New to smoking Keibasa need some advice

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eurobill

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 16, 2013
10
10
Hi , Bill from Norway here, a transplanted Canadian that needed keilbasa that they don't sell over here. Took a recipe from the net, and tried to use my weber to smoke it, was tough because of the low temp and the flame kept blowing out, so I had to watch it through the whole 4 hour process. Product was ok but room for improvement. So being a welder decided to make my own small smoker.


Pipe between the burner and the smoker box was too long so I cut it, one piece 2 thirds the length and the other 1 third, just to see if I could get the temp. correct.

The New smoker worked great, Temperature was easy to control and smoke was cooled. Some twerking is needed the kielgasa that hung close to the pipe inlet on the smoker box got scorched, so I'll add a plate on the inside to deflect the heat away from the keibasa.

The main problem is the consitency of the Keibasa, alittle grainy and crumbles if you don't use a sharp knife to cut it. Hope you guys can help out a bit, please excuse the bad spelling if any.

 
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Thanks for the reply, I don't use natural casings, got mine from a commercial smoker in Canada, long shelf life and worked ok, when I smoked the temp. were 130F for the first hour and increase by 10 degrees with the fourth  hour at 190F, used apple wood.Check internal temp and finished at 165F, about 5 hours. Bathed them in 170F for 45 min hung for 3 hours then in the fridge. The ratio I used for fat and meat was 20-80, with the meat devided 50-50 between ground and chunks,used a ham with fat and a bone, mabey I should try to grind the meat alittle coarser as you did, I used the middle die in the kitchen machine, will try the largest die next time. Tried some this morning for breakfast after in the fridge over night and seems to hold together better then last night after hanging for 3 hours. Thanks for the use of this forum, lots of good info here.
 
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It would help if you kept the maximum temp in the smoker to under 170° (77°c). and after you reach the finish temp, put them in a bath of cold water till they cool to under 100°f (38°c)
 
Is that hot enough to make it safe?? I worry about that, I use a cure and try to get the internal temp to 165F, as well as a hot bath after smoking. Don't want to kill anybody, Got some family members in their 70's that love my Keilbasa, hate to hurt them, I try it out on myself first to be sure.
 
154 to 160 the sausage will be safe.
 
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Well after my first attempt, after the keilbasa sat it the fidge for a while the product seem to be the right consistency. But I'm getting a metal after taste. Could this be from not pickling the new SST I used to make the smoker? Any advice for this??
 
[h1]
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Hello and welcome from East Texas. This is a great site, lots of information and great people that are willing to throw in their two cents worth on about anything.   
[/h1][h1]  [/h1][h1]Gary[/h1]
 
 
Well after my first attempt, after the keilbasa sat it the fidge for a while the product seem to be the right consistency. But I'm getting a metal after taste. Could this be from not pickling the new SST I used to make the smoker? Any advice for this??
I wouldn't think so........but you should season the smoker before using it. I like to use organic flaxseed oil but a lot of people use crisco. wipe the inside down and crank up the heat. Do this a few times
 
Yeah good advice, I was thinking of that, like a new cast iron frying pan with peanut oil, I have some crisco so will coat it and fire it up a few times before I try it again, thanks!
 
I agree that the unseasoned smoker should not have given a metallic taste but Iodized Salt can. Use only Kosher or Sea Salt to make sausage. I am just guessing here so I figured I would put it out there. I can taste the difference between types of salt and rarely use Iodized unless that is all we have...JJ
 
Well something to put on the next time list, got me on the Iodized Salt. Been looking around, read some stuff here about marjoram, some use it others say it adds a bitter taste.
 
I have made Kielbasa with and without Marjoram. I like both. I have had Kielbasa with whole Mustard Seed in it as well, that was pretty good too. Next batch divide in half and add a small amount of Marjoram to one batch and make one batch without. One of my favorites is Fresh Kielbasa which typically has a bit of Marjoram in it. You take some of the Kielbasa before smoking and add it to a pot with Onion, Garlic, a Bay Leaf and a pound of Sauerkraut with water to cover. Simmer that until the the Kielbasa is cooked, 160°, and enjoy with some Rye Bread. Great stuff...JJ
 
Metal taste --------   When I was looking at your smoker modification picture the pipe connecting them is not galvanized is it ?

Gary
 
Good, just trying to pin point the metal taste. I have always seasoned my smokers before cooking on them. Could be one of the seasonings ?  I know down here if you use mesquite or any wood that is not seasoned long enough you get a bitter after taste.  Hmmmmmm  .

Gary
 
OK that might explain it, I used apple, and it was cut down in the beginning of last summer, thought the semi green wood would not burn and smoke better, will get some cherry next spring, funny though the first small batch I did in my weber barbeque did not have that taste. That what made me think it was the new SST that did that.
 
Apple is pretty mild, don't know if that is your culprit or not, the wood I was talking about are the hardwood's around here. Oak, Pecan, Hickory, Mesquite I do get to use peach every so often because of the Peach orchards just north of us. Never noticed and bitter or funny taste from that even using some that was pretty green.. We will keep digging.

Gary
 
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