Smoking Sausage Question

[wolfpack usmc]

If you ever help or advice, feel free to give me a shout….I usually smoke several hundred pounds of sausage a year …..Start off small, working a recipe to your taste, then expand it from there….Do not let it intimidate you…their nothing to it…. Personally I like to cold smoke my sausage, 100-130 for 4-6 hours… I have hot smoked it too; it’s just a personal preference….. If I can help feel free to ask…ShoneyBoy

hello ShoneyBoy. I would like to try cold smoking deer sausage. I had a taste of this years ago and am trying to replicate it. It's was extremely smokey flavored, and tougher than usual more like jerky. Wondering casing type, venison pork or beef mix ratio. And smoke times and temps. I believe I heard my buddy say it was smoked for a few days? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[tkface]

I was given some deer sausage that was different then any other, it was not your typical "summer sausage", this was a VERY DARK, very smokey, almost like a dark hard salami, almost black (absolutely delicious). The person told me it was COLD smoked, and told me to smoke it for 48 - 72 hours, and no more then 100 degrees.

I am going to attempt to make this, do you know anything about how to do this,.....I'm assuming after using cure, and keeping smoke on it for that long, is why it should be bacteria free. Any advice will be helpful.

TKface

 

[jlzr]

Just found this thread.  Why would one smoke at lower temps vs 225F?  More smoke flavor?  What else?

Temperatures that hot causes the fat to melt and leach out. You'll have dry sausage. I just started smoking and I'm learning, but even kicking up the heat to 180 was too hot.

 

[tkface]

I have smoked a number of meats. For sausage, I use two different methods...(but NEVER have I smoked at 225 degrees).

Method 1 - is for a slight smoked "summer sausage". I put the sausage in the oven on as low as possible (? 100) and leave the oven door cracked open to allow moisture out. You are only trying to dry the sausage. Then I put it into an electric smoker at 140 / 1hr....150 / 1 hr...

160 / 1hr....then 175 / 1 hr.....the 175 will get the internal temp up just over 165 and keep it there. High enough temp to kill bacteria, low enough to not allow meat to dry out.

Method 2 - start with same procedure in the oven. Then I "COLD SMOKE" with hickory in an actual smoker. NO DIRECT HEAT, and DO NOT allow temps to get over 100. ( I was told to do this for no less the 48 hours).....I smoke the meat like this for 72 - 84 hours. between the CURE and length of smoke, I am told all bacteria will be gone. Its a long sleep deprived weekend, but the end result is worth it. 

I have read that some people smoke like this for 12+, then put the sausage in the refrigerator over night, then start the process again in the morning, which will obviously take a lot longer.

Good Luck

 

[dward51]

Read up on cold smoking sausage.

AND MOST IMPORTANT - USE CURE!!!!!!  You need something to prevent the growth of nasty bacteria with temps below 140*.  There are ways to ferment and cold smoke sausage, but that is a whole different subject and art in it's self.  I would bet what you had was a fermented sausage (where the reduced moisture and low PH from the bacterial used in fermentation preserve the meat).

99.9% of the home made sausage needs cure unless it's hot smoked.  The rare exception is the fermented products. There are 100's of posts on this forum showing people smoking sausage with cure.  It's easy.  I would recommend you stick to sausage with cure until you are very well versed in the subject of sausage making and ready to move to the fermentation level.