First time kielbasa... need quick advice!

[worktogthr]

Nah, I just use my kitchen stove and thermometer to monitor water temps. (See photo above) Two therms would be useful, one for meat, one for water, but I'm cheap and still use just one. It turns out fine.

I posted a thread "Kielbasa w/Qview" a few months ago that shows all the steps, and there are a bunch of other threads in the archives too. Let us know if you have questions.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/174666/kielbasa-w-qview

Just checked out the link and they looked great. Is the water bath what makes the casings look so smooth like the stuff you see in the polish delis? Mine came out a little wrinkly.

 

[mickey jay]

Wrinkled casings are usually a couple things.. It's common in smoker-finished batches because the casings dry up and shrink as the meat finishes (think snack sticks); I imagine under-packed casings would exacerbate it. Smoking under 140 for 3-4 hours doesn't seem to do this; perhaps if left longer they would. It's not really a problem unless your meat is all dried out in which case you smoked too hot and caused the fat to liquefy and drain out, but yea, the water bath method (170 tops) seems to avoid it.

 

[worktogthr]

Wrinkled casings are usually a couple things.. It's common in smoker-finished batches because the casings dry up and shrink as the meat finishes (think snack sticks); I imagine under-packed casings would exacerbate it. Smoking under 140 for 3-4 hours doesn't seem to do this; perhaps if left longer they would. It's not really a problem unless your meat is all dried out in which case you smoked too hot and caused the fat to liquefy and drain out, but yea, the water bath method (170 tops) seems to avoid it.

Thanks again for this info... Really helpful. It didn't dry out at all so I am guessing it's what you said.... Finished in the smoker and a bit under stuffed. My stuffing skills leave a lot to be desired