Hobbyist Curing cabinet

Hi all,

Been lurking for a while, here and on other forums looking for advice on curing and smoking. Made some decent smoked bacon (quite nice raw ;-) and a reasonably authentic pastrami.
Found myself looking for an inexpensive ready-made meat curing cabinet, rather than a hacked fridge. Finding nothing, I thought I might fill the niche myself so...apologies if this sort of thing is unwelcome. I'm not looking to make my first million or retire from my job or anything, but I am considering looking to supply hobbyist curing cabinets.
My thinking is a humidity (50-80%) and temperature (5-25C) controlled, glass fronted box, roughly 2x2x3 ft, with two removable racks to hang hooks from. UL and/or CE certified, not HACCP or other food-safe accreditation - it's intended for hobbyists after all - but smooth surfaces so it can be cleaned and disinfected.

Have I got the specs all wrong?
Would people be interested and how much would you be willing to pay for such a thing?

It might well be the reason this niche hasn't been filled is that there's simply not enough of a market for it. As stated, I don't expect to get rich (and won't die trying) but don't want to invest money/time in something that will go nowhere.

I would welcome any responses or guidance.

In the description it sounds a bit like a re-tasked wine fridge-looking cabinet. Sounds interesting. Could you dry age steak in such a cabinet? Might be a market for it.
Regards, GF.

Close, and that was my first idea I'm thinking a cigar cabinet, since they already have humidity control, but the range of both that and temperature control will need opening up a bit from typical spec., and yes, dry-aging steak should be within bounds.
I really need to lay hands on one to see if the build (seams and surfaces) fits in with the hygiene and cleaning requirements of even hobbyist food production. Ideally, I don't want to have to do much more than add suitable racks and hooks.

You don't really see ready-made fermentation chambers either. This sounds like something you'd see in SkyMall catalogs - countertop curing chambers. Probably a market, but not the DIYers who are usually involved in making their own cured meat.

I just completed one using a 5 cu ft. freezer and STC1000 with WH8040 humidity control. it works great, but it ain't pretty. The only minor annoyance is the STC and WH aren't the easiest to program, but I'm learning.

I think you may find there's a market for it. You could offer the complete unit, or everything except the fridge/freezer and just make it plug and play. This option would reduce shipping.

One lesson learned, I'm in Florida where 90% humidity is the norm. When I built mine I followed all the advice online and bought a humidifier to use, not realizing that what I really needed was a dehumidifier. I don't know if this means you'd have to offer two versions, or include both. I was able to get mine down in the correct range by using a pot of DampRid.

The nice thing about the WH8040 is that it will work in either mode. However, it will not switch between the two, you have to select the desired mode.

Good Luck!

OK i'm no expert but here is my two cents...

your curing meat, presumably with salts, nitrates or nitrites. the point to curing meat is to remove moisture from the meat, by leaching it out with these ingredients and creating an environment where bacteria will not survive well on the meat. your creating an environment that is supposed to remove moisture no? why add humidity? Refrigeration will slow bacterial growth and remove moisture. sounds like a typical refrigerator would be a win win... am I wrong?

you would want the meat on a rack of sorts to keep good air flow around the meat "to aid in removing moisture" and to keep the meat from sitting in the juices that have been extracted from it by the salts.

am I on the right track?

tstanonis1 said:

OK i'm no expert but here is my two cents...

....

am I on the right track?

Click to expand...

Not really. If you get the humidity too low in the chamber, the meat will form a dry shell that traps moisture in the center. This can lead to some nasty stuff growing, or the meat just spoiling.

Ideally, 50-55% seems to be the recommended target for meats and cheeses, with cheese sometimes having a higher target %.

Too low humidity with cheese can cause the above problems and also lead to it forming an inedible shell that will be prone to cracking as the cheese ages.

well played sir, my experience thus far has been dehydrating meats and making jerky at home. I've also smoked meats but not for preservation mostly for that slow cooked smoked flavor that makes my mouth water.

always learning new things and I love the creative atmosphere this forum brings!

tstanonis1 said:

...always learning new things and I love the creative atmosphere this forum brings!

Click to expand...

Hear, hear!
Looking at what the cigar cabinets retail and wholesale for, I don't think my original idea is a goer, since the hobbyists like myself tend to be time-rich and, perhaps not cash-poor as such, but not willing to spend big bucks anyway.
The plug and play kit sounds more like it <tips hat to Rhumbline for the mention of folk with high humidity>.
So, plug in programmable switching unit, accepting input from thermo and hydro-sensors, offering two separately switched sockets, one for the fridge and one for the (de)humidifier.
To the drawing board!

Or I could just buy one http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=377

Ah well! Good to know it exists.