Sausage Making

[KeithLBPI]

Wanting to follow up here as I will be making my next batch here

Again will be using wild pig, trimmed very heavily.. Will be using butcher pork fat. Concerns on the dryness. Will be likely upping the wine and possibly the pork fat to 75%?

Also going to decrease the fennel and increase red pepper/cayenne.

Thoughts

 

[SmokinEdge]

30% fat is your friend. And watch the internal temps. 160–ish is where I would pull them. This is only because of game meat. Otherwise IT can be lower.

 

[KeithLBPI]

30% fat is your friend. And watch the internal temps. 160–ish is where I would pull them. This is only because of game meat. Otherwise IT can be lower.

Thanks will aim for higher.

 

[indaswamp]

75% fat is way too high. Agree, 30% is your target.

 

[KeithLBPI]

75% fat is way too high. Agree, 30% is your target.

Misworded to 75/25 fat mixture. Oops lol

 

[KeithLBPI]

Alight. I made this again and writing down what I used recipe wise. Attempting to convert tbsp to grams was difficult but it's a start.

Per 1LB of Venison 70/30 grind

Salt 5.5G
Black Pepper 1.2G
Fennel Seed 1.2G
Minced Garlic 2.5G
Crushed Red Pepper 1G
Anise 0.25G
Caraway 0.25G
Coriander 0.25G
Oregano 0.2G
MSG 0.7G
Chilled Red Wine 12ml

This was very difficult to convert and maybe it's not 100% exact to my previous, but I also adjusted a few spices. I also found out I need a better scale for this.

Only photo I got, got about 30 links. 8lb batch. Will update when I cook, but I've got more sausage to make

 

[SmokinEdge]

Looks great Kieth.
I would also encourage you to convert your meat weight to Kg. Multiply the meat weight in pounds by 454 this will give you grams. 1000 grams is 1Kg. (2.2 pounds) it’s scale of 10’s, like counting money. Much easier to run it all that way.

Spices are all to your preference on taste, but generally using 1-3 grams per Kg is the rule for most spices. Garlic can go as high as 5g per Kg and spices like mace or nutmeg can be as low as .5g/Kg again all to your taste, but once you dial it in you will be able to make that same sausage over and again and always the exact same flavor.

 

[tallbm]

Alight. I made this again and writing down what I used recipe wise. Attempting to convert tbsp to grams was difficult but it's a start.

Per 1LB of Venison 70/30 grind

Salt 5.5G
Black Pepper 1.2G
Fennel Seed 1.2G
Minced Garlic 2.5G
Crushed Red Pepper 1G
Anise 0.25G
Caraway 0.25G
Coriander 0.25G
Oregano 0.2G
MSG 0.7G
Chilled Red Wine 12ml

This was very difficult to convert and maybe it's not 100% exact to my previous, but I also adjusted a few spices. I also found out I need a better scale for this.

Only photo I got, got about 30 links. 8lb batch. Will update when I cook, but I've got more sausage to make

Lookin good! Yeah if seasonings are going to be less than a gram you will need a better scale for those low amounts. I see you are using wild game meat, if you happen to handload and use a digital scale for it, then that will easily work for measuring out amounts 1gm or less in weight :D

Let us know how it comes out! :D

 

[indaswamp]

Definitely lookin good!

 

[KeithLBPI]

Thanks for the tips yall. Any recommendations on an accurate scale? The 2 I've bought seem to have the same issue with being fairly accurate in low amounts .

 

[indaswamp]

For quantities less than a gram, you want a jeweler's scale. 100grams accurate down to 0.01grams....can buy one for $10-15 bucks. I recommend to go ahead and buy the 100 gram calibration weight as well... can get both for less than $20 usually.

 

[indaswamp]

Here:
https://www.amazon.com/Weigh-Gram-Digital-Jewelry-Kitchen/dp/B06Y61YW7S/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2EB1JT68GREH3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TJOfClTZ4xYlD78q_qBdhbQrtWyLYx3wDzrKr5ZLsacO1Ss1-Qm5T8y9yVRgjfZowpaUWjIKaKfRGUWn1r4QnMw_FshUW8Qr466IbBIwh7MA-kUQTyu9VuHnx4yLxvqsV_40kPyyb_R2TGNIlRqlxnBSmu7Ff61Hlt6BEGUFR1Iz10dTc6fpksTbJTtUQSXR4jigHl7TKWZEYL10ErQ52iwh1KD9pdXbJQp58kxPZfbwFFSMKOdoy2tMsy_mFN66bfGvEIX-8sYg6YP4mDAdt72pFfKkSuzGgPHWmupj_lc.zFXeuAvyfnFOsDjZdZcphbw6y8OPsQk3PP5eRVKGEto&dib_tag=se&keywords=jewelers+scale+.01g&qid=1715478922&sprefix=jewelers+scale,aps,148&sr=8-5

^^^That one comes with the calibration weight. only $11.99...

 

[chopsaw]

Will update when I cook,

I'll be interested in that .

convert tbsp to grams was difficult but it's a start.

No need to unless that's how you want to do it . Get your texture figured out . From there the rest is just what you like . Tbls or grams doesn't matter as long as you know what you want .

Do whatever gives you the results you want , and what makes it easy .

 

[KeithLBPI]

Long delayed update. Crumbly again.

Life's been super busy sorry. But as I attempt again my mind is wondering how to fix this. Going to get a meat stuffer instead of using the combo attachment on my grinder. Hoping that should help keep the Temps down as I think it's getting to warm trying to push it through.

 

[indaswamp]

Going to get a meat stuffer instead of using the combo attachment on my grinder.

That should help fix this issue....or at least eliminate one common problem with crumbly sausage.

 

[DougE]

Grinding temps, keeping the meat around 30~32°F is the first step. Keeping within the same temp range for mixing is step 2. This will prevent smearing fat, and problems with fat out.

If it's a smoked sausage, you really want to run no more than an IT of 145°F or so, to keep from rendering fat. Fat out occurs for a number of reasons. Cooking to too high of an IT will render fat and will give you a grainy texture.

 

[chopsaw]

In my opinion , your listed salt percentage is low . I would be around 8 grams per pound .
Hand mixing ? Get a good mix by hand . Should be sticky .
To much liquid will also dry it out / make it crumbly .

You say you're using the grinder to stuff . Are you using the stuffing plate , no knife ?

 

[indaswamp]

In my opinion , your listed salt percentage is low . I would be around 8 grams per pound .
Hand mixing ? Get a good mix by hand . Should be sticky .
To much liquid will also dry it out / make it crumbly .

You say you're using the grinder to stuff . Are you using the stuffing plate , no knife ?

I agree with chopsaw on the salt. Now, having said that, if you want to use 5.5g/#....you can, but I would separate the lean and the fat. Add the salt to the lean and mix for protein extraction, then mix in the fat. Salt pulls out the salt soluble proteins necessary for a good bind. Adding the salt to just the lean concentrates the salt for better extraction. And once extracted, they will stay in solution and not get reabsorbed into the meat.

I do this when I make low sodium sausage for my sister....