Smoked/sous vide summer sausage

[indaswamp]

It is definitely that time of year to start making room in the freezers for the up coming hunting seasons!!

 

[LoydB]

does the vacuum pressure squish the sausage at all?

 

[DougE]

does the vacuum pressure squish the sausage at all?

I don't vac seal mine, just chuck 'em nekkid into the SV pot, with most.

 

[philpom]

Excellent looking job! I'd enjoy some of that for sure.

 

[crazymoon]

does the vacuum pressure squish the sausage at all?

LB, No squishing at all as the fibrous casing are stuffed very tightly. That's the beauty of a fibrous casing as they are nearly impossible to burst( I've had one break ).

 

[jcam222]

That looks so good! I really need to start doing stuff like this. I've been pondering adding a smoker to the fold that can do low temperatures. I really want to start doing cold smoking for bacon, cheese and stuff like this.

 

[SmokinAl]

The sausage looks amazing CM!
I could snack on that everyday with a few beers!
Have you ever SV’d your sausage without vac bagging them?
I was thinking about doing some hot dogs that way. Too many to bag.
Al

 

[MFL]

The sausage looks amazing CM!
I could snack on that everyday with a few beers!
Have you ever SV’d your sausage without vac bagging them?
I was thinking about doing some hot dogs that way. Too many to bag.
Al

I have finished both Summer & Polish Sausage by sous-vide without bagging and they turned out excellent.

 

[crazymoon]

Al, Both DougE and MFL posted here that they don't vac seal and get excellent results. I even vac seal my hot dogs after freezing them so they don't squish. I know my method works and don't want to ruin a large batch. These members are confident in their methods and I'm to afraid to stray from mine !

 

[DougE]

I promise you that going into SV nekkid with sausages works fine, but maybe a little more clean up afterwards. If using natural casings, the SV nekkid bath actually is a plus as it gives the casings more "snap".

 

[SmokinEdge]

Al, Both DougE and MFL posted here that they don't vac seal and get excellent results. I even vac seal my hot dogs after freezing them so they don't squish. I know my method works and don't want to ruin a large batch. These members are confident in their methods and I'm to afraid to stray from mine !

Naked SV sausage here as well. What is important on this step is smoking correctly as to set the meat to the casing. If you over heat the sausage and get fat out then when into SV the sausage will take on water or at least can. But proper procedure in smoking will yield a sausage ready to meet water bathed directly. I have had a fail or two but looking back it was my fault in the smoke process. I have SV’d 100’s of pound of sausage from hot dogs in natural casing, Polish type in naturals, fibrous casings such as ring bologna and SS, to 5” bologna or Krakowska all finished naked in SV. It’s the only way I finish now. One note of caution is that every time I have tried collagen casings they have failed in the SV. Natural or fibrous always work though.

 

[Texas Cookin']

Great looking batch there. I’ve never gotten into sausage making but man that sure looks good.

 

[jimmyinsd]

Those look great!

What size rings do you use?
I have a cheap pliers that is a POS. Just use string now.
But, I've been eying up this auto-feed one with 1/2" rings --> Weston Pliers

I have that tool and I think its kinda cumbersome, with the singe plier you can get straight at the place you want to crimp ( plier is perpendicular to the sausage) , with the auto plier you have to come in parallel to the sausage and when you are trying to hold the casing doubled over ( so its diameter is large enough for the rings to have something to grab onto ) its kind of a pain to get the ring in the right spot and crimped all the way down, without pinching your fingers. Maybe I need to leave more casing at the end to work with or something else, but I dont think it was near as slick as I thought it was when I bought it.

 

[crazymoon]

Those look great!

What size rings do you use?
I have a cheap pliers that is a POS. Just use string now.
But, I've been eying up this auto-feed one with 1/2" rings --> Weston Pliers

I have that tool and I think its kinda cumbersome, with the singe plier you can get straight at the place you want to crimp ( plier is perpendicular to the sausage) , with the auto plier you have to come in parallel to the sausage and when you are trying to hold the casing doubled over ( so its diameter is large enough for the rings to have something to grab onto ) its kind of a pain to get the ring in the right spot and crimped all the way down, without pinching your fingers. Maybe I need to leave more casing at the end to work with or something else, but I dont think it was near as slick as I thought it was when I bought it.

JISD, Interesting to know that about the auto crimper. I have thought of buying one but never got around to it.