TobyB wrote
I used to work as a chef so tend not to be a great follower of recipes AND
As a very highly qualified professional, educated to a high postgraduate level, I'm sure my knowledge will be up to speed soon.
As you were/are a chef you will be aware of physics, such as making mayonnaise etc. (my father was a chef, now deceased, and I am a qualified cook, though that's not my present job)
Let�s look at this from a different point of view1) Though beer has been made for at least the last 4,500 years (recorded in Egypt 2 500 BC), the yeast was wild/airborne yeast therefore every batch of beer varied somewhat in strength and taste. Today things are different; from their head brewery in Copenhagen, Denmark Carlsberg send a yeast starter (once a month) to all of their breweries throughout the world. This is to ensure that the beer tastes the same; or taking into account local water, mineral content etc.; at least very similar.
2) Nitrates,
regardless of there purity, have to be converted/reduced to nitrites by bacteria/microorganisms such as Micrococcus spp. present on the meat or poultry in order to start the curing process. However, the amount of nitrate that is reduced/converted to nitrite is dependent upon the amount of these nitrate-reducing bacteria present in addition to several other environmental conditions, such as
� Temperature
� Moisture content
� Salt content and
� pH
With the number of variables involved it is easy to see that the conversion rate and subsequent amount of nitrite that is formed/reduced is at best difficult to predict and/or control. From this you can see that
in theory every piece of meat cured could/probably will be different. With the use of nitrites it is much easier to control the outcome.
Both of the above processes achieve their goals, however, the results vary.If you browse through this forum you will find lots of old recipes, in today's light these are not safe, and need to be viewed with care. Modern Cure style mixes have only been available since 1936 (some 70 years) so before that Saltpetre was used. We are now a lot more aware of some of the effects of nitrates/nitrites such as cancer etc. (though still not fully understood). You would be foolish not to follow any safety standards etc.
TobyB wrote
In the meantime I would ask you politely, not to be rude
You also wrote
An alternative interpretation is that just maybe everyone on here is a bit anally retentive about nitrate/nitrite levels
let's keep it sensible/professional.. and everyone benefits
Kind regards
Parson Snows