I am in complete agreement with that and I hope to post retirement. I am a firm believer that the right equipment can make the difference between sucess and failure that and the right recipe/spice blend. For now I'll have to stick with store bought.
You can always order from a butcher that ship "Overnight"...
I used to order from
Redlinski Meats. They make a good Wedzona Kielbasa sausage and they also make great natural casing German style hot dogs (wieners).
Another find was an Alligator sausage that I'll try later this week. It is made by a Cajun family that has relocated to this area about a decade ago. This could be number two of four!
You'll find the alligator sausage is lean and made from tougher cuts of the reptile. I think this would be more suited to hot and fast grilling. My In-laws bring me alligator sausage all the time. It's something different and a good conversation piece at BBQ gatherings. At least you can say you have eaten alligator, LOL...
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What do you all think about using the same bbq smoker for your beef/pork/chicken as well as sausages? Harry Soo recommended a different smoker for fish and dogs.
I use my smoker for beef, pork, chicken, as well as sausages (both hot and cold smoked) with no problems. In fact I bought my smoker (The Down East Beast) to accommodate large loads of sausage for smoking, as well as for smoking hams and bacon. There is no carry over of smell when I do beef, chicken, ribs, game, or sausage.
I learned my lesson about 20 years ago when I smoked my first load of white fish in the smoker. Even with a aggressive cleaning you can still smell the fish in both the smoker and in the smoke.
If someone wishes to smoke fish, I would suggest that they buy a cheap smoker for use only as a fish smoker.
I haven't done any fish but I'd have to agree that at least a serious cleaning may be necessary after fish. Not sure that the dogs would cause any harm but then again I'm "looking for wood" so maybe I'm not the best one to ask that.
Depending on the type of fish, even a serious cleaning may not remove the odor from the smoker. Never have and never, will smoke a dog, so I can't help you with that part of your question..
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