ECA failure.

[Coreymacc]

This has been touched on in the past but not exactly so I figured would just start a quick thread if I may. If nothing else I can wallow in self pitty for a bit.
I just had a major failure using ECA. I'm from Canada and getting ECA is very difficult, I did find some through a mail order business, the name of which is somewhat irrelevant as I made this mistake not them. I assumed all ECA was the same, but clearly it is not. This business is a confectionery supply but had the ECA. The melt temp said 112f to 134f, but being stubborn I pressed onward. Long story short, I added the correct amount as per the fellows on here, right before stuffing, carefully folded it into the meat.I think just mixing it caused the encapsulate to burst as putting the meat into the stuffer,it felt like it was getting rubbery. Began stuffing and I was getting liquid coming out with the meat, dabbed a bit with my finger and tasted very sour. Capsules completely broke during stuff I would think.

Clearly this was confectionery ECA. Says for use in sour candy making. Learned a huge leason, about ECA. Lucky I only lost 5 lbs of meat and the cost of the ECA. I guess the melt temp should have been a huge red flag but I was too excited to finally be able to use ECA in some snack sticks.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Corey

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

Wow, that's something I probably would have never thought of. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Coreymacc]

I started to question my methods and maybe I was too rough with the mixing etc. I was very gentle with the whole process, I really don't know if I could have been any more careful. Just seemed that this ECA was made of glass and no amount of care could keep the capsules from breaking. If anyone can advise on exactly how careful you need to be. But I keep circling back to being completely the wrong type of ECA.

Corey

 

[chopsaw]

I don't use it myself , but sounds like a reaction more than anything . Maybe the salt caused it to disolve ?

 

[Coreymacc]

I had done a lot of research on ECA and from what I have read it is to be added right before stuffing and the big thing is don't mix vigorously just light. I watched a 2 guys and a cooler video when they even use a meat mixer, so it seems its not supposed to be terribly fragile as he mixes for a short time but still in the mechanical mixer.

I have really not read about any type of reaction with the actual sausage spices or salt, Not saying it didn't happen of course.

I do have an order in with Halfords for some ECA that they supply, just hasn't come in yet. I guess the next logical thing is to try the Halfords stuff as they are a sausage making supplier. One can only assume its the correct stuff.

One other observation I made while stuffing was how my stuffer was really laboring to push the meat out of the horn. Used 19mm casing, but again, I've read about this being pretty standard. Maybe I will try a summer sausage with the Halfords ECA to cut down the pressure in the stuffer.

This is turning into a science experiment for sure.

Corey

 

[indaswamp]

Well that is very intriguing....

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I've used it a handful of times on snack sticks with no issues. I think I just got some off Amazon. It was Modernist Pantry brand. I just looked on Amazon's Canadian site and I don't see it there. That's pretty wild. I have to work a lot harder with the smaller diameter horn on my stuffer as well. I think it's something weird with that product.

 

[chopsaw]

I have really not read about any type of reaction with the actual sausage spices or salt, Not saying it didn't happen of course.

I only mentioned a reaction , because it's made for making candy . Has a lower melting point .
Is that because it's a thinner coating or a different type of coating ?

 

[Coreymacc]

I was gonna grab some of the modernist pantry stuff as they ship to the Canada but the cost would have been crazy. Im paying 50 bucks for a pound from Halfords, it would have been 75 bucks a pound through Modernist. I paid 36 dollars for the stuff I used this morning but clearly its not the correct type. I don't know why its so elusive here in Canada.

Corey

 

[Coreymacc]

"I only mentioned a reaction , because it's made for making candy . Has a lower melting point .
Is that because it's a thinner coating or a different type of coating ?"

 I think you are completely correct. Been doing so more reading. Evidently there is a few different types of waxes or capsules that are used bee's wax, soy , etc. So the stuff I have must be really thin and weak, hence the really low melting point.

Corey

 

[Dave in AZ]

Balchem Inc, a food chemicals company I have sourced wholesale quantities from, has over 30 different ECA versions in their catalog. Basically different coating thicknesses to survive various agitation processes, and different meltpoints from 115f to 150f. I can easily see you getting a delicate one for candy making.

Here's the thing if ECA is expensive... it is just there to allow flavoring to simulate a ferment. But fermenting is suuuper easy and not expensive.

If you can order meat cultures from Chr. HANSEN, via several outlets like Waltons, the sausage maker, or Amazon, you can get a freeze droed bag for $35 or so that will let you do hundreds of lbs. You use 1/4tsp for 5 lbs meat or so. Just mix it in and let meat sit at its target temp, various from 65f to 115f. LHP can do that whole range easy. Wrap it with plastic wrap.

I have confirmed with tech reps from Chr. Hansen that the ferment is anaerobic and requires zero oxygen, and that you can seal meat in a vacpack and toss in a sous vide to hold a perfect ferment temp. The 100% RH is also fine for it. Soo... rather than mess with ECA, especially if you already leave overnight to cure, just mix up some culture and in 18hrs you'll have a much better flavor than ECA ever gives. I do this all the time for Taylor Pork Roll and also Summer sausage, both of which I then sous vide to cook, right in the same bag.