Newbie sausage smoker question...

[jms7]

Question for everyone... I am planning on buying fresh made sausage from a local butcher. I want to smoke this in my smoker. Do i need to cure this before smoking it? If yes, how would I do this and how long one the process take start to finish?                                                                     

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Question for everyone... I am planning on buying fresh made sausage from a local butcher. I want to smoke this in my smoker. Do i need to cure this before smoking it? If yes, how would I do this and how long one the process take start to finish?                                                                     

Yes you will need cure. Usage for cure #1 is 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat.

If the sausage your buying is in links you will need to take the meat out and mix the cure with some water then into the meat. If its fresh bulk then no de casing required.

Smoking can vary from different sausage due to diameter, length, outside temps (cold) how much your trying to smoke at 1 time,.

However if you hot smoke above 190 you will not need cure.

Meaning using some wood and high temps.190 thru 225 or higher.

Im sure there will be more members to post how they do theirs.

GL

And post pics

 

[venture]

Not much to be said after nepas posts on sausage.

As he said, if you are hot smoking, no cure required.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[wicheesy]

Correct me if I am wrong but if you are buying it in links (fresh sausage) and simply want to impart a smoke flavor you can smoke them at a low temp. but you must cook them on a grill or pan to the proper temp to kill the bugs like nepas mentioned.

If you are wanting to eat them after smoking with no further cooking you will need to cure or smoke to a high temp.

 

[SmokinAl]

If they are links then just smoke them at 225, until the internal meat temp reaches 160 degrees. It should take 2-3 hours. No cure needed. However they must get above 135 in 4 hours, so they need to be smoked at 225.

 

[jms7]

Thanks for the info. From what I gather, and correct me if im wrong: I will be buying links, hot smoking at 225 for 2-3 hours, enjoying them while watching the soccer game on Sunday.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Thanks for the info. From what I gather, and correct me if im wrong: I will be buying links, hot smoking at 225 for 2-3 hours, enjoying them while watching the soccer game on Sunday.

Then dont add cure at that temp. 2-3 hours might be to long and result in the fat coming out. At 225 the sausage should be done in 30-45 mins or less.

 

[jms7]

Conflicting replies from two moderators... What do i do? 

SmokingAl says 2-3 hours at 225

Nepas says 30-45 min at 225

Sorry for all the questions. I plan on eating these for the soccer game on at 11am EST and would like to not be sick from bad meat to watch the Super Bowl at 6pm EST.

 

[jrod62]

Main thing is pull when they get to 160. I'm in between them two on time.
1 1/2 hours .

 

[flipajig]

When I cook my fresh links I do it over a hot coals of Oak or Mesquite for about 30 to 45 min then wrap in foil for a total cook time of about 2hrs

pull them off cut into wrap size links wrap in a Flour Tortilla with some mustard and enjoy

 

[terry colwell]

If he is buying it from a butcher already made wouldnt it have cure in it already? Wouldnt the butcher have mixed a cure into the batch when he made it? or do they not do that with store sold stuff??Is it because they expect it to be cooked and not smoked??

 

[BGKYSmoker]

If he is buying it from a butcher already made wouldnt it have cure in it already? Wouldnt the butcher have mixed a cure into the batch when he made it? or do they not do that with store sold stuff??Is it because they expect it to be cooked and not smoked??

Normally not if its being sold for fresh sausage. If its to be smoked it would have the nitrate sticky tag somewhere on the package.
 

 

[pantherfan83]

People are often confused by some smoking terms. 

When talking about sausage, some people say "Hot Smoking" and are talking about something close to grilling (above 200F) except with the addition of smoke.  This does not require using cure, because the sausage will reach 140F internal in less than 4 hours. You should use a thermometer and cook the sausage until it reaches 160 internal.  This same smoking method when talking about brisket or pork butt, is considered normal low and slow smoking and is not considered "Hot Smoking" at all.  Other people use the term Hot Smoking (especially when talking about sausage) to mean NOT Cold Smoking.  Cold Smoking involves smoking at temps below 90-100F and is meant to impart smoke, but not cook the meat (e.g. bacon).  The normal smoking of sausage whether you call it "Hot " meaning not "Cold Smoking" or "Cold" meaning at temps well below 200 F involves using cure and is done below 175F and cooked until an internal temp of at least 152F.

 

[big casino]

Yes I always had considered cold smoking anything under 100 degrees, hot smoking under 180, anything over that I consider cooking with smoke, or actually BBQing

It does get quite confusing when everyone has their own idea of what "smoking" and "cooking" means

 

[old poi dog]

You could put it in the smoker at 225 degrees, wait 40-45 minutes and take the sausage's temp.  If its at 160 degrees internal temp. pull it off.  If not keep it in longer until it hits 160 internal.

 

[fielies]

If they are links then just smoke them at 225, until the internal meat temp reaches 160 degrees. It should take 2-3 hours. No cure needed. However they must get above 135 in 4 hours, so they need to be smoked at 225.

Sorry what is cure?
 

 

[graystratcat]

There are basically 2 types of cures used for most of the stuff we do.  Cure #1 and Cure #2.

Cure #1 (or Insta Cure #1 or Prague Powder #1) is basically salt and 6.25% Sodium Nitrite.  This is the cure used for smoked sausage and other things such as bacon.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/11000instacureand153no11lb.aspx

Cure #2 (or Insta Cure #2 or Prague Powder #2) is salt, 6.25% Sodium Nitrite and 1.0% Sodium Nitrate.  Cure #2 is used for making dry cured sausage, salamis and other dry cured items.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/11300instacureand153no21lb.aspx

Both are used to make these types of meat processing much safer.  There is a ton of info here and on the internet about cures.

-Salt

 

[jms7]

UPDATE: We bought links from a butcher. Smoked them in the smoker at 220 for about 45 min and they were fully cooked to 160 degrees. Thank you all.

 

[rxak1031]

Yes, you definetly need to use a cure.    You can use Cure #1 or Cure #2 also know as insta cure and prague powder.  The danger zone is between 40 and 140 degrees F.  You want to start smoking at 110 F and increase the heat every hour.

 

[rxak1031]

The only thing about that is that you are really not smoking, smoking needs to be done a much lower temperature.  What you are doing is basically cooking the sausage.