HUMIDITY IN CURING AND AIR DRYING

[dryairmeat]

One of the main Parameters that is used in Curing and Air Drying of Meat and Meat Products such as Sausages, is the Humidity as well as the Temperature and Air Flow.
Many suggest using high Humidity to start the Curing and Air Drying Process.
'It is important that you monitor temperature and humidity during the meat drying process. Ideal conditions for doing this are between 12 -18ºC (55 - 65ºF) with a relative humidity between 65 - 75% RH in your curing chamber.' Meat Curing Art
OK But the problem is the higher Humidity (RH) the more difficult will it be for the air to extract the moisture from the Product during the Air Drying. Some have recommended not more then 30% RH during air drying.
I use 30% for Air Drying and it works fine as this allows the Product to be dried quickly within 10-15 days rather then months

Any Comments pls
Thanks

[wheels]

It sounds as if you are making products with a small diameter?

I would doubt whether larger diameter products could be made without case hardening at 30% RH...

...but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

Of course, there are many other very good reasons for a long slow dry/mature, not least flavour.

Phil

[dryairmeat]

hi Phil
Yes you are quiet right..I am making Bastirma which is only about 2 cm thick and is shaped like a triangular shape. I will send you some photos of the product.
So for this I dont need high RH, as I know understand the RH of the surrounding air acts as a controller of the rate at which water is removed from the air dried meat/sausage. The higher RH , the lower is the rate of removal of water from the drying meat, which I guess is on purpose because you dont want the drying to be too fast otherwise as you point out there will be hardening at the surface and the inner will remain very soft.
I guess for large Sausage diameters , the RH is on purpose set to high so that the rate of removal of water is controlled and is uniform throughout the drying process. Too low RH and removal of water is much faster and drying is much quicker, which is what I want in my case, as I dont have the problem of Case Hardening. I have put up these Bastirma for 10 days now and they are ready to be consumed.
I also used novel Fermentation Process with these Bastirma, I am using Kefir as a Fermentation agent. The Product after 10 days is remarkable in its taste , it has a twang taste as well as the heavy taste of Garlic and Spices which are normally added to the Bastirma. It is absolutely delicious breakfast making Bstirma Omelete.
I think the Spices, the Garlic and the salt I add also act as inhibitors of bad bacteria , and the fermentation process helps bring the PH down and also reduces the Aw of the drying meat

[dryairmeat]

hi Phil
What diameter casing do you consider to be large and requires 60% - 70 % RH?
What size Diameter Casing do you use?
TIA