Summer Sausage stock up time

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driedstick

Smoking Guru
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Nov 3, 2011
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N. Central Idaho
Well with Archery season just around the corner I thought I would replenish my supply of summer sausage to we would have enough in Elk camp this yr. We usually take first week off over labor day and hunt it but this yr we are taking the last 10 days off of Sept. see if we have any better luck. 

Hope this lasts that long. LOL  We really like the flavor of this in a snack stick so this time I went to the 2 1/2" X 12" long fibours casings. 

I stuffed them on Saturday afternoon and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Next morning 7am took them out and let them hang in room temp for 1hr while the smoker came up to temp. 

Put them in the smoker at 120* for 1hr with dampers open and no smoke till they became somewhat tacky. then I bumped up to 130* with smoke for the next hr. After that I kept the AMPTS going the whole time. and continues to bump up the temp of the smoker 10* each hr till smoker temp got to 170* and waited for the IT of the sausages got to 152* This took about 10hrs. I pulled at 154* 

This is 50% beff (80/20) and some ground pork (50%)  I bought from butcher that does his own summer sausage also and told him I wanted it ground for summer sausage and he hooked me up. 

Thanks for looking.

DS 


In the fridge gettin happy 




It's not that cheap anymore they raised it quite a bit cause it is such a popular item with great flavor. 


I like mustard seeds so I added a handful or so. 


Cure in the packet with the seasoning. 


Cure to be dissolved in the water, then add seasonings to water and mix well then blend into the meat till tacky. 



You will know when it is mixed right when you can get about a baseball size of meat to sick to your and upside down and it doesn't fall off. 

then this is the first time I have used this so I will let you know on the results 1 cup per 5lbs so I did 2 cups in the final mix.


then - good ol Mr. Reliable ready for work. BEST purchase I have made yet in my sausage making, tried with the cabela's grinder stuffing attachment NEVER AGAIN!!! PITA 


Ready to start stuffing the fibours casings. 


One stuffed more to go these are each to hold one pound of meat. 



got 9 of them ready to go to the happy fridge with the beer then to the happy smoker tomorrow 

What a happy happy day 


Next morning hanging in the house at room temp for 1hr BOY does it smell good in here. 


Sorry I did not get any pics of them in the smoker cause if your looking your not cookin. 

Happy time in the Happy Ice Bath to stop the cooking I took them out at 154* and Ice bathed them till they were down to 90* wiped them off (NO FAT OUT!!!!
sausage.gif
) and put them in the fridge over night to cool .


Over all they are very good, great flavor not too fatty, I looks crumbly but really not, maybe a finer grind on the pork next time. 

Very happy with the results. 



Thanks for looking. 

A full smoker is a happy smoker 

DS 
 
Looks great DS!

Since you're worried about them disappearing, just send them over to me and I'll keep track if them for ya...
 
Looks very tasty!!! I use the same size fibrous casings most of the time for summer with the 3 pounders at times also.  I'm also a fan of adding mustard seeds to all my summer sausage.  Since I'm a garlic fan, some goes into my batches as well.  Seems like it's never just the seasoning.  Dry powdered milk is a must as well.  I've got to start making sausage again next week.  I'ts been awhile. I've been asked to go back to work to help out in opening some new stores in the meat departments so I'm out of everything.  Haven't posted in awhile as well much as I like.  Semi-retired for awhile.  Driedstick,  you are truly blessed to live in an area where Elk are available to hunt.     Reinhard
 
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Looks very tasty!!! I use the same size fibrous casings most of the time for summer with the 3 pounders at times also.  I'm also a fan of adding mustard seeds to all my summer sausage.  Since I'm a garlic fan, some goes into my batches as well.  Seems like it's never just the seasoning.  Dry powdered milk is a must as well.  I've got to start making sausage again next week.  I'ts been awhile. I've been asked to go back to work to help out in opening some new stores in the meat departments so I'm out of everything.  Haven't posted in awhile as well much as I like.  Semi-retired for awhile.  Driedstick,  you are truly blessed to live in an area where Elk are available to hunt.     Reinhard
Reinhard, Thanks I actually took your advice on a post of mine and said you did DPM, your sausages looked great, and that is what I am aiming for like I said I think this grind I got was not ground fine enough, 

That's what I like about doing summer sausages, eating the mistakes LOL 

Yep I am blessed in the area with the elk but not the wolves, in 95 we had the largest elk population ever and then they re-introduced the wolves, pretty hard to find a elk or Moose now days but Still have a great time going out with the buddies and having a cold one OR TWO
beercheer.gif


DS. 
 
We have a wolf problem ourselves here.  They have a lottery hunt now on wolves, and had them the past two years until they get to acceptable numbers.  I grind my summer as most of my sausage, once through the course plate and then after everything is mixed, again through a medium plate.  Places around here do sell 10 pound bags of course ground pork come fall [hunting time frame] for about the same as you paid for yours.  I use pork butt's for all my sausage.  I buy them by the case here at Sam's Club.  Last time around I got a case for around $1.45 lb.  I have almost no loss using DPM.  Use it in some fresh sausage also.  Reinhard
 
Thanks Reinhard, I will give a finer grind next time thru. 

A full smoker is a happy smoker

DS
 
 
Nice work on the SS DS..............
drool.gif


IMHO try using less water next time. 2 cups for 10 lbs may be where the crumbly look comes from. I use as little water as possible when making sausage with good results.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/115702/my-salami-kickoff-to-the-new-year-finished
Boykjo, Thanks I will give it a try next time. - I remember that thread, Just one question, do you just mix cure in with no water, just sprinkle it in when mixing?? 

Thanks 

DS
 
Looks real good. I'm amazed at the prices now for ground pork. I need to get my butt (no pun) in gear and make some.....waiting for butts to hit 99 cents a pound ain't cutting it anymore. On the water issue.....I've been told water is your friend when making sausage but I'm still fairly new to the whole process. I normally use a beer to dissolve my cure and powders in before mixing them in for ease of distribution. Hmmmm, I guess I use around 6 ounces or so for a 5 pound batch. So, I'll be interested on some input on this from some of the more experienced sausage heads here.......Willie
 
 
Boykjo, Thanks I will give it a try next time. - I remember that thread, Just one question, do you just mix cure in with no water, just sprinkle it in when mixing?? 

Thanks 

DS
I dont use cure #1. I prefer tender quick. I think it makes for a better sausage flavor....1.5 tsp per lb of meat. I add it to my dry ingredients then add the dry ingredient to the meat and mix then add a little water to bind everything
 
 
I dont use cure #1. I prefer tender quick. I think it makes for a better sausage flavor....1.5 tsp per lb of meat. I add it to my dry ingredients then add the dry ingredient to the meat and mix then add a little water to bind everything
Great!! Thanks I will try it next time, And thanks for all the help 
icon14.gif


DS.
 
Looks good. I need to make some soon. I agree with the Lem being the way to go. I never even tried to use my grinder as a stuffer. 

Happy smoken.

David
Thanks Mule yep love my stuffer also

DS
 
Looks real good. I'm amazed at the prices now for ground pork. I need to get my butt (no pun) in gear and make some.....waiting for butts to hit 99 cents a pound ain't cutting it anymore. On the water issue.....I've been told water is your friend when making sausage but I'm still fairly new to the whole process. I normally use a beer to dissolve my cure and powders in before mixing them in for ease of distribution. Hmmmm, I guess I use around 6 ounces or so for a 5 pound batch. So, I'll be interested on some input on this from some of the more experienced sausage heads here.......Willie
Ya wish these prices would go down this is getting way out of hand. Thanks Willie

DS
 
As far as butts go, try to find a place that would sell you butts by the case.  Costco and Sams here sell them way under retail by the case.  Last case I bought I paid 1.39 lb for but that was early this spring.  Dont see butts being 99 cents anytime soon.  Buying course ground pork for sausage is even more costly as you probably already know.  As far as water or beer for sausage, on average [depending what I make] I have been using 5 1/2 cups of beer or water per 25 pounds of meat mix.  This is with the use of dry powdered milk which I also use in most sausage.  When not using DPM, less water is needed.  I have found over time that this formula of 5 1/2 cups per 25 pounds using DPM leaves me with little or no loss in my smoked sausage.  Now this works for me and others may have good results with other methods.  I also mix all my seasoning and cure in the water or beer.  I have watched in my early years in the buisness and as time went on until I retired that water was always used to make sure everything gets mixed  well. 

I think when using a mixer,  dry ingredients can be added while the meat is mixing and then the water.  I have done this many times over the years.  However we had a 100 pound mixer and it worked great.  Mixing by hand is another story.  This is when in my opinion the cure should be mixed first in the liquid before adding it to the meat.  Hand mixing is not the same as using a mixer and adding cure dry to the mix will leave some gaps in the mix instead of having the cure mixed in evenly.   Now the seasonings could be added dry if hand mixing [personal preference] but I mix those in the liquid as well doing small batches by hand.   Reinhard
 
 
As far as butts go, try to find a place that would sell you butts by the case.  Costco and Sams here sell them way under retail by the case.  Last case I bought I paid 1.39 lb for but that was early this spring.  Dont see butts being 99 cents anytime soon.  Buying course ground pork for sausage is even more costly as you probably already know.  As far as water or beer for sausage, on average [depending what I make] I have been using 5 1/2 cups of beer or water per 25 pounds of meat mix.  This is with the use of dry powdered milk which I also use in most sausage.  When not using DPM, less water is needed.  I have found over time that this formula of 5 1/2 cups per 25 pounds using DPM leaves me with little or no loss in my smoked sausage.  Now this works for me and others may have good results with other methods.  I also mix all my seasoning and cure in the water or beer.  I have watched in my early years in the buisness and as time went on until I retired that water was always used to make sure everything gets mixed  well. 

I think when using a mixer,  dry ingredients can be added while the meat is mixing and then the water.  I have done this many times over the years.  However we had a 100 pound mixer and it worked great.  Mixing by hand is another story.  This is when in my opinion the cure should be mixed first in the liquid before adding it to the meat.  Hand mixing is not the same as using a mixer and adding cure dry to the mix will leave some gaps in the mix instead of having the cure mixed in evenly.   Now the seasonings could be added dry if hand mixing [personal preference] but I mix those in the liquid as well doing small batches by hand.   Reinhard
Thanks Reinhard, so my 2 cups to 10lbs is about right I could probably do 1 3/4cups but close, I also mix cure in water first, wait till dissolved, then I add seasoning to water and mix well. I add a little of the mixture to the meat, mix add more, mix, add more, & mix till it is gone, when I have it good and mixed and  I can get a ball of meat to stick to my hand and turn my hand upside down and it still sticks to my hand I have a good mixture and begin stuffing. Am I missing anything on mixing??

Thanks

DS.  
 
That sticky texture is what you want.  I just dump the liquid with the cure mixed in my batch that I just put through the course plate and mix it as good as I can [then I grind the mix one more time through a medium plate on most sausages].  I'm looking at a hand mixer soon.  Maybe a 20 pound capacity.  After working with cold meat for over 35 years my hands get real sensitive to the cold.  I think of what you describe, your doing just fine.  Reinhard
 
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Looks real good DS!
Ya got some good advice also.
Thanks Dan, and yes I got GREAT Advice, (you can not beat this forum anywhere great people)  I am going to try some more this weekend, (last weekend before elk season opens) just I do not know if I want to do sticks or S/S,,,,,, Well maybe I will do both LOL 

Remember like I say

A full smoker is a happy smoker

DS
 
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