Makes sense, many thanks guys!

I've found several recipes for fresh sausage with the use of water. Here I quote from one source, which seems to voice the general consensus for water inclusion: "Water aids in "solubilizing" meat proteins (by forming a brine), helps the mixing of the batter, aids in the distribution of spices, and ...

Hey All

What are your thoughts on using Fermento vs. Bactoferm?

Hi Bob Most definitely a chlorine taste. A friend said exactly the same thing when I gave him a try. I didn't think they were that sour. Maybe under-fermented? I'll give a try on seasoning the smoker and reduce the initial smoke time. Hard to believe it would be the wood chips. They're hickory chips...

Redzed Thanks! Interesting. I know for sure the meat is not washed in chlorinated water. I kinda suspected it may have something to do with the smoker/smoke. What type of wood do you recommend? Could it also be a result of under-fermentation/high ph? I have ph strips but not exactly sure they are gi...

More bleach-like. Just like drinking a tablespoon of chlorine

Hi Bob

Thanks for the quick response!

I am following the recipe exactly, just changing the spice mix. However, I use another brand of culture from Italy as I'm currently working in China and cannot obtain the Bactoferm. It should be more or less very similar and it is for fast fermented sausage.

So I basically followed Stan and Adam's recipe for summer sausages, although I used a lot of dried chile powders instead of their suggested spices. Texture, Aw and color was good, but had a strong chlorine taste. What is the cause of this?