Time for Some Pepperoni...

[indaswamp]

Still going through stuff in the freezers clearing out room. Pulled out a gallon bag of goose breasts, bought a double pack of boston butts...time for pepperoni!

No pics. of the process this time, but here they are: 10.65kgs. stuffed, pricked, and trussed inda fermentation can. Will transfer to my old chamber tomorrow afternoon.

 

[tbern]

looking good!

 

[SCBBQ]

I need to try pepperoni soon.

 

[indaswamp]

Checked the pH@24 hours....down to 5.23; Cool. Smells awesome! The sweet smell of fermentation.

I am using F-RM-52 starter culture which is sucrose negative. With the amounts of cayenne and paprika (1.05g fructose/kg.) in the recipe, I only used 0.75g./kg. dextrose along with 3g./kg. sucrose. Starting pH was 5.83. The goose meat runs a little lower pH than the pork. It also contains more glucose in the meat cells than pork. I'll keep tabs on the pH, but this is one salami that is suppose to be a little on the tangy side anyhow, but I am shooting for an Italian style with very little tang.

 

[indaswamp]

looking good!

Thanks tbern!

I need to try pepperoni soon.

Thanks SCBBQ! I use a variation of Marianski's recipe. But I dialed the dextrose way back...and I'm using a different culture.

 

[indaswamp]

...1.8g./kg simple sugars (Fructose from the peppers and added dextrose) in the salami 'should' push the pH down to around 5.15ish.....we will see.....

 

[TNJAKE]

I'm in. I have some umai for pepperoni but haven't got around to it yet.

 

[indaswamp]

I'm in. I have some umai for pepperoni but haven't got around to it yet.

Thanks Jake! I had wanted to make this last fall, but with catching Covid then hurricane Ida, just never had the time to do it. I'm making up for it this go around with a double batch.

 

[SCBBQ]

I think I'll want to make more american style large diameter.. will consult with you before starting!

 

[SmokinEdge]

I like the old school trussing. Very nice work.

 

[indaswamp]

I like the old school trussing. Very nice work.

Thanks SE! After watching a bunch of different ways to truss old school-I have settled on a way that works for me. I like hand trussing because I feel I can get more even pressure on the salami doing it this way.

 

[indaswamp]

The pH reached 5.07 after 29 hours fermentation @70*F...

Transferred to my old chamber for accelerated drying; 47-53*F and 78-82%RH. Will move to my new maturing chamber after 15% weight loss.

 

[indaswamp]

In the old chamber...

I did hang them on poles over backs of chairs in the kitchen with a low fan blowing on them to dry the casings before transfer. The drop in humidity to 50-60%RH for 4-6 hours accelerates drying, helps to keep bad mold at bay, helps to keep bad yeast at bay, and gives the mold 600 spores an anchor into the tacky casing....gives the
Penicillium nalgiovense mold a kick start. Salami will lose 3-4% just from drying the casings when using natural casings....then the real drying can begin.

 

[pineywoods]

That looks awesome one of these days maybe I can get to where I can start trying to make some of this type of stuff of course a chamber would have to be built first

 

[Newglide]

Looks great. That's a good bit of pepperoni. Never made any myself, sounds like a lot of attention to detail or you can screw up pretty bad

 

[indaswamp]

That looks awesome one of these days maybe I can get to where I can start trying to make some of this type of stuff of course a chamber would have to be built first

Thanks Piney! You can start with umai bags in a regular refrigerator to get a feel for the process and turn out a decent product. But because of the cold temperatures the flavor development will be less because the enzymes are slowed down, as well as the flavor forming bacteria. Then you can decide if you want to get a chamber.

Looks great. That's a good bit of pepperoni. Never made any myself, sounds like a lot of attention to detail or you can screw up pretty bad

Thanks Newglide. Yes, you are correct...a lot of attention to detail. Though American and North European salami is easier to make because the pH range is lower with those products. True Italian style salami with no noticeable tang is the most difficult because you have to figure all the natural sources of sugar in the recipe and shoot for a pH just under 5.3 and above 5.0. I am better now and have learned a lot since I first started.

 

[indaswamp]

Newglide -you would be surprised how fast you can go through pepperoni...especially a great batch!!!

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks Great, Inda!!
Nice Work!!
Like.

Bear

 

[indaswamp]

Thanks Bear!

 

[DumasDaddy]

Transferred to my old chamber for accelerated drying; 47-53*F and 78-82%RH. Will move to my new maturing chamber after 15% weight loss.

Have yet to venture into curing yet, but this looks awesome. Definitely something to add to my list. About how long will the total cure / dry take?