Fermento Question

[anderson5420]

I have recently gotten interested in a big way in dry cured meats and sausages.

I cure whole muscle like loin with Tenderquick (I posted a pictorial series on this a while ago, worth looking at if you are interested). I have lots and lots of this, and believe me, it is worth your time.

Now I have made a couple of batches of dry cured sausage with Bactoferm FR-51, including some Tuscan Salami in normal hog casings, which ends up pretty small, and I have another batch hanging in 3.5" protein lined casings which according to the literature requires about 90 days, so I have a couple more months to go on that one.

But Bactoferm is so bloody expensive, I really want to try something else. I have read everything there is to read on it, and it claims is is a "controlled fermentation product."  But then it says it eliminates the fermentation time. I am in the fermentation business (a brewery), and I know that fermentation takes time, period, so this statement has me scratching head.

So does Fermento contain active cultures that start a fermentation in the sausage, or is it simply a flavoring agent?  If it starts a fermentation, why does it not take a similar period of time to Bactoferm to ferment before hanging?  Just answer if you really know the answer, no BS please!  Maybe I should phone SMI and ask but if anybody really knows, it would be good information for everybody!

[Habanero Smoker]

The purpose of the culture is to produce lactic acid for flavor and to lower the ph. Fermento is recommended for semi-dry, fully cooked or fresh sausage. A while back I did an experiment, by mixing fermento, dextrose, and warm water together. Then I placed it on a heating pad and kept the temperature around 90°F. It did ferment some, but I don't believe there is enough live culture to bring the ph levels down in dry cured sausage, or you would need an extended fermentation time. But fermento does have lactic acid, which creates the tang and should lower the ph. 

Does fermento have enough lactic acid to drop the ph into a safe range? I don't know. If you have a ph meter then it is easy to measure. If you have the ph strips that requires you to take some of the fermented sausage, grind it with water, then use a strip to test the ph; well that is a pain and you can ruin a whole sausage. So this type of testing is not done until the sausage is finished.

It is more of a flavoring ingredient. Since you know cultures, if you don't add a started culture, then you are depended on what bacteria is in the air, and your fermentation time and the flavor will be a gamble. If you are following the recipes in Charcuterie, you don't have to use as much culture as he recommends. I saw major discrepancies between his recipes and the directions that came with the culture. So I searched his blog to find out if anyone else noticed this. I used 1/3 package per five pounds, because I was making 15 pounds of sausage.

You can find his response here; scroll to the bottom of the page
The Bactoferm issue

[anderson5420]

Well, of course I meant Bactoferm F-RM-52.  And if I can use 1/4 package for 5 lbs, that certainly lowers the cost considerably. Thanks, I have some Fermento coming, and will play around with it and see how it performs.  Guess I will order some more Bactoferm though. Thanks.

[NePaSmoKer]

I have used F-RM-52, 1/4 package for 5 lbs is allot.

After seasonings and spices have been effectively mixed into minced meat the culture is introduced and also thoroughly mixed. For every 10 lbs. of meat: dilute ½ tsp. of culture in ½ cup distilled water (or chlorine free tap water). Let sit for 15-20 minutes for bacteria to "wake-up" then pour over mixed meat and re-mix thoroughly. Make sure meat stays cold. Use InstaCure#1 or #1 and #2 mixed with this culture.

I did sweet lebanon bologna and use very little.

[anderson5420]

Another idea to cut the cost, if you do a lot, is to save out some of the inoculated meat and "back slop" the next batch, the way we carry over yeast from batch to batch in the brewery, but this would probably be a bit tricky with sausage. Anybody try it?

[Habanero Smoker]

Well, of course I meant Bactoferm F-RM-52.

I'm not sure what you meant by that statement. If it is to this part of my statement; what I'm referring to - if you only use fermento, then other airborne bacteria will may become dominate. That's because I don't feel fermento has enough or a reliable amount of live culture. If there is any live culture, I'm sure it also depends on how long the fermento has been on the self and the environment it was stored in.

"It is more of a flavoring ingredient. Since you know cultures, if you don't add a starter culture, then you are depended on what bacteria is in the air, and your fermentation time and the flavor will be a gamble. If you are following the recipes in Charcuterie, you don't have to use as much culture as he recommends. I saw major discrepancies between his recipes and the directions that came with the culture. So I searched his blog to find out if anyone else noticed this. I used 1/3 package per five pounds, because I was making 15 pounds of sausage."  

I have not tried it, but read about back sloping in the "Art of Making Fermented Sausage". For those who don't know what back sloping is; for fermented sausage, that is saving part of your sausage right after it has fermented, and before the drying stage, or cooking stage if it is semi-dry. Then you would add 5% of that fermented mixture to a new batch of sausage. So for another five pounds of new sausage you would add 1/4 pound or 4 ounces of the fermented meat mixture. One problem you can have with this is contamination with another strain of bacteria. If you try it, let us know how that works. I don't believe I make enough fermented sausage to use this method. Also I have not found any information whether if the meat mixture can be frozen and used at a later date.

NePas,

You are correct in the usage, in Charcuterie his recipe states to use a scant short of a whole package. Which was a huge discrepancy with the instructions that came with my order from Sausage Maker, which are the same as what you posted. But since I knew I would not be using the culture in that package for a while, I decided to use 1/3 package for each 5 pounds. Michael Ruhlman does have a valid point for using more then what is directed in the instructions.

[anderson5420]

What I meant by the second post when I say "I meant Bactoferm F-RM-52" was to correct the error in the first post where I had said "FR-51" which was both a typo and a brain fart!

Now I have made a couple of batches of dry cured sausage with Bactoferm FR-51, including some Tuscan Salami in normal hog casings, which ends up pretty small, and I have another batch hanging in 3.5" protein lined casings which according to the literature requires about 90 days, so I have a couple more months to go on that one.

[Habanero Smoker]

I must have had a brain fart also. After reading my last post, I realized that 5% of 5 pound is .25 pounds or 4 ounces. I need to start using a calculator.

I have edited my previous post to correct that error.