corned beef calculation

[TonyinEcuador]

About 2 months ago, I decided to branch out from my sausage business here in Ecuador, so I worked on coned beef.I have a great recipe, part Meatheads and part mine.
Well, after 2 months, I have gone from 6 per month to 18 per week. Everybody loves them. My original recipe calls for 1 gallon of water, 1 1/2 C salt, and using Meatheads calculator, 2.9 t. pink salt, among others ingredients.
Originally, then recipe suggests a 4 1/2 -5 lb. brisket. At that rate, I would have to buy 6 more refrigerators just to cure in.
Instead, in my infinite wisdom and help from some Crown Royal, I noticed that a single brisket had enough room to swim laps and never touch the sides. Aha!! Mucho cure in the bucket, so how many 3 1/2 to 5 lb. briskets can I stuff in each bucket? the answer, comfortably, is 6, with ample swimming room. So, I rechecked Meatheads calculator with the correct weights and thickness of the meat and Viola!, yes it works with only a small increase in Pink salt.
So for the last 3 weeks, I have been blissfully curing 12 nice corned beefs per week and selling them as soon as I list the weight of each for sale on our Face Book site. Finally had time to eat one myself tonight and, yes, it is as good as all 80 + reviews say.
Question: there was hardly any taste of salt in what is a salt cured meat. So, the calculator does not ask for a salt parameter, so I only assumed that there was ample salt. Any thoughts on if this is harmful, wrong, or otherwise only stupid on my part. I really don't want any of my customers to get sick because I am doing something wrong.
By the way, I am curing at 36 degrees for 7 days, with 1 flip and stir on day 3.

Thanks for any input.

TonyinEcuador

[BRic]

CHARCUTERIE THE CRAFT OF SALTING,SMOKING & CURING is a good book to read. They have a corn beef recipe that uses
a 5lb brisket tht uses to 2 cups kosher salt and 4 tsps. of pink salt to 1 gallon water, they refrigerate 5 days . they recommend a 5-percent brine:50 grams of salt per litre of water . or 5ounces salt per 100 ounces of water.

[Troutman]

I would stick with Dr Blonder’s calculator on the pink salt, it sounds like you’re spot on. I am surprised that the cup and a half of salt in your brine doesn’t produce an abundance of salty flavor. I use about 1 cup to 4-5 pounds of brisket and have to rinse/soak overnight after a 7 day corning or it’s too salty. I use Morton’s kosher salt. I try to do about 8-10# a month for personal/family use. All is smoked as pastrami. Let us see some pix of yours!!

[Dr. Pepper]

I followed Joshua Brousel's recipe from Serious Eats, made it last week. This is a dry cure, I did it in a vacuum bag (Food Saver), and separated the flat and the point, each in a separate bag. The Costco Prime Brisket was 18 lbs (I rendered about 6 pounds of fat, yielding a little over 3 lbs of clean tallow. Spouse didn't like the smell....) It turned out great. I only soaked for about an hour with 3 water changes, they recommend two hours. It was a little too salty, next time I won't cheat on the rinse time.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/montreal-smoked-meat-recipe.html

[Dr. Pepper]

This is Montreal Smoked Meat, but close enough.....

[FireMan]

I think you may have answered your own question. It sounds like you are asking, if I use the prescribed amount of salt per Meathead’s & my calculation & it doesn’t taste salty is it OK. Plus, you’ve shipped 80 of em & ate one yourself & no one got sick, so will anybody get sick. No! Because nobody got sick. You didn’t get sick & you’re doing the right thing. Now I’m just this backyard burner up nort, just feedin 2 or 4 at a crack, but it sounds like a very thoughtful success is on your hands. Bravo!!

[TonyinEcuador]

Thanks to all for the help.
I have learned one valuable lesson about salt. All salt is not created equal.

First, let me say that Morton's anything is not something one will find in Ecuador
Next, I used a "rock" salt called Himalaya Salt. Be very careful with this. I used the amount called for in the recipe and received a couple of replies about the saltiness. Tried one myself and ended up soaking it for 24 hours and it was still salty. This salt is much saltier than regular salt. Tastes great on steaks.
I am now using locally processed sea salt. This salt is flakes rather than rock, but a cup is a cup. It is a very mild salt.For picked clean it costs me $8 per 50 Kilos ( 110 lbs). natural, not cleaned is $3, but has dead wasps, crabs,sand and unknown bits in it. Nice pink color.

Thanks again,

Pics soon.

[Jerod Broussard]

Salt lover here, I'm coming to Ecuador, dead wasps be darned.

[Powersmoke_80]

I disagree with a cup is a cup, since a cup of table salt weighs more than a cup of salt flakes. Density matters, you may want to check this out as Meatheads recipes use Kosher salt. .https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/salt-by-weight/

[Timbo54]

Wow Tony, I don't think I can help. Living in California my Government knows whats best for me and controls all. Certainly the UNAMI of other ingredients can affect the ratio's. I would go with the purest that I could find and weigh in accordance.

[TonyinEcuador]

Thanks POWERSMOKE_80, That chart is very interesting. Most interesting is that most recipes from serious meats people(smoke, sausage, cured,etc), reference back to Morton's Kosher.
Now, I will be going down to the meat kitchen to weigh a 1/4C of my flake salt. I will add the result to that salt chart, which I printed out and then post it to my binder under spices, so that I can remember the ratio.
Good to have interested people helping,as there is a ton of research represented in just this one post.

Thanks again everyone