Are 15 + hour smokes too long for sausage

[cstallings]

I've only smoked two batches of sausage (venison in my mes 30).  The first batch eventually ended up in the trash due to several reasons.  The second batch was/is pretty darn good, but it took me 17 hours to get the IT temp to 152 on the last sausage. I was in and out all day, so I didn't increase the heat like I could have if I had been at home.  I don't have a lot of sausage to compare this too, but I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Actually I'm hooked on it.  Would it have been better if I finished earlier with out rendering any fat? Seems like a lot of guys finish a lot earlier than I did. I only put about 11% fat in it, but it was still moist...at least in my opinion.  I smoked about 7.5#'s, which came out to three  2.5# sausages.  

Thanks

 

[jrod62]

If you like the way it turn out that's all that matters.
As long as you have cure in it your fine.

 

[biteme7951]

That's an awful long time to be messing around with sausage and the longer it smokes the more things can go wrong with it.  I like to smoke for several hours then poach in 160deg water until they get to 152 internal, then shock in ice water till cool and hang to dry. It just puts the process more on your schedule than the meats.

Barry.

 

[cstallings]

I thought I read one time that you can dry it out even a low temps and an IT of 152 if you go to long.  

I was extremely happy with the way it turned out, but was just curious if it would have been better if the duration was shorter.  Yes it was cured.  

Thanks

 

[driedstick]

here is one of the ways I do it for snack sticks and Summer sausage

preheat smoker to 120

 add sausages

1hr or so at 120* no smoke, you want the sausages to become a littl tacky (dampers wide open)

up to that person at this time if you want to add water or not

then add smoke (adjust dampers to your liking i do about 1/2 on each) and take up 10* each hr till smoker temp is 170, I do not go over 170 and wait till IT of sausage comes up to 152 then either water bath for summer sausge (large logs) or room temp to bloom for hr or so if doing snack sticks (19-21MM) then to fridge

Hope this helps