Dark sausage centers

[johnnyo]

Hi, I made 2 batches of sausage, Polish sausage 2 dayes ago, & Old Fashioned sausage yesterday..I used the seasonings purchased from a sausage supply place.. The Polish was stuffed into Collagen casings, & the Old Fashioned was stuffed into hog casings. using my electric grinder with stuffing tubes attached.. . They were both smoked in my GOSM propane smoker starting around 120 degrees & finished at 225 degrees, Mesquite wood was used for smoke in both.. Both batches turned out well, & taste excellent, BUT, when the rings are cut in both batches the centers are dark the entire length of the rings..
I used to go to my friend's place to make sausage & he only had a homemade smoker, plywood, & built an oak fire on a dirt floor, & never had this problem..
what am I doing wrong??

 

[johnnyo]

You guys asked for it and here it is.. everything having to do with sausage smoking. HUH???

 

[oillogger]

Hmmmmmm?????? Got any pictures?

 

[salmonclubber]

johnny

are you using a cure to make these sausages if not you should did you check the temp of the center of sausages maybe they were still raw inside the temp of the sausage in the center should be around 160 when it is done i would need more details to help you out what kind of meat was used
huey

 

[johnnyo]

I didn't add any cure, only the seasoning mix that came in the package.. Not sure if there was any cure in it when I got it.. I stuck a thermometer into the center of the sausage, & it read 185.. I made 2 batches, first was 80% beef, & 20% pork.. The beef was lean ground that we bought at a store, & the pork was from a front shoulder that I ground myself.. My first thought was maybe the beef was old,but the second batch was almost all pork ground from the same shoulder..it was fresh.. so it discounts my old beef theory.. I ground the pork & stuffed it into the casings in one operation, I used a coarse disk with 4 holes in it..

Oillogger I'll try to get some pictures up..

 

[mossymo]

Sounds to me like no cure was in your mixture. With cure in the sausage and the centers of the ring brought to 160, the center should have more of a pinkish color to it. With sausage, ecspecially with pork added; always make sure there is cure in the mix if you are going to smoke it at low temperatures. Personally I would eat it with caution or probably not at all. These are just my thoughts, hopefully others will have more feedback. How long was it in the smoker at 120?

 

[salmonclubber]

hey johnny

i dont see anything that you did wrong except maybe the disc that you are using for stuffing with the four holes this is only a guess is letting air into the center of the sausage when you are stuffing them i used to use my grinder with a spacer blade in it and would end up with sausage that was hollow in the center but it was never darker then the rest of the sausage though thats a new one on me sorry i couldnt be of more help
huey

 

[johnnyo]

Actually the sausage finished at 225, & internal temp was 185 when I took it out..