# Help needed. Salami Fermentation process delivers odd smell and mold.



## BarberMeatHead (Apr 13, 2021)

Hello, people of meat. I'm having issues with my Fermentation method, during the process of Fermenting sausages and Salamis within the 2nd and 3rd day of fermenting meat @27-30C (80-86F) White slimy mold appears on the casings of all sausages. I have read in the past that white mold is somewhere harmless and you should wipe it off and proceed to smell/taste test and that the slimy white texture may signify spoiled meat. Last time I did a batch of Nduja and used meat I have bought earlier that year and froze it after some time in a fridge knowing that I thought that my meat was spoiled during high-temperature fermentation and dropped most of the batch. (Left #1 witch had freshly frozen meat from a fresh pig) all of the batches had the slimy texture on the casing and odd smell that reminded me of a mold and spoiled meat mixture.
A few days ago I thawed out some meat from a freshly butchered pig I immediately vac-packed and froze to use within 2-3months mixed it with fresh fat and seasonings and stuffed it into casings,  having the same issues as in the last batch.
Anyone had similar problems? After the said mold and smell appeared and wiped sausages and cleaned the inside of the curing chamber during the fermentation process but within the 15hrs I'm having the same smell and mold on the casings.
The thing is I may have left the meat at room temperature for too long to thaw out (Left in a big metal bowl vac sealed for around 10-18hrs) Meat was still relatively cold but already completely thawed. \
The funny thing is I'm using Bactoferm F-R-M 7 starter culture and in the past, I used RAPSUS I never had any problems with it. I can't seem to find the exact time and temperatures for full fermentation with it but I ball part to 28-30C for 3days.
unfortunately, I don't have a Ph meter atm and can't say whether I'm in the zone with PH or not.
When it comes to Ph I usually follow the guidelines and dry out meat to begin consuming it. From what I read I have this mindset that even if I'm not measuring accurate ph I'm still ahead of those who made sausages Hundreds of years ago and they were relatively fine especially if I cook it which lowers the risk of food poisoning. Should I be worried about Ph even if I cook the meat? Any taste test tips from you guys are welcome. I notice that some of my batches that had fast fermentation starters developed a sour taste that would be felt in the stomach should I be worried about the meat quality or the fermentation duration?
A fermentation chamber is a simple Wardrobe that has a hydrator and heating element in it.
The ingredients are 1% of brown sugar (Had no dextrose) and 3% Milk Powder (Which helps to make em juicier and bind them since I was going for diced meat/Fats) the rest are either spices or salt. It also had various food ingredients such as olives , cheese, nuts, and chocolate but it does not make any real difference since the last batch had none of this.


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## BarberMeatHead (Apr 14, 2021)

Up. How should I process it? I was about to smoke it for a few hrs with cold smoke would it help or it's unadvised to even begin drying it?
It would be a shame to lose a whole batch, but what if the smell decreases and I end up eating a product that might be hazardous?


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