Redneck smokehouse project....with pics

[rugercpl]

Howdy! It's early bear season in upstate NY and I'm fixin' to make me some bear snack sticks. I've never stuffed casings before but I've done my share of smoking brisket, ribs, kielbasa, and other toothsome comestibles in restaurants I've worked for in cookshack electric smokers. This will be my first experience using a cure and stuffing casings. I had the idea originally to make cowboy jerky and hang strips of whole muscle over a campfire....kind of a survivalism technique that would be good to have experience in if something dreadful were to happen like the grid went down, or they stopped informing us of the day to day happenings of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. I bought this clothesline and my plan was a non-fail at hanging the meat over a campfire or woodstove and dry the meat slowly using either cure 1 or 2, seasoning, and salt. We'll that plan has now changed to making snack sticks, and enclosing a structure around the clothesline with a smoldering fire beneath it. I've read quite a bit on these forums and I'm pretty good at taking advice and following directions so with a little love and care I'm going to give it a shot. I'm writing this from my eye phone so I'm not sure if it will get thru and attach the pics I'm hoping to attach. I don't want to give away all my secrets in the first post so chime in and ask. First pic is the redneck clothesline that will soon be surrounded by a 8' x 8' x 8' tent made of lumber and tarps. Stay tuned for more. I'm in the tree stand as we speak waiting for mr bear to reappear and hopefully bring bigger friends than he is.

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• rugercpl
• Sep 15, 2014

 

[themule69]

I give 2 to 1 odds that the bear wins. If the bear should loose I bet he will come eat the snack sticks. Me being a hunter I bet when the bear comes to eat the snack sticks you will have been 

 with your friends. You will then 

 as the bear walks away. That is why 

and

 do not go well together. Please check the redneck 

. If you get up early and get a

 Maybe you will 

 a bear. I will grab some 

Happy smoken.

David

 

[nptwnsmkr]

I give 2 to 1 odds that the bear wins. If the bear should loose I bet he will come eat the snack sticks. Me being a hunter I bet when the bear comes to eat the snack sticks you will have been :beercheer:  with your friends. You will then :AR15firing:  as the bear walks away. That is why :781: and:cheers:  do not go well together. Please check the redneck :rules: . If you get up early and get a:44:  Maybe you will :grilling_smilie:  a bear. I will grab some :popcorn
Happy smoken.
David

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rugercpl]

Progress has been made today....me and Darryl got a sweet deal on crooked lumber at our local mom and pops lumber yard. 168 linear feet for 32 smackaroos. We started and finished the framework in a few hours between contending with girlfriend maintenance and the trouble they get themselves in while is boys just want to be boys and get something done.

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

You may notice that the frame is not in the same place as the clothesline and tractor rim fire pit. We decided to build the frame at Darryl's and disassemble it because his trailer is across the street from the lumber shop in town in case we needed something else, like more screws or more beer.

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

I was originally going to make her 8'x8'x8' but the lumber they practically gave us was enough for 9'x9'x8' and I thought maybe 8' wouldn't allow the clothesline to spin if I needed it to spin in case of hot spots inside the tent.

 

[rugercpl]

I also was going to leave the bottom just 3 sided so I could slide the tent away from the pit and clothesline but decide against it once the build got going realizing this isn't going to be lightweight and I prolly shouldn't move it

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

After much talk about our long term and short term goals, such as what's for dinner and how many cigarettes we had left between us, the frame was finished. Originally I was going to disassemble this same day, but it was almost 4:30 pm and I still hadn't shot that bear. So I'm in the tree again now and drawing closer to making bear sausage in theory.

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

I must say that I'm pretty impressed with the Realtree Camo hunting jackets and pants I got a Walmart. Shhhhhh....I'm bear hunting

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

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• rugercpl
• Sep 16, 2014

it's this fella I'm after, or perhaps a friend or relative

 

[timstalltaletav]

This project is right up my alley!

 

[JckDanls 07]

gonna keep an eye on this.. what's gonna be the heat source ??

 

[rugercpl]

Cord wood...not sure exactly what flavor but it's not pine or anything it's not suppose to be

 

[foamheart]

ZOMG You're going to shoot Yogi and Boo-boo? Next you'll kill Kenny! You.......

 

[blacklab]

This is getting good

 

[rob sicc]

Awesome thread.  I'm getting some

, sit back and enjoy where this is going. 

Good luck getting Yogi and Boo Boo!

 

[rugercpl]

Update: no bear sighting yesterday evening so I decided to spend the night at the hunting camp to get an early start this morning. After a quiet night of Miller Lite, a can of soup, some rice chex, and watching the woodstove burn, I'm back in this tree since 6:00 am and saw deer for the first time which I'll be back for in November to make more sausage with. I'll be in the tree until 1:00 pm and then back out at 4:00 pm for the evening bear(s). This is the view from my treestand....this bear is about 200 lbs which I was hesitant to take the other day because I was hoping for a whopper deluxe with cheese to come in after him. If I see this one again I may renegotiate. This will be a sausage making thread like it's supposed to be as soon as possible I promise!

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• rugercpl
• Sep 17, 2014

 

[rugercpl]

Quickie: a chef friend of mine is catering a wedding this week and trimmed the fat off a dozen whole ribeye steaks...plenty of fat for me to use as the fat I'll be adding to the bear meat.....plus I feel better about using Fermento as long as I'm using some beef in the mix. Stan over at sausage maker told me it's best to use Fermento or any milk product adjunct in a sausage made with beef...since that's where milk comes from, unless your'e one of those vegetarian types who thinks milk comes from almonds or whatever. Bears fear me...

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• rugercpl
• Sep 17, 2014

 

[reinhard]

I don't mind some hunting pics mixed with sausage making at all.  Add's to the enjoyment of the thread.  Nice to see were some folks live and enjoy life who participate here in the forums.  Fat off the rib eye is very flavorful indeed.  Best fat off beef in my opinion.  I'll be watching your progress.  Reinhard

 

[driedstick]

Good luck on getting the bear of choice, I will be checking in also between my elk hunting trips. 

A full smoker is a happy smoker 

DS