Summer Sausage

[crazymoon]

JG01, I'm in for the sliced money shots ! :)

 

[jfleming9232]

Looks great, especially for a first try. Now, you'll be looking for excuses to try it again "but maybe I could do this....or that.......or the other...." It's a slippery (but fun) slope!

 

[Hawging It]

Looks like you hit a home run!!

 

[johngolf01]

All I have to say is why the hell did it take me this long in life to learn this new skill?

Nom nom nom

 

[johngolf01]

 

[johngolf01]

 

[illini40]

Wow - looks great! Any tips or takeaways from your first time?

I’m doing my research in hopes of trying my hand at sausage as well.

 

[johngolf01]

Wow - looks great! Any tips or takeaways from your first time?

I’m doing my research in hopes of trying my hand at sausage as well.

I was playing on doing a seasoning / cure recipe from scratch for my first attempt, but happy I stumbled on a premade kit with instructions to follow... something to build on in the future. The seasonings in the kit were plenty flavorful and I did not add extra. Look forward to tinkering more in the future.

In hindsight, I feel it may have been easier to stuff the mahogany casings by hand, rather than stuffing thru the grinder after already grinding twice.

I think a dedicated stuffer would be a good investment.

Keep smoker temp no higher than 170F to eliminate any "fat out".

Budget plenty of time for the smoke.... I dod not expect the long smoke....took about 20 hours...

Make a decent sized batch so its worth your while as it's a decent amount of work...not that bad really....

Stock up on cheese and crackers!!!!!

Just got done portioning and vac sealing for gifts to share.

 

[pineywoods]

Looks great sure wouldn't know it was your first time.
I put my grinding head in the freezer to I just don't leave it in long enough to freeze. Instead of stocking up on the cheese and crackers think about putting cheese in the sausage maybe even add some jalapenos to some of it the possibilities are about endless. When I do summer sausage I usually add cheese to all of it and jalapenos to about half that's in addition to the spice pack that I use.
Many people like to mix up there own spices and I have done that but found when I went to make sausage I was missing some spice I needed or it had gotten hard in the jar since the last time I used it so I just buy the pre made packs. When I find a spice pack I like I will use it and then add what I think it may need to suit my taste.
You can smoke to 152 internal as long as you used cure. When it reaches 152 I take it out and put it into an ice bath the idea being the ice bath will be colder than just tap water and will stop the temps from rising any higher faster.
A dedicated stuffer is a very wise investment as it makes life much easier for most of us there are a few that can use the grinder and it's easy for them but they are few and far between.
Have fun because it looks like your already hooked.
Hey have you tried making your own bacon yet that's another one that you'll be asking why you didn't start doing it long ago

 

[crazymoon]

JG01, Nice looking SS, you are hooked on sausage making now ! :)

 

[pushok2018]

Good job and nice looking sausage! Like deserved. Are you sure this is your first attempt?

 

[johngolf01]

Looks great sure wouldn't know it was your first time.
I put my grinding head in the freezer to I just don't leave it in long enough to freeze. Instead of stocking up on the cheese and crackers think about putting cheese in the sausage maybe even add some jalapenos to some of it the possibilities are about endless. When I do summer sausage I usually add cheese to all of it and jalapenos to about half that's in addition to the spice pack that I use.
Many people like to mix up there own spices and I have done that but found when I went to make sausage I was missing some spice I needed or it had gotten hard in the jar since the last time I used it so I just buy the pre made packs. When I find a spice pack I like I will use it and then add what I think it may need to suit my taste.
You can smoke to 152 internal as long as you used cure. When it reaches 152 I take it out and put it into an ice bath the idea being the ice bath will be colder than just tap water and will stop the temps from rising any higher faster.
A dedicated stuffer is a very wise investment as it makes life much easier for most of us there are a few that can use the grinder and it's easy for them but they are few and far between.
Have fun because it looks like your already hooked.
Hey have you tried making your own bacon yet that's another one that you'll be asking why you didn't start doing it long ago

Jalapenos sound like an Awesome addition! Wife doesn't like the spices much, so may have to do half naked and have doctored up!

 

[johngolf01]

I've made alot of summer sausage and I NEVER have had fat whatsoever in the pan......I'm guessing too hot

Hmmm kept it below 170F... maybe there were spikes in temp? MES 30 fluctuates temps sometimes....wasnt independently monitoring temperature to confirm either way.

I suppose it could have been excess moisture accumulating in the pan and not fat? Didnt really study the liquid, just pitched it in the woods....

 

[checkdude]

It sure looks good! Would not mind a few slices with a hunk of bread. Damn my stomach is growling!