong air-flow? that would account for the hardening. Otherwise, I'm at a loss...

...other than the avenue that I'll leave Brican to pursue.

Phil

There was not good air flow. How does pricking the case help the case shrinkage as the chub dries?

For one particularly moist chub, I have loosely wrapped the chub and have it in the fridge. Taste is great, but the texture is not to my liking. Hopefully a week in the fridge might firm it up. I'll hold off removing others from the curing room, till I see how this works out.

wheels wrote:FWIW, it doesn't look like high humidity is the problem - it looks more like case hardening. If the humidity is 80% have they been in a strong air-flow? that would account for the hardening. Otherwise, I'm at a loss...

...other than the avenue that I'll leave Brican to pursue.

Phil

Its not case hardening. 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.

The chubs are out of their wrappings, netting and casings. To sit in the fridge for a good time. Hopefully this will firm them up.