Homemade Sausage Making

While (ahem) digesting "Charcuterie" by Polcyn/Ruhlman I noticed that nearly all the recipes used Bactoferm to ferment the dry-cured sausage. Understanding that fermentation helps lower the pH and helps w/food safety, I noticed that there was one recipe for a dry-cured sausage that DOESN'T use fermentation. The saucisson sec just uses DQ#2 & hangs.

Is there a reason that it's okay to just use dq#2 on a saucisson sec? Is the fermentation of sausage more preservative in nature, or more for flavor?

I ask because a batch of fermented peperone I made was exceptional before adding the culture, and I'd like to do a dry-cured salami of that flavor profile "straight-up." Is there any reason not to do this?

Thanks!

Oddly enough I was sous chef for Chef Brian for over a year back when he had Five Lakes Grill. The reason they do not add the starter culture to that recipe is because it is not meant to be a fermented sausage; it is meant to be a dry aged sausage. Traditionally the sausage was made in the French countryside where they did not have refrigerators and temperatures were too low for real fermentation to occur. So, the sausages were instead hung in kitchen pantries or cool cellars as they matured, eventually becoming shelf stable and transforming into dry sausages which is exactly what the name translates to in French.

Also, if you were curious about why they use Insta Cure #2; it is so there are both nitrates and nitrites in the mix. With an aging period that long, it is important to have fast acting nitrites to immediately get the curing process rolling, but also nitrates that will interact with the bacteria in the meat, slowly breaking down and supplying a more continuous flow of nitrite.

Well done, Jason! Well done!

Charcutebrew asked:

...a batch of fermented peperone I made was exceptional before adding the culture, and I'd like to do a dry-cured salami of that flavor profile "straight-up." Is there any reason not to do this?

Great question, Charcutebrew.
"Straight up" fermenting has been done by millions of people - for centuries, by nearly every culture of people on the planet. Often, the specific, indigenous, microorganisms found in a particular area, gave a family distinction for producing fairly-consistently flavored, fermented, air-dried, sausages. However, it has only been relatively recently, that man has come to understand the reasons that fermentation even takes place, along with the concept of loss of "available water" to pathogenic bacteria.

I am the first person to recommend and support the use of Bactoferm simply because it is uniform, reliable, and consistent. It works perfectly when the directions are strictly observed. Without it, we take a chance on existing microorganisms producing a quality, dependable, product with any consistency being haphazard. Don`t get me wrong... I made lots of dry-cured sausage before it even came along. Once in a while, I still do. Here is one of my favorite "straight up" recipes for a black-pepper salami. I call the stuff, "Drag Rider`s Black Pepper Sausage", and lots of folks seem to like it. (Pardon me while I pat myself on the back). Here`s a link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4903
Why not give it a try just to gain a little experience? And... oh yes... if you`re goin` to "ride drag", be sure NOT to drink downstream from the herd!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Story28, thanks! I'm in Ann Arbor these days, but didn't find out about Five Lakes Grill until after it had closed. Ah well.

So it sounds like dry-aging without fermentation is an accepted style. Is there a reason more sausages aren't just dry-aged? Is it a food safety thing, or a consistency/predictability thing, or flavor, or a combination thereof?

Think I'll try a small batch and see how it works!

Hi all
I have a question on fermenting sausage. Is it possible for cure #1 or #2 to become out dated? I have a large package of cure #2 (sealed) that I have had, probably for a couple years now. Also, I have been experimenting with fermented sausage for a year or so, with some success, mostly pepperoni! I have stuck with the 5lb batches mainly because I don`t want to invest the money in a large batch until I can get a handle on the finished product! Also the 5lb batches are easier to mix. From my own observation of the finish product is as follows:
1. I rarely have any white mold after the dry time, if any mold at all, this is following the hanging time stated in the recipe.
2. The product rarely becomes a firm dry product, after several weeks of drying, in a controlled environment (converted fridge), humidity 68-70% temp at 52 - 54 degrees, again following the recipe directions.
One thing I have learned from reading several post from this site, is refrigeration time after the mix! And another thing, add a little water with spices never add dry spice, which I had always mixed the spices dry, directly into the meat. I`m guessing I should probably do the same with the cure and salt, mix with a little water?
Just thought I would throw this out there! I`m hoping that one of you Canadian or American cowboys can steer me in the right direction on this fermentation thing. I`m also thinking of trying the "drag riders pepper sausage recipe". I will not give up....

In the days before we could control the conditions involved in curing fermented sausage i suspect that where you lived and worked and the time of year were major factors in what kinds of sausage you could make. I live about 10 miles from the tidewater Chesapeake Bay and there is a 1200 foot change in elevation from one side of the county to the other.
Corn grows better along the bay because there in more moisture in the air. It is easier to build a camp fire in the uplands because it is drier. In the winter we get snow at the higher elevations and often rain along the bay and river.
Since fermented sausage needs to be not too dry and not too wet and needs slow drying but not too warm. One person might have good conditions and his neighbor 5 miles and 500 feet away might struggle to get the same results.
Such things as north slope of the hill versus south face of the hill, no stream nearby, all open crop land versus woodland, on the slope versus at the top or down in the valley. Perhaps even the size, design and location of the smokehouse were factors.
Science can be a great equalizer. We now know what the factors are that make it work no matter where we live.

Very well put, Ross. How true.
And then, sometimes it's just like fishing... you've got to hold your mouth just right for any type of success.
It seems like there is some kind of irreversible law in nature that we must all completely wreck a batch before it becomes consistently good. I chuckle ever time I think of ol' Rytek. He said in his first days, he threw out more sausage than he sold. Shucks, there is still a stain on the floor of my sausage drying room - right where my first batch turned into some type of molecular acid gel!
My ol' pappy used to say, "Now back up and hit it again!".
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Hi Uwanna,

You wrote:

I have a question on fermenting sausage. Is it possible for cure #1 or #2 to become out dated? I have a large package of cure #2 (sealed) that I have had, probably for a couple years now.

The U.S. Army recommends that it be used within seven years as long as it is stored away from light, extreme temperatures, and moisture. I believe the actual decomposition begins to occur within a much longer period of time as long as it is not compromised or cross-contaminated. Keep it in a bottle or a canister with a screw-on lid as oxygen, high temperature, and moisture will alter its composition.

Hey! There's nothing wrong with 5 lb. batches. Make what you will use. Absolutely mix the cure with a little water before adding it to the mixture so it will ensure equal distribution.

Umm-hmm! Then you wrote:

I`m hoping that one of you Canadian or American cowboys can steer me in the right direction on this fermentation thing.

OOOOOoooooo
Shucks buckaroo, all I can say is the reason we are here is to try to keep you from making the mistakes that we ol` coots did when we were beginning! Old saddlebums like me don`t know it all, but just like you... "we will not give up!" It`s a pleasure to hear from you Uwanna61 and I hope we can help with any questions you may have.

Best Wishes,
chuckwagon

In their book The Marianski Brothers have made all of the sausage recipes use one kilogram of meat. I like this because it is enough to allow a fair taste test and process practice and it limits the potential loos if I screw up a batch.
Generally I can get pork butts for about 2.50 per pound and five dollars I can afford to take a chance with. This is not a cheap hobby and wasting good food is contrary to my nature.
I cleaned out a food freezer in a house where I am working that had beef steak in it with a use by date of 2007. I just couldn't bring my self to toss it into the garbage so I put it out for the buzzards. They loved it

I must be slow, & I apologize, but I seem to be missing something.

Between this thread & the "some good salami" thread I've become less certain about the meaning of "dry-cured" & "fermentation."

story28 made what seems like a great distinction, that the salami was not to be fermented, but was instead meant to be dry-aged. If I think in terms of, say, fruits & veggies, if I put some berries in a food dehydrator they don't ferment at all. They just dry. Nothing happens except for water loss. However, other comments have made it sound like even a dry-cured salami has some degree of fermentation.

So... can a salami just dehydrate & not ferment? Or if you hang the meat w/cure long enough, will it inevitably ferment, whether with bacteria you introduce or whatever's floating around in the immediate environment? Another way to ask this, I guess, is "Does all dried meat ferment?" I would think not, since when I make jerky the meat just dries out. Is the salami-making process different because of the hang time?

I'm also a bit confused about the use of DQ #1 & #2. In the "some good salami" thread Chuckwagon says that you can't hot-smoke meat cured w/#2, that you must have #1 only. But in the sausage safety thread he says that because smoked/cooked sausages are prepped below 150*F they must be cured w/nitrate/nitrite cures... which to an idiot novice like me sounds like using #2 for smoked cured meat. Can someone please tell me what I'm obviously missing?

Thanks!

During the time it takes for meat to dry with or without salt and cure added it can ferment or it can rot. fermentation helps to change the conditions for bacteria growth so that putrifation bacteria are inhibited long enough for the available water to be evaporated at which time putrifaction can no longer occur.

"charcutebrew" wrote:

I'm also a bit confused about the use of DQ #1 & #2.

Insta Cure #1 formally Prague Powder #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite and the remainder is a Salt Carrier which is dyed pink to keep it from being mistaken for Table Salt, It is also commonly called "Pink Salt".

It mainly used to cure all meats that require cooking, smoking, or canning.

Also do not confuse Prague Powder #2 (Insta Cure #2) as they are different and not interchangeable cures.

Prague Powder #2 or Insta Cure #2 contains salt, sodium nitrite (6.25%) and sodium nitrate (1%), and is mainly used as a slow cure, specifically formulated to be used for making dry cured products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration.

Hi Charcutebrew,

You wrote:

Another way to ask this, I guess, is "Does all dried meat ferment?" I would think not, since when I make jerky the meat just dries out. Is the salami-making process different because of the hang time?

You are correct - all dried meat does not ferment. However, the difference between the jerky and salami does not depend solely on "hang time". It depends upon several things, but the two concerning us mostly are: (1.) the `water activity` (abbreviated Aw) which is the measurement of how tightly the "water available to bacteria" is "bound", and the (2.) the "potentiometric hydrogen ion concentration" (abbreviated pH), which is a measurement of acidity. More about that in just a minute.

First, its important to understand that the USDA has written, "A potentially hazardous food does not include a food with a water activity value of Aw 0.85 or less".Meat with water remaining in it will quickly spoil. As a sausage drops from Aw 0.99 to Aw 0.85 (dehydration), it is protected from campylobacter at 0.98, from E.coli at 0.95, salmonella at 0.94, clostridium perfringens at 0.93, listeria at 0.92 (as well as others), then a drop all the way down to 0.85 must occur to halt the very resilient staphylococcus aureus. This dehydration is usually accomplished fairly quickly to snuff out the bacteria as swiftly as possible.

When we make a `fermented` type product, salt is initially part of the recipe and is the meat`s only immediate protection against pathogenic bacteria because we purposely "start to spoil" the meat (in a controlled fashion) by indeed slowing down the dehydration. Salt does not destroy bacteria. It limits the "available" water to pathogenic bacteria by "binding" it. This allows beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid-producing lactobacillus and pediococcus, the time, nutrients, and humidity to work their magic by producing lactic acid, thus reducing the pH factor, therefore increasing the acidity (which creates the "tangy" flavor in salami).

Bear in mind that most bacteria are destroyed from 130°;F to 165°;F. However, spores and toxins of bacteria such as clostridium botulinum, clostridium perfringens, bacillus cereus, and staphylococcus aureus, are destroyed at much higher heat, at about 240°; F. However, there is yet another element to help us destroy spoilage and pathogenic bacteria besides heat and water binding. It is acidity. In chemistry, potentiometric hydrogen ion concentration is abbreviated pH. What's this? Shucks pards, I "aced" college chemistry... mostly because I intimidated the teacher with my garlic jerky breath! Uhhh... Roughly, pH is the measurement of acidity or alkalinity in any substance using a scale from zero to fourteen. Pure water is said to be very close to neutral, having a pH measurement of nearly 7.0 at 77° F. Foods with pH less than 7 are said to be acidic, while foods having a pH greater than 7 are said to be alkaline or "base". Note that as we lower the pH factor, we increase acidity. Are microorganisms able to survive inside acidic foods? Not when the acidity is increased in a sausage by a drop below about 4 pH., depending upon the specific microorganism we are referring to. Some are more resilient than others.

You also wrote:

So... can a salami just dehydrate & not ferment?

If the salt content of the sausage is over 3.5%, yes it can, as that much concentration may destroy beneficial bacteria as well. But there is another point you should be made aware of. The finishing point of a salami has nothing to do with "hanging time". It has everything to do with the final pH of the product, or the final point of dehydration as indicated by specific water loss, no matter how mush time it requires.

You also wrote:

I'm also a bit confused about the use of DQ #1 & #2. In the "some good salami" thread Chuckwagon says that you can't hot-smoke meat cured w/#2, that you must have #1 only. But in the sausage safety thread he says that because smoked/cooked sausages are prepped below 150*F they must be cured w/nitrate/nitrite cures... which to an idiot novice like me sounds like using #2 for smoked cured meat. Can someone please tell me what I'm obviously missing?

OK Charred Dude Brew Man, I didn`t say can`t hot-smoke meat cured with #2. What I said was that I disagreed with Ruhlman saying that it was optional to hot-smoke this particular recipe. I qualified my statement by saying Cure #2 is for DRY-CURING ONLY. And it is! I stand by my remark. Here is the quotation I made on June 5th:

I wrote:

On page 186 of Ruhlman`s book, he tells you in instruction #6 that it is optional to hot-smoke this particular recipe. I disagree strongly as a recipe containing Cure #2 is for DRY-CURING ONLY. In order to qualify this recipe for hot-smoking, it MUST contain Cure #1 only. He makes no mention of that fact.

JBK101 is correct. The following is an excerpt from this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4794

Cure #1 is used to cure all meats that require cooking, smoking, and canning. This includes poultry, fish, hams, bacon, luncheon meats, corned beef, pates, and many other products.
Note that Prague Powder Cure #1 in the United States, contains 6.25% sodium nitrite (NaNO2), and 93.75% sodium chloride (salt). As this formula contains no sodium nitrate (NaNO3), there is no waiting for nitrate to be broken down into nitrite and it is effective immediately in curing meat. In the United States, Cure #1 is manufactured using one ounce of sodium nitrite added to each one pound of salt. When used in the curing process, only 4 ounces of cure is added to 100 pounds of sausage. Two level teaspoons will cure 10 lbs. of meat.

It is important to note that in various countries, the formula for nitrate and nitrite cures may differ. For instance, in the United Kingdom, Prague Powder # 1 (Cure #1) is popular, with 5.88% sodium nitrite, the remainder being salt.

Cure #2 is used in dry-cured sausages only, where curing time allows the nitrate to gradually break down into nitrite. Cure #2 in the United States, contains 6.25% sodium nitrite (NaNO2), 4% sodium nitrate (NaNO3), and 89.75 sodium chloride (salt). Why so much nitrate? Remember, it is actually nitrite reducing to nitric oxide that cures meat. After two weeks dry-curing, only about a quarter of the 6.25 % sodium nitrite remains in the meat. Nitrite is simply too fast. In salamis requiring three or more months to cure, a certain amount of sodium nitrate must be added to the recipe to break down over time. Since micrococcaceae species are inhibited at low pH, sausages relying on nitrate reduction must be fermented by a traditional process. Therefore, nitrate is still used by many dry sausage manufacturers because nitrate serves as a long time "reservoir" of nitrite.

Note that in other countries, the formula varies. In the United Kingdom, Prague Powder # 2 (Cure #2) is available with 5.67% sodium nitrite, 3.62 sodium nitrate, the remainder being salt. The strength of nitrates and nitrites themselves do not vary. It is the amount added to a sodium chloride (salt) carrier that makes a cure stronger or weaker in comparison to others. One MUST look at the label to be safe. In Sweden, folks call their product Colorazo at 0.6% nitrite. In France, it`s Sel nitrite` at 0.6% nitrite. In Poland, the nitrited salt cure Peklosol is available at 0.6% nitrite, and in Germany, it is Pokelsalz at 0.6% nitrite content in salt. As you can see, Prague Powder Cure #1 in America is ten and a half times stronger than European cures, with the exception of some of those in the UK.

One curing agent must never be confused with the other within any recipe and one certainly must not be substituted for the other.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon