After my recent success with some semi-dried cervelat, I decided it was time to get serious and set myself up to do some longer term proper air dried meats and sausages. So... off to eBay I went and bought a used fridge for £9 ($15). I got what I paid for :-[, and although the fridge works fine, the seal on the door was so grubby and mildewed that I ended up having to replace it, and I found out after being sold a replacement seal, that this particular model of fridge has the kind of door with an integrated seal that wasn't replaceable on it's own.... so I had to get a whole new door which cost me another £44 >:(
But, onwards and upwards. I didn't think at the time to take any photos of the process, but I've got a few photos now of the finished product. It works really well, and I can control temperature to within 1 degree and humidity to within a couple of %. I've currently got it running at fridge temperatures with a "coppa" curing in it until its ready to start drying (separate post).
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5457.jpg)
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5461.jpg)
The extraction fan for dehumidification is controlled by a mechanical hygrostat. It will actually switch between 2 connected items, so could technically control both the humidifier AND extraction fan. But, either one or the other item is always on, there is no way to program it, and in practice this causes around +/- 20% fluctuation in humidity... not tight enough control for fermenting and drying. So, I've just got it connected to the dehumidification circuit and will set it so it kicks in around 5% above my desired RH to bring it back down again.
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5459.jpg)
Used a 3" (76mm) hole saw to cut the holes for the air exhaust and intakes. I had previously ran the fridge and made sure no cooling was taking place on the sides.... in another blog post I read on this subject as the guy was drilling through the side of his fridge he cut the refrigerant line, destroying his ability to cool the chamber!
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5488.jpg)
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5458.jpg)
Sorry about this photo... didn't want to move the fridge again to take an uncluttered view of the extraction vent :D
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5463.jpg)
(http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu36/tdcooper/CIMG5462.jpg)
Can't wait to try it out!
Wow! That is a beautiful piece of work. Fantastic job!
I haven't previously seen one with an external vent before, much less controlled forced ventilation, and your controls are incredible. Can you tell us who makes the controllers and where you got them?
I've never seen a refrigerator like that either - no freezer compartment and all the shelf levels. It looks like a cross between a restaurant and home unit.
You should be on a roll for cry curing. Going to try prosciutto?
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on November 14, 2010, 04:25:21 AM
Going to try prosciutto?
My wife saw a copy of Charcuterie on my desk and asked "can you make prosciutto?? what does it take??". I'll show her this post. ;D
I agonised quite a lot over the controls, took me ages to actually settle on the combo I went with. It was frustrating, because the temperature controller is EXACTLY what is needed, and between the fridge and the 100w heater, I have a temperature range of around 0oC (maybe less, but don't want to stress the old fridge!) up to around 35oC. BUT, there just doesn't seem to be a similar controller available for humidity, one that will allow you to program a set point and a dead zone so that it will either humidify OR dehumidify OR sit tight with both off until one or the other is needed again according to the tolerance you've set. So, hence the 2 separate humidity controllers.
Anyway, I used the following place for some of the stuff, the internal mechanical hygrostat, the PTY heater, the DIN rail and some of the wiring supplies:
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=browseSection&Ne=4294957561&N=4294965055 (http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=browseSection&Ne=4294957561&N=4294965055)
The above have a presence in the US under the following company:
http://www.alliedelec.com/ (http://www.alliedelec.com/)
I used this place for the temperature and digital humidity controllers:
http://www.forttex.com/ (http://www.forttex.com/)
My humidifier is this one... it's really good, as it is adjustable from a fog down to a barely discernible wisp of vapor coming out:
http://www.kaz-europe.com/cool-mist-vh5000e/ (http://www.kaz-europe.com/cool-mist-vh5000e/)
The fan is just an AC computer enclosure fan. I had wanted everything to run on mains level voltage for convenience. Unfortunately, when I went to wire in the little PTY heater, it turn out the fan on it was 24v (switchable DC or AC). So I ended up having to wire it into a 220 --> 24v AC to AC transformer. The nice thing about that heater is the fan is run independantly. It's tiny, but provides just enough air flow to keep the air moving slightly inside the chamber when it's closed. Of course, when the exhaust fan kicks in, the whole unit will get it's air replaced...
The fridge is what's referred to over here (UK) as a larder fridge... no freezer. They're fairly common, and this particular one didn't have much wasted space inside, especially at the bottom where the compressor sits. You do also get the regular fridges with both fridge and freezer... but they are still only around 55-60cm wide, and this form factor is kind of standard for Europe. The wide style North American fridges are available, but not as common and very expensive over here.
As for Prosciutto... well, the sky's the limit really! It's a pretty massive time commitment.... at least a year, possibly up to 3! I've already warned my wife that when we move back to Canada and have LOTs of space, I'm going to have one of these for fermenting, one for curing and one for long-term storage ;D ;D ;D
This is a great project you have done expat. I can't wait to see how your coppa turns out.
Wow! Dang that is nice.
Fantastic job!
Great finish to a Awesome project ExPat
Very, very nice Expat. I doubt when I get around to it mine will ever be that nice or sophisticated.
As for the fridge, I've never seen the larder design. Need to check with my appliance expert if anything like that might be available over here. I am very familiar with European refrigerators, dinky little things that they are, and Dutch kitchens too (which fight with the bathroom for being the smallest room in the house). Thus far I've been thinking along the lines of an upright freezer.
Please keep us posted on your results. This is great stuff!
Quote from: squirtthecat on November 14, 2010, 04:58:05 AM
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on November 14, 2010, 04:25:21 AM
Going to try prosciutto?
My wife saw a copy of Charcuterie on my desk and asked "can you make prosciutto?? what does it take??". I'll show her this post. ;D
STC - if you want to know about prosciutto get Paul Bertolli's book
Cooking by Hand. When he was running Olivetto he made several dozen each year, and I believe he still makes them at Fra Mani. In his book he shows how to do it, with all the details, starting with the proper butchering of the leg, which will be hard to come by in the U.S. unless you have a willing butcher who gets his hogs in at least sides. The butchering, trimming and handling of the raw leg are all fairly important to eliminate entry routes for bacteria that lead to spoilage. After that, it gets complicated. :-\
I would be very happy if I could come close to the dry aged Virgina hams I grew up with, and ecstatic if I could approximate a Smithfiled ham.
What a superb job!! You're gonna have a lot of fun with that. I got my controller from forttex too. Works like a charm.
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on November 14, 2010, 07:29:39 AM
I would be very happy if I could come close to the dry aged Virgina hams I grew up with, and ecstatic if I could approximate a Smithfiled ham.
I've never eaten Virginia ham... but a little while ago came across the following method for making one, and decided it might be a worthy objective to aim for at some point:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/cure_smoke/virginia_ham.pdf (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/cure_smoke/virginia_ham.pdf)
Just curious, can you guys buy saltpeter over there? I just bought some from a sausage supply place over here just to have on hand in case I do come across an old school recipe that calls for it.
By the way "Cooking by Hand" is on my Christmas list... hopefully someone in my family will pick it up for me... otherwise it may just have to be a "gift to self" :D
3rensho, I would be interested in seeing your own setup. I posted earlier this year on a friend who does all his own stuff near Flims... and had intended to spend some time with him this autumn as he did his annual week or 2 of sausage making and meat curing. Work commitments kept me from doing it this year, so it'll have to be another time... but I am still amazed at what he does with nothing but fresh meat, experience and Alpine air!
Quote3rensho, I would be interested in seeing your own setup
Expat, I'd be embarrassed to show you my setup. Just a big box, ultrasonic humidifier and fan on bottom and a couple of holes drilled in the side for slow ventilation. No temp. control because the wine cellar stays pretty much right on through winter. It does however work very well. I have posted pix of it on a salami thread I started and maybe on a carne salata thread. To be perfectly frank I've made good salami, bresaola and pancetta just hanging it in the cellar but the humidity control does give a better result in deep winter when the air is real dry. Another trick I've learned is not to use commercial starter cultures and molds. They are designed for very rapid production and drop the pH to 5 or less almost overnight. They turn out finished salami in a week. That does not yield a good product IMHO. Just sour and no depth of flavors. You want to give the flavor producing bacteria a couple of days to do their thing before the pH gets too low. When I make a batch of air dried sausage I first buy a non-commercial salami from a hand producer. I grind some of the skinned salami and mix it well into my sausage mix to inoculate it, then stuff it. I take the moldy skin from the same salami, soak in lukewarm water for 20 minutes and then brush the outside of my fresh salami to inoculate it with a good mold. That combination works a treat.
I am amazed at the things that you guys build. This is one fantastic looking job! I think if it can be built, someone on the forum will figure out a way to build it.
Wow the processes you go through for the stuff we eat without even knowing what it tales to make the stuff. Just this little chat makes you appreciate it even more. I hope someday to be able to join the ranks but I think I would never get to the depths you 2 have. Very nice dryer Expat.
I am speechless and that is Hard to do to me. ;D
Just frickin' AWESOME!
WOW! I read this thing 5 times. SWEET!
Quote from: classicrockgriller on November 14, 2010, 11:25:32 AM
I am speechless and that is Hard to do to me. ;D
Just frickin' AWESOME!
WOW! I read this thing 5 times. SWEET!
You think you need to get new glasses? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I agree
Very nice setup.
This is my 2do here real soon.
You definitely have the Rolls Royce of setups. One of these days I'm going to bite the bullet and start cutting holes in my dry curing cabinet, but I still use it for double duty and use it for refrigeration during the summer months.
BLSH;
They make those types of refrigerators over here. Just do a search for freezerless refrigerators, I got mine from Sears.
You can also get an upright freezer. I started to get one, but I knew I would start using it to freeze food instead of using it for a dry curing cabinet. Sears also has a unit that can be used either as a refrigerator or freezer with a flick of a switch. But if you get a stand up freezer, you can easily use it for both once you have a temperature control device to control the temperature.
WOW, That is the SH#@!!
Really nice, I like the way you kept all the wiring and controls so neat and tidy.
Real professional like, congrats it's a real beauty!! Cant wait too see some of the results ;)
That's very impressive!
Wow!!!
Awrighten.
I'm ITCHIN' the get going. Only a few days to go with my Coppa cure.... then spending the weekend making a few different salumi, I want to get a few things going at once. Got around 20lb of pork and beef in my freezer to divide up into 2 or 3 different air-dried products.
I'm thinking Len Poli's favorite salami.... some Mortadella.... and maybe another batch of semi-dried cervelat, my first batch is pretty much gone and it was fantastic. I'm also going to get a couple of jowls from my butcher for some Guanciale....
Yep.. jumping in with both feet ;D ;D Why start slow when you can start at light speed?
Well folks, after sitting back and feeling mighty proud of myself for my efforts and basking humbly (NOT) in the glory of the deluge of compliments from your good selves.... I'm feeling a bit let down this evening...
It all started yesterday afternoon... I get a text message from my alarm system (don't ask... I like tech!) telling me there's been a power cut in my home. No biggie, happens now and again. I get home from work, and realise a breaker has tripped, the one that amongst other things has my shiny new drying chamber attached to it. I reset it, everything comes back to life... all good. Or so I thought... within 15 minutes, it's tripped again! Crap... I'm thinking great, my cheap and cheerful £9 fridge with a brand new £44 door has decided to pack it in. I test my theory by resetting the breaker again, but programming the unit for 25oC, so the fridge compressor stays off, but the interior heater is switched on. POP... breaker goes again! WTF!! ??? ??? ??? ??? Ok, getting 50:50 annoyed:worried here now.... think, I'll try a totally different outlet, in fact I ran an extension cord to the very outlet that I use for my DBS. Plugged it in, switched it on... and this time a very nasty sizzle noise comes from somewhere, and I smell that nasty burnt electric smell we've probably all smelled at some time or another. AND my extension cord is dead... didn't trip the breaker, but blew the fuse on the plug itself (our UK plugs have a 13A fuse built right into the head). Tomorrow I'll remove the fridge and heater wiring and try to run them independent of the controller, and HOPE that they are not the issue. With a bit of luck I've simply got a duff controller that has shorted out now that I've burnt it in using it for a few weeks.
So much for my high tech curing cabinet hey!!?? And all this 2 days before I am due to get my Coppa stuffed and drying. I can postpone the salumi making, but the coppa ain't stopping for anyone.
I guess if all else fails, the coppa can hang in my conservatory for a bit until I get this fixed, it's roughly correct in terms of temp and humidity anyway... so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
sounds like we have the same kind of luck ;) ;)
That is a bit of a bummer, but I'm sure you will get it all sorted out. Better now than if it was full of a bunch of salami :o
Good luck and keep us posted!!
That is my kind of luck.
I was ready to watch the fun.
I'll put my popcorn in a food saver bag.
dang!
Bummer dude! But anyone who can design and assemble a rig like that can probably quickly find and fix the problem. Just hope it isn't something that causes your used fridge to get ex'ed and need to rebuild the thing.
Quote from: smokeNcanuck on November 18, 2010, 04:23:47 PM
Better now than if it was full of a bunch of salami :o
Most definately the positive side of this.... :)
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on November 18, 2010, 04:39:30 PM
But anyone who can design and assemble a rig like that can probably quickly find and fix the problem. Just hope it isn't something that causes your used fridge to get ex'ed and need to rebuild the thing.
Well, can't take credit for the design... had the benefit of experience from many blogs and forums to pick and choose from! But, it's morning here, just poured myself a cup of coffee and am about to get stuck into pulling the controller apart and seeing what gives.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Ok, good news... isolated the fridge and heating and plugged each in separately. Fridge is fine... WHEW!! The problem is in the 100W heater, instant breaker trip and nasty bad smells when that bad boy gets plugged in :(. Weird thing is, it's barely been used at all... I've mainly been using the fridge as a fridge waiting for my Coppa to finish it's cure. Only actually used the heater in the first few days when I was playing around with different temperature and humidity settings.
I'm no electrician (beyond the basics)... but I think the reason it was tripping even on the cooling cycle is that the temp. controller itself only has a single Common/Neutral connector, so you have to wire both the fridge and heater common wires together. I think that must be enough for the short in the Heater to affect the whole system. Can someone more electrically savvy explain it to me, or tell me if this is even plausible?
Anyway, returning the heater, will have a new one by Monday and all is well in the world again
Glad to hear you isolated the problem.
I haven't cut any holes in my refrigerator, because I still use it to refrigerate during the summer months. Since you have installed vent louvers, drilled holes through the cabinet, and still use it to refrigerate; I have a question. Does the compressor run constantly or more frequently to keep the refrigerator at 40°F and lower? In other words are you loosing too much cold air through those vents, even when closed there seems to be no insulation.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on November 19, 2010, 01:03:01 PM
I haven't cut any holes in my refrigerator, because I still use it to refrigerate during the summer months. Since you have installed vent louvers, drilled holes through the cabinet, and still use it to refrigerate; I have a question. Does the compressor run constantly or more frequently to keep the refrigerator at 40°F and lower? In other words are you loosing too much cold air through those vents, even when closed there seems to be no insulation.
I was concerned about that, but it seems to cycle fairly slowly. The controller actually has a programmable delay setting in it that will prevent the compressor from cycling on and off too frequently. I have it set to 3 minutes, which means if it calls for cooling again within 3 minutes of it's last cycle, it waits. However, at the moment, it seems to be cycling on about every 10-15 minutes... I have it set for a 1.5
oC buffer, so once it gets that amount over the set temperature it kicks in again. Same goes for the heating side, but at fridge temps, it never kicks in... ambient temp brings it up on it's own. It's in an unheated area of my house, so the ambient temperature is around 10
oC right now, which helps. I have no doubt that I have compromised somewhat on the ability to retain the internal environment, but I had to measure that against the other goals I was trying to accomplish. We'll see how it does when I need to maintain a higher temp.
Living on the Gulf Coast of TX, I don't think I could get away with a well ventilated cabinet like yours. I'm afraid it would be an open door invitation to our abundant crawling critter population. It's a constant battle as it is, and a ventilated curing cabinet would probably quickly become a bait cabinet. When I get around to this I think I'll just have to open the door periodically for air exchange.
Expat,
I found some cheap / used / small (door-style) freezers on Craigslist. Any reason you can think of why a freezer wouldn't work for this type of setup?
I also did a little research after reading your posts and found that it may be difficult to reproduce prosciutto in a setup like this (from the sausage maker's version of this dry cure chamber). I know you're just getting started with this chamber so you may not know yet but do you think it's worth a try? I just want to know ahead of time what I can / can't do with a setup like this.
Thanks
I built a dry cure cabinet, and originally was going to use an upright freezer, but went with a freezerless refrigerator. If your concern is whether one is better at controlling the cabinet temperature than the other, it doesn't matter if it is a refrigerator or freezer. Once you use a temperature control device to regulate the temperature, it will control the temperature at what you set if for; that is excluding any ambient temperature problems.
Quote from: mjdeez on December 06, 2010, 12:11:53 PM
Expat,
I found some cheap / used / small (door-style) freezers on Craigslist. Any reason you can think of why a freezer wouldn't work for this type of setup?
I also did a little research after reading your posts and found that it may be difficult to reproduce prosciutto in a setup like this (from the sausage maker's version of this dry cure chamber). I know you're just getting started with this chamber so you may not know yet but do you think it's worth a try? I just want to know ahead of time what I can / can't do with a setup like this.
Thanks
Take my comments with a grain of salt since my experience is very limited. :-)
I started with a freezer but had extremely high hummidity. The shelfs themselves were part of the cooling unit. (http://tapa.tk/mu/a6890929-53ca-abb0.jpg)
In the photo you can see the high RH. Thats even after I placed a whole pound of salt .
This is what I'm using and it has been working great.
(http://tapa.tk/mu/a6890929-544e-4f12.jpg)
Wine cooler with salt tray. RH 70-75 with a temp of 60F.
Hope this helped.
SamuelG
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks guys. I'm kind of on the fence as to whether I want to build a curing chamber now (and risk another half finished project lying around) or wait a while. I should probably do some more research on the subject, but for $20 for a freezer 5 minutes away I probably shouldn't pass it up. The thing is it's a bit short at 55" tall (2' wide, 2' deep). Not sure if this will be tall enough to have a humidifier + hang meat.
How do you store your fermented sausages after the period in the curing chamber? Do you keep a separate storing chamber or just keep them in the cellar?
I wrap my in plastic and store them in the refrigerator, because my house is way too warm in the summer, and the humidity is way too low in the winter.
The ideal conditions are an ambient temperature between 50°F - 60°F, and a relative humidity of around 75%. An unheated cellar will give you the ideal temperature, you may have to regulate the humidity.
Hello.
Thank you for sharing your work.
There is something i don't understand : why do you use an electronic humidity controler for the humidifier and a mechanical one for the dehumidifying fan... ?
I don't understand why you did not use in both case an electronic model.
And an other question : If outside had more humidity than inside of the fridge, could the extraction fan succeed to lower the humidity ? will it succeed to extract humidity toward outside despite the fact that there is more humidity outside ?