1st time smoking sausage

[DanB]

Hi All I made some smoking sausages using Lem's products. They have been stuffed and in the fridge "drying out". Can I also dry them outside of the fridge?
Best way to smoke them, my pellet smoker only goes as low as 180*.


Thanks Dan

 

[toys4dlr]

Which seasoning mix did you use?? I believe some of the LEM products contain cure #1 and some don't. The Cure #1 allow you to be in the "danger zone" longer for lower smoke temps. If you did not use cure #1, I would hot smoke them at 225 to 250 and cook them to an internal 160 and enjoy. Welcome to the fun world of sausage making.

 

[thirdeye]

Did you use Cure #1 or add nonfat dry milk to the mix?

 

[DanB]

Which seasoning mix did you use?? I believe some of the LEM products contain cure #1 and some don't. The Cure #1 allow you to be in the "danger zone" longer for lower smoke temps. If you did not use cure #1, I would hot smoke them at 225 to 250 and cook them to an internal 160 and enjoy. Welcome to the fun world of sausage making.

Hi They have cure in them. They are already mixed & stuffed..Best way to get them dry before smoking? Temps & time for the smoking process?



Thanks DanB

 

[toys4dlr]

Hang them in your pellet cooker, set to the lowest it can hold and smoke until the sausage has an internal of 160. that is what I would do.

 

[DanB]

Hang them in your pellet cooker, set to the lowest it can hold and smoke until the sausage has an internal of 160. that is what I would do.

Hi My lowest setting on my pellet grill is 180*..I have the lid open some so the grill temp is 175*. How long before the sausages reach 160?
Thanks DanB

 

[toys4dlr]

I am only guessing here, to many variables to be sure. But I would start checking around 3 or 4 hours. A good instant read thermo will give you the answer.

 

[thirdeye]

You really want the temp to creep up slowly or you run the risk of the sausage fatting out, which is when the fats and proteins break, which makes your sausage crumbly and dry.

Try blocking the lid open farther, or simply turn off the smoker every 30 minutes, then turn it on in 20 to 30 minutes. This might give you an average of 150° which is perfect.

When you are done, shower the sausage with a sprayer, or put it into a bus tub with cold water. This will stop the cooking and help prevent it from wrinkling. 152° is safe since you have cure, many people pull at 155° just to have a safe margin.

 

[DanB]

Hi All

• Finally got them smoked..Pulled at 155* a little over 2 hrs @ 175..Hickory in the hopper.cherry/apple in the smoke tube.
  
  
• ·
  After the ice bath & sliced. The beef ones were kinda tough & pretty much taste less.They weren't juicy at all? I did use phosphates to help retain the moisture?The bratwurst were just OK. Well I got the experience of smoking sausage, out of the way.Thanks guys for your help, getting thru this. Well I got the experience of smoking sausage, out of the way Now I need a good recipe for Texas sausage.
  
  
  
  DanB

 

[toys4dlr]

After you mixed, but before you stuffed. Did you do a taste test? Always Pan fry a small amount and you can make adjustments to the seasoning. I find the tough casings can come from too much time in the fridge drying.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[thirdeye]

Hi All

• Finally got them smoked..Pulled at 155* a little over 2 hrs @ 175..Hickory in the hopper.cherry/apple in the smoke tube.
  
  
• ·
  After the ice bath & sliced. The beef ones were kinda tough & pretty much taste less.They weren't juicy at all? I did use phosphates to help retain the moisture?The bratwurst were just OK. Well I got the experience of smoking sausage, out of the way.Thanks guys for your help, getting thru this. Well I got the experience of smoking sausage, out of the way Now I need a good recipe for Texas sausage.
  
  
  
  DanB

Aw man... you didn't mention you had a pellet tube.... you could have just used that for a couple of hours, then kept it going and cycled your smoker on and off.

Regarding the dryness, what was the ratio of beef in those, it has to be somewhat fatty or cut with pork. The reason I asked about the dry milk was that it helps with moisture retention. What was your percentage of Amesphos, the range is 0.3% to 0.5% and it should have helped. And how much icy water did you recipe call for?

Look up Bigwheels World Famous Texas Hot Links. I omit the beef and go with all pork. Also the Tender Quick is mainly for flavor, texture and color... the amount is not enough to safely cold smoke.

 

[DanB]

Aw man... you didn't mention you had a pellet tube.... you could have just used that for a couple of hours, then kept it going and cycled your smoker on and off.

Regarding the dryness, what was the ratio of beef in those, it has to be somewhat fatty or cut with pork. The reason I asked about the dry milk was that it helps with moisture retention. What was your percentage of Amesphos, the range is 0.3% to 0.5% and it should have helped. And how much icy water did you recipe call for?

Look up Bigwheels World Famous Texas Hot Links. I omit the beef and go with all pork. Also the Tender Quick is mainly for flavor, texture and color... the amount is not enough to safely cold smoke.

Hi I was also thinking maybe the chuck roast wasn't fatty enough. Next time I trim briskets I know what I'm going to do with the fat.
Amesphos=phosphates 4.5 grams/1 teaspoon per lb. Water was 1 once per lb Lem's directions on package.
DanB

 

[thirdeye]

Hi I was also thinking maybe the chuck roast wasn't fatty enough. Next time I trim briskets I know what I'm going to do with the fat.
Amesphos=phosphates 4.5 grams/1 teaspoon per lb. Water was 1 once per lb Lem's directions on package.
DanB

The volume measurement for AmesPhos is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per pound, so you were double the amount, which I would guess can't contribute to the dryness. Now, phosphates are dissolved in little water before adding it to the meat. In theory, this would reduce the amount of icy water called in the recipe, but all you are really looking for is a sticky texture. After it rests overnight the liquid equalizes anyway.

A chuck is between 80:20 and 75:25 and a lot of all beef sausages are higher than that. Or you can add some ground pork.

Another finishing option for smoked sausage has always been poaching, and this is how a lot of hot dogs, smoked kielbasa and summer sausage is finished.... but it's the 21st century. Do you happen to have a sous vide circulator? For 5 or 6 years sausage makers have been cold smoking their sausage (with cure), bagging it (some don't even bag it) and put it into a sous vide bath for the finish. With poaching or sous vide it's impossible to over-cook it and it stays really moist. I cure brined some chicken breasts for lunch and salad meat and cool/hot smoked it today for 2.5 hours until the internal temp was 100°. Now I have it in the sous vide container at 147°. It will take 60 to 75 minutes to pasteurize the chicken and make it safe. Beef or pork sausage can be SVd as low as 152° for an hour or so and will be pasteurized, but texture wise some go to maybe 158°. You just need to find a sweet spot.

 

[SmokeRingsMatter]

You could also use a dehydrator to slowly cook them at low temps to prevent fat out.

 

[DanB]

The volume measurement for AmesPhos is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per pound, so you were double the amount, which I would guess can't contribute to the dryness. Now, phosphates are dissolved in little water before adding it to the meat. In theory, this would reduce the amount of icy water called in the recipe, but all you are really looking for is a sticky texture. After it rests overnight the liquid equalizes anyway.

A chuck is between 80:20 and 75:25 and a lot of all beef sausages are higher than that. Or you can add some ground pork.

Another finishing option for smoked sausage has always been poaching, and this is how a lot of hot dogs, smoked kielbasa and summer sausage is finished.... but it's the 21st century. Do you happen to have a sous vide circulator? For 5 or 6 years sausage makers have been cold smoking their sausage (with cure), bagging it (some don't even bag it) and put it into a sous vide bath for the finish. With poaching or sous vide it's impossible to over-cook it and it stays really moist. I cure brined some chicken breasts for lunch and salad meat and cool/hot smoked it today for 2.5 hours until the internal temp was 100°. Now I have it in the sous vide container at 147°. It will take 60 to 75 minutes to pasteurize the chicken and make it safe. Beef or pork sausage can be SVd as low as 152° for an hour or so and will be pasteurized, but texture wise some go to maybe 158°. You just need to find a sweet spot.

Hi No sous vide here. Sliced few last night, I can see them maybe being tough& dry but being tasteless. These were from a premix package.Went back and read the reviews,all good? Today I will test the fresh bratwurst. Could I have smoked them at a too high temp made them dry?

Thanks DanB

PS They were so bad they are headed for the garbage.

 

[worktogthr]

When you say tough and dry are you talking about the casings or the meat themselves? If it was the casings, it probably means you didn't soak them long enough before stuffing. If it was the meat it could be the fat ratio as mentioned above. When you say dry, do you mean crumbly? That would be the result of a poor bind. That can be fixed with some better mixing techniques next time. Beauty about sausage is that even the mistakes can be used. Dice it up and use it in stews, chilis, sautes, etc where moisture will be added o the whole dish anyway.

 

[DanB]

When you say tough and dry are you talking about the casings or the meat themselves? If it was the casings, it probably means you didn't soak them long enough before stuffing. If it was the meat it could be the fat ratio as mentioned above. When you say dry, do you mean crumbly? That would be the result of a poor bind. That can be fixed with some better mixing techniques next time. Beauty about sausage is that even the mistakes can be used. Dice it up and use it in stews, chilis, sautes, etc where moisture will be added o the whole dish anyway.

Hi I meant the meat, was dry & tasteless. NOT crumbly at all they were rock solid.I don't think stews/chili will improve them?
Thanks Dan

 

[thirdeye]

Hi No sous vide here. Sliced few last night, I can see them maybe being tough& dry but being tasteless. These were from a premix package.Went back and read the reviews,all good? Today I will test the fresh bratwurst.

Thanks DanB

PS They were so bad they are headed for the garbage.

The tasteless factor is weird. I only buy one sausage seasoning and it is chorizo from Walton's, the other 6 or 8 flavors I make myself. My main complaint from the seasonings I've tried is high salt levels or an unbalance of one particular spice. Like too much sage in a breakfast sausage, or Italian that is heavy on the fennel.

 

[DanB]

The tasteless factor is weird. I only buy one sausage seasoning and it is chorizo from Walton's, the other 6 or 8 flavors I make myself. My main complaint from the seasonings I've tried is high salt levels or an unbalance of one particular spice. Like too much sage in a breakfast sausage, or Italian that is heavy on the fennel.

Hi Same with all the premix packs they are salty, NOT this one,No taste all?
I am going to fry some later today,and see "IF" anything changes..I doubt it.


Thanks DanB

 

[DanB]

I also made fresh Bratwurst.. A little more tastier,but dry & hard ..The texture wasn't like any other other sausage I've ever eaten. The smoked sausages tasted a little better today, but like the bratwurst it was dry & hard..I put them all in frying pan no juices were coming out of them, usually with my home made fresh sausage when I prick them the juice/fat comes running out..Not this time with bratwurst or the smoked ones. One would think with the added phosphate moisture would be the least of my problems.


No moisture

Not even the right texture

Thanks DanB