Salami 101

[sp0rk]

I've been missing in action from the forum for a fair while and can see I have a bit of reading to do to catch up with all the posts! Just thought I would share a photo or two of yesterdays work. 10 kilos of pork and fennel salami and 10 kilos of pork/beef red wine garlic and black pepper salami.

I used casing for the first time one being 50mm round and 450 mm long. The other were 42mm round in one long continuous tube which I cut and tied my own lengths. They all get soaked in warm water before filling. They seem to work well and are a mix of reconstitutes skin and collagen I think - they certainly stink like skin.

54 salami's in total.

Welcome back Paul, That prod I gave you on facebook must have worked
I think that pic has finally convinced me to get a sausage stuffer...

 

[Mercs Own]

I'm a just salt bloke and so far so good but as I have said previously in this thread if I am not sure about a salami - any doubt chuck it out!

I had to chuck my pancetta out I did last year as it didn't cure properly however my capocollo was terrific!!

 

[Mercs Own]

Welcome back Paul, That prod I gave you on facebook must have worked
I think that pic has finally convinced me to get a sausage stuffer...

Spork thanks for the prod! I am definitely going to buy a dedicated hand crank stuffer next year as the poor old sunbeam has some issues with stuffing 20 kilos in an arvo - it can do it but it is a bit slow!

 

[brettprevans]

I'm a just salt bloke and so far so good but as I have said previously in this thread if I am not sure about a salami - any doubt chuck it out!I had to chuck my pancetta out I did last year as it didn't cure properly however my capocollo was terrific!!

cool. Just wanted to see if you had changed ur mind. We went salt only and thin casings. But might do larger casings next time. And def more salami and less snags. Kind if thinking we should have made 50kg of salami instead of 10kg salami and 40kg snags.


Lots of gurs doing salt curing atm like capocollo duck 'procutto' etc.

 

[brettprevans]

Latest pics


Little bit of camembert mould growing

 

[brendo]

Latest pics

20130712_181427.jpg
Little bit of camembert mould growing

20130712_181406.jpg

Mmmmmm looking good, can't wait to start chewing on one real soon!

 

[QldKev]

Finally got around to finishing my salami fridge fogger today. Won't be long and I'll be making salami at any time of the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9reOcOIqe60

 

[scon]

One of the best designs I've seen QLDKev, what's the hygrometer you use?

 

[Truman42]

Tonight on "QldKevs homebrewing show" were going to show you how to make a salami fridge fogger..

My sons had a great laugh at your "pretty lights...you probably dont give a **** about that".comment..

 

[QldKev]

One of the best designs I've seen QLDKev, what's the hygrometer you use?

Its a wh8040. Just a bit over $20 del from ebay

 

[punkin]

I used one of those controllers at one stage in my mycology adventures.




I downsized from this one just running a vapourisor on a timer.



Worked very well, both setups.

 

[Aces High]

Its a wh8040. Just a bit over $20 del from ebay

I bought the hygrometer and humidifier, but found that with salami I was having more trouble trying to get the humidity in the fridge down rather than up due to the moisture given off by the salami. Unfortunately the hygrometer I bought can only do one thing at a time so you have to either set it to humidify or dehumidify, although I believe some others switch between the 2 states. What I do now is set the hygrometer to dehumidify and I have plugged a heat belt into it.

It sounds a bit counter intuitive, but when the humidity gets too high, the heat belt comes on and raises the temp in the fridge by a degree or two. This then turns the fridge on via the STC1000. When the fridge is running it causes the humidity to condense on the cooling plates and dehumifies the fridge. I read it online somewhere (possibly back in one of the 24 pages in this thread) and it seem to work well. Summer may be different as the recirculating fan sucks in dryer air in summer (in Perth), but I will wait and see.

I also have a computer fan running at a very slow speed via a fan controller which draws in outside air through a filter made from left over voile (from my last biab bag). I just received a couple of $5 electronic timer contollers off ebay (damn I love ebay), so I am going to set up the fan to come on for half an hour twice a day, just to change the air in the fridge rather than having moving air all the time. I don't think that having constant moving air is ideal.

 

[scon]

So my chorizo are finished. They're likely a bit dry as they've lost 50% of their weight rather than 30. Will fry some up tonight and give them a go.

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[QldKev]

Wow pumpkin, that's a pretty serious setup. I'm only running a 300 odd Litre fridge. Those room humidifiers are a lot neater, but I was concerned about bad mold getting on it and not being able to rip it apart to clean it. That's how I ended up with this design as I can pressure clean it anytime. I didn't think of mounting it outside and drilling a big hole into the fridge which avoids the mold growing on it issue.

Aces High, up here is a lot warmer than Perth so the fridge will need to run more often. I noticed in that video above that the carport was still on 21.8 late afternoon, and it's the middle of winter. A mate up here has used a fridge setup for a while, all he said is try and avoid putting a fresh batch in when we have our really cold week (approx 20c days).

scon, that's the idea of setting up the humidity chamber to prevent the salami from either drying too slowly and over drying, or drying too fast and case hardening. Those chorizo still look yummy


QldKev

 

[scon]

Could you keep some no-rinse sanitiser in your humidifier to help prevent mold?

 

[QldKev]

Could you keep some no-rinse sanitiser in your humidifier to help prevent mold?

Good idea for the inside, then it's just the outside.

 

[Mercs Own]

Have been a little worried about my salami due to the abnormally high temps we have had in Melbourne this last week averaging 18 - 21 degree's C. The first couple of days after hanging the temp sat at around 12 degrees but then up it went. The smell in the garage was very strong and I was afraid the salami may be cooking!!! (not really cooking but certainly may be adversely affected) After some phone calls were made to some real experienced salami makers I was told the temps were fine as up to 20 degrees was fine but more importantly keep them in the dark =- ie don't let them, sit in light. My salamis are in my garage which has one window so although they were not getting direct sunlight they were getting secondary light on them so I have covered the window now.

This is the first time I have made salami in this house (moved last year) so it is all an experiment to see how it works. Perhaps due to the heat (or maybe the casing) there is quite a bit of white mould forming on the salami. I will keep an eye on this and spray them down with a mix of red wine and water if it gets too much. Otherwise they seem to be drying quite well.

 

[Mercs Own]

Salami's are drying well this year! In addition I have hung my capocollo and also 2 pancetta's.

Not the best photo but enough to drool over!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Damn you lot.......

Climate up here is just to warm over winter in Nth NSW..

I Dont even own a jumper...

 

[brettprevans]

Cut open one of the small salamis on the weekend. Still needs more drying in yhe middle. Surprising given the look of them. Any wayways..tasted them and they are great. Will be awsome once dried out properly.

Will rub them down with some liquid to help preserve outside moisture whilst the core stll dehydrates.

Still.. no artificial preservatives. Just salt and brandy. No botchalism in sight.