Curing chamber setups

Azone

WKR
Joined
Apr 21, 2018
Messages
1,537
Location
Northern Nevada
After a few years of wheeling and dealing to use people’s basements or wine cellars I’ve finally broke down and bought a fridge for curing meat. I have my first batch hanging right now and I’m having humidity and air flow issues.
Humidity is proving to be a royal pain by remaining too high even with a dehumidifier hooked up to a Ink Bird humidity controller. Airflow also has me worried, I have a ammonia type smell going that is fairly strong. I’m accustomed to salami having a good “funk” smell to it when I cure it, so something is wrong in my process right now. I’m opening the doors up 2 to 3 times per day to let fresh air in and stale air out, it’s working a little bit but I would like to come up with a better way. I’m thinking small cooling fans with a intake and exhaust port across from each other on a timer to exchange the air out 4 to 6 times per day.
I definitely thought by buying this damn fridge it would make life easier but it has not. I know people use them for this reason, so obviously they work and I got something out of whack.
Curing temp is set at 60 degrees F and humidity is currently set at 75 percent. I’ve cured tons of stuff, just never in a fridge so if anyone out there has experience with a fridge setup they would not mind sharing it would be very helpful.
 

tdot

WKR
Joined
Aug 18, 2014
Messages
1,888
Location
BC
I'd say your temp is way too high. I cure all my meat in the fridge at 36 to 38 max.
After a few years of wheeling and dealing to use people’s basements or wine cellars I’ve finally broke down and bought a fridge for curing meat. I have my first batch hanging right now and I’m having humidity and air flow issues.
Humidity is proving to be a royal pain by remaining too high even with a dehumidifier hooked up to a Ink Bird humidity controller. Airflow also has me worried, I have a ammonia type smell going that is fairly strong. I’m accustomed to salami having a good “funk” smell to it when I cure it, so something is wrong in my process right now. I’m opening the doors up 2 to 3 times per day to let fresh air in and stale air out, it’s working a little bit but I would like to come up with a better way. I’m thinking small cooling fans with a intake and exhaust port across from each other on a timer to exchange the air out 4 to 6 times per day.
I definitely thought by buying this damn fridge it would make life easier but it has not. I know people use them for this reason, so obviously they work and I got something out of whack.
Curing temp is set at 60 degrees F and humidity is currently set at 75 percent. I’ve cured tons of stuff, just never in a fridge so if anyone out there has experience with a fridge setup they would not mind sharing it would be very helpful.
 
OP
Azone

Azone

WKR
Joined
Apr 21, 2018
Messages
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Location
Northern Nevada
Most recipes I have researched call for a drying temp from the mid 50’s to low 60’s, with humidity ranging anywhere from 70 to 85 percent. For the actual curing part with cure #2 the meat is in a walk in cooler for 24 to 48 hours, that runs from the mid to upper 30’s depending on ambient air temperature.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
Messages
538
Location
Maryland
At first read, I thought you were just hanging deer in it at 60. If you're curing sausage with cure in it 60 seems reasonable. That said, I still generally cure sausage in the fridge..
 
OP
Azone

Azone

WKR
Joined
Apr 21, 2018
Messages
1,537
Location
Northern Nevada
At first read, I thought you were just hanging deer in it at 60. If you're curing sausage with cure in it 60 seems reasonable. That said, I still generally cure sausage in the fridge..
In a dedicated curing fridge or just your kitchen fridge?
 
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