New guy with questions

[shoelesst]

Here's my plan. Please comment.
The plan is to make dry cured fermented Italian sausage.
Using pork butts, fennel seed, garlic, curing salt #2, Bactoferm F-RM-52, black pepper, paprika, maybe some hot pepper, red wine, dextrose, edible collagen casings.


Questions:
What size casing is generally used for Italian sausage 30 mm ? 38mm ?
When you link the sausage with the collagen casings, do you have to use butchers twine to tie them off ?
Approx Drying time ?
Do you take the pH of the finished sausage ?
If so how ?
Do I just stick my wine pH meter through the casing and get a reading ?

We'll start with these question and move on to others later.

Thanks

Tony C

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Tony and welcome to the forum.

I'm not sure I can help you out very much because I haven't done much dry cured sausage. If you don't have the book "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas". It is considered the "bible" of sausage making. Lots of great info in it. Anytime I have used collogen casings I tied the links. I prefer using 42mm hog casings for most of the sausage I do.

I can't help you with the PH question.

Here is a recipe from it on page 388.

Dry Cured Italian Sausage

Ingredients for 10 lbs
10 Lbs pork butts
7 Tb. salt
2 tsp. Insta Cure No 2
1 Tb. cracked fennel seed
4 Tb. powdered dextrose
3 Tb. ground cayenne pepper
5 Tb. corn syrup solids
1 Tb. ground coriander

Grind pork through a 3/4" grinder plate. Add remaining ingredients and mix well until evenly distributed. Pack meat mixtures in pans not more than 6" high, packing tightly to omit air pockets.

Place meat in 38-40 degree F cooler for 48 hours, then re-grind meat through 3/16" grinder plate and stuff into 35-38 mm hog casings. Place sausage in a drying room at about 60 degrees F with a relative humidity of 65-70% for 48 hours. Then put sausage in a 38-40 degree F cooler and allow to cure for 20 days before using. Your cooler should also have a relative humidity of 60-70% during these 20 days.

Mike

[La Quinta]

Way...way...way...out of my element here Shoe...but nice to have you on board!! I'm just the Welcome Wagon chick!!! :)

[West Coast Sausage Maker]

Here's my plan. Please comment.
The plan is to make dry cured fermented Italian sausage.
Using pork butts, fennel seed, garlic, curing salt #2, Bactoferm F-RM-52, black pepper, paprika, maybe some hot pepper, red wine, dextrose, edible collagen casings.


Questions:
What size casing is generally used for Italian sausage 30 mm ? 38mm ?
When you link the sausage with the collagen casings, do you have to use butchers twine to tie them off ?
Approx Drying time ?
Do you take the pH of the finished sausage ?
If so how ?
Do I just stick my wine pH meter through the casing and get a reading ?

We'll start with these question and move on to others later.

Thanks

Tony C

Hello Tony ..I am new to the forums but have been making sausage for a long time.

you have a great plan

My dad always told me "work the plan and plan to work"

Your recipe looks dead on.
The ingredient you have "Bactoferm F-RM-52" I think fermento may be easyer to work with.

As for the casing and casing size I've found that natural hog cassings will give you the best results.
The collagen ones, sometimes, dry and break off where you hang them.

You could use a 32-34mill casing and have sausage ready to eat in 20-30 days.  And/or you may want to try beef middles 50/60 mil to make salami out of your recipe.  This could take 30 - 50 days till ready.

Your recipe will make salami also  (Genoa with the wine  ....Callabresse without wine and bacterial starter)

I only write from experience.   
BTW Mr Walleye is right Rytek Kutas' Book "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" is THE BIBLE of sausage making and smoking. I refer to my copy often.

Here is some photos of the salami (in fibrous collagen casing)  and sausage 32-34 natural hog cassings  (same recipe Mr Walleye)

[Smoking Duck]

TBS,

I'm not sure exactly where you live or what you do, but...................are you in need of a butler or cabana boy or anything like that?  I would love to spend some time at your house.  Your smoker is big enough to smoke me ( I prefer to be done in oak, but would settle for mesquite in honor of my Texas hombres), and it seems you always have some sort of sausage being prepared.  It would be like I'd died and gone to heaven!  ;D

[KyNola]

Well, the Smoking Duck beat me to this, but DANG TBS, that is incredible work.  Where you been?  Stay with us.  You look you have lots to tell us.

KyNola

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

T B S,

Welcome to the forum. Seems that we need to start geocaching your location!?!   :o :o :o

Arcs_n_Sparks

[Smoking Duck]

Arcs,
You do that NASA nerd stuff you were talking about and I'll bring the adult beverages.  We'll be the Welcome Wagon.

SD

[La Quinta]

I have looked at this post like 10 times...and everytime I salivate...Holy Cow TBS...well...that's all I can say...looks so awesome...:)

[West Coast Sausage Maker]

Your smoker is big enough to smoke me ( I prefer to be done in oak, but would settle for mesquite in honor of my Texas hombres),

I've asked my family that when I pass away, use the smoker as the casket.
  (8 pucks Hickory and 15 hours @ 220 deg f should do it)
::)

[westexasmoker]

Did someone say Mesquite!!   ;D

C

[iceman]

Your smoker is big enough to smoke me ( I prefer to be done in oak, but would settle for mesquite in honor of my Texas hombres),

I've asked my family that when I pass away, use the smoker as the casket.
  (8 pucks Hickory and 15 hours @ 220 deg f should do it)
::)

Funny you should mention that. Ann told me if I keep messing up She's going to stuff my sorry behind in one of my smokers and turn my jerk attitude into jerky.  :o :D ;)

[La Quinta]

I have to doubt that very much Ice...can't imagine you with a jerk attitude...and if you have a cranky day...and piss off Ann...you know the remedy!!! Orange veggies!! Oh Yeah!!! :)