Fridge temps while curing


 
S

Steve Cole

TVWBB Super Fan
I've read that curing stops below 36 degrees and meat will spoil over 40 degrees. That seems like a pretty narrow window. I'd rather err on the cooler side but will it not cure below 36 degrees?
 
Best is to be in that range...everything you read is accurate....over 40 and you need to watch for bacteria...if you get under 36 it slows the curing process.
That being said, your logic is good however you will need to extend the cure period by the time that the temps fall under 36 degrees technically speaking.
What is your chamber running at?
 
I'm testing 2 fridges tonight. One was borderline high. The other, the beverage fridge, a little low. Still trying to get them dialed in.
 
It'll cure a bit below those temps, but, I think that 36-40 degrees F is to be considered the ideal and safe range.
Those numbers come from the Marianski's and apply to nitrite, higher-temps are required for nitrate because it's bacteria that converts the nitrate to nitrite and they do best at a certain temperature range. I have no idea where they came up with the nitrite numbers, I've searched several meat science books that I have a few times and have never found nitrite's effectiveness limited to a small range of temps.
Having said that, the lower the temp, the longer it takes for salt and cure to distribute and equalize in the meat, which is another good reason why you should shoot to cure in the 36-40 degree temperature range and that's likely another reason why the Marianski's recommend those temps.

HTH

~Martin
 
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I haven't had any trouble nitrite curing at regular refrigerator temperatures. I can't speak to nitrate -- I mean, MTQ has both so I can't say for sure that it wasn't the nitrate but I kind of doubt it.

I will say that I recently acquired an extra mini-fridge, so I'm going to try that out for curing at closer to 40 degrees (without making my beer too warm).
 
I saw either a state university extension guide or an FDA food safety guide that said 35F to 40F today while I was trying to figure the formula for a pickle brine. But most of the places do say 36F to 40F. I think Martin's right and I got small hanging thermometers for both my fridges just so I could keep an eye on that.
 
That's pretty much the range you want your fridge in anyway. Over 40 is in the bacteria "danger zone" and too low and you risk having some cold spot get frozen.
 
What are you trying to cure? Something simple, like bacon, just extend the cure time a couple of days if you are under. Don't cure with temps over 40. Once your meat is cured you can ferment at much higher temps, like 70-ish, and then dry around 50 ish.
 
Ferment? Dry? Over my head. I'm getting to cure some bacon for the first time using a process from Michael Ruhlman where you cure the side in a ziplock bag for 7 days in the fridge, then rince and dry for 12-24 hrs in fridge, then smoke.
 
Steve Cole said:
Ferment? Dry? Over my head. I'm getting to cure some bacon for the first time using a process from Michael Ruhlman where you cure the side in a ziplock bag for 7 days in the fridge, then rince and dry for 12-24 hrs in fridge, then smoke.
Click to expand...

Is it the following recipe?

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2/

A friendly heads-up, the cure#1 in that recipe is twice what you need.
1 tsp is plenty for 5 lbs. of bacon, and equals ~156ppm nitrite.
The salt level is also a tad high, IMHO, at ~2.9%...2 to 2.5% is what most folks like.

Here's a calculator to more accurately calculate the cure......
http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

~Martin
 
Thanks. So the cure from the calculator will work fine with that recipe? Ok to add the other stuff from the recipe too?
 
I have been busting my poor non-mathematician's noggin trying to learn how to compute the appropriate amounts for both a dry cure and a brine. I know there are lots of recipes and some guides, plus MartinF's excellent calculator. But I want to step up from following a recipe to being able to evaluate the recipe and note discrepancies, just as Martin did in the Ruhlman recipe which I have used a number of times.

Also, I noted in my research that the FDA says 120 ppm for bacon. I should have bookmarked that one. But it was not the 156 ppm that shows up as the limit almost every where else.
 
Steve_A (Tatoosh) said:
I have been busting my poor non-mathematician's noggin trying to learn how to compute the appropriate amounts for both a dry cure and a brine. I know there are lots of recipes and some guides, plus MartinF's excellent calculator. But I want to step up from following a recipe to being able to evaluate the recipe and note discrepancies, just as Martin did in the Ruhlman recipe which I have used a number of times.

Also, I noted in my research that the FDA says 120 ppm for bacon. I should have bookmarked that one. But it was not the 156 ppm that shows up as the limit almost every where else.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure bacon is the only thing that is limited to 120ppm's. USDA call for 156 on most other things. Think it has to do with the flashpoint of bacon and nitrite
 
The 156ppm is fine for bacon (rind-off) when I dry cure mix is applied.
The 200ppm upper limit is for true dry curing for an extended period of time.

Here are the numbers.....

YaUBz.jpg


~Martin
 
Okay, good to know that certain limits are in place for bacon, particularly if immersion cure or pumped, which I take is immersion & injection together. And that leaving the skin of makes a difference in figuring the amounts. Thanks!
 
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