Sunday Good day /Bad day. Need a little advice , but I think I know. Damn

[DRKsmoking]

Hi folks

So first was a good day, took Mona and everyone else that lives with us now, lol to the new property.
First time for them to see in person. They all loved it .

So that is good day.

Now Bad Day :
Got home kicked around doing a few things weather very nice . Finally went to the basement where all my stuff is ,lol

My smoker fridge is down there. I spend most of my nights there , fully finished area.
I have 3 Loins in brine as I am making corned pork that will turn into Porkstrami. So go to the fridge to stir, move around the pork.

Open door light is off. Then I realize the fridge is not running. F^%^#$. so grab the bucket and run it over to the bar fridge dump out the booze ( I mean remove from the fridge ) to make room. I could go on with everything IO did , but boils down to power still good from wall all the way to back of fridge ( fridge not even 2 years old ) It would flick on and off it ran good for another 6 hours but never really got cold.

My question is the temp in the fridge went from 34*F that I keep it at, to when I found it 55*F and I do not know for how long.
I would say at least 5 hours maybe more as the little freezer was all thawed out .
Meat was in the brine for exactly 7 days .

I know I should just toss it , just thought I would get some other opinions. and I few pointed fingers and giggles.

Worst thing is I have two temp guides in the fridge to keep an eye on the top and bottem temps. But I never set the temp alarms . Never really thought I needed to as I am in that fridge 4 or 5 times a day. And the monitor is stuck to the outside of the door.


Sad David Sad

 

[TNJAKE]

Did you check the brine temp?

 

[Hijack73]

I don't want to break any USDA guidelines but we cold smoke at way more than 55 F David, so I would think that cured meat is fine at 55 for quite some time.

My worst fear really is losing power to my fridges, especially my garage fridge. I stumbled into about 35 lbs of clearance beef last week along with several (I think it was 5) pork bellies marked down to 2.79/lb. That alone is about 50 lbs of meat on top of the 80-90 I already had in there. I'm really thinking about looking into a wifi probe that I just keep in the fridges. I get really paranoid because several times my GFCI has tripped in the garage shutting off that fridge. I've always caught it quickly (I keep my water and soda in there too) but that GFCI receptacle is coming out (I will try just replacing it once, if it trips again I'll install a regular receptacle) next time I think about it as your situation has me really thinking.

I hate that happened to you my friend :(

 

[DRKsmoking]

Did you check the brine temp?

Thanks Jake
Yes it was on an insta pen saying 55 also. Poked the point through the bag into the brine.

I really think I should toss it.
But like you asked , the pork had run for 7 days in the brine at 34* F

David

 

[DRKsmoking]

I don't want to break any USDA guidelines but we cold smoke at way more than 55 F David, so I would think that cured meat is fine at 55 for quite some time.

My worst fear really is losing power to my fridges, especially my garage fridge. I stumbled into about 35 lbs of clearance beef last week along with several (I think it was 5) pork bellies marked down to 2.79/lb. That alone is about 50 lbs of meat on top of the 80-90 I already had in there. I'm really thinking about looking into a wifi probe that I just keep in the fridges. I get really paranoid because several times my GFCI has tripped in the garage shutting off that fridge. I've always caught it quickly (I keep my water and soda in there too) but that GFCI receptacle is coming out (I will try just replacing it once, if it trips again I'll install a regular receptacle) next time I think about it as your situation has me really thinking.

I hate that happened to you my friend :(

Thanks Jack,

I hear you but I am thinking 5 plus hours , but started at 34, and not sure how long it took to get to 55. and like I mentioned to Jake . The brine was 55.
So it took a couple more hours for me to get the temp back down.

Mad about the wasted pork and time , but mostly a broken 2 year old fridge, and not checking before our little road trip.

Yes if I lost power to our big standup freezer, Hams, turkey, many chickens, sausages and ground meat. And now only a few more loins and chops.
But it would be a costly loss.

David

 

[pineywoods]

I don't know I have never done a brine cure but wouldn't a pork loin be cured in that amount of time. A pork loin isn't usually all that thick is it?
I guess better safe than sorry sounds like a bunch of us need to find out if they make a smart freezer and refrigerator temp alarm and get them put into our fridges and freezers.

On the good part of the day I think you'd be hard pressed to find anybody that wouldn't love that place

 

[DRKsmoking]

I don't know I have never done a brine cure but wouldn't a pork loin be cured in that amount of time. A pork loin isn't usually all that thick is it?
I guess better safe than sorry sounds like a bunch of us need to find out if they make a smart freezer and refrigerator temp alarm and get them put into our fridges and freezers.

On the good part of the day I think you'd be hard pressed to find anybody that wouldn't love that place

Thanks Jerry,

I normally always go to 14 days with the loins especially for Back Bacon ( Canadian ) for your side of the border.
I was going to give them an other day or so before smoking then steaming.

I think I am chucking them out . As I would always wonder and I could never give anyone some of the porkstrami , as I just do not know if safe.

As for the property, you are right , the 3 ladies just wanted to stand on the land . It was a sunny day and they sat there for about an hour just watching the water and a lobster boat or 2 go by.

Thanks for your input.

David

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

The good day sounds like fun. Sorry to hear about fridge. I would probably go ahead and smoke meat myself if it smells OK but that just me. I have 5 monitors on my fridges and freezers but they all close by.

 

[chopsaw]

I normally always go to 14 days

Was that Pop's brine , or something stronger ?

I think I would cook them . If it was Pop's I'd probably cook it at a higher temp and get it done . Just incase it's not fully cured . If it was Pop's and you injected and soaked , I would think you'd be good to smoke it as bacon .

I think I am chucking them out .

You've mentioned that more than once . From experience , when you get to that mindset it weighs on you . Even after cooking it you'll be worried about that , and most likely won't want to serve it to anyone . I've been there .
I had a pork butt once that was at date when I bought it . Opened it up and it smelled bad . Let it sit , then took another sniff , still not good . Waited a bit , another sniff , not getting any better . I hear my daughter say " How many times you gonna sniff that ? " Lol .
Picked it up and tossed it .
So make a decision and just do what makes the most sense .

Or cube it up and freeze . Use it for bait at the new place .

 

[schlotz]

Yeah David, it's tough to pull the trigger on throwing out stuff but like Rich said once the though is in your mind it's time to be done with it and toss. Time for a new and hopefully better fridge along with adding an alarm. Hopefully wifi compatible.

 

[chopsaw]

My 2017 Samsung has an internal alarm for both the freezer and the fridge .
Ice maker doesn't work worth a ---- , but it sounds an alarm if it quits .

 

[02ebz06]

I'd hold off on tossing it, cook it first, then decide.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Ice maker doesn't work worth a ----

Ain't that the truth!!

 

[SmokinEdge]

Personally because salt and cure #1 are both involved, I would sniff it, if it smells good roll with it. Not all that many years ago people were brining meats with no refrigeration. Obviously they used the winter months for natural temps but they still had very little control of the temps, if it got a little warm in the day it would cool off at night. I honestly would not toss if they smell good (and I’d bet they do)

 

[JLeonard]

I'm with the others.....If its weighing on your mind that much I'd toss. Hate to lose the meat and time, but being sick from bad meat will take a lot more money and time from you!

Jim

 

[DRKsmoking]

I have 5 monitors on my fridges and freezers but they all close by.

Yes Brian , the 3rd one over is the one I have in the fridge. Bought new fridge last night , it is running good now
And now I set the temp alarm this time .

David

 

[Winterrider]

Good and bad is right, 2 yr old fridge should not even be a worry. Just looked , there are numerous WiFi thermometers with WiFi /phone capability. I do have fridge /freezer alarms but does me zero good if gone for a couple days. May need to invest.

 

[DRKsmoking]

Was that Pop's brine , or something stronger ?

I think I would cook them . If it was Pop's I'd probably cook it at a higher temp and get it done . Just incase it's not fully cured . If it was Pop's and you injected and soaked , I would think you'd be good to smoke it as bacon .


You've mentioned that more than once . From experience , when you get to that mindset it weighs on you . Even after cooking it you'll be worried about that , and most likely won't want to serve it to anyone . I've been there .
I had a pork butt once that was at date when I bought it . Opened it up and it smelled bad . Let it sit , then took another sniff , still not good . Waited a bit , another sniff , not getting any better . I hear my daughter say " How many times you gonna sniff that ? " Lol .
Picked it up and tossed it .
So make a decision and just do what makes the most sense .

Or cube it up and freeze . Use it for bait at the new place .

It was POP's brine and with the extra pickling spice to corn it .

I could not get it out of my mind , so I did tossed it . As today was green bin day ( compost truck )
You are right I would always think of it when I went to eat it .

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY I did not think of that Keep it for bait, I'm an ass. lol
Would have made good lobster , and shark bait, we like to chum for them just to watch them, no hooks for the sharks . Just lots of splashing

Thanks for the input.

David

 

[DRKsmoking]

Yeah David, it's tough to pull the trigger on throwing out stuff but like Rich said once the though is in your mind it's time to be done with it and toss. Time for a new and hopefully better fridge along with adding an alarm. Hopefully wifi compatible.

Thanks Matt, yes I toissed them. Like you and Rich said , any thought at all or comment from someone I would blame it on that if I kept and cooked it.
I eat a lot of things I maybe should not , and Mona is not happy with that. But I would never let others eat some things that are boarder line.

I did get a new fridge and have now set the high temp alarm on my monitor.

David

 

[DRKsmoking]

My 2017 Samsung has an internal alarm for both the freezer and the fridge .
Ice maker doesn't work worth a ---- , but it sounds an alarm if it quits .

Yes mine was just a 4.4 cubic foot small fridge for my smoking things , as not allowed to fill the main fridge with my smelly things,
no not my socks and drawers.

David