My Pepperoni dried way too fast

[Braga]

Hi, Community!

I am new to this forum and this is actually my first post. I hope I am posting it in the correct place.

I just tried making my first batch of pepperoni and I believe something went wrong in the process. So I would really appreciate some advice from more experienced people.

For my pepperoni, I followed Polcyn and Ruhlman's recipe very closely and got all the quantities correct. I then used hog casing with diameters between 32-36mm (around 1.5”). For the drying process, I hung the pepperoni in a ventilated chamber (it had mini fan on for about half the time) which was constantly around 20 C (68 F) and humidity varying from 75%-90% (it was around 90% in the first days and then 75%-85%). After 7 days, the pepperoni have lost between 38-45% of their weight!

Although I believed they should not be ready, I opened one of them to see what was going on inside (pictures attached). I also tried them (I did not swallowed it though!) for the taste and it did not taste good. It did not taste rotten and it had no bad smell, but it was just not tasty and "normal". I read a bit about case hardening online and think this may be the case, but the pictures I found online seem a bit different than mine.

I am planning on leaving them hanging for another week and see what happens. But by now my hopes are super low.

Any comments would be appreciated. Specially: (1) Is there a way to save them? (2) What could have been the problem?

Thank you very much and have a nice week!
Braga

 

[TNJAKE]

Welcome from Tennessee. indaswamp is gonna be your go to guy on this. Wait around. You'll get an answer

 

[Robert H]

I am no expert, and have not done any salami yet, except for umai method. I have just started using a homemade curing chamber and salami are next on my list. I think that is a pretty fast time for the amount of weight lost. I was just reading up on smaller diameter salami cures and recall reading that the smaller cased such as yours would take about three weeks. I have a fan in my chamber that cycles for a half hour four times a day and that may have been too much for what I was curing. Good that you started small anyway, so not much lost. Welcome to SMF, and as Jake said, Inda and others here are very experienced with this. Look up some of his posts.

 

[indaswamp]

For my pepperoni, I followed Polcyn and Ruhlman's recipe very closely and got all the quantities correct.

Although I believed they should not be ready, I opened one of them to see what was going on inside (pictures attached). I also tried them (I did not swallowed it though!) for the taste and it did not taste good. It did not taste rotten and it had no bad smell, but it was just not tasty and "normal".

If you used Ruhlman's recipe, you likely used too much dextrose as his recipes are heavy on the sugars. Did you check the pH? It was likely in the 4.5 range and the salami will have had a bitter sour taste. 4.8-4.9 is a more pleasant taste for pepperoni IMO, but tastes vary.

I then used hog casing with diameters between 32-36mm (around 1.5”). For the drying process

32-36mm hog casings should take 12-16 days to dry. But there are a lot of variables which determine drying. The low acidity which likely happened using that recipe probably sped up the drying process because low pH favors faster drying.

I hung the pepperoni in a ventilated chamber (it had mini fan on for about half the time) which was constantly around 20 C (68 F) and humidity varying from 75%-90% (it was around 90% in the first days and then 75%-85%). After 7 days, the pepperoni have lost between 38-45% of their weight!

7 days; 38-45%.....that is fast.

How big of a batch did you make How full was your chamber? Thin salamis are touchy and easy to case harden. It is much better to run the humidity 80-85%RH to slow the drying. It is ok to be 90% first two days or so, but if you stay above 85% for too long you could have bad mold start to grow.

Speaking of mold-did you inoculate with mold 600? The good mold will help to slow drying and is recommended.

Anyways...the pH probably dropped as low as it could go...in the 4.5 range....the salami would be safe to eat, but bitter...any pH below 4.6 and that one single hurdle is enough for stability....according to the USDA...

I looked at your pics....I don't see any case hardening. Likely very low pH and that sped the drying...

I would not leave them in the chamber any longer...further drying will just intensify and concentrate the acid. I did not see mold coverage in the second pic. so I assume you did not inoculate and that is just wild mold growth. Had you applied mold, the mold would have improved the flavor but reducing the acidity by consuming some of the lactic acid. Nothing you can do about the acid now... next time, use 5-6grams of dextrose instead of 10grams......and don't use any more of Ruhlman's recipes. Use Marianski's recipes over at MeatsandsausagesDOTcom....

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Edit - go with Inda's recommendations....... but my 29 - 32mm casings took 20 days to cure so I would expect a longer time than that for yours. Also, the recommended temperatures for curing/drying cured meats is 55 - 60 degrees, so you are quite a bit higher than that. I do my fermentations at 68 degrees before I move it to the curing chamber at 55 degrees....which means that your fermentation may have continued on until the pH is possibly much lower that you would like.

Your picture of the three links shows what appears to likely be case hardening on the center link (to me) - dark ring around the exterior. That typically indicates too low a humidity or too much air movement.

I suggest you purchase a copy of "The Art of Making Fermented Sausages" by Stanly and Adam Marianski (thanks DaveOmak) . Read that till you feel comfortable that you understand the workings of fermentation and drying meat.

 

[indaswamp]

but the recommended temperature for drying/curing meats after fermentation is 55 to 60 degrees, so you're situation is way above that.

I missed that on my first read responding to the other points. Good catch...

I hung the pepperoni in a ventilated chamber (it had mini fan on for about half the time) which was constantly around 20 C (68 F) and humidity varying from 75%-90% (it was around 90% in the first days and then 75%-85%).

68*F...not good. You need to dry below 60*F to slow Staph. Areus. bacterial growth as it is tolerant of high salt and low water activity. (down to 86Aw) but can not make toxins below 90-91Aw.
You saving grace is that low pH inhibits toxin production so if the pH dropped as low as I suspect it did, you'll be safe as far as Staph Aureus is concerned, but there are other spoilage bacteria to be concerned with... Which starter culture did you use? Some have bioprotective qualities.

 

[indaswamp]

Ditch the fan in a home made chamber using a refrigerator. Don't need it....that also dried your salami too fast.

 

[indaswamp]

I suggest you purchase a copy of "The Art of Making Fermented Sausages" by Stanly and Adam Marianski (thanks DaveOmak) . Read that till you feel comfortable that you understand the workings of fermentation and drying meat.

Yes..^^^^^^^^^That...

 

[indaswamp]

Ok, I zoomed in tight on the slice pic.....I do see slight dry ring...were the salami firm when you squeezed them or soft?

 

[indaswamp]

Order some mold 600 and start using it. Think of it as a security blanket over your salami casing. The white mold is A good mold. It is a waring mold and will kill other bad molds and bacteria. You want it on your stuff...

 

[Mmmm Meat]

{/QUOTE} Your saving grace is that low pH inhibits toxin production so if the pH dropped as low as I suspect it did, you'll be safe as far as Staph Aureus is concerned, but there are other spoilage bacteria to be concerned with... Which starter culture did you use? Some have bioprotective qualities.
[/QUOTE]

Well put - exactly what I was thinking. (BTW- my posts are often edited 4 plus times after the first so that I make sure my writing intended what I wanted to express. Never assume that you have seen the final version. )

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Use LHP Dry for your fermentation agent.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Use LHP Dry for your fermentation agent.

A homework assignment on Friday night? I've got to read up on this one.

 

[indaswamp]

You are allowed to hold the salami above 60*F for the fermentation period, but only for so long to reach target pH. There is a schedule that uses degree hours which is a shorthand for the logarithmic growth of Staph. Aureus. After that, you need to keep the salami under 60*F during the drying period.

Oh- the drying @68*F sped the drying process up immensely.

 

[Braga]

Hi, All!

First of all, thank you very much for all of your replies! It is great to enter a forum with such a nice group of people! Special thanks to indaswamp and Mmmm Meat !

Let me reply to the questions I was asked:

Did you check the pH?

No, I have not. Is it necessary to check it? After reading Polcyn and Ruhlman's, I was under the impression that it was not necessary to be checking the Ph and that, if one follows their recipe correctly, this should not be an issue.

How big of a batch did you make How full was your chamber?

I made 5 pounds only and the chamber was not very full. It could easy fit a bit more than double.

Which starter culture did you use?

Bactoferm F-RM-52.

Speaking of mold-did you inoculate with mold 600?

No. I have not. Again, in my reading of Polcyn and Ruhlman's, I was under the impression this would not be necessary.

were the salami firm when you squeezed them or soft?

Quite firm, but not as firm as a fully dried salami.

For what I understood, it seems like my biggest mistake was to try drying my salamis at 68F and using a fan. My chamber was actually never refrigerated (I thought salami could be made at room temperature...I guess this was very stupid of me).

Do any of you have a good source of how to built a DIY chamber? I am on a very tight budget, so I am trying to go for the cheapest solutions. This was also the reason I decided not to use Mold 600. Since the book said it was option, I thought I should try saving those bucks.

Thank you very much once again for all the replies! I really appreciated the help!

Cheers,
Braga

 

[indaswamp]

No, I have not. Is it necessary to check it? After reading Polcyn and Ruhlman's, I was under the impression that it was not necessary to be checking the Ph and that, if one follows their recipe correctly, this should not be an issue.

The reason they say measuring the pH is not necessary is because of the large amount of sugars used in their recipes. You will get a final pH under 5.0....and probably closer to 4.8-4.6 (as long as the culture is viable and everything goes right). But if you like a very pronounced sour/tang in your salami, then that much sugar won't bother you. Those products will suffer in flavor development as the flavor forming bacteria don't function well at that low pH.

As far as mold....no, it is not necessary, but does contribute to flavor development. It also protects the salami surface against unwanted harmful bacteria, yeasts, and molds. The mold will moderate the acid somewhat by consuming it and producing minute quantities of ammonia near the surface. Just know that mold WILL grow....and you will be fighting wild molds if you chose not to add good molds...

IMO, Ruhlman's books are a better use as a door stop....if you have not bought the book: The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Stanley and Adam Marianski then I would highly suggest getting it and reading it cover to cover....multiple times. Best resource there is for learning this craft bar none....

 

[indaswamp]

Do any of you have a good source of how to built a DIY chamber? I am on a very tight budget, so I am trying to go for the cheapest solutions.

If you want safe predictable results, buy good equipment and don't cut corners.





Eva-dry1100 dehumidifier....$40-50
Ultrasonic Humidifier $20-50 depending on size
Ink bird temp. and humidity controller set - $70 bucks on Amazon
used FROST FREE freezer (preferred) or Frost free freezerless refrigerator (hard to find, but best) $50-300; or if you can find someone willing to give you and old one that still runs...

Heater is not necessary unless you live up north and keep the unit outside.

That is the bare minimum.....

 

[indaswamp]

Here is my build thread on my first drying chamber:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/dry-curing-chamber-build.295014/page-2

I had problems with it cooling and eventually found out that it had a coolant leak. I had to buy a replacement So I bought new.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

I got a clone of the Eva-Dry dehumidifier - $35ish - (saved $10)


I picked up a used Frigidaire for $ 125 - You've got to be lucky and move fast if a good one shows up on Craigslist.
All in, I'm somewhere over $350 for my curing chamber. Since then, I've bought a new grinder, sausage stuffer, pH meter and other gear.......

A pH meter is expensive but gives a lot of peace of mind that your product is safe for your family and friends to eat.
Many people use litmus paper for pH testing. Here's a link for one that has a perfect range for curing meats, though a 2Guys and a Cooler vid on Youtube demonstrated how inaccurate this paper can be. I never even tried the one that I purchased.

 

[Braga]

Hi!

Once again, thanks for your replies, indaswamp and Mmmm Meat .

I purchased an used mini wine fridge from craigslist ($50) and I will now look for humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and a humidity controller. After that I think I will give it another go.

I am also going to get The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Stanley and Adam Marianski to study it properly. Thanks for the suggestions.

Cheers,
Braga