Cure time in fridge

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ramatack

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 12, 2019
65
25
Tamarack mn.
So I got in a discussion about cure times in fridge. He was curing whole muscle in fridge for 6 weeks,and I thought that was to long, he told me that with whole muscle he didn't even need cure. He is using cure#1. But it got me thinking about wet and dry aging that some people do up to 90 days, so now I'm totally confuse. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
You are mixing dry aging and curing? Two different things if so. They can both be done to the same piece of meat but two different processes
 
You are mixing dry aging and curing? Two different things if so. They can both be done to the same piece of meat but two different processes
he was making pastrami, and brining and curing for 6 weeks, 42 days. I thought that was to long for cure #1. I remember pops said 40 days was max and a few people mentioned 30 days. But I thought about when they dry age for 60-90 days with no cure, so why a limit on cure #1 and if that's the case why would you need cure #2. Hope I'm explaining this well
 
he was making pastrami, and brining and curing for 6 weeks, 42 days. I thought that was to long for cure #1. I remember pops said 40 days was max and a few people mentioned 30 days. But I thought about when they dry age for 60-90 days with no cure, so why a limit on cure #1 and if that's the case why would you need cure #2. Hope I'm explaining this well
I have a brisket dry curing right now for beef bacon. 14 days is my cure time
 
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I just cured 2 venison hindquarters ( the big muscles only) for 30 days to make dried venison. They are in the smoker right now. You want the cure to penetrate all the way to the middle of the muscle
Yes that I understand. But is there a limit on cure #1, he's going up to 42 days on whole muscle for pastrami
 
he was making pastrami, and brining and curing for 6 weeks, 42 days. I thought that was to long for cure #1. I remember pops said 40 days was max and a few people mentioned 30 days. But I thought about when they dry age for 60-90 days with no cure, so why a limit on cure #1 and if that's the case why would you need cure #2. Hope I'm explaining this well
In a brine cure, 30 days it about max especially if there is much sugar involved because the brine will get scummy and ropey. Nitrite is fast acting and safety shouldn’t go past 30 days in a brine. Dry rub is different and we can push the ppm of nitrite up to 625ppm, but in a dry cure that goes long, you need to control not only temp but also humidity 70-75% minimum but not over about 80%. This controls the drying process. Cure #2 has both nitrite and nitrate. Over time good bacteria break down or reduce nitrate to nitrite. Only bacteria if present can do this. That releases more nitrite for longer cure times.

Dry aging meat requires a fou skin like a Umaidry bag or collagen sheet to protect the surface of the meat so it doesn’t dry ring and stop the drying process in a refrigerator. In a cure chamber you need a casing like a beef bung it bladder as a casing and control humidity.

Clear as mud?
 
In a brine cure, 30 days it about max especially if there is much sugar involved because the brine will get scummy and ropey. Nitrite is fast acting and safety shouldn’t go past 30 days in a brine. Dry rub is different and we can push the ppm of nitrite up to 625ppm, but in a dry cure that goes long, you need to control not only temp but also humidity 70-75% minimum but not over about 80%. This controls the drying process. Cure #2 has both nitrite and nitrate. Over time good bacteria break down or reduce nitrate to nitrite. Only bacteria if present can do this. That releases more nitrite for longer cure times.

Dry aging meat requires a fou skin like a Umaidry bag or collagen sheet to protect the surface of the meat so it doesn’t dry ring and stop the drying process in a refrigerator. In a cure chamber you need a casing like a beef bung it bladder as a casing and control humidity.

Clear as mud?
In a brine cure, 30 days it about max especially if there is much sugar involved because the brine will get scummy and ropey. Nitrite is fast acting and safety shouldn’t go past 30 days in a brine. Dry rub is different and we can push the ppm of nitrite up to 625ppm, but in a dry cure that goes long, you need to control not only temp but also humidity 70-75% minimum but not over about 80%. This controls the drying process. Cure #2 has both nitrite and nitrate. Over time good bacteria break down or reduce nitrate to nitrite. Only bacteria if present can do this. That releases more nitrite for longer cure times.

Dry aging meat requires a fou skin like a Umaidry bag or collagen sheet to protect the surface of the meat so it doesn’t dry ring and stop the drying process in a refrigerator. In a cure chamber you need a casing like a beef bung it bladder as a casing and control humidity.

Clear as mud?
In a brine cure, 30 days it about max especially if there is much sugar involved because the brine will get scummy and ropey. Nitrite is fast acting and safety shouldn’t go past 30 days in a brine. Dry rub is different and we can push the ppm of nitrite up to 625ppm, but in a dry cure that goes long, you need to control not only temp but also humidity 70-75% minimum but not over about 80%. This controls the drying process. Cure #2 has both nitrite and nitrate. Over time good bacteria break down or reduce nitrate to nitrite. Only bacteria if present can do this. That releases more nitrite for longer cure times.

Dry aging meat requires a fou skin like a Umaidry bag or collagen sheet to protect the surface of the meat so it doesn’t dry ring and stop the drying process in a refrigerator. In a cure chamber you need a casing like a beef bung it bladder as a casing and control humidity.

Clear as mud?
Yes thank you. That was what I was trying to ask
 
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Thanks guys, I should have looked at the next topic and my question would have been answered. I using Jeff's recipe for brining a 14.5 lb. brisket for pastrami. I usually follow his recommendation of 10 days, but was not going to smoke until 03/10/23, I started my brining process on 02/19/23. Based on what I am hearing here, that should not be a problem?
 
Thanks guys, I should have looked at the next topic and my question would have been answered. I using Jeff's recipe for brining a 14.5 lb. brisket for pastrami. I usually follow his recommendation of 10 days, but was not going to smoke until 03/10/23, I started my brining process on 02/19/23. Based on what I am hearing here, that should not be a problem?
As long as fridge temps were below 40*F you are good.
 
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