Project "A"

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 01:24

Ross, you wrote:

My sausages are developing scabs on the pin holes made to deflate air pockets in the sausage.

We need a photo Ross. I suspect that what you have is the normal growth of a very much later-occurring organism with the highly-technical, scientific, name of... "yeast".

Shucks ol` pard, they are just part of the process and as they are anaerobic, they may live just below the surface as well as upon the surface, assisting in fermentation by lowering acidity, thus improving flavor in "dry-cured" salami. They are less sensitive to salt than other microorganisms and must have high humidity to survive. It`s interesting to note that debaromyces hansenii and candida formata are highly salt tolerant and both consume lactic and acetic acids and decompose peroxides, thus augmenting and complementing flavors.
It is interesting to note that debaromyces hansenii also produces the very distinct odor of DaveZac`s ammonia. This particular yeast is often added intentionally, not only for the positive characteristics stated, but because it is also proteolytic (breaks down proteins) and lipolytic (breaks down fats), enhancing flavor even further. How about a photo pal?

OK, fermentation dudes!... can you name another microorganism that produces ammonia as well? After the crap I went through a couple of years ago on (ahem, ahem...) another site... I feel qualified to ask. First with the answer gets a free season pass for swimming in the Great Salt Lake!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 01:46

How's that?

Dave Zac · Post by **Dave Zac** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 01:47

Chuckwagon wrote:OK, fermentation dudes!... can you name another microorganism that produces ammonia as well? After the crap I went through a couple of years ago on (ahem, ahem...) another site... I feel qualified to ask. First with the answer gets a free season pass for swimming in the Great Salt Lake!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Mold eh?

Dave

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 01:47

I ddon't know the name but I have emptied enough diaper pail to know that there is an organism that converts urea to ammonia.

uwanna61 · Post by **uwanna61** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 01:52

nitrite

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 03:59

Hi Guys,
Yup, Dave got it.... it`s a mold alright, but what is the name of the mold? Remember? It`s part of your Allysandra Salami now.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 04:30

I presume that we applied it deliberately. That would make it penicillium navgiovense. I had to look up the spelling.
What about my scabby sausages?

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 05:20

Oh sure Ross.... Uh...hmmmm.... you'd better look it up again! (spelling)

har, har... Shucks ol' pard, remember, I "aced" chemistry! brag, brag, brag!

Want to know how I did it? I intimidated the teacher quite a bit!

It had a lot to do with my spicy-hot "jerky breath" and ridin' my horse inside the classroom after feedin' him whiskey and chocolate!

Oh yes, about your sausages...

inspect the color... I can't quite tell by the small photo, but I didn't really like the color. Take a clean dish rag, put a bit of vinegar on it, wring it so it's just moist, rub in some salt and scrape the "scabs". Don't go clear through the casing - just clean the stuff up a bit. Wipe it with a clean, damp cloth, then spray on a little more M-600 and allow it to crowd out the other microorganisms.
Don't fret about the stuff. If you can't get it all, it's ok. It cannot go deeply into the meat as it needs a little oxygen. Even if it did, it would only lower the acidity and improve the flavor. Unlike bacteria, there are no known species that grow only anerobically (obligate anaerobes).
It's interesting that only about 1% of all yeast species have been described. They are microscopic fungi that grow as single cells. There is one in particular that we want to avoid - now, let's see if I can spell the danged thing... Zygosaccharomyces (genus) and it has long been associated with the food industry - as a spoilage yeast! Yuk. You wouldn't believe where this stuff can grow - ethanol, acetic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, any high sucrose, and even sulfur dioxide!

Well ol' pal, we're in the home stretch now. Did you see that gorgeous pepperoni that Uwanna made. Are you salivating yet?

Keep the faith bro, along with the proper temperature and humidity!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 13:22

I shall make that happen when I get home from work today. Thanks. Spelling can be blamed on my old tired eyes Try nalgiovense. Thanks.

Just click that thumbnail and It takes you to the album. saves band width on the forum.

partycook · Post by **partycook** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 20:12

Well after 22 days I have just weighed my Salami di Alessanddra the weight loss is over 30%. 1692g -1178g 1714g -1162g 1686g - 1154g . My curing unit is at 57 deg., humidity 80% and fan speed is adjusted to slow. I have just taken project "S" and "P" from the fermenter and added them to the curing unit they have been sprayed with mold-600. I am going to attempt to post a pic. from photobucket. Didn't get it to copy so back to the drawing board.

John

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 00:26

Hi Partycook,
Nice goin'! Did you happen to notice how uniform the weight reduction in each sausage has been. As you go into the storage stage, you might wish to drop the humidity down just a little. Somewhere right around 75% is ideal. How does your mold look? Do you have any evidence of yeast growing like our buddy Ross has? That ol' codger has so much yeast going that we may have to take up brewing beer pretty soon.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 00:37

I rather doubt that it is the right variety for brewing it certainly doesn't taste like a baking yeast and it smells better than candida sp.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 01:49

An interesting event. The scabs on my sausage have been covered over with penicillium mold. So some I have cleaned away and some I have left covered with mold. I ate a piece of the salami tonight and the taste is right from what I remember from fifty years ago. I haven't liked the salami that we could buy for the last 30 or 40 years so I haven't bought any. It wasn't worth the price. This seems like it will be worth the trouble.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 05:35

Ross, if you think it's good now, just wait until it loses a bit more weight, becomes more dense and darkened in color, and has even more pronounced flavor. I had some for lunch today from a previous batch and it was maaaavelous!
Just think... only 30 more days from today and you'll have bragging rights and photos to post all over the net! Wow, the time has passed quickly eh?
By now, you should have a solid mass of white all over the sausages. Often when they are "splotchy" (not my word), it is because people handle them too much as they are being hung. By the way, what is your RH and temp? Are you still keeping your notebook? Don't forget to record these things in it for future reference.
I think you and I could take a lesson in notekeeping from Uwanna. He has just produced the best lookin' pepperoni I've seen in a long time, and it's because he kept experimenting with new small alterations to his recipe. He has "fine tuned" a pepperoni that any large pizza corporation would give their eye teeth to lay their hands upon. And it's because he kept tweaking the stuff by keeping good notes.
Ross, something tells me that you will have the same success with Project A as Uwanna had with "P". You've babied those "piggies" like a worried father. In another month, we'll toast your success from 2500 miles away!
Our fellow member Jason Story and his fiance' are going to open a charcuterie shop in D.C. I'm excited about it and have been following his project. The next salami project we take on, we'll have him be the "concertmeister" eh? These young folks are sharp as a tack!
OK, Ross, visit your dentist and have him sharpen your incisors and polish your canines! We're almost at the "test" stage!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 13:51

The spoltchy comes from replacing the ice jugs every day and bumping the pigs. This morning I was 53 dry bulb and 51 wet bulb. That should be about 82 %RH Been holding it on the high sude because of early signs of quick drying. Sprayed new penicillium N. on last night and this AM.
Oh yes, Keeping notes of any changes that I make.
Jason Story I wish you great success. You are entering a seriously tough business.
The death of this man has created an open niche. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obitua ... 8526.story
I am not being morbid his story is worth reading.