Two-week Update Guanciale #1

Guanciale #1 has been hanging for a little over two weeks.  During that time I have been monitoring several factors:

1.  Appearance-The guanciale appears to be loosing some of it's weight but what I really deem important here is what I don't see.  There is no appearance of mold or other signs of spoilage.  That is good.  The guanciale looks almost exactly like it did when I hung it, so I am encouraged by that.
2.  Touch/Smell-The guanciale has a pleasant "raw" smell still and you can smell elements of the cure still too (garlic, thyme, black pepper).  The texture has gotten slightly firmer.  It is more noticeable on the sides that are thinner, but it is by no means hard.  Based on what I've read, the texture is fine and consistent with the process.
3.  Temperature-The temperature does seem to fluctuate slightly above and below the temperature the thermostat has been set at.  The fridge was inexpensive so I wasn't expecting perfection, but I am a little disappointed in the temperature fluctuation.  The temperature range has still been within the 50-70 F that I am looking for.  I have been adjusting the temperature periodically to make up for the humidity issues that I am having (see below).
4.  Humidity-This is my biggest area of concern so far.  My humidity meter (cheap and archaic as it is) has been reading in the 75-90% range consistently since I hung the guanciale.  I was hoping for a 65-75% range.  I think the biggest thing that the elevated humidity rate is doing is slowing the dehydration process.  The elevated humidity is definitely a better problem to have than too low (that would cause the jowl to dry too quickly on the outside before the center could be adequately dehydrated).  Hopefully, the humidity will lessen once the jowl has lost a little more of its moisture.  I have been moving the temperature of the chamber around so that the motor would click on to help dehumidify the chamber.  I may have to invest in a humidity meter that can give me maximum and minimum levels so I know exactly how much fluctuation is occurring. I've also been trying to open the fridge every day or two to allow some fresh air in.

Results:

I have experienced a decrease in the weight of the jowl over the last two weeks.  The starting weight was 615 grams, and I have removed the jowl and weighed it twice since.
-April 6, 2012 (6pm)-594 grams
-April 15, 2012 (10:30am)-579 grams
Total Weight loss: 36 grams
Percentage Weight loss: ~6%

I am drying at a much slower rate than I had hoped.  I hoped to be at about 15% weight loss after two weeks, so I'm unsure of how long it will take to lose the 30-35% necessary to complete the process.

Stay tuned for more updates and a few other related stories.