Sausage water bath questions

[johnnyb54]

For those of you that finish your smoked sausages in a water bath I have a couple of questions. I know that you need to maintain a heat no higher then 160-165 degrees.

1) What do you use for your water bath and how do you heat the water? I have seen setups that use propane turkey fryers and turkey roasters to pots on the stove.

2) How do you circulate the water so you do not have hot spots?

3) Anyone use the Anova Precicion cooker to heat and maintain temp.?

Thanks.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

For those of you that finish your smoked sausages in a water bath I have a couple of questions. I know that you need to maintain a heat no higher then 160-165 degrees.

1) What do you use for your water bath and how do you heat the water? I have seen setups that use propane turkey fryers and turkey roasters to pots on the stove.

2) How do you circulate the water so you do not have hot spots?

3) Anyone use the Anova Precicion cooker to heat and maintain temp.?

Thanks.

Your looking for consistant temps 160-165. Use a wooden spoon to keep the water moving. Most use one of those 18qt roasters you see at wally. When there are times i dont have time or weather conditions keep me from a full smoke i use the roaster pan with the  Wifi Anova Sous Vide, it keeps very constant temp and circulates the water. When i do use the Anova i put the sticks or chubs in a zip lock as you dont want any oils to get on the heating coil or thermostat.

anwifisv.jpg

• BGKYSmoker
• Nov 13, 2016

 

[dward51]

If you have a sous vide, I would take it a step further (and I do with mine).

Lately, the summer sausage I've been finishing in the sous vide, is cooked to the 145* degree range in the smoker to set the meat, and then I move the meat to vacuum bags under full vacuum to finish in the sous vide at 154*.   I've even been cutting the summer sausage in half for the longer lengths before vacuuming. 

Reason I do this is:

1) most of the meat will be vacuum packed for storage in the freezer anyway,

2) with the sous vide, I get a perfect 154* with no danger of fat out,

3) time is not an issue as 154* is the maximum.  I just toss the vacuum packed bags in and sous vide it for a couple of hours.

Works like a charm and the meat is ready for the freezer when done.

The only drawback is you do not get any "bloom" or drying in the air after cooking to 154* internal unless you take it out of the vacuum bag (buy why?).  But it has not been a problem for me with my summer sausage doing it this way.

I have also done links of smoked sausage this way with no issues.

 

[johnnyb54]

Thanks!

 

[johnnyb54]

If you have a sous vide, I would take it a step further (and I do with mine).

Currently I do not have a sous vide but I am looking at the Anova unit. I just don't know if that unit could handle the amount of water it would take for 5 -8 lbs. of sausage as well as the sausage.

 

[dward51]

I have used 7 gallons of water with my Anova with no issues..  It's specs are for 4 to 5 gallons of water, but if you use an insulated container such as an igloo or similar cooler, you can use more water and more meat.   We did filet mignon for the entire team at the office in an ice cooler with my Anova and then finished them in two cast iron pans on portable induction units for the final sear. 

The Anova is a very useful tool.