Opa's Craft Meats

Fermentation Box

Inside the drying chamber

What I use:

• Fermentation Box
• Drying Chamber (Used upright freezer)
• Thermostat (to override the freezer’s thermostat)
• Thermometer
• Small fan for moving the air around in the drying chamber
• Humidity Sensors (I use cheap cigar box hygrometers)
• Hygrometer calibration kit
• Humidity producer (cold air humidifier)
• Hygrostat (sensor that switches the humidifier on and off)
• Surge protector with new plug (to power the humidifier and fan)
• Hog Ring Pliers (to tie off sausages)
• S Hooks (to hang sausages)
• Small Spray Bottles (to spray on good mold, or spray on vinegar to keep away the bad mold)

The key to dry curing meat is controlling the fermentation process and the drying process.  As you can see from the list above, it doesn’t take much more equipment to ferment sausages than to make fresh ones.   There are some big ticket items in here, a drying chamber and hygrostat are the most expensive on the list, but there are cheap alternatives to most of the items (I’ve listed them below).  It really depends on your environment and what kind of controls (or lack of) you are comfortable with.

Cheap Alternatives:

• Fermentation Box – Jason Molinari documents how he made his own with a a plastic box and a light bulb.
• Humidity producer – use a tray of water with some salt in it and set it below the drying meat
• Hygrostat – Not necessary if you use a tray of water above
• Thermostat – set the freezer to ‘warm’ and hope it’s warm enough.

The only way you’ll know if these cheaper alternatives will work in your environment is to test them out.   I would only try them if I had both hydrometer and thermometer so you can see if they are viable solutions.  Test all of your equipment solutions before you start a batch of meat and take the time to dial it in before so you don’t lose a batch like I did.

Coming soon:  how to assemble everything