Smoking Johnsonvilles

[danbono]

Hi All  Can Any one recomend pre pack seasoning for Bratwurst. I tried the Lem my 1st try, kinda salty for me.Spent 2 years in Germany many years ago, ate lots of Bratwurst.

Thanks Dan

 

[couger78]

In lieu of pre-mixed, here's a simple 11-pound recipe for brats you can make yourself—

Simple Brats

10 lb. Pork shoulder/butt

1 pt.   Cream 

3 Tbs. Kosher Salt  

2 Tbs. Dextrose (or 1.5 Tbs of sugar)

1 Tbs. Black pepper

1 tsp.  Nutmeg, ground 

1 tsp.  Coriander, ground 

1 tsp.  Mace, ground

Kevin

 

[kathrynn]

told ya!  My Husband is in love with the smoked now!  No more grilling them ever!
 

 

[billyj571]

Looks good

 

[savannahsmoker]

I am surprised at the smoke ring.

Nicely done.

 

[weisswurst]

i am with Kevin on this one. the store brand Johnsonville looks like they have more than 82% fat. One question would be " how does Johnsonville define and quatify "fat" I am not knocking Johnson ville or the idea of smoke cooking them. To be smoked they need cure. they would have a different flavor than the fresh , uncured , smoke cooked brat than the cured , smoked brat wurst regardless of who made it.Homemade , cured , smoked brat wurst is easy to make. But if you prefer the uncured smoke cooked  brat , stick with it. Happy SM  weisswurst

 

[jaybaks]

I gave smoking sausages a whirl today on the Weber kettle today instead of smoking them.  Used 4 Johnsonville brats and 4 venison brats.  The venison brats are the larger ones in the picture.  Picked a couple peppers out of the garden to go with them.  I'll never grill one again.

Used cherry and apple tree prunings with the briquets for smoke and basted with vinegar, oil, and mustard sauce.

 

[smokinhusker]

They all look great! How did your venison brats turn out? I've smoked brats and they are the bomb!!!

 

[billyj571]

you can't beat home made

 

[ercookin]

I tried smoking johnsonville's today and they were delicious! however, they were done (160*ish+) after 50 min at 240* and the casing was so tough that my crooked teeth couldn't bite through!! any explanation for this or remedies? I didnt sear before or after..
 

 

[thenovaman]

I'm smoking some Johnsonvilles again today even as I type.  ER, what setup did you use?  I was and am using my Weber kettle, and the casings on mine didn't come out tough at all. 

 

[thenovaman]

The brats I smoked today came out with more snap and a thinner smoke ring than the first time, but they were still delicious.  The extra snap may well have been because of some fairly bad flare-ups during post-smoking searing.

 

[ercookin]

I'm cooking on a masterbuilt gas unit with applewood. I use a cheapo wireless thermo from lowes and I probed two brats to be sure they were at 160* IT. they were done in just under an hour which surprised me but they were definately cooked through. I'm just curious as to what causes the rubbery skin. do I need to sear or boil?

 

[thenovaman]

Although I still consider myself a newbie, I doubt there's anything wrong with your setup.  Brats usually turn out fine when they're grilled quickly, and mine turned out a touch on the snappy side after being smoked for longer than yours, so it doesn't seem like it should be a time or temperature issue, but maybe the more experienced smokers will chime in soon.  Until then, perhaps try simmering the brats in some beer and onions after you smoke them?  If you poke around on the internet, you'll find there are people who are absolutely fanatic about how to cook brats; some insist you must simmer or soak BEFORE grilling, and some say the only proper way to do it is to simmer AFTER grilling.  We're adding an extra layer of flavor by smoking them, so I'd say we have them all beat, but I think simmering after smoking makes more sense if you want a more tender casing.

Edit: the only other thing I can think of is have you checked your thermometer in ice water, at room temp, and in boiling water?  I cooked my brats to 150*F internal measured with a verified thermometer, and then seared them.  I didn't check the temp after searing, but with the heat they took today, I'd be surprised if they were under 175 internal when I took them off the grill.

 

[ercookin]

thank you for your insight. I have become suspect of my thermometer as my last 5 cooks have been pulled earlier than expected due to acquiring my IT sooner than expected. I will check my meter and  hope to get a dual probe unit! I've been using my current thermometer as my oven probe until my temp stabilizes, then moving the probe to the meat to monitor internal temp. I am suspicious that this is the cause of my possible inaccurate readings.
 

 

[mneeley490]

Also a newbie to this, and I may be totally off, but I've read that "snappiness" in sausages is usually determined by what kind of casing is used? They say collagen casings tend to be softer, while you will get a good "snap" with natural ones.

BTW, I will be smoking 4 lbs of brats on Tuesday. They are better than homemade, in that they are made by my local butcher (no mess for me!)  He does about 30 different kinds of sausages, and they are all better than anything I could ever make. I never buy commercial store sausages anymore.

 

[ercookin]

thank you for your insight. I have become suspect of my thermometer as my last 5 cooks have been pulled earlier than expected due to acquiring my IT sooner than expected. I will check my meter and  hope to get a dual probe unit! I've been using my current thermometer as my oven probe until my temp stabilizes, then moving the probe to the meat to monitor internal temp. I am suspicious that this is the cause of my possible inaccurate readings.
 

checked my thermo with boiling water and found it was 10* off.

  I want a maverick!