suspected case hardening and mould issues.

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suspected case hardening and mould issues.

Postby BC_Sausageguy » Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:03 pm

Hi Guys
Total newbie here to the joys of curing meats. I have a couple of issues that i could really use some help with,heres the first !

I hung some salami as per ruhlmans recipe on March 5th and today i pulled one out to check. The exterior doesn't feel exceptionally hard but the inside is definitely softer than i would have expected. Its cured but i fear not enough. I have noticed a lot of people mentioning vac packing which i can do, is this a good way to resolve this problem?

The second issue i have is mould, I noticed chalky white mould appearing on my salami and on my pancetta about 2 weeks ago( which i know to be a good thing) however just recently i noticed some fluffy white stuff appearing which i know is not good, I wiped them down with a rag soaked in vinegar but the mould has reappeared and today i noticed the pancetta has a worrying green mould appear :( i definitely know this is not good :( i cut of the offending part and cleaned again with a rag. The pancetta is cured at this stage and won't be eaten raw, However considering the appearance of the green mould is it still safe to eat? seems like a heartbreaking waste to throw out but i need to know if this is my only option?

My chamber is a converted shed with cedar panelling on the inside and up until this point there has been no ventilation ( I'm figuring now this might be a big part of my mould problem as the air is not moving), I'm thinking the mould spores aren't leaving because of the lack of air flow. I am set to remedy this with a room to room type extractor fan and an operable heat register grill to allow stale air to be removed and fresh air drawn in.

I have been running my chamber as follows

HR 78 +/- 5
8-10 degrees
i haven't been using any sort of fan.

so these are my issues, I'm hoping someone out there can give me some pointers and how to fix these issues.

i know it work out right every time and any help would be great. also, can anyone tell me how the heck tp upload pictures to a post !! i can't see to do it :(

many thanks in advance

BCSG
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Re: suspected case hardening and mould issues.

Postby BriCan » Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:12 am

BC_Sausageguy wrote:Hi Guys
Total newbie here to the joys of curing meats. I have a couple of issues that i could really use some help with,heres the first !

I hung some salami as per ruhlmans recipe on March 5th and today i pulled one out to check. The exterior doesn't feel exceptionally hard but the inside is definitely softer than i would have expected. Its cured but i fear not enough. I have noticed a lot of people mentioning vac packing which i can do, is this a good way to resolve this problem?


You need to be looking at least 12 weeks for your salame to be ready ~~ 4 weeks is too short a time to be ready

The second issue i have is mould, I noticed chalky white mould appearing on my salami and on my pancetta about 2 weeks ago( which i know to be a good thing) however just recently i noticed some fluffy white stuff appearing which i know is not good,

It's good
I wiped them down with a rag soaked in vinegar but the mould has reappeared and today i noticed the pancetta has a worrying green mould appear :( i definitely know this is not good :( i cut of the offending part and cleaned again with a rag.


It was good, there was no need to cut anything off
The pancetta is cured at this stage and won't be eaten raw, However considering the appearance of the green mould is it still safe to eat? seems like a heartbreaking waste to throw out but i need to know if this is my only option?


Leave alone as all is good, just manage your humidity ~~ 75% is where you will find the sweet spot

My chamber is a converted shed with cedar panelling on the inside and up until this point there has been no ventilation ( I'm figuring now this might be a big part of my mould problem as the air is not moving), I'm thinking the mould spores aren't leaving because of the lack of air flow. I am set to remedy this with a room to room type extractor fan and an operable heat register grill to allow stale air to be removed and fresh air drawn in.


You definitely need "some" gentle air circulation

I have been running my chamber as follows

HR 78 +/- 5


75% is the sweet spot

8-10 degrees


temperature is fine


i haven't been using any sort of fan.


At home I do not use a fan of any kind I just open the cover on the chamber for a short while and this exchanges the air

so these are my issues, I'm hoping someone out there can give me some pointers and how to fix these issues.

i know it work out right every time and any help would be great. also, can anyone tell me how the heck tp upload pictures to a post !! i can't see to do it :(


check the link out
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8025&hilit=photo+uploading

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=12219&hilit=photo+uploading

I use this one https://imageshack.us/

As for mould

Image

The cut product

Image

this is a custom made salame ~~ note the start date and the finish date

Image
But what do I know
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Re: suspected case hardening and mould issues.

Postby montanaSalami » Sat May 06, 2017 1:41 pm

As far as the softer middle. I had the same problem last year. I did extend the time for cure on some of the chubs, which had other negative effects. One thing about making salami, the variables are many, and what works for one might not work for another. To be successful, experimentation for what works for you and your environment. My latest batch I have 1) finely ground a portion of the pork for a better bind 2) no squeezing of the chubs to encourage the uniform hardness (I think it had the opposite effect), and I've forgone the use of netting this time. Time will tell.
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Re: suspected case hardening and mould issues.

Postby Steve » Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:46 pm

Not quite sure how to use this forum but wanted to get some help on some salami I had made and hung 3 weeks ago. I suspect case hardening as I had my fan running constantly (Not directly at meat) with humidity around 85% then dropped to 75% after first week. Never got any mold on my salami but outside shell feels a bit hard with squishy inside. I cut a smaller one open in spots and see that I have a thin dark ring around the outside and center is obviously not ready yet (still raw). I notice a couple of sections within this one I cut open where the meat is separating a little. To combat this I just decided to vacuum pack them all and stick them in the fridge for a week as I read that could even out the outside and inside. Am I making a mistake? My concern is if I do nothing the sealed outside shell will make the inside rot. I was going to remove from vacuum pack after a week and then hang back up eliminating the fan which I know I over did. Thought? I would post a pic but I can't figure out how to
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Re: suspected case hardening and mould issues.

Postby wheels » Thu Jan 25, 2018 4:25 pm

That sounds a good plan Steve. It's what I'd do.

Photos have to be hosted elsewhere and then linked from here.

HTH

Phil
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