Failed Ferment
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 04:55
Failed Ferment
I just tossed some Saucisson au Blue Cheese for failure to ferment. Initial pH was 5.9, after 1200 degree-hours averaging about 68 degrees, it was still 5.9. I am trying to figure out which one or more things went wrong. My first fail, please be gentle!
(1) I used 0.2% of T-SPX. (Typically I use more.)
(2) Date of manufacture of culture was Jan 2020, I bought it from sausagemaker.com and froze it upon receipt in Jan 2021, It was stored folded, in zip lock bag. "Best by" date was 1/6/2022, so saucisson was made 3 weeks after the best by date. I had used it successfully many times, as recently as a month before. Culture looked normal, shakes easily in bag.
(3) I included 10% blue cheese. I did not measure it, but online it indicates that blue cheese typically has a pH between 6.2 and 6.5. Perhaps the cheese mold affected the ferment, but I have heard others have made this basic recipe successfully.
(4) Used 0.1% each of dextrose and sugar. (Typically use more, but I have had some very fast pH drops so I thought to cut back more.)
Here is the recipe: Pork butt, trimmed 80%; Fatback 10%; Pt. Reyes Bay Blue cheese 10%; Salt 2.25%; Cure 2 0.25%, Dextrose 0.1%; Sugar 0.1%; White pepper 0.2%, T-SPX 0.2%. Hydrated starter in room temperature distilled water. Mixed in well just prior to stuffing. Fermented for 1200 degree-hours, average 68 degrees and 90% RH.
I just tossed some Saucisson au Blue Cheese for failure to ferment. Initial pH was 5.9, after 1200 degree-hours averaging about 68 degrees, it was still 5.9. I am trying to figure out which one or more things went wrong. My first fail, please be gentle!
(1) I used 0.2% of T-SPX. (Typically I use more.)
(2) Date of manufacture of culture was Jan 2020, I bought it from sausagemaker.com and froze it upon receipt in Jan 2021, It was stored folded, in zip lock bag. "Best by" date was 1/6/2022, so saucisson was made 3 weeks after the best by date. I had used it successfully many times, as recently as a month before. Culture looked normal, shakes easily in bag.
(3) I included 10% blue cheese. I did not measure it, but online it indicates that blue cheese typically has a pH between 6.2 and 6.5. Perhaps the cheese mold affected the ferment, but I have heard others have made this basic recipe successfully.
(4) Used 0.1% each of dextrose and sugar. (Typically use more, but I have had some very fast pH drops so I thought to cut back more.)
Here is the recipe: Pork butt, trimmed 80%; Fatback 10%; Pt. Reyes Bay Blue cheese 10%; Salt 2.25%; Cure 2 0.25%, Dextrose 0.1%; Sugar 0.1%; White pepper 0.2%, T-SPX 0.2%. Hydrated starter in room temperature distilled water. Mixed in well just prior to stuffing. Fermented for 1200 degree-hours, average 68 degrees and 90% RH.