# Making salami. Second round...



## mochosla (Apr 7, 2017)

Hi guys. So, since out of my previous batch looks like no more than two pieces are going to be okay, I'm trying again and I hope for better results. I used a recipe I got from a Charcuterie book and a lot of help from DaveOmak so let's see how they turn out this time. I used F-RM-52 and bactoferm 600 which as you can see in the pics, it is beginning to bloom. They've been in the fridge for 6 days and yesterday I checked the PH in a sacrificial small sausage I put in the fridge. The PH strips showed a color closer to 4 than to 5 so I'm going to assume everything is correct. The meet in the piece I cut open was firm and it smelled great. Since I'm using lamb casings, I'm going to assume it will be between 30 to 45 days before they are ready to eat. I'm tracking the weight so once they lose 30 to 40%, I will let you know how they turn out. Any advice is always welcome. 













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__ mochosla
__ Apr 7, 2017


















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__ mochosla
__ Apr 7, 2017


















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__ mochosla
__ Apr 7, 2017


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## daveomak (Apr 7, 2017)

Looking good...    
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






   ....  I'm in....


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## myownidaho (Apr 7, 2017)

Good looking start! I'm in!


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## SmokinAl (Apr 8, 2017)

I'm in too!

Al


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## crankybuzzard (Apr 8, 2017)

Yep, following along as well.  Looks good so far


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## mochosla (Apr 8, 2017)

Looks like the mold is growing now! I took the other salamis out, raised the temp to 60 degrees and lower the humidity to 72%  as recommended by the recipe. Let's see happens. 













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__ mochosla
__ Apr 8, 2017


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## redheelerdog (Apr 8, 2017)

Looking good!


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## disco (Apr 11, 2017)

Watching!

Disco


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## crankybuzzard (Apr 11, 2017)

Looks like a pretty good growth too.  Probably smelling pretty nice about now as well.


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## mochosla (Apr 12, 2017)

Pretty good mold coverage. Smells good too 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	

















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__ mochosla
__ Apr 12, 2017


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## mochosla (Apr 13, 2017)

Hi guys. Is there such a thing as too much good mold? The salamis are fully covered on it and the fridge has a somewhat strong smell of humidity/mold.


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## mochosla (Apr 25, 2017)

So, it has been 21 days since I made these. I have lost about 30% of the weight and they seem to be doing fine. Humidity is at around 70% and I  changed the humidifier for a container with salt and water. My only concern is still the strong smell of mold/cheese but I'm going to asume that this is normal. Any feedback would be welcome. 

Thank you. 













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__ mochosla
__ Apr 25, 2017


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## daveomak (Apr 25, 2017)

They look awesome...   White mold is GOOD mold...    Nice job.....


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## BGKYSmoker (Apr 26, 2017)

AOK From here.


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## BGKYSmoker (Apr 26, 2017)

mochosla said:


> Hi guys. Is there such a thing as too much good mold? The salamis are fully covered on it and the fridge has a somewhat strong smell of humidity/mold.


What size is your cabinet?

The crane humidifier may be to big


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## mochosla (Apr 26, 2017)

nepas said:


> What size is your cabinet?
> 
> The crane humidifier may be to big


The size is just a regular small fridge without a freezer. The issue I believe I have and may confirm your comment is that the sausages seem to be getting a bit too much mist. Even though the RH was at 75%. I was expecting them to be drier and they were not. Now that I removed the humidifier they seem to be a lot better. I will give it a few days and see how the RH is impacted. But so far it is staying at 65%+.

Thank you.


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## mochosla (Apr 29, 2017)

So, the salamis have lost about 40% of their weight so I decided to cut into one of them. While smell and flavor were great, the meat is somewhat mushy. Any thoughts? 














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__ mochosla
__ Apr 29, 2017


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## myownidaho (Apr 29, 2017)

What I did was take it to 43-45%, then took them out and put them in a ziplock bag for a few days to let the moisture equalize.


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## daveomak (Apr 29, 2017)

When you made the meat mix, did you add water to get everything going ??    I'm guessing probably...  

If you did, you must subtract the weight of the water to get back to the "real" weight of the meat to determine %  moisture loss....
[h2]Manufacturing Technology[/h2]
The first manufacturing steps such as meat selection, grinding, mixing and stuffing are common to all sausages whether fresh, smoked or fermented types. The main difference is that no water should be added to meat during processing as water is the necessary nutrient for bacteria. _The technology of making dry sausages relies on removal of water and not on bringing water in._

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-types/fermented-sausage


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## BGKYSmoker (Apr 29, 2017)

Fermentation is the critical point.

*Temperatures:*  Initial fermentation temperatures are quite high *26*  º *-30*  º   C, (78 º -86 º F) to allow rapid growth of fast-acting starter cultures. Some very fast cultured are targeted for fermentation temperatures up to 45 º   C (113º F)

*Bactoferm[emoji]8482[/emoji] F-RM-52*  - medium fast culture targeted for fermentation temperatures of 22º -32º C (70º -90º  F)

Fermenting - which lasts about 48 hours

Drying - which may be subdivided into:
fast-fermented type - 5-7 days
medium-fermented type - 4-6 weeks
slow-fermented type - 6 weeks or longer


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## mochosla (Apr 30, 2017)

I used FRM 52 and left them at about 85 degrees for 12 hours. Is that why I'm having this issue? I assume they will continue to ferment in the chamber but it will take longer. Correct? The chamber is 60 degrees.


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## daveomak (Apr 30, 2017)

[h1]Bactoferm F-RM-52[/h1]
*PLEASE NOTE: Due to freezer storage requirements, this product cannot be shipped outside North America. This product is intended only for use with meat products and is not intended to treat, cure or prevent disease.*

Many types of medium-diameter salamis and other dry, fermented sausages, especially those traditionally made in northern Europe, call for a distinct, somewhat sour flavor. This robust flavor is caused by a boost in lactic acid, a reaction that occurs when certain types of bacteria are introduced to the sausage during fermentation.

This freeze-dried culture blends Bactoferm lactobacillus and staphylococcus bacteria for medium to fast acidification and food fermentation. Bactoferm F-RM-52 starter culture causes the meat's pH to drop to under 5.0 in about four days or under 5.4 in two days in a 90°F environment. This is a fast culture containing _Lactobacillus sakei_ and _Staphylococcus carnosus_ strains, targeted for fermentation temperatures of 70-90°F.

Net weight: 25g (per packet)

Usage: 25g for 100kg (220lbs)

Instructions for making 10lb. increments included

Storage: freezer (<2°F)


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## BGKYSmoker (Apr 30, 2017)

mochosla said:


> I used FRM 52 and left them at about 85 degrees for 12 hours. Is that why I'm having this issue? I assume they will continue to ferment in the chamber but it will take longer. Correct? The chamber is 60 degrees.


You need longer fermentation time like 2-3 days.

IMHO: I dont think the fermentation @60* will ferment much more.

Cure #2

This cure, which is sodium nitrate, acts like a time release, slowly breaking down into sodium nitrite, then into nitric oxide. This allows you to dry cure products that take much longer to cure.


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## mochosla (Apr 30, 2017)

I followed the instructions on the recipe which asked for 12 hours. But yes, the FRM 52 calls for a lot more. I will have to wait and see what happens. Thank you for your help.


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## mochosla (May 6, 2017)

So, here is the final product. I took some out today as they seem to be read.They have a hard even consistency. I removed the casing, cut them in half and tasted a sample. Oh boy, the flavor is amazing. I put them in vacuum bags to help redistribute humidity (although they seem to have the same consistency throughout) and also to store them in my regular fridge. I have 4 more in the chamber that will be ready in the next 2 weeks I think. 

Thank you all for your assistance and pieces of advice. 













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__ mochosla
__ May 6, 2017


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