Summer sausage turning brown

[waltp]

I made a batch of sausage a couple weeks ago. Vacuum sealed and refrigerated or frozen. This was the first time I used cheese. I notice around the cheese in the sausage it is turning a different color than the rest of the sausage. I am worried it’s no good though I have eaten it and not gotten sick. Any ideas what I have done wrong?

Thanks in advance looking forward to any advice.

Walt

[folsomwest]

High temperature cheese?

[waltp]

Yes from Waltons.

[waltp]

Did two batches one with cheddar and one with pepper jack. It seems to only be the cheddar one that is doing it. They were completely separate batches though.

[Darkfish89]

waltp My guess would be that your cheese was close to the point that it would want to mold but had not yet. Could of started molding even if vac sealed if you let your summer sausage sit in the fridge for any extended period of time. Hard to say, it could of been when you held it for 12 hours to cure over night too. I don’t think you did anything wrong just one in a million bad luck possibly. Do you have pictures?

[waltp]

I didn’t hold it over night I used the encapsulated citric stuff. How do you upload images? Can’t see where I can do that. Thanks for the reply too I appreciate it!!

[waltp]

Never mind I figured the image thing out.

[waltp]

[twilliams]

waltp id say you got contamination from your equipment somewhere in the process. Or meat got too warm at some point.

[twilliams]

waltp what was your smoke/cook schedule?

[waltp]

Followed the one on the Walton’s instructions for summer sausage

[waltp]

I smoked both batches at the same time. All made the same day with the same equipment the pepper jack batch does not have the discoloration just the cheddar

[Darkfish89]

waltp did you use distilled water or tap water? possibly a PH issue

[Darkfish89]

waltp Its like its oxidizing like a steak would when exposed to air. really weird. Im sure Jon will know what happened.

[waltp]

I did use well water not distilled

[glen]

Maybe some ECA capsules broke and denatured portions

[waltp]

Thanks for that it could be. I have been eating it, no bad taste, does not seem to have gotten bigger or anything over a couple days. Just trying to figure it out so that if I do it again and give it away don’t want them thinking I’m poisoning them!! Lol!

[glen]

waltp Walt, what was your procedure after you added the ECA?
Also did your ECA capsules come in contact with anything before going into the mix? i.e. being crushed or liquid contact?

[waltp]

Added the ECA last in the mix, hand mixed for a minute or two. Stuffed and into the smoker.

[excaliburrick]

Especially when using high temp cheese in your sausage, you need to use a product to help the cure work faster. Use the smoked meat stabilizer at a rate of 2oz per 25# of meat. It is inexpensive and it will hold your color for a long time. You should be using this or a product similar to it in all of your cured/smoked sausages.