We have been trying to make summer sausage but some batches are not smooth in texture and are very tangy. I have double checked the measurements for citric acid and it was correct. Do we need more fat content or water perhaps?

[carlannette]

We have been trying to make summer sausage but the texture is not smooth, a bit grainy, and really tangy. I double checked the citric acid measurement and it was correct. Do we perhaps need more fat or water?

[lkrfletcher]

carlannette
Could be lack of a binder or enough protein extraction. Johnathan will chime in soon.

[Jonathon]

carlannette Can you give us some more information? What is your meat block and what is the fat content of that meat block. Have you been using a binder, how much water have you been adding and can you give us what your smoke schedule is? I would imagine though that part of the issue is going to be protein extraction, so I would say use a binder, make sure your fat content is at least 20% and only mix your Encapsulated Citric Acid in during the last minute of processing. It is possible that the acid was released too soon and your proteins were denatured before the cooking process began, that could cause a dry, crumbly texture in your sausage.

[processhead]

If very tangy when the ECA is used in the recommended amounts, I always question if there was uneven mixing of ingredients or at least the ECA.