Fat out... what happened?

[bison123]

Second time sausage maker and first time with my MES 35 and cold smoker pellet tube. I made 5 lbs of pepper sticks (Hi Mountain seasoning mix) and 5 lbs kielbasa (Hank Shaw recipe). Both used 80% lean wild pig and 20% domestic pork fat. I started off low (120 degrees or so) with no smoke to dry them after leaving in the fridge overnight, with the sausages hung from a rack I fashioned inside the smoker. After about an hour I added the smoker tube and left the temp unchanged. Two hours later I started to take the temp up in stages, though after a couple of steps I realized that I'd turned it up too much (smoker has an analog control) and the smoker was slightly above 200 degrees. Opened it up and all the sausages were dripping fat. Am I correct that the high temperature was likely the cause? I'd hoped to go no further than 180 degrees.

I do have a good wifi thermometer and had one probe in the sausage and one in the compartment. Just got distracted getting ready for the game today...

 

[indaswamp]

Yep. Fat out... 120 for an hour to dry casings, then 10*F every hour or so...once the INT reaches 100*F, try to keep the chamber temp. bout 25*F above INT...and that's about 10*F every hour.
I don't take the temp. above 165*F and when the INT reaches 136*F I start the clock. I pull them hour and half later.. temp rises to 145~148*F but the sausages are pasteurized and are done. Then dunk in cold water until INT is below 100*F...hang at room temp. to bloom. then package or refrigerate and package the next day. I usually do it the next day....cold sausages cut good and keep moisture in when vac sealing...

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yeah to high heat.
Try not to exceed 170.
Rushing the process most of the time will end up with a not so good sausage.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Live and learn. Sausage ain’t no set and forget.
They will still eat good. Just experience.

 

[indaswamp]

Live and learn. Sausage ain’t no set and forget.
They will still eat good. Just experience.

Yep. I have the inkbird remote thermometer. I set the high alarm @175* for the probe under the sausages. When it goes off, I know I have a flair up and can go address it..

 

[daveomak]

My smoker doesn't get above 145F when making any kind of sausage...
I use the poultry pasteurizing table... BECAUSE.. sausage can be really contaminated with bacteria from anywhere....

Below is a pasteurization table for poultry....
Temperature........ Time .............Time
°F...... (°C) ...........1% fat ...........12% fat
136 (57.8)........... 64 min......... 81.4 min
137 (58.3) .........51.9 min....... 65.5 min
138 (58.9)......... 42.2 min....... 52.9 min
139 (59.4) ........34.4 min........ 43 min
140 (60.0)....... 28.1 min ........35 min
141 (60.6)....... 23 min ............28.7 min
142 (61.1)..... 18.9 min........... 23.7 min
143 (61.7) .....15.5 min.......... 19.8 min
144 (62.2) .....12.8 min.......... 16.6 min
145 (62.8)..... 10.5 min .........13.8 min
Table C.2: Pasteurization times for a 7D reduction in Salmonella for chicken and turkey (FSIS, 2005).

And I shoot for an IT of 138F and hold the sausage at that temp for at least 2 hours...
It's food safe and no fat loss whatsoever...
It's juicy, moist, delicious.....

 

[indaswamp]

138* for 2 hours eh daveomak . I'll adjust my schedule as I was doing 136* for hour and a half.

 

[pushok2018]

And I shoot for an IT of 138F and hold the sausage at that temp for at least 2 hours...

Thanks, Dave. Never tried this method but will try it with my next batch....