# First try with collagen sheets



## pc farmer (Mar 30, 2019)

So I have tried natural casings, no casings and man made casings for dry curing.  Now trying collagen sheets.  Why sheets, they are easy to store ( not needing to be in the fridge ) and not having to clean the beef bungs before use.  These are pretty cheap too.  







The meat.  Pork, ,venison and beef.







I forgot a mold dip picture so this is a old one from the last venison loin I did.






Hung 3/23.   These sheets are very thin and rip easy. Seems like alot of waste too..  One sheet per piece of meat.   






3/30 getting some mold growth.   I have never used these before soooo......   Hoping for the best


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## BGKYSmoker (Mar 30, 2019)

Nice job.


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## pc farmer (Mar 30, 2019)

SFLsmkr1 said:


> Nice job.



Thanks but its not over yet.  HA


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## BGKYSmoker (Mar 30, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Thanks but its not over yet.  HA


Wont take long.


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## chopsaw (Mar 30, 2019)

Gonna be good . Be watchin .


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## pc farmer (Mar 30, 2019)

chopsaw said:


> Gonna be good . Be watchin .



I hope you are right


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## daveomak (Mar 30, 2019)

You can overlap the left over hunks of the sheets on the next piece of meat...  When netted, all will be fine...
I ordered those sheets also...  Got them and some collagen casings to try on bratwurst...


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## pc farmer (Mar 30, 2019)

daveomak said:


> You can overlap the left over hunks of the sheets on the next piece of meat...  When netted, all will be fine...
> I ordered those sheets also...  Got them and some collagen casings to try on bratwurst...




Yup but when cutting to size with wet meat it dont work so well.  Maybe I will get better at it.


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## DanMcG (Mar 31, 2019)

Nice start Adam!


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## SmokinAl (Mar 31, 2019)

Looks great so far Adam!
Al


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## dernektambura (Mar 31, 2019)

what is the purpose of dipping meat in to culture solution? ... I never did that and still get white mold on surface...


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

dernektambura said:


> what is the purpose of dipping meat in to culture solution? ... I never did that and still get white mold on surface...



Just extra insurance I guess.  It won't hurt.


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## dernektambura (Mar 31, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Just extra insurance I guess.  It won't hurt.


It's good to be safe....I was thinking more along the taste improvement side which white mold creates, so I thought you want to get more mold  by dipping than naturally by drying....wasn't sure so I asked...


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

dernektambura said:


> It's good to be safe....I was thinking more along the taste improvement side which white mold creates, so I thought you want to get more mold  by dipping than naturally by drying....wasn't sure so I asked...



Not sure if it helps with taste being on the sheets and will be pulled off.  Granted I am new to this.  So I don't know.


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## dernektambura (Mar 31, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Not sure if it helps with taste being on the sheets and will be pulled off.  Granted I am new to this.  So I don't know.


Collagen sheets are breathable ans they shrink to size, so mould should "penetrate" through casing...


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

dernektambura said:


> Collagen sheets are breathable ans they shrink to size, so mould should "penetrate" through casing...



That's what's I thought.  But....


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## HalfSmoked (Mar 31, 2019)

Watching this is all new to me.

Warren


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

Mold doubled since yesterday.


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## indaswamp (Mar 31, 2019)

Looking good Adam... I have acquired two used refrigerators in the last month. I am anxious to set up one as a curing/aging/drying chamber for dry cured meats. I like your choice of products to make....


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

indaswamp said:


> Looking good Adam... I have acquired two used refrigerators in the last month. I am anxious to set up one as a curing/aging/drying chamber for dry cured meats. I like your choice of products to make....




I am watching your thread.  Mine was super cheap to make.  Could I have better equipment?  Yup, but what I have seems to work.    Heres some coppa I sliced up the other night.


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## daveomak (Mar 31, 2019)

Adam, that's awesome looking coppa...   I'd love to eat it....


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

daveomak said:


> Adam, that's awesome looking coppa...   I'd love to eat it....



Thanks, sadly that was the last of it.


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## chopsaw (Mar 31, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Heres some coppa I sliced up the other night.



WOW !


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

chopsaw said:


> WOW !



Thanks I think.


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## indaswamp (Mar 31, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> I am watching your thread.  Mine was super cheap to make.  Could I have better equipment?  Yup, but what I have seems to work.    Heres some coppa I sliced up the other night.
> 
> View attachment 391919


OMG! That looks beautiful! Coppa is one of the first things I am going to make...and pancetta....


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## indaswamp (Mar 31, 2019)

So...what is with the smilie faces under your avatar? Metal Award???? Is this something new on SMF?


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## pc farmer (Mar 31, 2019)

indaswamp said:


> OMG! That looks beautiful! Coppa is one of the first things I am going to make...and pancetta....



Thanks.   Coppa is easy.  Really its all easy once you get the chamber set right.  Listen to me, I sound like I know what I am doing.  LOL




indaswamp said:


> So...what is with the smilie faces under your avatar? Metal Award???? Is this something new on SMF?



I am special.  LOL   Not sure that its new but might be workin on using them?


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## indaswamp (Mar 31, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Thanks.   Coppa is easy.  Really its all easy once you get the chamber set right.  Listen to me, I sound like I know what I am doing.  LOL
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Must be an inside joke then....


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 1, 2019)

Show off   

Warren


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## dernektambura (Apr 1, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Thanks.   Coppa is easy.  Listen to me, I sound like I know what I am doing.  LOL


You definitely know what you doing...Coppa slices look awesome...I hope you still have some cuz it goes great with simple warm crust bread and "olio d'oliva" dip... warm up 1/3 cup of oil oil...add, crushed garlic, pinch of rosemary or oregano and tad of limun juice...heavenly taste....( don't forget vine...)


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## pc farmer (Apr 1, 2019)

dernektambura said:


> You definitely know what you doing...Coppa slices look awesome...I hope you still have some cuz it goes great with simple warm crust bread and "olio d'oliva" dip... warm up 1/3 cup of oil oil...add, crushed garlic, pinch of rosemary or oregano and tad of limun juice...heavenly taste....( don't forget vine...)




Thanks.  Yeah, I am out of coppa.


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## pc farmer (Apr 1, 2019)

So today the mold is really going now.   Seems to be on one side thou.  Much less on the back side.  
















Not sure why, I am guessing the fat dont take mold well.  But hey, mold is going good.  Will update tomorrow again.


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## pc farmer (Apr 3, 2019)

So it seems like mold dont like fat.    I moved them around tonight to make sure air flow wasnt the problem.


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## pc farmer (Apr 6, 2019)

So more mold growth.   Still not much on the fat side.   But no bad mold growing either.  I need to get something else in there to see if the mold will carry over to the new meat with out using the starter mold.


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## indaswamp (Apr 7, 2019)

Is that normal for the mold to be slow to grow on the areas of fat?


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## pc farmer (Apr 7, 2019)

indaswamp said:


> Is that normal for the mold to be slow to grow on the areas of fat?




I am not sure.


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## BGKYSmoker (Apr 7, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> I am not sure.


Yes it can happen, Surface fat can still fat-out so to speak making mold hard to incubate.

Adam your still good and looking great.


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## pc farmer (Apr 7, 2019)

SFLsmkr1 said:


> Yes it can happen, Surface fat can still fat-out so to speak making mold hard to incubate.
> 
> Adam your still good and looking great.



Thanks boss man.


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 8, 2019)

There you boss has spoken.

Warren


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