Totally confused

[Abrwstr]

Hi all

After having some sucess with dry cured bacon, and a piece of pork shoulder turned into ham using pauleens ham recipe,
I decided to have a go at curing some brisket using the following Cure recipe:-

1000gm Water
155gm Salt
120gm Sugar
33gm Cure #1 from this site

The pieces of brisket were about 2-3 inches thick maximum so I did not inject it.

I read a comment from Wheels in this forum under the heading Corned beef brine in answer to a question from Ghalalb, he said

'(A brine with the correct levels would be:

Water - 500gms
Salt - 25gms
Sugar - 15gms
Cure #1 - 4gms

This is the amount for 1kg meat - under this method of curing you must use this cure in proportion with the meat, so if you cure a 2kg piece of meat double the cure ingredients, 500gm piece - half the ingredients, 1.4kg meat - multipy cure ingredients by 1.4 etc.)'

Wheels recommends 4gms cure#1 per 500 gms of water

Am I about to poisen myself by using 33grams of cure #1 to 1000grams
of water or have I got hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere along the line.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks

T.B.

[captain wassname]

TB Thats a dangerous amount of cure also too muck salt and sugar
Im off out for an hour or two Ill get back to you then with some nos.
In the meantime read this
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... ce1bac1467

and follow the link on thr last page.
Jim

[wheels]

I agree with Jim, but before giving a full reply we will need to know the weight of the meat that you are putting in the brine. If more than one piece please give the individual weights.

Phil

[captain wassname]

For 2 kg of meat you will need 1 kg brine containing
848gmg water 84.8%
87gms salt 8.7%
56gms sugar 5.6%
9gms cure no.1 0.9%

It is essensial that you use the brine EXACTLY 2 parts brine to 1 part meat.
I think you could PROBABLY cure more than 1 piece at time but it safer ,and quicker ,to cure pieces seperately
You should cure for 10 days per kilo of meat.
This advice is given folloing NCPauls experiment. I should point out that we are talking Pork and it is possible that beef will not behave in the same way.
My personal preference would be to inject

Jim

[captain wassname]

Sorry Phil We have crossed.Ive been working on this for an hour.
Jim

[captain wassname]

T.B.
Sorry forgot an important bit.
Rest for 5 days per kilo at least
Jim

[wheels]

Sorry Phil We have crossed.Ive been working on this for an hour.
Jim

No problem Jim. I only replied 'cos you said you were going out.

I'm just wondering about the salt and sugar in the cure though - you obviously like your salt beef more salty than I do.

Phil

[Abrwstr]

Hi
The meat weighed in total 1.4kg and was rolled so I untied it and
cut into 2 pieces I estimate that one would be approx 600grams and the other 800 grams.

It was put in the brine two days ago, but from what you have said I think it's A bin it job, do you agree.

Thanks for all your help

TB

[wheels]

Yes, that's what I'd do.

In theory it will be 56+% cured to it's full potential now giving over 400 parts per million of Nitrite, which would be acceptable in the US but about 3 times the level allowed in Europe. If you take it out now it may, or may not, be OK in theory. However, I doubt in this short time that the cure has reached the middle and, given that it's beef which never seems to cure as easily as pork, I doubt that it will do so, even if left to equalise/mature (out of the cure).

Obviously, it's your call, but if it was me, given the size/cost of the meat, I'd bin it and start again.

Phil

[captain wassname]

Phil salt and sugar were "back of a fag packet" calcs to get a10% brine concerntration and the sugar in the same proportion as the original post.

Jim

[Abrwstr]

Thank you for your help it was much appreciated.

T.B.

[wheels]

Phil salt and sugar were "back of a fag packet" calcs to get a10% brine concerntration and the sugar in the same proportion as the original post.

Jim

I realised that Jim after your subsequent post about 10% concentrations.

It does mean though that people need to soak the meat after curing to get the salt levels they want. Injection/dry cure is so much easier; these brine cures are a right palaver!

Phil

[captain wassname]

Shouldnt be too much salt really.It works out at 29gms per kilo at 85% equals 24.65 gms per kilo.
Jim

[wheels]

That's where we differ Jim, I do my corned beef at between 1.2% and 1.5% salt.

Phil

[captain wassname]

Sorry Phil didnt read your post properly Im not too shure about soaking I think it could come out as quick as it goes in.Im not convinced about beef anyway all the papers I have seen are pork specific.I Inject mine and it can be a pain getting 10% in.My last piece I made a brine to inject at 8% and it was easier I think that combination curing is best for beef.

Jim