My first Chorizo !

[SCBBQ]

Nice Snow White

 

[indaswamp]

Ph after 6 days View attachment 491999View attachment 492000View attachment 492001View attachment 492002

I figured the Calabrian would drop pretty low...it might rise slightly with the mold consming some of the acid, but only 0.2-0.3...should still have a slight tang....if that is what you were shooting for.

 

[indaswamp]

Good mold coverage! Very nice!

 

[indaswamp]

Did you move them to the chamber to dry or left them hanging on the rack?

 

[SCBBQ]

They are now moved in the chamber @55 degrees high humidity.

 

[SCBBQ]

I figured the Calabrian would drop pretty low...it might rise slightly with the mold consming some of the acid, but only 0.2-0.3...should still have a slight tang....if that is what you were shooting for.

Yeah this is all for fun of course and to learn on the job so to speak.. and appreciate your feedback! Was really freaking out when the website went down!

Here's the initial PH's you asked about, I took 36 hours in..

 

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Chorizo

 

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One of the fennel’s

 

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The other fennel

 

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And the Calabrian

 

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Both of the cabinets are full and arguably the larger sausages I'm curing this time around aren't hanging totally. My last time this happened too as I made some too long for the cabinet, and they turned out ok, but still would rather do it right..

Found a cabinet on eBay - seems like a good price but contemplating if it's the right way to go or not.. I really don't like the home-made route so I'd buy something designed for purpose..

 

[SCBBQ]

Here's the one I was looking at.

NEW Two Door Commercial Meat Salami Maturation Cabinet Curing Aging Cooler MMC2 | eBay

COOLER DEPOT - COVINA - CALIFORNIA. We can not provide any assistance in palletizing the item. Video will open in a new window.

www.ebay.com

 

[Mmmm Meat]

That looks like a killer choice. I get this feeling that no matter what size you purchase, you're going to fill it up in no time.

The Sausage Maker website has three though I couldn't copy a link to that page. Here's one:

Digital Dry Curing Cabinet - The Sausage Maker

PLEASE CALL FOR AVAILABILITY AND FREIGHT QUOTE & DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS @ 716-824-5814. After years of experimenting with our own DIY dry curing chamber builds, always aiming for accurate temperature and humidity regulation in a controlled and sanitary environment, the Sausage Maker is proud to...

www.sausagemaker.com

Craigslist here in the Portland, OR area has a retail dealer that lists all kinds of commercial kitchen equipment. It would be preferable (IMHO) to purchase locally so that when something goes wrong, you have someone to go back to for help or service.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

As I look around on the web, there's not really a lot of other choices for curing chambers that have reasonable prices. Top of the line Stagionello STG100 is around $20K and very hard to find. Everything else seems to cost more.

 

[indaswamp]

When I saw those large diameter long salamis stuffed in the bungs I was wondering if they would fit in your chamber. I would address this now so you don't run into problems drying. No moisture will escape where they are touching the floor. put a grate or something that will at least raise them off the floor for some air circulation. try to get them as high as you can... preferably 1-1 1/2 inches off the floor.

 

[indaswamp]

Here's the one I was looking at.

NEW Two Door Commercial Meat Salami Maturation Cabinet Curing Aging Cooler MMC2 | eBay

COOLER DEPOT - COVINA - CALIFORNIA. We can not provide any assistance in palletizing the item. Video will open in a new window.

www.ebay.com

Yeah...they are taking old commercial refrigerators and making chambers out of them. Thanks for the link, I have an old TRUE 38 cu. ft. double door that I got for free. I have been toying with the idea of transforming it into a curing chamber. I may get some ideas from your link, there are a lot of pictures posted.

 

[indaswamp]

Looking at your chamber pic....you may have it stuffed too full. You will run into problems anywhere they salamis are touching. Potentially bad mold growth....it is recommended to have at least 1-1 1/2" spacing around the entire salami for proper air flow and moisture removal. Anywhere the salamis are closer than that, the humidity will spike....that will cause problems.

 

[Domie]

I must agree. I did 8 different products within 3 weeks, probably 50 plus pounds. I believe I added way too much product moisture to remove in a timely manner. Also had too much for proper spacing and incurred spots where nasty green mold overcame the abundant white mold and gave me some nasty flavors on 2 of my products. Ahh...learning curve!

 

[SCBBQ]

My last batches had the same amount in it and came out ok, unit appears to drain water out well enough. Yeah touching here and there isn’t optimal but it’s not end of the world either , at least based on my limited experience so far .

I called on the sausage maker cabinet and they are at least 4 months out -

I messaged the eBay one but haven’t heard back yet whether it has ability to add humidity or not .

Here’s a picture of one of my first batches .

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Holy Moly you got those chambers packed to the gills!

I'm going to second guess your hesitance to make your own chamber, only to suggest you reconsider other options. Buying a quality (perhaps used) commercial 'fridge and making your own curing chamber seems much less dicey than buying an semi-expensive and untested unit from some potentially questionable business on the West Coast (that doesn't have any commercial listings other than eBay), and just hoping that it will all turn out well gives me a bit of a pucker factor just thinking about it - but that's just me.
The Sausage Maker unit looks nice, but when I look at the amount of product you currently have hanging, I think it will be inadequate for your needs.
Here's a vid posted by a professional chef working in a commercial kitchen/restaurant who makes a nice curing chamber that in my mind is as good as, if not better than, the spendy units found online. If something goes wrong with it, a refrigerator repairman can fix the 'fridge, or if it is a controller or humidifier/dehumidifier problem, you just replace it with minimal cost. It doesn't look quite as professional as a dedicated curing chamber, but in the end, it does exactly the same thing for a lot less money.