Help With Summer Sausage Temps

[golson]

Hey all,

 I have done a couple batches of summer sausage in the past with great results but this time I am very disturbed of what happened. I used a PS seasoning mix with maple cure to do a batch of venison and pork butt. So I changed my ratio just a little bit from 80/20 to 60/40. That might have been the first mistake but listen carefully. I done the usual double grind and left in fridge for around 15 hours. I am using a MES 40.

  So I stated my smoke at 130 for one hour and bump to 150 for 4 hours heavy smoke full open damper. then finish it off with 170.....So here is the problem. My Internal temp went to 140 in about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Then I bumped to 170 and internal temp went to 150 and NO MORE........This was at the 8 hour mark. So kept it going and the temp just never went past 150 for about 4 more hours. I then went to bed and said hell with it and when I woke up the temp actually went down to 142...I am thinking WTF...How does the temp go down when my smoker was at 170 all night.....I checked the smoker temp with two probes and no difference. So I stopped and cut one of the sausages in half and the sausage seemd a bit too moist with some juice coming out but not a lot.

So that is where I am at....Any Ideas what I might have done wrong or what to check next time I smoke?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Have you tested your probes to make sure your therm is correct. Boiling water is 212. I'd start there.

 

[sb59]

Hit the stall. The sausage started to sweat there by cooling the sausage. Internal temp. would eventually have come up. You just have to wait it out. Be careful raising temps. too much with sausage you could break down the fat. Type stall in the search box above for more info.

 

[woodcutter]

I had the temp drop once but the smoker temp dropped as well when it got really cold outside. If you have a pan long enough you could finish them off in a hot water bath. They should have plenty of smoke by now.

 

[golson]

Thanks guys for comments. I will just have to go back to 80/20 next time around which I know worked for me....