Smoking sausage with apple juice

[davea37]

Let me start out saying I have done a few BBQ's, smoked some brisket, turkey and pulled pork but I'm new to smoking sausage and ask if anyone smokes their breakfast sausage or polish sausage with apple juice (or any other type juice) in their water pans?   Adding moisture to the surface of the sausage seems to be in conflict with the purpose of drying them before applying the smoke.  From what I have read, the purpose of "drying" the skin on the outside is to get the smoke to adhere. 

Do I have that right?

I have my smoker loaded with 15 pounds of both types of sausage and noted on one of the recipes that I should "put sausages in steam cabinet".......I am not using a "steam cabinet" for this process and only wait for the sausages to dry enough to apply the smoke.  Assuming I SHOULD NOT apply the apple juice moisture, I will only apply the smoke and see where it goes.  Worse comes to worse, I can "steam cook" them in apple juice when it comes time to eat them.  Should be pretty easy that way.

What say the experts?

 

[smoking b]

I make lots of sausage & I NEVER add moisture during the smoke - dry chamber all the way for me!  Dry casing takes smoke MUCH better than wet & even a little moisture can start turning the smoke into a nasty bitter tasting substance that is not enjoyable at all...

 

[newsmokeguy]

Id listen to him ^^^^^^^ what I seen of his stuff looks dam good

 

[davea37]

Certainly you have confirmed my suspicions and for that I thank you.  By the way, the meat in the smoker is looking pretty darn good WITHOUT any apple juice.  :)

 

[notoast]

I smoke dry too. After smoking I use one of those Chinese steamers to cook to final temperature though. Make sure to watch the temp in the smoker, 160-165F is where fat will start to liquify.

Rich

 

[davea37]

Sausage came out looking pretty good albeit it a bit on the "dry" side.  Temperature control was a typical problem and MAY have drifted too high at the later stages on the process.

I will be/am looking at a different set of temp monitoring gauges and if anyone has a suggestion related to "reasonably priced" gauges, let me know.

 

[smoking b]

I monitor my smoker with a Maverick ET-732  I would replace it in a heartbeat if anything ever happened to it.

If your temps got out of hand & you rendered fat then that will make your sausage dry - what IT did you take the sausage to?

 

[davea37]

I monitored the IT with a single probe Bradley digital thermo.  Not positive of its accuracy but seemed be my better guide during that process.  The sausage is still good albeit it a bit on the dry side.  All in all, they are edible and will be consumed.

I will continue seeking a better dual probe thermo to do a better job of monitoring both the smoker IT and also the meat IT.

Being a cool and early spring day, the temps were difficult for me to control.  Guess that is part of the smoker/BBQ game, isn't it?

Dave

 

[davea37]

Forgot to answer the question of what the meat IT was at the "finish" and it was 157 F.   

Reviewing the entire process, I believe the dryness came from the lack of monitoring the smoker box temperature accurately.  The final meat temp was, as stated monitored at 157 F but what was the temp in the box prior to that, I cannot say.  It MAY have drifted higher than 165 F as there was a lot of wind swirling around and outside temps were hovering around 48-50 F.  With all that said, the proof is in the eating and the sausage is very tasty but on the dry side.  We will use it in various ways none-the-less.  Now on to the next smoke test with other types of sausage.  Before that happens, I will have a dual probe temp monitor gauge of some type/manufacture and leaning towards the Maverick ET-372. 

(Probably order it in the morning)......... UPDATE:   Order was placed at 4:00 AM, monitor should be here in a day or two.

 

[davea37]

Upon further testing the good part, (eating) the polish sausage came out perfect. 

Nice and juicy and lots of "authentic" polish sausage flavor. 

I'm off to the meat supplier to get more meat.  Weather permitting this weekend, plus the new temp monitors if they arrive quickly, there will be more of these sausages in the smoker.  I'm definitely pleased.  

And for the record I did NOT spray or steam these with apple juice.

Dave

 

[smoking b]

 
Upon further testing the good part, (eating) the polish sausage came out perfect. 

Nice and juicy and lots of "authentic" polish sausage flavor. 

I'm off to the meat supplier to get more meat.  Weather permitting this weekend, plus the new temp monitors if they arrive quickly, there will be more of these sausages in the smoker.  I'm definitely pleased.  

And for the record I did NOT spray or steam these with apple juice.

Dave

Glad to hear the Polish came out good & congrats on the Mav 

  I'll keep an eye out for your next sausage thread