Homemade Sausage Making

Marianskys book of the art of fermenting sausages says the final ph of salami is somewhere between 5.0-5.5 page 33061- if our initial fermenting drop is to get to 5.3 ( a safe consumable product) or below that, to 5.1-5.0 then on the last thRead " blc 007 problems " our friend said he was at 4.9 in the curing chamber and it`s too low.

So far from being on here and reading it`s alot of conflict on this. If i remember lou hit 4.9 in fermentation and got nervous it would be too much but was told it would be ok. Eli from Olympia ferments to 4.8-9

On other threads people said they most likely never test ph after it`s done. My brain is in butcher knots now

I dont think there is a single correct answer to post fermentation pH - it depends on what you want it to taste like.

If you ferment to above 5.3 then you won't have that safety hurdle - so I wouldn't recommend that unless you are really confident about the risks involved. However how far to go below 5.3 is subjective.

I've fermented to 4.9 before - it was 'ok' but definitely had a tang to it. I've also fermented to 4.6 before - and that time the tang was too much for me.

People that don't test pH either :

- have the process so controlled that they can replicate the same pH each time (this is hard)
- get inconsistent results - and sometimes may not be safe
- are aiming for a low pH, tangy sausage - so they ferment a long time

Personally I found that using accurate pH testing equipment was the key step I needed to take to create a repeatable, quality product.

- reddal

I would agree with Redall, after a ph less than 5.3 is reached its a matter of taste.

You can find the US and Canadian Fermentation Standards here along with some validated comercial processes : https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... /standards

As you can see there is more than one way to ferment safely.

Saltedtyme30 wrote:On other threads people said they most likely never test ph after it`s done.

In the end, for a fermented and dried sausage, the safety hurdle that stops the further growth of bacteria is Water Activity (Aw), as long as its 9.1 or below (approx 30% weight loss) a Ph of less than 5.3 is no longer a safety concern

Bob K, reddal, thanks guys. Much appreciated !