A new sausage fermenting concept

[ryankelley]

I don't have a fermentation chamber, so I've been thinking about ways to make one and not have something else to store in my urban loft. I live in Ohio and the climate is dry this time of year...electric furnace makes it worse. Getting to 95% humidity isn't easy.

I have a sous vide that resembles a stick blender. Normally I put it in a large cooler and cook meats with it. It generates a lot of humidity which makes our home feel better this time of year. After using it last night, it occurred to me that all the steam and warm air is rising out of the cooler while I cook. A rubbermaid style plastic tube turned upside down overtop of the cooler would capture both the heat and humidity. I tested it and without any tweaking, had 93 degree temps right over the 140 degree water bath. I don't have a hygrometer yet, but condensation was forming inside the tube...

I could drill holes in the tub and run rods through to hang the sausage from. Also, if I cut a hole in the side of the tub as a window, I can adhere the dual thermometer/hygrometer to the side and see what's going on inside. This would allow me to make adjustments as needed to keep it in the ideal range. Certainly this would take some tinkering and "calibrating" to get it where it needs to be. Adjusting the water bath temperature and/or adjust the height of the tub above the water. I could also put a lid on the tub and and cut enough of it open to allow the right amount of hot/humid air in instead of having the entire opening exposed to the bath.

My sous vide is very precise. Dial it up/down a degree to get it in the sweet spot. A transparent/translucent tube would be cool to look while all this is going on.

What do you think?

[NCPaul]

https://ourdailybrine.com/sous-vide-sal ... mentation/

Might be interesting to you.

[ryankelley]

https://ourdailybrine.com/sous-vide-salami-fermentation/

Might be interesting to you.

Yes, it is very interesting. My concept is different though. Instead of vacuum sealing a sausage and submerging it in the bath, I'm planning to suspend it above the bath where it will be exposed to the radiant heat and humidity. I would have a fermentation chamber that's regulated by the steam and humidity from the water bath.

The disadvantage to daily brine's concept is it won't grow good mold under vacuum. This way instead of being under vacuum it will hang and have a chance to get the white mold. The sous vide will power it.

Since I have limited space, I can then nest the rubbermaid tub inside/outside another one I already use for storage...it will take virtually no space to store it.