GRRRr... Did I Or Did I Not ??

[JckDanls 07]

Damnit... Second guessing myself after sitting here thinking about it... Making some snack sticks and don't remember if I put 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 level teaspoons of cure #1 to 12 1/2 lbs of meat... 2 1/2 is the correct amount but I'll be damned if I can remember... Told myself it didn't look right after measuring and adding water... But went with it anyways
Yes.. I know it's better to weigh it out but I prefer to measure as it's quicker and easier... Good thing about it is I won't be stuffing for a couple of days so maybe the 2 day cure will help in case I did goof up... And no... The 80's had nothing to do with it... I don't think... Hell... I dunno ...

 

[JLinza]

I swear, I do stuff like that once a week. I cant remember s&** these days. Lol

 

[indaswamp]

Well.....

if 2.5 tbsps is the correct measure to get 125ppm nitrite, you are right around 75ppm nitrite...

Since these are snack sticks, few questions just to make sure you will be safe:
How much salt per 1000g. meat paste did you use?
Will the sticks be fermented to drop the pH below 5.3?
How will the stick be cooked/smoked?
Will you dry the sticks for them to be shelf stable?
Or will the sticks be semi-dry and held under refrigeration?

 

[indaswamp]

*edit to add:
If not stuffed, you can go ahead and add 1 additional tbsp. of cure and remix the meat paste. if you did already add 2.5 tbsps, with the additional 1 tbsp. you will be at around 175ppm. This is still safe and will give you peace of mind. You will still be under the 200ppm upper limit of cure #1.

 

[TimboBBQ!]

Damnit... Second guessing myself after sitting here thinking about it... Making some snack sticks and don't remember if I put 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 level teaspoons of cure #1 to 12 1/2 lbs of meat... 2 1/2 is the correct amount but I'll be damned if I can remember... Told myself it didn't look right after measuring and adding water... But went with it anyways
Yes.. I know it's better to weigh it out but I prefer to measure as it's quicker and easier... Good thing about it is I won't be stuffing for a couple of days so maybe the 2 day cure will help in case I did goof up... And no... The 80's had nothing to do with it... I don't think... Hell... I dunno ...

The 80’s have A LOT to do with my issues

 

[Gonna Smoke]

The 80's had nothing to do with it...

I know what you mean, but it was the 70's for me. I suffer from CRS regularly...

 

[SmokinEdge]

Kieth, in my view you are actually fine either way as long as not fermenting. If just straightforward sticks, you are fine.

 

[Fueling Around]

I think Keith just does straight forward cured sticks.

You are going to get grief about this at the gathering.
Maybe you need the practice for a few rounds.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Well.....

if 2.5 tbsps is the correct measure to get 125ppm nitrite, you are right around 75ppm nitrite...

Since these are snack sticks, few questions just to make sure you will be safe:
How much salt per 1000g. meat paste did you use? I can't answer that as it was Owens BBQ Chipotle Wildfire seasoning...
Will the sticks be fermented to drop the pH below 5.3? No
How will the stick be cooked/smoked? In the smokehouse with ramping temps..
Will you dry the sticks for them to be shelf stable? NO
Or will the sticks be semi-dry and held under refrigeration? Yes

*edit to add:
If not stuffed, you can go ahead and add 1 additional tbsp. of cure and remix the meat paste. if you did already add 2.5 tbsps, with the additional 1 tbsp. you will be at around 175ppm. This is still safe and will give you peace of mind. You will still be under the 200ppm upper limit of cure #1.

I'm thinking/hoping you meant tsp and not Tbsp

Kieth, in my view you are actually fine either way as long as not fermenting. If just straightforward sticks, you are fine.

Yes... Straightforward...

Maybe you need the practice for a few rounds.

Doing 58 lbs now by myself... Thinking that's pretty good practice...

Thanks for replying y'all...

 

[indaswamp]

I'm thinking/hoping you meant tsp and not Tbsp

Yes...my mistake. 1 tsp. added now won't hurt.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Made me think of this.

 

[Timber II]

Been there man…..

 

[crazzycajun]

There’s crs and then you get craft

 

[Jim_C]

Measure twice.............cuss once.

 

[1MoreFord]

True story about a couple of old friends. They're driving down the street together with a couple of other folks on a trip.
The driver is complaining he lost his Rolex a few days earlier. Can't find it anywhere. Bought another to replace it.
Second guy asks if it could be the one hanging from the rear view mirror.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Damnit... Second guessing myself after sitting here thinking about it... Making some snack sticks and don't remember if I put 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 level teaspoons of cure #1 to 12 1/2 lbs of meat... 2 1/2 is the correct amount but I'll be damned if I can remember... Told myself it didn't look right after measuring and adding water... But went with it anyways
Yes.. I know it's better to weigh it out but I prefer to measure as it's quicker and easier... Good thing about it is I won't be stuffing for a couple of days so maybe the 2 day cure will help in case I did goof up... And no... The 80's had nothing to do with it... I don't think... Hell... I dunno ...

I would not bother adding another tsp. Because if you actually did add the 2 1/2 tsp to begin with that will shoot you way over. If you added 1 1/2 tsp the number is fine ppm nitrite. Remember there are set maximum levels but no set minimum levels, it is generally accepted that north of 50ppm nitrite are needed for any meaningful cure to happen. So let’s run the math.

12.5 lb. Meat = 5675g.

Spoons are all different but my tsp measures 6g of cure #1 and that’s what I’m showing here.

Solve for nitrite ppm:

Worst case scenario:

1 1/2tsp cure 1 = 9g, nitrite content is .625%,

9 x .0625 = .562 x 1000000= 562500/ 5675 = 99 PPM nitrite.

Best case scenario at 2 1/2tsp cure 1:

5675g meat
15g cure 1

15 x .0625= .9375 x 1000000 = 937500 / 5675 = 165 PPM nitrite.

So as you can see Kieth, the worst case is around 100ppm which is fine.

 

[forktender]

True story about a couple of old friends. They're driving down the street together with a couple of other folks on a trip.
The driver is complaining he lost he Rolex a few days earlier. Can't find it anywhere. Bought another to replace it.
Second guy asks if it could be the one hanging from the rear view mirror.

But who wears a watch these days anyway??? I would've replaced it with a nice new case of Blanton's, as I'm getting kinda low. And our Sam's club has it for $84 a bottle.

 

[chef k-dude]

This is why I keep telling my wife to not mess with me in the kitchen! What is it with women that see you clearly in the middle of measuring stuff and suddenly they are trying to have a conversation about absolutely nothing of importance?

She, of course thinks I'm overreacting, but the rare times she is actually making the meal she looks like a stressed out deer in the headlights! I'm always jumping into help out of sympathy...but not trying to have some inane conversation about something that doesn't pertain to the recipe!

I used to remember stuff, and also cook by instinct. Once in a while I can still cook by instinct...wingin' it...but its a great risk of failure! It's called "Dain Bramage", and my 80's extended a couple of decades...OK...to present day!

But who wears a watch these days anyway??? I would've replaced it with a nice new case of Blanton's, as I'm getting kinda low. And our Sam's club has it for $84 a bottle.

Speaking of Dain Bramage, I wish Sams (and other stores) in Virginia sold booze. I remember going to California decades ago and was like, "wait, what? You can buy lettuce and vodka in the same store?". When certain people are in charge here, they are always trying to tie us in to California's...um...."stuff"...but never the stuff like that, that actually makes sense!

 

[02ebz06]

But who wears a watch these days anyway???

I do. Useful on a cruise ship.
Phones can't handle time zone changes with nobody to talk to.

Also easier to look at than have to get out the cell.

 

[1MoreFord]

But who wears a watch these days anyway??? I would've replaced it with a nice new case of Blanton's, as I'm getting kinda low. And our Sam's club has it for $84 a bottle.

I said they were OLD friends. It was pretty common 40 or so years ago.
I still wear a watch. Kinda feel unbalanced without one and redundancy is good.
BTW, for the price of that watch he probably could have bought 10 (or more) cases of Blanton's at the time.