Good day folks,
Keep trying to get something right on the snack sticks. I tried hanging and the end cooked way to fast. Tried laying and I got strips from sides that never faced down. Added soy protein to retain moister and they still shrivel up when cooled. Mixed the meat until "furry" like the books describe (can't they think of a more appetizing description?) but the texture is still mealy.
I'm needing a stix 101 because I'm ruining a bit of burger. They are ok but ZI want to do better.
Thx,
Jim
Can you give us a bit more information? What recipe are you using? Using a kit or a personal recipe. How much water are you using in the mix? What type of casing. What are your cooking temps? What mix of ground beef such as 80/20, 85/15?
I have done a few batches of sticks and from what I have found out is if you like a smoother non shriveled sausage, after it hits the IT of 152 take out and put in ice water to cool down for about 30 minutes then take out of water wipe off and let air dry for and hour or so. If you let air cool they seem to shrivel up.
Drac- i have only done 3 batches of stix to date i lay them down i have never hung them i turn them every hour like Sailor stated there are a lot variables i sure Nepas will be along soon he will help ya out he the stix master
Been using kit spices from various makers. I've been using 1/4 c water per lb (both 80/20 and 70/30) with collagen casings doing 3 hours smoke at 130 than up the temp to 170 until IT of 152.
I've tried both shocking in ice water and air cooling.
Jim
This the way i do mine some times i move them into the house oven to finish
check the sixth post down by ou812
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=19633.0
Drac, I made 30 pounds of stix for Christmas gifts and each batch was 5 pounds. Some batches I hung and some I laid in racks. I found the ones I did in racks cooked more even. All of the shriveled but that did not hurt the taste at all. Of all of the pics of stixs on the forum I don't think I remember any that were done that were fully plump and not shriveled. The only thing that I can think of doing to keep them plump is to smoke em then put them in a hot bath of 160 degree water to bring the IT to 152. I have not tried this for stix yet but I think a couple of guys did this a few days ago. I can't remember if their photos showed a finished product that was not wrinkled. Personally I think wrinkles give the character. ;D
I can tell you that if you use 5 pounds of meat you will lose about 35% to 40% of weight on the finished product. Seems to reason that the casing just has to shrink to fill the void that is lost when the moisture is cooked out.
With practice you can get plump, non wrinkly stix ;D
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/nepas1/DSC01117.jpg)
I like em wrinkly too even ;D
I guess I can deal with the wrinkles but I thought they were a sign of one of the problems that cause the dryness and mealiness.
Jim
Well ....paint me red and call me a barn......the Master shows up and shows a perfect batch of stix. Not sure how he does it. I think it is a secret ;D
Quote from: Sailor on December 27, 2010, 04:37:13 PM
Well ....paint me red and call me a barn......the Master shows up and shows a perfect batch of stix. Not sure how he does it. I think it is a secret ;D
:D :D
I used to live in a barn :D :D
Here is a secret....1 word.....buttermilk ;D
Buttermilk????????????????????????????
Quote from: SL2010 on December 27, 2010, 04:40:38 PM
Buttermilk????????????????????????????
Yup
Cant say more cuz its a secret :D :D
I used buttermilk on them and still got wrinkles. Heck I got wrinkles in my fingers, toes, forehead and other places too ;D
Quote from: Sailor on December 27, 2010, 04:42:24 PM
I used buttermilk on them and still got wrinkles. Heck I got wrinkles in my fingers, toes, forehead and other places too ;D
That means ya gots lots of character ;D
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/nepas1/DSC00825.jpg)
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/nepas1/DSC00826.jpg)
See the cup with the cure mixed in the small amount of water?
Never mix the cure with the buttermilk, add it after you have the buttermilk/mix to the meat.
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/nepas1/DSC00828.jpg)
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/nepas1/DSC00829.jpg)
It dont change the taste i dont like buttermilk except in pancakes
AH HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Master knew exactly what I did wrong without even asking. I had been mixing my cure in the buttermilk. DO'H
I have 5 lbs to mix up and I will do the cure in a little water then do what you just said. Snaps to and renders a stiff salute ;D or drinks a stiff one........ ;D
Quote from: SL2010 on December 27, 2010, 04:51:53 PM
It dont change the taste i dont like buttermilk except in pancakes
I don't taste the buttermilk at all.
looks like i gotta get some buttermilk gonna do 10 pounds of stix this weekend
Quote from: SL2010 on December 27, 2010, 04:51:53 PM
It dont change the taste i dont like buttermilk except in pancakes
The BMilk gives a tang much like ECA, Fermento, Bactofirm, buttermilk powder. Use 1 to 1.5 cups per every 5 lbs of meat.
Liquid culture in a bottle
Doing some more sticks right now. These are pepperoni but these will be going into the dehydrator tomorrow.
Jim
will it be ok to use the buttermilk with the LEM hot stick pack i will be adding .5 of a cup crushed red pepper and 2 tbs of cayenne powder to the mix
also
Quote from: SL2010 on December 27, 2010, 05:27:34 PM
will it be ok to use the buttermilk with the LEM hot stick pack i will be adding .5 of a cup crushed red pepper and 2 tbs of cayenne powder to the mix
also
Yup
See what the ingredients are in the LEM. Dextrose in it will give a bit more tang and you might have to cut back the BM to just a tad under 1 cup
ok thanks if they look as good as yours i will post pics
Ok, someone want to explain how when keeping the temp between 160-175 the IT of the sticks will go up and down? I had hit 180 and I dropped the temp 10. The temp dropped to 165. The IT dropped from 140 to 134.
How can the IT drop when the temp of the cabinet is still higher than the IT? Physics say that's not possible.
Jim
Had my PID get goofy from the cold weather tonight, just checked my sticks and my cabinet temp was 220 F. Accidentally put my maverick probe through the snowblower..own fault. Now a few of the sticks had the grease come out
If things don't get weirder the sticks can out smooth. Placed them in the dehydrator overnight and they are still fairly plump. They have slim jim textures but they are still pretty close to the 17mm I started with. Strange.
BTW is there any difference between the clear vs. the mahogany casings?
Jim
NePaS,
You are the snack stick king ::) and as such I have read most of your postings. The idea of buttermilk caught my attention but when I researched futher the final sticks you show are for the beer sticks you made :o. Nothing against beer but was curious about the taste difference of the beer sticks vs buttermilk sticks? The final sticks you have in your buttermilk posting look equally as good if not a bit darker (unless it is just the picture). I'm about to do 5 lbs of AC Leggs and wanted your take on the differences.
Pete
Quote from: pwaldman on January 05, 2011, 01:38:42 PM
NePaS,
You are the snack stick king ::) and as such I have read most of your postings. The idea of buttermilk caught my attention but when I researched futher the final sticks you show are for the beer sticks you made :o. Nothing against beer but was curious about the taste difference of the beer sticks vs buttermilk sticks? The final sticks you have in your buttermilk posting look equally as good if not a bit darker (unless it is just the picture). I'm about to do 5 lbs of AC Leggs and wanted your take on the differences.
Pete
Beer sticks have that hopp taste to them. Buttermilk has a twang and creaminess to the meat. I have a few secrets that i dont share very easily :D
Leggs is good stuff.
Thanks. So what's the price of a little more of the master's secrets? ???