Mike's Summer Sausage...

[Tenpoint5]

Very interesting Mike, hope they don't dry out to much and you end up with hockey pucks when you cut into them.  :o
Don

:D

That would down right suck.  :D

I think we are going to be good though. I'm just blown away by the weight reduction... although I have never tracked it before either.

Mike

I had a chub dry down like you guys are saying. (It wasn't on purpose or tracked) Even after drying to almost rock consistency. When sliced real thin it was some damn good hard salami made from summer sausage. So all will not be lost if it gets hard Mike. I wish I could recreate my mistake. It was damn good.

[jiggerjams]

Great post and pics. I hope everything turns out great for you. I am sure it will.

[cobra6223]

so Mike is that Salami conditioner something we buy in the states or what would be a good sub for it? BTW the suasage looks awesome, nice pics thanks.

[smokeNcanuck]

Mike,

I LUV this thread, as I have wanted to try this exact same process. I have a question however,
how long can you hang this with just cure #1, at what point do you need to use cure#2.
Is it due to the fact that you fully cooked the SS, so the cure is no longer an issue.
(I think I may have just answered my own question :o)

Well drive on!  It is quite interesting. 
I have also found that after freezing and thawing the product becomes very wet.

sNc

[Mr Walleye]

so Mike is that Salami conditioner something we buy in the states or what would be a good sub for it? BTW the sausage looks awesome, nice pics thanks.

Cobra

I'm not sure about availability in the US. I'm sure it is somewhere. Like I said it is made up of Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, and GDL (Glucono Delta Lactose). What amounts of each I don't know. My instructions from the supplier were for any given recipe remove the Corn Syrup Solids and Dextrose, then add the correct amount of Salami Conditioner as per labeling.

In a Semi-Dry sausage you can obtain the tang flavor in a number of ways. You can use Encapsulated Citric Acid, Fermento, Cutered Buttermilk Power, Liquid Cultured Buttermilk, or GDL. These are all ways of taking a short cut to obtain the desired "tang" flavor that developes in the long processing times of a Dry Cured sausage.

Habanero Smoker did a great write up on various additives over on the recipe site that can be found Here. In the article it indicates, among other things, that Encapsulated Citric Acid and Fermento should not be used in a Dry Cure sausage and that GDL slowly converts to gluconic acid that lowers the pH levels in sausages in a short time without going through the fermentation process that is required with starter culture bacteria. The result is that it gives the sausage that familiar tangy taste very close to fermented dry cured sausages. It is often preferred over encapsulated citric acid, because it can be used in both semi-dry and dry cure sausage; it is not as acidic so it doesn't add the sour taste of citric acid.

Mike

[Mr Walleye]

Mike,

I LUV this thread, as I have wanted to try this exact same process. I have a question however,
how long can you hang this with just cure #1, at what point do you need to use cure#2.
Is it due to the fact that you fully cooked the SS, so the cure is no longer an issue.
(I think I may have just answered my own question :o)

Well drive on!  It is quite interesting. 
I have also found that after freezing and thawing the product becomes very wet.

sNc

Hi sNc

In Rytek Kutas's book a lot of his Semi-Dried sausage (cure#1) are hung to dry for a week or so. Here is some information that I found on this site. It indicates up to 14 days for Cure #1.

Basic rules for applying dry cure

When curing times are short, up to 14 days, use Cure #1 according to the standard limit of: 1 oz. cure for 25 lbs. of meat. For longer times use Cure #2 that contains Nitrate which will keep on releasing nitrite for a long time. The amount of dry mix needed to cure 25 lbs. of meat by the dry cure method when making dry (fermented) sausages is:

•2 oz. Cure #2
•12 oz. canning salt
•6 oz. dextrose or brown sugar
•seasonings

Mike

[Mr Walleye]

Ok... It's update time again.

Here are the weights of my control chub...
- Green weight - 1069 Grams (this was right after being stuffed)(Nov 18 at 4 pm)
- After smoking process and bloom period - 893 Grams (Approx. 16.4639% weight loss (176 grams) from green weight)(Nov 19 at 10:30 am)(61 temp & 60% humidity)
- Nov 20, 7am - 877 Grams (Approx. 17.9607% weight loss (192 Grams) from Green weight)(58.5 Temp & 68% humidity)
- Nov 21, 5 pm - 865 Grams (Approx. 19.0832% weight loss (204 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 73% humidity)
- Nov 22, 5 pm - 857 Grams (Approx. 19.8316% weight loss (212 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 70% humidity)

It's starting to slow down but I had already decided I would go a week to see how much it would firm up.

Of course... that's providing I don't bit into one.  :D

Mike

[smokeNcanuck]

Mike,

Thanks for the link and the info!!
Try to hold out from biting one in the name of science ;)

sNc

[drunknimortal]

I cant wait to see the finished product, it looks so good.

[NePaSmoKer]

Fantastic again Mike

Another on my list.

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks guys!

Ok... It's update time again.

Here are the weights of my control chub...
- Green weight - 1069 Grams (this was right after being stuffed)(Nov 18 at 4 pm)
- After smoking process and bloom period - 893 Grams (Approx. 16.4639% weight loss (176 grams) from green weight)(Nov 19 at 10:30 am)(61 temp & 60% humidity)
- Nov 20, 7am - 877 Grams (Approx. 17.9607% weight loss (192 Grams) from Green weight)(58.5 Temp & 68% humidity)
- Nov 21, 5 pm - 865 Grams (Approx. 19.0832% weight loss (204 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 73% humidity)
- Nov 22, 5 pm - 857 Grams (Approx. 19.8316% weight loss (212 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 70% humidity)
- Nov 23, 5 pm - 849 Grams (Approx. 20.5799% weight loss (220 Grams) from Green weight)(58 Temp & 75% humidity)

This is coming along great. Smells fantastic.

So far there's no bite marks yet either.  :D

Mike

[pikeman_95]

Hey Mike we need a couple of pictures. Remember no pictures it didn't happen. Just kidding, I would like to just see how they look so far. But with out a doubt we will need some cut shots when it is done..

Kirby

[Mr Walleye]

Hey Mike we need a couple of pictures. Remember no pictures it didn't happen. Just kidding, I would like to just see how they look so far. But with out a doubt we will need some cut shots when it is done..

Kirby

;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

I will definitely have pictures of both uncut and cut. It will be interesting for sure. Really looking forward to the taste test.  ;)

Mike

[Mr Walleye]

Ok... It's update time again.

Here are the weights of my control chub...
- Green weight - 1069 Grams (this was right after being stuffed)(Nov 18 at 4 pm)
- After smoking process and bloom period - 893 Grams (Approx. 16.4639% weight loss (176 grams) from green weight)(Nov 19 at 10:30 am)(61 temp & 60% humidity)
- Nov 20, 7am - 877 Grams (Approx. 17.9607% weight loss (192 Grams) from Green weight)(58.5 Temp & 68% humidity)
- Nov 21, 5 pm - 865 Grams (Approx. 19.0832% weight loss (204 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 73% humidity)
- Nov 22, 5 pm - 857 Grams (Approx. 19.8316% weight loss (212 Grams) from Green weight)(59 Temp & 70% humidity)
- Nov 23, 5 pm - 849 Grams (Approx. 20.5799% weight loss (220 Grams) from Green weight)(58 Temp & 75% humidity)
- Nov 24, 5 pm - 837 Grams (Approx. 21.7025% weight loss (232 Grams) from Green weight)(57 Temp & 74% humidity)

This is pretty much torture waiting for this. How the heck do people make dry cured salami for 3 months? They must have to lock the cabinet and throw the key away.  :D

Mike

PS - For Kirby's eyes only!  ;D

I just thought I would show you what I've been drooling over...

[devo]

Oh you just had to show us EH Mike..........man that looks good