CURING
Q: Can I reuse my curing
pickle?
A:
No. Nitrite works with time and temperature. After your
pickle has set for more than 24 hours, you basically
have salt water.
Q:
Can I make my pickle the day before I pump?
A:
Again, no. The majority of nitrites will have
dissipated, leaving mostly salt water.
Q:
Can I use cold tap water for my pumping pickle?
A:
Yes, but you should not add the cure salt until you have
chilled the water down below 40°. By doing so, you will
also have allowed time for the chlorine to blow out of
the water as well.
Q:
Is an ice cold brine better than
tap water brine?
A:
Yes, as before, Nitrite works on time and temperature.
Tap water, at best is 55°. Nitrite converts to Nitric
Oxide from 32° to aprox. 120°. If you start out with
warm water, you're loosing nitrites before they ever
enter the meat.
Q:
Is a 10% pump sufficient for most cured meats?
A:
I've found that a 15% to 20% pump is most efficient.
Your cure color, shelf-life and flavor will be much more
pronounced.
Q:
What is the USDA guidelines for parts per million (ppm)
of in-going nitrites for hams and bacon?
A:
Hams are allowed up to 200 ppm of in-going nitrite.
Bacon is allowed 200 ppm of in-going nitrite for dry rub
bellies and only 120 ppm of ingoing nitrite for pumping
or tumbling. Sodium erythorbate must be used at a rate of 7/8 of an ounce (or 547 ppm) per 100 lbs. of bellies
for pumping or tumbling, based on USDA regulations.
Q:
What is the equation for determining the amount of
in-going nitrites?
A:
Take the lbs. of cure, x the % of nitrite, x the % of
pump, x 1,000,000, then divide by the total weight of
pickle.
Example: 50 gallons of water = 400 lbs.
50 lbs. of complete cure @ .75% nitrite
9 lb. 6 oz. Sodium Phosphate
1 lb. 5 oz. Sodium Erythorbate
1 lb. 8 oz. California Ham Spice
Total: 462 lbs. 3 oz. (462.1875)
50 x .0075 x .20 x 1,000,000 ¸ 462.1875 = 162 ppm
For dry rubbing bellies
simply take the pounds of cure x % of nitrite x
1,000,000 ¸ weight of bellies.
Example: 100 lbs. of bellies
5 lbs. Complete Bacon Cure .40% Nitrite
5 x .004 x 1,000,000 ¸ 100 = 200 ppm
MIXING
Q:
Why is my product fatting out?
A:
This could be a number of problems…
- Product could be under
mixed or over mixed…the proper mixing times are as
follows…When using a dual action type mixer, a smoked
sausage should be mixed no less than 6 minutes and as
much as 8 minutes. For a single action type mixer,
product should be mixed 8 to 10 minutes.
- The meat block must be
kept below 40° during the mixing cycles.
- When mixing a product
with an abundance of fat, you must mix the seasoning
with the lean meats first, thus extracting the protein
from the lean meat. Then add the fat trim and finish
mixing.
- Protein extraction can
not be accomplished without the addition of salt.
Therefore add your seasoning at the beginning of the
mixing cycle.
- Make sure your
smokehouse is not exceeding 185° or you will cook the
fat out.
- When using
Encapsulated Citric Acid, mix into batter the last 45
seconds of the mixing cycle. Do Not Regrind. Hold
product at room temperature or go straight to the
smokehouse. Do Not Refrigerate after adding
Encapsulated Citric Acid. If Encapsulation breaks it
will short out your emulsion.
- Never use meats that
have been frozen for over 6 months, as the protein
will have been denatured by this time.
- Protein can not be
extracted from frozen meat. Your meat block should be
no colder than 29°f at the beginning of the mixing
cycle.
- Never use rework that
contains citric acid as a starter culture.
- To prevent Gelatin
pockets, reduce the amount of meat that contains
gelatin protein. ie: head meat, shank meat, hearts.
These types of meats should be used at a 5% to a 10%
ratio of the meat block.
MOLD
Q:
How can I prevent mold from forming on my beef sticks
and bacon.
A:
The first and best method of preventing mold on beef
sticks is to simply spray the finished, cooked sticks
with a solution of Potassium Sorbate. Potassium Sorbate
should be mixed at a ratio of 3 oz. to each gallon of
water.
Most often the source of
what appears to be mold on bacon is phosphate. We have
found that the use of phosphates in bacon is useless for
there is not enough muscle to hold it. Also, rubber
gloves should be worn at all times during the handling
and packaging of finished meats. The meat should be
packaged at room temperature to prevent any sweating out
of the product. When product is allowed to sweat, salt
will migrate to the water, giving you a powder or mold
appearance.
Mold spores are ever
present in the air. A mold prevention program is a must.
Wash walls, ceilings, floors, drains and windows with a
bleach/water solution. ( 2oz. of bleach to 1 gallon of
water). Use a disinfectant such as quatra ammonia
sprayed on all surfaces, weekly.
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