Homemade Sausage Making

Hi,
Are there any members that have used ECA in semi dried sausages or in any other application to get the tang in sausages without culures?
What I can't seem to understand is that ECA get released in the sausages over 135 F, so where does the semi-dried sausage fit in.
I always thought that they should be kept as cool as possible to mature.
Best Regards,
Jan.

Hi Jan,
I have used them before and they work pretty good. If you do use them add them last just before you stuff. Just fold them into the meat carefully. What can happen is if they are added first the grinder will crush the capsules and you will end up with a dry product. From what I understand the capsules release once the internal temp of the meat hits 135 degrees like you said.

This is what sausagemaker.com said about their product


Encapsulated Citric Acid imparts a tangy / sourly flavor to semi-dry cured sausages. The citric acid is encapsulated in a food safe ingredient which disintegrates at 150° F (smoking temperatures), so this product is intended only for usage in semi-dry cured products.

1) Grind all meat to final grind
2) Mix in all seasoning with the Encapsulated Citric Acid thoroughly
3) Stuff the sausage, smoke and cook
4) Internal temp of sausage must reach over 150 degrees for acid to release

This is used similarly to our Fermento product. 3 oz. makes 25 lbs.