# Bresaola



## bellaru (Jan 23, 2017)

I am going to take a run at Bresaola. I picked up a cheap wine chiller on Craigslist and have had it running for a couple days. It seems to hold at 44-47 degrees and 70-75% humidity well with nothing in it. I will sanitize it well with chlorine solution. I have a 4lb trimmed piece of eye of round and found this sight with a calculator. Is the white mold/ bactoferm M600 spray a must? Any help and thoughts on the percentage would be appreciated. 
Thanks


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## bellaru (Jan 23, 2017)

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## pc farmer (Jan 23, 2017)

Mold 600 will get the good mold growing and help keep bad molds out.  With being a new chamber, I would spray the 600.  

I like to take my dry cured meats to 40 % loss.   I like the texture better.


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 23, 2017)

The wine chiller will work but its slower. Is your chiller the electronic cooling one?

Also dont use a fan, to small an area.


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## bellaru (Jan 24, 2017)

This is the chiller. It has two sections with a removable shelf in the middle. It doesn't look like it has a pump or coolant. It has two electronic boards and two fans on the back. I can't find much info about how it works online. I'm guessing my humidity will be high and I'll have to use something to bring it down??












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## daveomak (Jan 24, 2017)

Bellaru, morning....   Usually, after the initial refrigeration step for a week or two, the humidity during the drying stage is up around 80% ....   prevents case hardening, which is bad..     unless I have methods mixed up, which would be par for the course.....


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## bellaru (Jan 24, 2017)

c farmer said:


> Mold 600 will get the good mold growing and help keep bad molds out.  With being a new chamber, I would spray the 600.
> 
> 
> 
> I like to take my dry cured meats to 40 % loss.   I like the texture better.



I just ordered the M600, so hopefully it arrives on time. Do you spray once in the beginning and that's it?  I am also shooting for 40% loss
Thanks


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## bellaru (Jan 24, 2017)

Thanks Daveomak
I've heard because a wine chiller doesn't dry the air like a frost free fridge people have the opposite problem with it being too moist. 
We'll see... the adventure is the fun of it.


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## daveomak (Jan 24, 2017)

Oh yeah....   No chiller plate inside that cooler...   Open the door every 6-12 hours or so, until the humidity stabilizes...   

A humidity control plate of saturated "salt" water should suck up the extra humidity....   use distilled water in the salt slurry....













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## pc farmer (Jan 24, 2017)

Bellaru said:


> I just ordered the M600, so hopefully it arrives on time. Do you spray once in the beginning and that's it? I am also shooting for 40% loss
> Thanks


You have to get the mold active before you spray it.

1 quart distilled water, 1 teaspoon mold 600 and a pinch of dextrose.  mix and let set in a dark place for 12 hours.

I sprayed once then again about 20 mins later.


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## bellaru (Jan 24, 2017)

Great chart
Thanks Daveomak

Will do 
Thanks c farmer


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## bellaru (Jan 25, 2017)

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So here it is, trimmed, seasoned and in the fridge to cure for a bit. Going to go 5 days reseason and another 5 before it goes into the curing chamber. 
I split it in half hoping for a more  consistent and quicker dry time.


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## bellaru (Feb 2, 2017)

All tied up and into the chamber.
739g and 683g for starting weight. I sprayed them with Bactoferm M-600 right before putting them in and then half hour later. Now the long wait...













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## ab canuck (Feb 2, 2017)

Ok I'm watching this one. Can't wait to see how it will turn out.


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## pc farmer (Feb 2, 2017)

Nice truss job.

The wait shouldn't be that long.   There isn't much fat in them.   Fat looses weight slower then meat.


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## crankybuzzard (Feb 2, 2017)

I'm watching this!

I agree with Adam about the trussing, nice work!


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## bellaru (Feb 2, 2017)

Thanks everyone.


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## redheelerdog (Feb 2, 2017)

Looks good Bellaru, nice score on the wine fridge, looks like its working good. Nice.


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## bellaru (Feb 11, 2017)

9 days in. First sign of mold yesterday and it's almost doubled today. 
Good stuff!













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## crankybuzzard (Feb 11, 2017)

Flavor action in work right there!


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## myownidaho (Feb 11, 2017)

Looks great, Bellaru!


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## pc farmer (Feb 11, 2017)

Oh yea.   Mold doing its job right there.


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## nsoutdoorsman1 (Feb 12, 2017)

Looks decent so far.How is the air/moisture being circulated inside the unit?


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## bellaru (Feb 12, 2017)

NSoutdoorsman1 said:


> Looks decent so far.How is the air/moisture being circulated inside the unit?



There are two fans inside that run constant. It doesn't have a coil or condenser to cool. I believe it brings down the ambient air, seems to be about a 20-25 degrees drop max. Its in the garage now but I may have to move it inside if it gets any warmer here. If you look in the picture you'll see I rigged a piece of plastic over one fan so it wouldn't blow directly on the meat. It works good because it hits that goes down and the other fan blows forward causing good circulation. 
Salt slurry to help maintain humidity.


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## nsoutdoorsman1 (Feb 12, 2017)

Ahhhh,i missed that.Looks awesome,keep the pics coming:)


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## bellaru (Feb 16, 2017)

2 weeks in













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## pc farmer (Feb 16, 2017)

Very nice mold growth.

Looking good.


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## myownidaho (Feb 16, 2017)

That's looking great.


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## ab canuck (Feb 16, 2017)

Looking good Bellaru.


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## nsoutdoorsman1 (Feb 16, 2017)

Looking fantastic!makes me hungry lol.How is the humidity and temp doing?Any water solution needed yet


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## bellaru (Feb 16, 2017)

Thanks everyone 
I have a salt slurry in the bottom and the temp and humidity are good 40-50' and 70-85%. I peek in there in the morning and afternoon and it fluctuates a little but not too bad. 
They haven't shrunk much yet which surprises me, I might take a weight reading this weekend.


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## bellaru (Feb 27, 2017)

I pulled one yesterday right at 40% weight loss. It turned out pretty good. Vac packed half of it whole and cleaned the other with vinegar and sliced it up.
Any reason you shouldn't vac pack it with the white mold on it?













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## dirtsailor2003 (Feb 27, 2017)

Looks tasty! 

Point!


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 27, 2017)

Bresa looks very good.

I vacpack with mold on (unsliced). I don't see a concern. Unfortunately the mold will not last long on refrigerated vacpacked meats.


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## myownidaho (Feb 27, 2017)

Superb! Great looking bresaola! How's the flavor? Point!


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## bellaru (Feb 28, 2017)

MyOwnIdaho said:


> Superb! Great looking bresaola! How's the flavor? Point!



Tastes great! I used fresh rosemary during the cure and I'm surprised how much of the flavor and smell is still there, pretty strong and delicious.


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## hoity toit (Mar 31, 2017)

how much mold solution did you mix., ? I guess you throw away the unused solution after you spray right ??

HT


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## bellaru (Mar 31, 2017)

Hoity Toit said:


> how much mold solution did you mix., ? I guess you throw away the unused solution after you spray right ?
> 
> HT



I forget exactly but 1/4 tsp for a couple oz. let it sit over night. I think?


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## bellaru (Mar 31, 2017)

And yes throw it away after that day of spraying


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2017)

Bellaru said:


> I forget exactly but 1/4 tsp for a couple oz. let it sit over night. I think?


I add a pinch of dextrose too.


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## hoity toit (Mar 31, 2017)

thanks guys, I ordered some just now for the salamis I have working.

HT


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