Throwing out 10lbs - what did I do wrong???

smokeitall · April 04, 2009, 07:20:43 PM

I used the recipe on page 380 called semi-dry curing cooked pepperoni sticks. The recipe in the book is for 10 lbs. I made two different 5 lb batches with the same base ingredients from the book.

1st 5lb batch
1 tsp Instacure No.1
3 Tbl Salt (I used Kosher)
1 Tbl powdered dextrose
1/2 Tbl ground hot pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2-1/2 tsp ground anise
1/2 Cup soy protein concentrate
1 cup water
1/2 cup Encapsulated Citric Acid
1-1/2 Tbl corn syrup solids
2 Tbl paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper

2nd 5lb batch
Same as above plus the following:
2 Tbl ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground celery
1/2 tsp garlic powder

I stuffed and smoked the sausage according to Ryteks directions in the book. The first taste of the sausage made me pucker. It was very very sour, and not edible.

My first question for you guys. If the recipe called for 1/2 cup fermento does that mean I can substitute 1/2 cup encapsulated citric acid????

Let me know what you think I did wrong.

Here is a couple pics of the finished product.

Thanks for any help.

NePaSmoKer · April 04, 2009, 07:31:04 PM

Smokeitall

When i want the tang from the encapsulated citric acid in 5 lbs of meat i only use 1.5 Tblsp. The amount you used in conjunction with the dextrose i beleive is why they are to sour. The fermento is much different than the ECA.

Encasulated citric acid per 5lbs of meat is 1.80oz Just about 1.5 Tblsp

nepas

smokeitall · April 04, 2009, 07:36:23 PM

Thanks Nepas, thats what I thought. They were so beautiful looking too, its such a shame to toss them out. The package of citric acid does not have any suggestions on how much to use either. I should have done my homework. :(

NePaSmoKer · April 04, 2009, 07:39:20 PM

I didnt have any fermento left so habs and mike showed me a replacement for fermento. And you can get it in most grocery stores.

I have had mine in the cab for a few months now..... DUH me.

Yeah your sticks do look good too.

nepas

NePaSmoKer · April 04, 2009, 07:42:24 PM

So for 10lbs of meat you would use 3.60 oz of ECA. But dont grind the ECA through your grinder, it must be mixed in by hand or mixer.

nepas

deb415611 · April 05, 2009, 03:27:17 AM

Quote from: NePaSmoKer on April 04, 2009, 07:39:20 PM
I didnt have any fermento left so habs and mike showed me a replacement for fermento. And you can get it in most grocery stores.

I have had mine in the cab for a few months now..... DUH me.

Yeah your sticks do look good too.

nepas

Duh me too, I have that in my cabinet also and I ordered some fermento!

Smokeitall - Those do look good, sorry you had to toss them.

HCT · April 05, 2009, 05:29:37 AM

So what are the equivelants substituting the powder BM for fermento?
Is it just the buttermilk you substitue or is there more to it.

NePaSmoKer · April 05, 2009, 06:03:03 AM

I added the same amount of BM powder that called for fermento. Have about 8 more hours to find out.

nepas

HCT · April 05, 2009, 06:29:26 AM

Thanks nepas, looking forward to your result.

Habanero Smoker · April 05, 2009, 02:13:31 PM

Deb;
Depending on were you buy Saco's Culture Buttermilk, fermento is can be cheaper; especially if you time it right and get the free shipping.

HCT;
The equivalence is the same.

drano · April 05, 2009, 04:04:51 PM

I've only made 2 batches of snack sticks, both from spice packs that did not have fermento--I'm too impatient to let the sticks sit in the smoker for several hours at a low temp to let the fermento do its job. (but maybe if I tried them, I'd decide its worth it).

But the sticks look great.
Good luck getting the recipie straightened out.

drano

smokeitall · April 05, 2009, 04:27:14 PM

I will give it another shot next weekend unless I go up to Wisconsin for Easter.

I do have one question. The recipe in Rytek's book did not specify to leave the sticks at 100 deg overnight. The way I read it is that they went right in the smoker after being stuffed. Let me know what you guys think.

Hey I suppose if I used that cultured buttermilk I wouldn't have made a mistake....doh

Nepas, please let us know how yours turn out and what all of your times were. I would appreciate it.

Thanks to all of you for responding.

smokeitall · April 05, 2009, 04:30:41 PM

Hey Nepas I saw your other post on the snack sticks, they look great. Did you hold them in the smoker for 12 hours at 90-100?

NePaSmoKer · April 05, 2009, 07:08:53 PM

Quote from: smokeitall on April 05, 2009, 04:30:41 PM
Hey Nepas I saw your other post on the snack sticks, they look great. Did you hold them in the smoker for 12 hours at 90-100?

Actually mine got done fairly quick. I followed the smoke recipe just a little. Started at 130* for an hour, then to 150* for 2 hours, 165* for 2 hours and 170* until i had the IT of the sticks at 152/153*

I did cold water rinse this time and let them bloom for 2 hours. It took about 2 hours to get the sticks at the IT of 152/153* So total time from start to finish is 9 hours. Also after i mixed the dry with the water I immediately stuffed them and put in fridge overnight.

My neighbor just cant get his fill of them ;D

So Ryteks recipe is pretty good. Will i make these again? Yes with some venison ;D

nepas

Smokin Soon · April 05, 2009, 08:04:33 PM

I have not done well with substitutions, unless Habs has an exact formula that works. I stocked up on stuff like Fermento, Encapsulated Citric Acid, Soy Protein, and the like. When making sausages from he Rytek book I follow the recipes to the letter except increasing the volume of onion, garlic and heat. Loosing 10 pounds of meat is a heartbreaker for sure. I am sure your next batch will be a winner, and don't
get discouraged!