Do i need fermenting agent

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nickelmore

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
546
10
Lockport IL
I am in the process to make some venison summer sausage and have noticed that some recipes call for a small amount of fermenting agent, while some others do not.

So I ask the ol wise folks what are the pros and cons?

Thanks
 
It is just for taste and binding from what I know...You can sub with dry milk. I have aND WORKS FINE. JUST DON'T GO OVER 5% (stupid caps) I am sure it is more around 7% but 5% is safe and worked great.
 
I believe the fermenting agent will give your product a slightly sour taste like store-bought thuringer. I personally like that taste but some don't. It can be achieved with Fermento or encapsulated citric acid also. Hope this helps.
 
I'm not sure you want to use a fermenting agent unless you plan on a dry cured sausage. the fermento or citric acid will give ya the same tangy flavor.
 
Thanks, I was just going off of some of the recipes that I have seen with a culture or fermenting agent.

I am just going to end up experimenting but don't want to start and find out I'm missing an ingredient.

Ive never made any summer sausage and must be a little gun shy about having it turn out bad.
 
Agreed. Both products will give the sausage the signature tanginess. Of course the real way is with starter cultures which you can buy at www.butcher-packer.com . I have not yet used the culture myself and have great results with Fermento.

Semi-dry sausages like summer sausages do have low pH to get the tanginess. Many people do use the starters but as I just mentioned, it can be cheated with the addition of the above.

My first summer sausage was made with the pioneer method of "mix it with not-so-clean-hands and hope the right kind of bacteria take over". We ate it but it was a real bomb
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. I always use the right stuff now.
 
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