hanging sausage vs Placing on Grill

[WstTxSmokes]

I typically hang my sausage in my smoker using some homemade wooden dowels, but i was curious if anyone just places the sausage on the grill in their smoker. Besides grill marks, why do we hang sausage?

 

[Dave in AZ]

I typically hang my sausage in my smoker using some homemade wooden dowels, but i was curious if anyone just places the sausage on the grill in their smoker. Besides grill marks, why do we hang sausage?

I do both, but mostly just place on grill. The hang allows smoke to evenly hit all sides of sausage as it rises. When laying flat, the bottom of sausage sees more smoke... depending on your smoker. Mine is a Smokin It 3.5, with just a 1/2" smoke exit hole, so the whole thing pretty much smokes evenly no matter how I lay the sausage.

Temperature deviations from bottom to top that may exist in your smoker might impact your desision too.

Most items I don't mind light grill marks, or just don't get any--snacksticks are mark free.

 

[WstTxSmokes]

I do both, but mostly just place on grill. The hang allows smoke to evenly hit all sides of sausage as it rises. When laying flat, the bottom of sausage sees more smoke... depending on your smoker. Mine is a Smokin It 3.5, with just a 1/2" smoke exit hole, so the whole thing pretty much smokes evenly no matter how I lay the sausage.

Temperature deviations from bottom to top that may exist in your smoker might impact your desision too.

Most items I don't mind light grill marks, or just don't get any--snacksticks are mark free.

thanks for the info! Think i'm going to try a batch just placing them on the grill.

 

[Dave in AZ]

P.s. some things I always hang, like hotdogs, so they look all perfect. Some things like TX bbq sausage or Polish links, I actually think look better with a few marks on bottom.

 

[WstTxSmokes]

FYI--making some texas hot guts

 

[SmokinEdge]

I do both but prefer the hang for the reasons Dave already mentioned but also for space, hanging allows for much more sausage than laying flat, that and I feel the final product is better quality no matter sausage, bacon and ham. But laying flat on the grill is workable.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I place it flat a lot of the time. It makes way more sense in an offset because the temperature can be wildly different from top to bottom. I do hang in my WSM but sometimes it's easier to just lay them flat. Hanging gets a more even smoke and uniform color.

 

[WstTxSmokes]

thanks for all the advice! I also have an offset so will try the grill for this batch.