Summer Sausage stall

[bob3]

Hi, this morning I started smoking summer sausage from this recipe - https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...-with-complete-recipe-and-how-to-guide.133281.

I followed a schedule I found here though - 2 hours 130, 2 hours 140, 2.5 hour 150, 3 hours 160, 4+ hours 170, increase to 172-174 if necessary. I started around 8am, and here I am at 1145pm - nearly 16 hours later - with the summer sausage in the oven, hoping that changes things. It's been stalled at ~ 149F since 9pm.

My question is - is there any food safety danger in it taking this long? Doesn't it have to reach ~ 152F in a certain amount of time?

My smoke could hold 174F no problem, why did this happen? 10 lbs of sausage in a Mastertec Sportsman Elite.

Thanks

 

[bob3]

update - the oven brought from 149 to 155 in like 10 minutes. It's baffling why the smoker couldn't do this at 174. mostly though, I'm wanting to know if there is any food safety danger holding it under 150 for so long? thanks

 

[DieselTech]

Bob did you use a curing salt in your recipe/mixture?

 

[bob3]

Bob did you use a curing salt in your recipe/mixture?

Yes sir I used the recipe in the link in my first post verbatim - 6lbs elk, 4lbs fatty pork belly, 2 tsp prague powder #1, 4 Tbsp pickling salt + spices/etc.

 

[crazymoon]

B3, You had cure #1 in the mix so you are all set.

 

[bob3]

Thanks crazymoon. This leads to my second question - why wouldn't it finish with a smoker temp of 174 for hours, but finished in minutes with an oven temp of 175?

 

[SmokinEdge]

What CM said above, plus you stalled above 145* so after 30 min at that temp you had pasteurized sausage so you are double safe.

 

[DieselTech]

Yes sir I used the recipe in the link in my first post verbatim - 6lbs elk, 4lbs fatty pork belly, 2 tsp prague powder #1, 4 Tbsp pickling salt + spices/etc.

Yep the professionals have spoken. I was going to say if used curing salts you would be good.

 

[Winterrider]

Have you verified your actual pit temps with a digital thermometer?
Maybe not running at anticipated temps. 16 hrs seems like a long time .

But safe as mentioned.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks crazymoon. This leads to my second question - why wouldn't it finish with a smoker temp of 174 for hours, but finished in minutes with an oven temp of 175?

have you verified the actual pit temp with a proven and independent thermometer probe?

 

[bob3]

By pit temp do you mean ambient smoker temp? I did not verify that. But I did use two different thermometers for the meat (not the built in one) and one I know to be very accurate. I'll check the pit temp next time.

 

[indaswamp]

Yes, verify the pit temp....

The internal temp. of the sausage will trail the pit temp. about 25*F. So for example, the highest you can get the INT of the sausage @150*F pit temp would be 125*F....of course, the INT will go a little higher, but will slow down to a crawl. Will take forever to climb from here on out unless you raise the pit temp. another 25*F or so....

 

[bob3]

Yes, verify the pit temp....

The internal temp. of the sausage will trail the pit temp. about 25*F. So for example, the highest you can get the INT of the sausage @150*F pit temp would be 125*F....of course, the INT will go a little higher, but will slow down to a crawl. Will take forever to climb from here on out unless you raise the pit temp. another 25*F or so....

Question about this - most recipes I see recommend the last stage at 170F max. The last one I used said raise to 172-174 if necessary. I think this is to avoid fatout. But is this why it will never finish? Because I would have to raise to 180F to hit 155F?

 

[slavikborisov]

I've had my chamber temps above 185F for the last hour or so and never got fat out.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I've had my chamber temps above 185F for the last hour or so and never got fat out.

I’ve never had to, but Marianski says as high as 190 for a short time is ok if needed.

All of this temp lag is why I finish most sausage either water poach or SV.

 

[bob3]

I’ve never had to, but Marianski says as high as 190 for a short time is ok if needed.

All of this temp lag is why I finish most sausage either water poach or SV.

I'd like to SV next time - what's setup? 10 lbs of summer sausage would need a big tub. What temp and how long? Thanks

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'd like to SV next time - what's setup? 10 lbs of summer sausage would need a big tub. What temp and how long? Thanks

I use a cooler for the bath but any food safe container will work. I don’t recommend water bathing at home at more than 5# at a time. So if doing 10# just remove about 5# to go in the water bath and leave the other 5# in the smoker. The bath usually doesn’t take longer than 30 minutes but that is depending on sausage thickness. Get those done either to the pasteurization table to 145F or to a final IT of 150F. Then cold water soak, (you don’t need ice but fine if you do use) for about 15 minutes until IT is about 100F or less. Then hang to bloom a couple hours.

If I SV it’s at 151F, if I poach it’s in a pot maintained water temp of 160-170F.

Here is a link to the pasteurization table.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pasteurization-times-and-temperatures.302750/

 

[crazymoon]

I'd like to SV next time - what's setup? 10 lbs of summer sausage would need a big tub. What temp and how long? Thanks

I'd like to SV next time - what's setup? 10 lbs of summer sausage would need a big tub. What temp and how long? Thanks

I have a Coleman Party Stacker cooler with a hole cut in the top to fit my Anova SV. I do 10 pounds in it at 140 for 4.5 hours, this is about an hour past what is called for but it is never overdone. I'm using 2.5 inch casings, so you need to check times temps for the size of your casings . I have done hundreds of pounds of SS in my smoker to final IT and will never go that route again. Check out mine or other members SV SS posts , I will finish my SS in a SV from now on. You will not regret it. P.S. Just make sure you don't make your SS longer than the container you'll be SVing in!