Water

[gdub3542]

I’m just getting started with this. I’m going to make a 25lbs batch of pork snack sticks with Willie’s. How much water should I use? Do I dissolve the sure cure in the water before adding it? I am also planning using sure gel.

[PapaSop]

gdub3542
As a rule of thumb I use 8oz water to 1lb of meat. I do dissolve the cure in water before adding.
Good luck. Send some pics.

[twilliams]

gdub3542 I have never done straight pork, however I use 2qts of distilled water for 25lbs meat block. And yes dissolve the sure cure in the cold water before adding to meat. Sure gel can be added to meat before water and cure mix. I see no mention of an accelerator so you are holding in fridge for at least 12 hours before smoke/cook cycle correct?

[Jesser]

gdub3542 I use 1 once of distilled water for every pound of meat.
I dissolve both sure gel and sure cure in water and mix with meat then mix in seasoning.
I highly recommend mixing at least sure cure in water so it disperse into the meat better.
Good luck

[gdub3542]

Thanks for the info. I’ll post some pics after it is done

[Jamieson22]

gdub3542 what size casing and tube are you using? Snack stick size can stress a stuffer out so I usually don’t wait long before adding cure and stuffing. Extra water helps too if you have troubles.

[gdub3542]

I’ll be using 19mm on a 1/2 inch horn.

[cdavis]

gdub3542 good luck .

[gdub3542]

twilliams I am planning on using citric acid but I do also have the sodium erothorbate. Any preference?

[Grimpuppy]

gdub3542 if you don’t mind the “tang” then ECA is fine, if you prefer it without the tang, then go with another accelerator. I like smoked meat stabilizer as there is no tang and you are not measuring in fractions of a gram for a small batch like you would with sodium erothorbate.

[twilliams]

gdub3542 Grimpuppy is correct. I do not use an accelerator so his advice is better to consider. I try to keep my products as natural as possible without adding all the extras. Not saying adding them is a bad thing, just my preference. Usually as well time does not allow me to mix stuff and smoke all in the same day.

[gdub3542]

twilliams 
I ended up using 2 quarts of and sure gel. They turned out good but I think next time I will cut back on the water.

[twilliams]

gdub3542 your photo didn’t load. You need to resize the file down.

[Jamieson22]

PapaSop said in Water:

gdub3542
As a rule of thumb I use 8oz water to 1lb of meat. I do dissolve the cure in water before adding.
Good luck. Send some pics.

Just making sure you don’t mean per 5lb vs 1lb of meat.

[gdub3542]

gdub3542

[gdub3542]

This was the half that fit on my grill. The other half got vac sealed and put in freezer until I have another day to cook them. Did I mess up by doing that?

[twilliams]

gdub3542 the half vac sealed, are those stuffed into casing already or you just vac sealed the mixed meat mixture? If you did not stuff them in to casings it will be hard on your stuffer as the meat firms up after mixing

[gdub3542]

Everything got stuffed. Just ran out of time to get everything cooked

[twilliams]

gdub3542 you should be good

[cdavis]

gdub3542 man those look great. Good work right there .