Newbie sausage smoker question...

[fielies]

I used cure 2 and applied it on to mead like a chicken , apart from the anti bacteria , it givesthe chicken  a great red brown color.

 

[alblancher]

Fielies,

Please be aware that Cure 2 (sodium nitrate, salt and sodium nitrite) is not intended for short term curing.  If curing for less then 10 days you should probably be using Cure 1 (Sodium nitrite and salt).  TenderQuick is also considered a short term cure if not cooking at frying tempetures.

Please be careful using cures.  You need to have an understanding of what they do and their proper use.

 

[couger78]

Regarding the terminology concerning "smoking" and sausages, I tend to follow these definitions:

52-71° F (12-22° C)     Cold Smoking

73-104° F (23-40° C)   Warm Smoking

105-180° F (41-83° C)  Hot Smoking

181°F & up (84° C & up) 'Cooking with smoke'...or where uncured sausages are cooked.

200° PLUS will get you to the desired temp quicker.

Long HOT 200°+ cooks will get you a cooked sausage that will have lost a good deal of its fat & moisture-content.

-Kevin

 

[weisswurst]

My two cents.... You do not " have " to use a cure if you are SMOKE COOKING the sausage at higher temps. However do not expect it to taste like the smoked kielbasa or good hot dogs etc. It will taste like pork or beef or both that have been spiced and cooked in a very smoky oven or smoker or grill.Nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to mention that cure solves a food safety issue and it imparts a flavor that you can not get without using cure which might include kosher salt among other things. i am glad some one pointed out the difference between "smoking " and " smoke cooking " The difference could be dangerous if not handled properly. Welcome to the world of sausage making. Weiss wurst