For those who have not used ECA before, it needs to be added right before smoking and must be mixed by hand. The CA part (citric acid) of ECA is Encapsulated (hence the "E" part of ECA) inside a little bubble of fat. CA will cause meat to turn grey and have a mealy mouth feel if you mix it ahead of time and let it sit. If you over work the ECA mixing it by using a mechanical means to mix, such as a mixing tub with a crank handle or using a grinder to stuff the casings, you can also break the encapsulation open too soon and cause problems with the quality of the meat. The fat encapsulation is meant to melt at around 143-145* and release the CA into the meat after the meat is basically set (but not fully cooked). This adds the twang flavor you would get by a bacterial fermentation of the sticks. Another method to add twang is to use Fermento or Cultured Buttermilk Powder (Sacco brand from the grocery store). Short of truly making fermented sticks with cure #2, I like ECA as I think the flavor is closest to the traditional stick flavor. But the other methods will work (and cure #2 with true fermentation is the true 'old school' way, but it takes a lot longer and involves many more steps).
