3 weeks ago I did 2 batches of salami. One was a fennel salami and the other was a Spanish chorizo, both in small diameter hog casing.
After 3 weeks, some of the smaller salamis lost 35%+ of the starting weight, so I cut into one of each.
When I removed the casing, it was still “attached” to the salami but was very easy to remove and there was moisture between the casing and salami. However, the casing was not totally separated as I’ve seen in some other salami failures.
I think there are a couple things that could’ve gone wrong, but would like some input.
Potential issues…
1) too much moisture during the ferment process causing moisture to develop between the casing and salami. During the ferment, I doused the salami in mold 600, and wrapped in cling film. Ending ph was 4.5 for both, and there was visible moisture dripping from the salamis when removed.
2) humidity too high. I kept the humidity between 80-85% for the first week then bumped to 78.
3) too much mold 600. I really went to town here with the mold 600. Could this have caused issues? See the second picture.
Things I know I did correctly…
1) stuffed tight enough
2) temperature consistency
Any advice would be much appreciated!
by Salty_Celebration255