My first Coppa...

[MeatCharter]

31% in 37 days on a coppa......seems a little fast to me. Probably going to have slight dry rim which explains the lack of mold growth. If weight loss stops, go ahead and pull it, vac seal, then put it back in the chamber to let it equalize for at least a month or so.

Thanks. Yeah, that would make sense. That was the first one I put in and I was still getting the curing fridge temps dialed in. Will see how it progresses in a couple more weeks.

 

[MeatCharter]

31% in 37 days on a coppa......seems a little fast to me. Probably going to have slight dry rim which explains the lack of mold growth. If weight loss stops, go ahead and pull it, vac seal, then put it back in the chamber to let it equalize for at least a month or so.

Would air flow impact mold growth or just temperature? Kind of wondering if my air flow is too high. Is there a way to measure if my air flow is too high in my chamber? Should it feel a certain way?

I think the Ventrinicini hybrid and the newer Coppa I put in seem to be doing better mold wise. Those went in after I got the temp dialed in.

 

[indaswamp]

Yes, airflow will impact mold growth. Airflow is one factor that is often overlooked by beginners...it take extremely little airflow to dry meats properly. The way to measure airflow is to hang a long piece of butchers twine in your chamber. minimum 20-24 inches long...the bottom end of that string should not move 1/16" in any direction. If it moves more than that, you have too much airflow.

 

[geostriata]

Would air flow impact mold growth or just temperature? Kind of wondering if my air flow is too high. Is there a way to measure if my air flow is too high in my chamber? Should it feel a certain way?

fwiw

I have a freezer setup, so I really needed to work hard to dial in my airflow (otherwise stratification). My solution was to use an anemometer to at least get a sense of the airspeeds in the chamber. It's not the most sensitive of units at low speeds, but with care you can get a good sense of what areas are under 0.5m/s. I then used MERV-1 high airflow filters to diffuse the fan air and take it down to the 0.3m/s range.

This seems to be working well for left-to-right equalization, but I don't have the space for the vertical equalization, so I need to take good care to center my meat vertically.

 

[MeatCharter]

Yes, airflow will impact mold growth. Airflow is one factor that is often overlooked by beginners...it take extremely little airflow to dry meats properly. The way to measure airflow is to hang a long piece of butchers twine in your chamber. minimum 20-24 inches long...the bottom end of that string should not move 1/16" in any direction. If it moves more than that, you have too much airflow.

Oh wow. 1/16 an inch!? That's nothing. I made a couple adjustments. Definitely less air flow now, but I think I'm still swaying a 1/8-1/4 of an inch.

 

[MeatCharter]

fwiw

I have a freezer setup, so I really needed to work hard to dial in my airflow (otherwise stratification). My solution was to use an anemometer to at least get a sense of the airspeeds in the chamber. It's not the most sensitive of units at low speeds, but with care you can get a good sense of what areas are under 0.5m/s. I then used MERV-1 high airflow filters to diffuse the fan air and take it down to the 0.3m/s range.

This seems to be working well for left-to-right equalization, but I don't have the space for the vertical equalization, so I need to take good care to center my meat vertically.

Oh thanks. That's interesting! Might try to get one of those meters.

 

[geostriata]

Oh thanks. That's interesting! Might try to get one of those meters.

I wish I had thought about the twine test!

I just did a comparison. The anemometer says it can do down to 0.3m/s, but it really is more like a minimum of 0.6-0.8m/s. I think you'd need a more expensive one for the airflow you want.

The twine on the other hand was noticeable in my system, barely. I had to shut all fans off, and then turn on to notice any movement. Maybe a couple mm. So at this point, I think I'd recommend the twine test instead, actually.

The merv-1 filter fabric, on the other hand drops mine about 0.5-1m/s, so that might be perfect for you.

 

[indaswamp]

I should mention that airflow should be measured in the area where you have salumi hanging....

 

[indaswamp]

..and newer wet pieces can handle a lot more airflow than the older ones. After the dripping phase, for the first 2 weeks or so, it is critical that you have proper airflow as this is when case hardening is the biggest concern.

 

[indaswamp]

but I don't have the space for the vertical equalization, so I need to take good care to center my meat vertically.

One trick there is to flip the pieces periodically. Expose both ends to the same environment over the course of drying so both ends will dry even.

 

[MeatCharter]

I was able to unplug the two built in circulation fans in the SteakAger with the manufacturer's help. Simple enough. Had to take everything out for like 10 mins, unplug a couple things, and then put it back in.

I will say the SteakAger customer support is freaking amazing. Highly recommend.

 

[MeatCharter]

Well it's been 37 days since I put her in. She's weighing 812.4 grams. She went in at 1172 grams, which is a 30.68% weight loss. Trying to hit 40%. The weight loss has certainly slowed down.

Not seeing much mold development....

View attachment 701058

Update: Now at 764g. 34.8% loss in 54 days. Wonder how much longer for another 5%. I'm expecting some dry ring due to the previous fan speed in my chamber. Will see how she is hopefully soon.