Event log

Today we watched the killing flour!

We watched how they killed the hogs*4, cattles*4, and the bisons*2. Actually, the bisons were not killed here in Olds college, they were killed in the farm and then transferred to this place to skinning.
The hogs were firstly electrical stunned and then blooded, dehaired and cut to half.
The cattles were stunned by a retractable gun and then blooded, skinned and cut to half.
The bisons are same as cattles without stunning, just bigger.
It is interesting to see these scenes.

Event log

Today we made some emulstion sausages. It’s easy to make, just need to wait the chopping machine.

It is interesting that Brad here doesn’t keep time on chopping, only keep the temperature. When the temperature is reached, the chopping is stopped.
After the day, we went to walk around the Olds town. It’s really a small town.

Event log

Today is monday. I have been wirting during the weekend.

Today Brad talked about the grading system in Canada and we reviewed the beef grading system.
Then we watched a demo of Brad cutting a cattle. Supprisingly it is a Priminum. There is a lot marbling there.
This afternoon, we continue to watch the demo of cutting. But there were two hanging methods there. We compared the two methods and their effect on the tenderness of the muscles. Actually I cannot tell most of them the difference, but some pieces I can tell which is more tender than the other.
The we did the cleanning again.

Event log

This morning, we moved to a new classroom and Brad talked about cooking method on meat, which I am not interested in. Then we went to make some jerkys. I love jerkys, but they are too expensive. I was thinking it could be a good idea to run a meat processing plant (start up) making jerkys. With not too much investment, not too many equipments (mixer/grinder, smoke house, vacuum packagin machine and it’s done).

In the afternoon, he talked a lot about the ingredients and meat to make a formula. One interesting thing is to keep the moisture/protein ratio equals 4:1. I asked him where the number comes from and he said well, it is all from real practice. If the number is higher than 4:1, the sausage would be too wet. If the number is lower than 4:1, it could be too dry.
At noon, Brad showed us the pH of the Salami sausage we just made yesterday and the pH went down to 4.8 which is good. The degree*hour is lower than 550, so we are good. Then he will let the sausage being at 33 oC for another week and we can taste it next week, before we leave.

Event log

Today we were talking about the fermented sausage production.

We actually never learnt anything about making fermented sausage. So this is new to me.
One thing new to me is the degree*hour, there is certain limit on the degree*hour of making the fermented sausage.
Others like the hurdles used in making fermented sausage are common sense.
I am surprised that the fermented sausage needs to be cooked. If it is not cooked, it needs to be tested.
Later in the morning, we went to make some fermented sausage.
In the afternoon, we learnt something about postmotem tenderness. There are some ways to make the beef muscle more tender. Then we went to stuff some sausages (We tasted later of the day, ok, but too much oil/fat coming out just after cooking).
After class, we also took some time going to a local brewery on campus. We tasted some types of beer and I decided to buy some when we going back to Saskatoon.

Event log

In the morning, Brad talked about curing. There are several ways of curing, rub, soak brine, single needle, multiple needles and artelery curing. The calculation of the curing system is horrible. The pick up percentage is not included. The salt in FS cure (5% nitrite) is not included. OMG. The nitrite calculation is simplified and I don’t know if it is legal.

Then we went to look at different curing methods. Rub, soak and brine, multiple needles and so on.
In the afternoon, Brad talked about smoke house management. One thing I noticed is Brad even used diluted liquid smoke in some sausage/ham curing. This makes sense because the smoking in smoke house can only penetrate certain deep of the sausage/ham.
Then we put the cured ham into net and then we actually clean the processing area again.

Event log

In the morning, Brad talked about the ingredients, including binders, extenders, and others.

Soy flour contains so high protein.

Then we made some bacon using tumbler without pumping brines or injecting brines, just tumble for certain time.
We also made some grinded some cooked liver, skin and liver something and don’t what we are going to do with them.
Then we made some blood pudding by mixing all the ingredients and… blood… together.
We incased the liver thing and blood thing into cases.
In the afternoon, Brad talked about something about casing. One interesting thing is way to store natural casing using 1:1 weight salt, just soak the casing a little bit and mix it with salt. Rinse the casing before use.
We then hang the bacon on the racks and sent them into the smoke house.
The processing area is not cold at all, it may be around 10-15 oC.