# Fermenting summer sausage



## Rob Petersen (Sep 3, 2018)

hi so I am new to fermenting sausage and have never tried to do it before. I was reading a recipe a while back for tangy summer sausage and mentioned it needed to ferment. I was just curious as to what is the process to ferment summer sausage. I’m not new to making sausage because I am a head sausage maker at my local butcher shop, I just have never trieda  fermentation process


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 3, 2018)

As I understand, and this is from me reading as I plan to do it my self some day, you use Pink Salt 2 for a start, and then need the bacteria spray etc. Then it sits in a climate controlled enviroment to properly the good bacteria etc etc. I'd just snag up a book on this one. This is where I shy away from reading internet articles and get a book from a professional. 

I just never heard of fermented summer sausage my self..

Out of curiousity; toss the link up? If it means ferment and then it says 1-2 days, that is still pink salt 1 time, it's more to let the flavours meld. I'm now curious to see the recipe my self!


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## SmokinAl (Sep 4, 2018)

Check out UMAi casings, they make it real easy!
Al


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## crazymoon (Sep 4, 2018)

RP, You would have to add a starter culture and cure #2( instead of #1). One of our sausage experts, Nepas would know the best culture to use. I add Fermento to my SS to give it that tangy flavor without having to go through all the extra work. It is then just smoked as normal and has tasty results.


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## Braz (Sep 4, 2018)

You can use fermento as crazymoon says to emulate a fermented flavor without actually going to the trouble of fermenting it. I use encapsulated citric acid (ECA) which does the same thing. I just made 7 pounds of summer sausage snack sticks this past weekend.


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## BGKYSmoker (Sep 4, 2018)

Fermento & ECA will not ferment the meat. Both are activators to give a sour or tang to the meat.
For real fermented sausage you need to use a fermenting agent of the Bactoferm line or other agents found in other countries. Most bacto agents are used with cure #2. However you can use Safepro F-LC with either cure 1 or 2.

Info on Safepro F-LC

*Safepro F-LC - Pediococcus Acidilactici (Lactic Acid - Fast Ferment), Lactobacillus Curvatus (Lactic Acid - Acid Production) and Staphylococcus Xylosus (Curing - Flavor & Color)*

This culture can produce a slow traditional acidification product at low temps. (Less than 77° F) or a fast U.S. style fermented product at higher temps. (95°F-115°F).

An excellent product that has built in protection against listeria which is useful when making product at home where conditions are often poorer than at a commercial processor

How to use: Dilute with 1 cup of chlorine free water and let sit for 20 minutes to "Wake Up" the bacteria. When using a cure (# 1 or # 2) mix the cure with this culture. Mix all seasoning and spices into meat, then add this culture at a rate of 25 g to 200 lb of meat. 

For small batches dilute 1/2 tsp. of culture into 1/2 cup of chlorine free water


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## BGKYSmoker (Sep 4, 2018)

I forgot about Backslop.

Back slopping.  This is what the old timers called a process where part of the old already fermented batch of sausage was thrown back into the new mix. The already fermented product contained the necessary micro-organisms to start the fermentation of the new batch. This is also sometimes described as “spontaneous” fermentation. This form of fermentation in not utilized in industrial use in the US any longer, due to potential for contamination.

(This is your decision)


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## jhend (Dec 1, 2018)

You can use butter milk as a started as well.


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## foster (Dec 5, 2018)

This recipe makes excellent fermented summer sausage.  I only made it once, but it tasted as good as any summer sausage I ever had and I’ve lived in Wisconsin most of my life! Fermented sausage is challenging, but I was able to pull it off with basic sausage making equipment. Give it a try and let us know how it turned out. 

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/summer-sausage


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