Curing chamber setups

[Azone]

After a few years of wheeling and dealing to use people’s basements or wine cellars I’ve finally broke down and bought a fridge for curing meat. I have my first batch hanging right now and I’m having humidity and air flow issues.
Humidity is proving to be a royal pain by remaining too high even with a dehumidifier hooked up to a Ink Bird humidity controller. Airflow also has me worried, I have a ammonia type smell going that is fairly strong. I’m accustomed to salami having a good “funk” smell to it when I cure it, so something is wrong in my process right now. I’m opening the doors up 2 to 3 times per day to let fresh air in and stale air out, it’s working a little bit but I would like to come up with a better way. I’m thinking small cooling fans with a intake and exhaust port across from each other on a timer to exchange the air out 4 to 6 times per day.
I definitely thought by buying this damn fridge it would make life easier but it has not. I know people use them for this reason, so obviously they work and I got something out of whack.
Curing temp is set at 60 degrees F and humidity is currently set at 75 percent. I’ve cured tons of stuff, just never in a fridge so if anyone out there has experience with a fridge setup they would not mind sharing it would be very helpful.

 

[tdot]

I'd say your temp is way too high. I cure all my meat in the fridge at 36 to 38 max.

After a few years of wheeling and dealing to use people’s basements or wine cellars I’ve finally broke down and bought a fridge for curing meat. I have my first batch hanging right now and I’m having humidity and air flow issues.
Humidity is proving to be a royal pain by remaining too high even with a dehumidifier hooked up to a Ink Bird humidity controller. Airflow also has me worried, I have a ammonia type smell going that is fairly strong. I’m accustomed to salami having a good “funk” smell to it when I cure it, so something is wrong in my process right now. I’m opening the doors up 2 to 3 times per day to let fresh air in and stale air out, it’s working a little bit but I would like to come up with a better way. I’m thinking small cooling fans with a intake and exhaust port across from each other on a timer to exchange the air out 4 to 6 times per day.
I definitely thought by buying this damn fridge it would make life easier but it has not. I know people use them for this reason, so obviously they work and I got something out of whack.
Curing temp is set at 60 degrees F and humidity is currently set at 75 percent. I’ve cured tons of stuff, just never in a fridge so if anyone out there has experience with a fridge setup they would not mind sharing it would be very helpful.

 

[Antarctica]

I know nothing abut this, but 60 seems way to high..

I concur with tdot...

 

[Azone]

Most recipes I have researched call for a drying temp from the mid 50’s to low 60’s, with humidity ranging anywhere from 70 to 85 percent. For the actual curing part with cure #2 the meat is in a walk in cooler for 24 to 48 hours, that runs from the mid to upper 30’s depending on ambient air temperature.

 

[Antarctica]

At first read, I thought you were just hanging deer in it at 60. If you're curing sausage with cure in it 60 seems reasonable. That said, I still generally cure sausage in the fridge..

 

[Azone]

At first read, I thought you were just hanging deer in it at 60. If you're curing sausage with cure in it 60 seems reasonable. That said, I still generally cure sausage in the fridge..

In a dedicated curing fridge or just your kitchen fridge?

 

[Antarctica]

kitchen fridge.. Most I have done at once is 27 pounds (about 11 stick If I recall) of summer sausage..