Best smoker for sausage making

[thebigman65]

Hey All.
I was wondering what all of you experts think is the best type of smoker to use for making sausage. I currently have a verticle offset smoker (brinkmann trailmaster verticle) and a Horizon Classic 20 (horizontal offset)....I was going to use the vertical offset for sausage making, cheese, etc....but I am worried about the fairly precise temps needed for sausage making so I am not sure I can get this with only Wood/Charcoal.....I do have a DigiQ....but still....any advice?

 

[daveomak]

IMO... you want a smoker that the temperature can be controlled below 80 deg. F.... Smoke will deeply get absorbed below 75 F.... at temps say above 140 F, the smoke mostly sticks to the surface of any meat....
If you examine smokers from say 100 years ago and older, they didn't use heat... OR used little heat to keep the meat from freezing during the winter months...

 

[SmokinAl]

TheSausageMaker has a good one, but they are pricey.
Most of the guys just use a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker (MES) for sausage, me included.
Al

 

[indaswamp]

MES electric is good for small batches up to 12~15lbs. We do some big batches of sausage after processing all the deer from deer season so I wanted a smokehouse that could handle ~120lbs. at a time. Most I've had in it so far is ~100lbs. with room left over.
IMO, it depends on if you want to cold, warm, or hot smoke your sausages. I warm smoke my links with the heat @ about 100 to dry the casings, then up to 120* for a few hours of smoke. After the INT reaches 100*, I bump the temp 10* trying to keep the smokehouse 25~30* above the INT of the links. Max temp of 170~175 to prevent fat out.

 

[thebigman65]

So it sounds like my verticle wood burner is not a great option...as I thought....probably go with the electric....I prefer the Masterbuilt over Bradley's....I had a Bradley and never like the smoke from the briquettes.....may go for a larger model than the 30 to hold more....but I probably will only make 15 to 20 lbs at a time anyway.....decisions decisions....lol...thanks guys!

 

[Gwanger]

So it sounds like my verticle wood burner is not a great option...as I thought....probably go with the electric....I prefer the Masterbuilt over Bradley's....I had a Bradley and never like the smoke from the briquettes.....may go for a larger model than the 30 to hold more....but I probably will only make 15 to 20 lbs at a time anyway.....decisions decisions....lol...thanks guys!

I use a cold smoking attachment to my masterbuilt propane, the cold smoker is electric and temps under 80*are attainable the unit was around $55 used it thurs. to smoke salmon for Easter. Since unit is electric it could be adapted to almost any smoker just drill one 2 1/2 hole push unit in place and put some chips in,plug it in

 

[dannylang]

i also use a mes, best out there for the price.
dannylang

 

[Diehardmason]

So it sounds like my verticle wood burner is not a great option...as I thought....probably go with the electric....I prefer the Masterbuilt over Bradley's....I had a Bradley and never like the smoke from the briquettes.....may go for a larger model than the 30 to hold more....but I probably will only make 15 to 20 lbs at a time anyway.....decisions decisions....lol...thanks guys!

Nothing wrong with your vertical. Don’t sell yourself short. Temps don’t have to be +/- 1 degree. If you know your smoker, how it operates and can handle temp fluctuations you will be good. 20 lbs of sausage is a fair amount for personal use.

 

[daveomak]

You cold smoke bacon in it... What's wrong with smoking sausage in it.. Add the smoke you like then you can finish in a water bath or oven.... That's if you don't think you can control the temp for several hours....

 

[Sodaking27]

I have a SmokinTex electric that I use for sausage, jerky, dried beef, etc.

 

[Gwanger]

You cold smoke bacon in it... What's wrong with smoking sausage in it.. Add the smoke you like then you can finish in a water bath or oven.... That's if you don't think you can control the temp for several hours....
I have the same Dyna-Glo smoker don't sell that smoker short just put an AMPS pellet smoker in you Fire box or cooking chamber and you will be in cold smoke heaven. I think the AMPS is $28 and will smoke fot 10 hrs unattended. As far as that Dyna Glo I am able to maintain perfect 225* to 250* using cheap bulk charcoal.You really don't need another smoker it will do all, Just have to get to know it. Like every smoker. I wish that I didn't buy my propane and electric smoker b4 buying the Dyna-Glo. bc I can do it all with it.Just sounds like you need to buy some bags of charcoal and start with different amounts to see what temps you can maintain with certain amounts and write it down for future use.You can also use a charcoal basket and minion bars as I do for longer smokes.I think the guy that sells the AMTS and the AMPS is a member here.
Every member here are proud of there smokersand you will get a hundred different opinions nothing wrong with yours just get to know it.If you have any problems with your Dyna-glo just PM me I will be glad to help.Love my Dna-Glo Gwanger

 

[Gwanger]

So it sounds like my verticle wood burner is not a great option...as I thought....probably go with the electric....I prefer the Masterbuilt over Bradley's....I had a Bradley and never like the smoke from the briquettes.....may go for a larger model than the 30 to hold more....but I probably will only make 15 to 20 lbs at a time anyway.....decisions decisions....lol...thanks guys!

 

[Gwanger]

View attachment 360018

Just to prove to you that we have same smoker here is pic. My previous post got included w/Daveomaks which I don't mind bc he is outstanding member.Don't sell your Dyna-Glo short bc it gets my Irish up and I am German.Somehow pic of my Dyna is above, my bad

 

[daveomak]

I pulled the picture from bigman65's threads... HUH ??????

 

[Smaterchew]

I have several smokers....Weber Smokey Mountain, GMG Daniel Boone, Broil King, Orion, but none were Sausage Smokers....so I built one! For less than sixty bucks too! It's a sausage making machine! Here's a link: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...-time-comin-but-frankensmoker-is-here.274471/
I got my hands on a MES that someone was gonna throw away (they left it out in the rain and fried the upper controls) and, thanks to this forum, it was pretty easy to build...not to mention, fun! (It's amazing how much beer can be consumed building a smoker!) Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help.

 

[jimmyinsd]

hell a hotplate and a cardboard box will make sausage, its really up to what you want to ultimately do with it in terms of volume, control, fuel, sensitivity, size, etc. pretty sure that unit you got would crank out plenty of good sausage with a little playing around with it. I would try making a small coal basket and using a minion method with some charcoal in the fire box, or get a pellet tray from amazin products and just cold smoke with that and then water bath to finish. If the temps are hard to control maybe look at some cheap mods to that smoker to tighten up the fire box for better air management?

 

[thebigman65]

Thanks for all the great responses guys....sorry haven't been on in a bit....busy life!

I decided to sell the vertical and buy a MES....I also have my 20 inch Horizon Classic for my larger smokes....love my stick burner!....just think it will be ultimately easier to do sausage with the MES.