Smoking/Curing Sausage

K98Al · May 27, 2016

I've been making sausage for a little over a year now. 'Bout got fat/meat/spice combos where I like 'em.

I had the 150 buck Wally World offset smoker for 18 years.....it was great for shoulders, hams, etc....but not built for hanging a bunch of sausages, so I'd smoke'em a while, then poach to reach 160 internal temp in a big kettle.
Monday I bought a used Bandera-style smoker. Old, heavy duty job. Plan is to smoke, and cook to internal 160 with smoker alone. 8 hours later I had the right temp, some very overcooked sausages and some really bad thoughts.
I know I need the heat deflector to get heat away from the firebox side, but I'm still thinking I may just use the Bandera to get the smoke I want, then finish in the kettle. It's a pain, but the time saved and the risk of overcooking is really making me lean this way.

Sopchoppy · May 27, 2016

I smoke Summer Sausage to 155. Have a tub filled with ice/water and immediately cool them to 90-100 degrees, then hang to "bloom" for 4 hours with a fan blowing on them. The cool down is essential not to dry out the sausage. If you are doing this and they are still dry it has to be too hot a temp while cooking and all the fat in the meat is melting and running out.

mikecz · May 27, 2016

I'll be curious as where this thread goes. I've been making (or helping make) a kielbasa recipe that my great uncle sold in the Polish neighborhood of Chicago in the 20's, 30', & 40's, when there were more Polish people in Chicago than in any city in the world, EXCEPT Warsaw, Poland. I've even considered getting an electric smoker, and using it during the cold months of the year, to be able to smoke this sausage.

sylntghost · May 27, 2016

mikecz said:
I'll be curious as where this thread goes. I've been making (or helping make) a kielbasa recipe that my great uncle sold in the Polish neighborhood of Chicago in the 20's, 30', & 40's, when there were more Polish people in Chicago than in any city in the world, EXCEPT Warsaw, Poland. I've even considered getting an electric smoker, and using it during the cold months of the year, to be able to smoke this sausage.

Is the kielbasa recipe something you can share? I love a good polish sausage.

Okie Sawbones · May 27, 2016

I never smoke my sausage over 165F to keep the fat from separating.
I cook to an internal temp of 155F. (sometimes I finish in poaching water)
I try to start with about 25-30% fat for juiciness.
I use Bull flour as a binder, which also helps maintain juiciness. You can make your own.
Some people use phosphates; I don't.
Don't skimp on the salt -- salt retains water.
Keep everything cold while sausage making, especially the fat. My pork fat is semi-frozen when I grind it.

That is all of the help that I have in my pea brain.

K98Al · May 31, 2016

Okie Sawbones said:
I never smoke my sausage over 165F to keep the fat from separating.

I cook to an internal temp of 155F. (sometimes I finish in poaching water)

I try to start with about 25-30% fat for juiciness.

I use Bull flour as a binder, which also helps maintain juiciness. You can make your own.

Some people use phosphates; I don't.

Don't skimp on the salt -- salt retains water.

Keep everything cold while sausage making, especially the fat. My pork fat is semi-frozen when I grind it.

That is all of the help that I have in my pea brain.

Thanks!
I ran another small batch on Saturday - I "cold smoked them" (actually 100-120) for about 4 hours, then poached them at 175. I had a bunch of liquid/fat between the casings and the meat. I have tried to find answers, and the most likely thing I see is mat fat was not frozen, and was ground too fine. Next batch I plan on grinding fat a frozen temp, and only through the 1/4" plate.
How does the binder work?

Smoking/Curing Sausage

K98Al

Found some matches.

Sopchoppy

Full Fledged Farker

mikecz

Well-known member

sylntghost

is Blowin Smoke!

Okie Sawbones

Banned

K98Al

Found some matches.

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