ECA and or fermento

[Fair-chase]

 My sausage and sticks using prepacked seasonings have been pretty good , but I am ready to mix my own. Ryteks recipes as well as others from this forum are where I'll start.

I've read everything I can find on this forum. Below is some of the information I have gatherd followed by some questions I still have .

 1. Lots of recipes call for powdered dextrose and fermento.
 2. Some state that they have substited cultured powdered buttermilk for fermento.
 Question.  If both were on the shelf in front of you which would you get ?

 Some use ECA instead of fermento. Both from what I've read are used to give that tangy or fermented taste to sausage. Fermento makes the sausage do this naturally through a fermentation process of about 8 hrs with 90 deg temperatures.
ECA skips the fermention process and just gives the tangy flavor.
Is all of this correct ?
If the recipe calls for powdered dextrose and fermento , and one chooses to use ECA is the powdered dextrose still added ?
Is there a taste difference in the tang between ECA and fermento.

[Mr Walleye]

Fair-Chase

If you click on the link below and scroll down near the bottom there is some good information on both ECA and GDL. GDL is Glucono Delta Lactone. GDL is what I use but mainly because of availability. I thought I remembered GDL being one of the main ingredients in fermento but I can't seem to find it right now.
http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/page0001.htm

Here is another one regarding fermento/buttermilk solids. It's about halfway down the page.
http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/CuringAgents.htm

AlliedKenco's description.
http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/popup_text.php/fld/products_howto/tbl/products_description/key/1489

Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

GDL is not a listed ingredient of fermento. It is possible that it could be an acid that it produces during fermentation. What is listed as ingredients for Fermento are: cultured whey protein, concentrated cultured skim milk; which is the basic ingredients for cultured butter milk.

If I saw both on the self next to each other and one was cultured buttermilk powder, and the other was fermento, I would get the one that is cheapest. If the buttermilk package did not have cultured on it, then I would go for the fermento, regardless of cost.

[Fair-chase]

 What about the powdered dextrose if one uses ECA instead of fermento ?

[Habanero Smoker]

I've never worked with ECA, but NePas has. If you are using ECA then the dextrose is not needed to ferment the bacteria, but it may be needed for flavor. It wouldn't hurt to keep it in the recipe.

[3rensho]

GDL is not a listed ingredient of fermento. It is possible that it could be an acid that it produces during fermentation.

You're right Habs.  GDL is glucono delta-lactone (E575) which hydrolizes in water to gluconic acid which adds a sour taste (tang) to food products.