Smoking Johnsonvilles

thenovaman · Jun 26, 2012

I've grilled brats lots of times, but I'd like to try smoking them. I did some searching, but there are a couple things I need clarified. I'll be using "standard" Johnsonville brats:

Johnsonville recommends cooking to an internal temp of 160; is that the optimal brat temp? What if I want to sear them a little after smoking?

Roughly how long will that take at 225-250?

Should I make some relief cuts so they don't burst open while smoking, or will that just make them dry out?

TIA

chef jimmyj · Jun 26, 2012

Go to 160*F IT if straight Smoking, 150*F if you wish to finish on the Grill. Anywhere from 1-2 hours (1.5 seems avg) depending on maintaining steady temp and IT you are going for. Splitting Skin is pretty good indicator they are done. Cutting them will render the fat and juices, I would not. Stick the therm thru the end to watch IT and be careful on the Grill, the high heat will split the skin and cause Flare-ups...JJ

johnnie walker · Jun 26, 2012

I don't see why you couldn't smoke them for an hour or two at the 225*-250* temps you are talking about, then finish them on the grill. The one thing to remember is these will not have any cure in them, so the 40*-140* in 4 hrs needs to be adhered to! good luck and take and post some pictures so we can all droll on our keyboards.

Chef JimmyJ Is faster at typing than I am.

thenovaman · Jun 27, 2012

OK, thanks for the tips, and I'll try to get some Q-views.

kathrynn · Jun 27, 2012

I did those on Sunday. I have an electric smoker and it took about 1 1/2 hours. I have never tasted such good Brats! They were the right temp....juicy and my Hubby said I am never to grill them again. I turned them over about 1/2 way thru...and really didnt need to do that. Try it...they are the bomb!

jack07 · Jun 27, 2012

I make my own brats...and have only grilled them. I am going to try smoking some and see which method my family likes the best.

jrod62 · Jun 27, 2012

Jack07 said:
I make my own brats...and have only grilled them. I am going to try smoking some and see which method my family likes the best. :grilling_smilie:

I will never buy store brats again after making my own . Thumbs Up

thenovaman · Jun 27, 2012

jrod62 said:
I will never buy store brats again after making my own .

One step at a time.

thenovaman · Jun 27, 2012

Q-view! Took 75 minutes to reach 150*F IT, and then I stoked the fire and seared them a bit. One exploded a little because it got too hot while searing.

A couple pics under different lighting conditions:

Smoke ring!

Wow, smoked brats are PHENOMENAL! Cooking them any other way is just going to be a disappointment after today.

jrod62 · Jun 27, 2012

they look great !!

I was lazy one day , wife wanted brats , I told her just do them on the stove. NEVER AGAIN .!!!!! smoke brats are so much better .

johnnie walker · Jun 27, 2012

Those brats look great! Makes my mouth water!

africanmeat · Jun 28, 2012

It looks yummy .

brdprey · Jun 28, 2012

WOW NICE SMOKE RING. dag nab it now i have to try them. told the wife i was going to slow down on my brat intake.

joshrichards · Jun 28, 2012

That looks great!!

thenovaman · Jun 28, 2012

Thanks for all the compliments!

jrod62 said:
they look great !!

I was lazy one day , wife wanted brats , I told her just do them on the stove. NEVER AGAIN .!!!!! smoke brats are so much better .

Stove brats are horrible for sure.

couger78 · Jun 28, 2012

One note on the Johnson brats—and you can see it in the initial photo in this thread— is they tend to be, like a lot of the mass-produced store-bought links, quite high in fat content. Now fat does make for a juicy, flavorful link, but when the fat proportion gets in the 40-50% (fat to lean ratio) range, I can't enjoy or serve them in good conscience. Fresh sausages made in the USA can legally contain 50% fat and this is what you get in a supermarket. THAT's where the argument for making home-made brats hits the mark: not only can one control the type of ingredients, but one can also monitor the fat content— ideally in the 25-30% range.

I do like the idea of smoking brats. They look delicious.

Kevin

thenovaman · Jun 28, 2012

According to their website, an 82g brat contains 21g of fat, which comes to 25.6%.

http://www.johnsonville.com/products/original-bratwurst.html

couger78 · Jun 28, 2012

TheNovaMan said:
According to their website, an 82g brat contains 21g of fat, which comes to 25.6%.

http://www.johnsonville.com/products/original-bratwurst.html

That may be what they're saying, but one peek at the links in the packages tell me a different story.

Here's some homemade brats made with just pork butt (approx 20%-25% fat), with no additional fat added.

The Johnson brand on left, at least to my eye, appears to have a much higher percentage than their website claims.

But I'm not here to knock Johnsonville nor their products. Just stating my preference and the benefits of making one's own sausages.

kevin

thenovaman · Jun 28, 2012

Your brats look tasty.

couger78 · Jun 28, 2012

TheNovaMan said:
Your brats look tasty.

They do look tasty!—but they're not mine.

They were made by another SMF member.

Kevin

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