Homemade Sausage Making

OK, here goes: On Tuesday evening (3/25) I finally got around to my 2nd attempt at making salami. This is the Finnochiona recipe out of Ruhlman's "Salumi". Everything went well and seemed to be continuing that way until this morning (Friday 3/28) when I checked on the chubs hanging in the fermenting chamber. One of them had slipped it's knot and was on the floor. No problem, I thought, until I picked it up and realized the casing had split open. As I needed to get ready for work i decided to just re-hang it and deal with it later. So, is this thing destined for the garbage? Is there anything I can do to salvage it at this point? Roast it? Smoke it? Simmer it? I can't just leave it right? It's not going to dry properly I would suspect. I would really hate to throw it away. Is there any hope? Thanks,

Bill

I'm assuming, based on getting no response, that there is no hope. I'll keep it hanging around a bit longer in case someone may have some input. Thanks again,

Bill

Hang in there Wilbur.....

Someone with waaaay more knowledge and experience than I have will be sure to respond....soon.....any minute now....by the end of the weekend...



Lynn

Wilburwb, you wrote:

I'm assuming, based on getting no response, that there is no hope.

Naw, my friend... you`re getting no response because it is the week-end! Have a little patience pal.
Wilburwb, are you still snowed in up there in Michigan? And, oh yes... I`ve had my chops busted... And once, I busted my butt! But I never had my chub busted?

Okay Wilbur, we need to know a couple of things. I am not familiar with your recipe because it`s not Stan Marianski`s or Rytek Kutas`. I happen to have Ruhlman`s book though. Could you tell me which page your recipe is on or what type of sausage it is. Is it cooked (cotto) salami or is it air-dried?

Don`t go throwing anything out yet. We just need more information. Oh, and yes... in Rytek`s third edition of "Great Sausage Recipes And Meat Curing" on pages 133-134, he shows you a "butterfly" knot for salami-makers. He writes, [without a butterfly knot] "The meat as it warms will cause the knot to slip off causing loss of the meat. There is no other way to tie a salami".

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Hello Chuckwagon! Nice to hear from you. Actually, we're finally starting to thaw out bit. This year was definitely colder and snowier than any I ever remember. Sorry for gettin' a bit impatient but it's never good to bust your chub

The recipe is on page 129 of Ruhlman's "Salumi". It is a dry-cured salami. Not cooked. Followed the recipe with the exception of the following: all of Ruhlman's salami recipes call for Bactoferm F-RM-52 with a 12-24 hour fermentation at about 80-85 degrees F. Instead, I used Bactoferm T-SPX and fermented for 72 hours at 70-72 degrees F.

I found the chub lying on the floor the morning of the third day of fermentation. Picked it up, realized the casing was split, re-hung it, went to work. That evening I transferred everything to the dry-cure chamber at about 57 degrees F and 85% +/- humidity.

They all look beautiful thus far. Nice coat of white mold from the Bactoferm 600 mold that I brushed on them when they went into the fermentation chamber.

Thanks for the heads-up on the butterfly knot. I have Rytek's book so I'll look that up now. I was using the bubble knot as advised in Ruhlman's book. Won't be using that again. I think part of the problem was that my butcher's twine was a wee bit heavy and it didn't seem to cinch down tight when I tied those darn knots. I have a new spool that's not so thick for next time.

Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide. Thanks again so much,

Bill

What type and size of casing did you use? Did you secure it with netting or string? How about a pic of the ruptured salame?

Approximately 60mm beef middles. Hung and tied with string. If I can figure out how to post a pic I will post in the morning. Thank you,

Bill

Untie the string, take a large piece of soaked beef middle casing, and apply it to the perforation. Retie the salame and hang in curing chamber.

BTW, T-SPX is better suited for salami finnochiona than F-RM-52, so it should be OK

Thanks Chris - good advice. And you too, Lynn!
Hey WB.... now back up and hit it again!

That's brilliant redzed! Like patching an inner tube. Now I guess the only question I have left is: do I wipe away the mold where I patch it and reapply new mold culture or just cover up the mold with the patch?

Hey, just want to say thanks to ya'll for your help. I really appreciate it.

Bill

Wipe it off with a warm water with a bit of salt in it and apply the extra layer when still moist, gently pressing out any air. In a day the two layers will bond quite well. By the time the the salami is cured you won't even notice the patch.

Ok redzed, all taken care of per your instructions! Thanks so much for your help!

Bill