What went wrong with this batch?

[indaswamp]

I've got a humidifier and controller on it to turn it off but perhaps it wasn't working right. I've got a secondary humidification analog gauge for back up and it was checked often in the beginning, not so much after 6 months.

Right....but do you have a way to remove moisture? What is your dehumidification system? You need a controllable way to remove moisture to dry salami properly. Adding humidity is easy......removing it is more difficult. And you need a way to remove it. Most home chambers use some sort of peltier dehumidifier....the Evi-dry is popular and effective as long as you don't overwhelm it with a shit load of new product. 5kg./week new product was about the max. for me in my old chamber....25kg. in the chamber total...some 45-55mm and some 60-65mm casings.....

If you are gonna make 50# at one time, you better have a dehumidification system that can handle 500-600 grams or more of water vapor in a 24 hour period.

 

[SCBBQ]

Wow - I figured that's what the refrigerated cabinet with the fan running all the time did by nature (is take humidity out) - I've had good success over the past 2 years or so with 6 batch's so I feel like my system isn't. completely flawed. this batch just got added in the end of my marathon of making sausages before moving on to other priorities and as a result I'm not sure what happened in the cabinet to disallow correct drying.

I'll look into the dehumidifier you are talking about. Will kind of be weird to have both a dehumidifier and a humidifier running in the same cabinet?

Rob

 

[pineywoods]

Rob check out this thread kind of long but very good and might help

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...r-build-42cu-ft-stainless-double-door.314028/

 

[SCBBQ]

Thanks - I bought a new True brand cabinet last year right before this batch and had my electrical modify it to control humidity with the wired in humidifier. the fan runs all the time.

 

[indaswamp]

 

[indaswamp]

 

[indaswamp]

 

[indaswamp]

Controllers I was telling you about...

 

[indaswamp]

Tip: Don't place any salumi or salami within 4-5" of the humidity sensor for your controller or the product will give you a false humidity reading.

 

[indaswamp]

Better build a chamber video:

 

[indaswamp]

Wow - I figured that's what the refrigerated cabinet with the fan running all the time did by nature (is take humidity out)

The refrigeration cycle does pull out moisture from condensation on the evaporator coil, but only when the cooling cycle is running. When it shuts off, the humidity will start climbing and if not removed by a dehumidifier, it will climb into the 90's as product hanging releases more humidity into the chamber. A controller with a humidifier and dehumidifier will keep the humidity within a low and high set point.

 

[indaswamp]

Notice the spacing of salami in the last video I posted...... that is optimum...

 

[SCBBQ]

Got it - I didn't understand before now that too high of humidity was bad.

 

[indaswamp]

BTW...best book out there is The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Stanley and Adam Marianski

You could throw the rest away and read only that one and learn how to do it properly. They discuss humidity and the effect it has on salami....both high and low... worth a reread for a primer if you are just getting back into it.

Also- 2-2.25 grams sugars. And no more (usually unless initial starting pH of the meat is above 5.8).. You really don't need more than that. A lot of people use way too much sugars. Rulhman included.

 

[indaswamp]

Got it - I didn't understand before now that too high of humidity was bad.

Yep. You don't want it above 85%...to slow drying, mold too active, pH rises......which could create an environment favorable for bad bacteria to grow and create toxins. Try to keep it below 82%....

 

[indaswamp]

Oh- one more suggestion...
If you want to hang more volume of product, use larger diameter casings. This will lower the surface area to weight ratio, which will slow down the amount of moisture being released per pound of product. (the water has father to travel to reach the surface, thus it moves slower...larger diameter). You could use 120mm (4.75") protein lined collagen casing, or even 100mm.....and get more product in your chamber and lower drying rates per pound.

 

[indaswamp]

Listen to this guy.....

 

[indaswamp]

Fermentation:

 

[SCBBQ]

Good videos!

 

[indaswamp]

With the amounts of sugars you were using in the past with these batches, and the high humidity, it is highly probable you had secondary fermentation from wild bacteria which resulted in the grey ring.