I caught the Sausage making bug.

[FatDaddy]

Well it was bound to happen. I was not able to get my deer processed this year before I had to head home. So I had a friend that makes his own sausage, has a heck of a set up and just got a new 3hp grinder. It was a beast, as a well as a 5lb stuffer. Well he sold me his older cabelas grinder, it was the 100$ one.
I needed a stuffer so went on cabelas website and LEM and looked around. wound up getting a 11lb Weston stuffer.

So this weekend I made up 10lbs of summer sausage using and 8lb of hot snack sticks. This stuffer rocked.
I used 15lb of venison and 3lbs of wrights bacon ends and pieces (hickory)
I had planned to smoke them in the big cooker but weather turned for the worse today so I have the summer sausage in the oven at 180* and the snack sticks in the dehydrator at 155*.
I didnt take any pics of the making of em, but if they turn out decent Ill snap some photos of the end result.

How many of yall out there make your own sausage? and if so what is your preference on the smoker you use for the low temp smoking? anyone build their own back yard smoker houses? I have been reading up on plans for them just seem to be 2x4s and plywood walls and some sort of heat source in the middle of the floor. was reading on another forum and alot of folks use the MES electric smoker for sausages etc. I would just like something easier than trying to tend a baby fire in the big offset all day for smoking sausage.

[SmokinAussie]

Yessir!

I'm a snag man! I've made a few batches and had really fantastic results. At this stage I have not used any recipes that require cold smoking, or even hot smoking followed by cold water bath. I'm researching that sort of thing. At this stage, I need to get a large enough source of meat at less than wholesale to make it worthwhile. I'm contacting a farmer soon that's selling his whole hogs, split in sides... that might help....

Anyway, Can't wait to see some pics and hear about how it comes out. Please post some more!

Cheers!

Bill

[FatDaddy]

The first batch i made was 10lb of venison/pork Italian hot and 10lb Italian sweet, had about 7lb left of meat so made it into breakfast sausage, they were fresh sausages so they were all vacu sealed and then just pull em out and cook em. These summer sausage will evidently need an ice bath. So I have been reading up on it bit tonight, I need to be studying for class lol. Fixin to go check temps on my snack sticks.

[SmokinAussie]

Keep it coming Brother!

[Phesant]

I use my WSM, works fine. I don't do much more than 20 lbs at a time. I have the 5 lb Lem stuffer and after seeing yours I'm jealous.

[FatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Phesant

I use my WSM, works fine. I don't do much more than 20 lbs at a time. I have the 5 lb Lem stuffer and after seeing yours I'm jealous.

That is what my buddy has is the 5lb LEM stuffer. He said if I got one to make sure I went bigger. I bout crapped my pants when I saw the cost of the bigger LEM stuffers. I was lucky and got this one on sale for 149.99 instead of 199.99

So far the summer sausage and snack sticks have been in the oven/dehydrator about 10 hours now.. Hopefully they should be done some time soon. Dehydrator is runnin at 155* and the oven at 180*

[gtsum]

It is hard to beat your own sausage and links for sure. I am going to do some of my venison into sausage here soon. I am looking forward to your results....I have generally only done hot smoking...this will be a first for me as well

[bluetang]

Nice stuffer! I too have a fiver and would love a larger one. I make sausage regularly, both fresh and smoked. Presently, I putting together a cabinet for fermented sausages. I now have all the parts except a freezer. Just need a wee bit more moo-la. Keep that smoker project coming in!

[FatDaddy]

Well I finally decided to bump the temp up in the oven. It is a gas oven. I guess with its constant cycling the summer sausages are just now up to 110. they have been on for nearly 12 hours. I bumped it to 250* Just hope it doesnt cook all the fat out of em. Snack sticks are just about done as well. I will have to find a better method to cook these types of sausage.

[Bassman]

Congrats on your new hobby. You're going to enjoy every minute of it. If you want to make some fresh sausage, I have a recipe that I tweaked to make some excellent hot Italian.
Hot Italian Sausage

25# pork (or pork wild game mix) of which 3 pounds is pork fat
12 Tablespoons salt
5 cups red wine (ice cold)
4 Tablespoons cracked fennel seed
5 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons crushed red pepper
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
3 tablespoons coriander
2 Tablespoons ground chile peppers or ground jalapeno (optional)
Grind all meat through a 3/8" plate. Add all the ingredients and mix well until evenly distributed. Stuff into 32mm casings or package as bulk.

[FatDaddy]

Thanks for the recipe!! Have 5lb of high temp cheddar cheese and seasoning for 25lb of brats and 25lb of polish coming in tomorrow from LEM. That recipe looks really good, so I will probably have to make some of it as well lol..

[Big George's BBQ]

Great job Check out cowgirls site about a smoke house It is very good

[boatnut]

Nice stuffer! I use the masterbuilt electric for sausage and love it. Just wish I had the bigger one.

On your summer sausage...did you add "pink salt" or cure? seems like a long time in danger zone if you didn't.

[AUradar]

I have a vertical stuffer as well, but, i found I can make prettier sausage by running the meat back through the grinder with the stuffer plate to stuff the suasage. Its more work as its a pain getting ground meat through the grinder, but makes for a nice looking sausage.

But it tastes the same.

[cowgirl]

I'm a sausage maker too! Built a smokehouse a few years ago and really love it. (pics on my blog)
Here's one of my favorite recipe links http://web.archive.org/web/200102140...e/Sausage1.htm

lots of good recipes and you can tweek them to suit your taste!