temp swings and sausage

[rippper]

Just picked up a pit boss series 3. mainly for sausage. set it up with my ink bird and had temps yo-yoing pretty steady between 165 and 180. Now i know fat can start to render out at the 180 temp, but since it is just "peaking" there should I assume the average temp of approx. 172 is where I'm actually cooking at? or, should i smoke at a lower setting so the does not go above 170? thx in advance for any input

 

[smokerjim]

personally i think your fine where your at, is your sausage cured.

 

[rippper]

personally i think your fine where your at, is your sausage cured.

yes,always

 

[zwiller]

I am just looking into controllers and PID but I think you can set the Inkbird to a more narrow cycle depending on the unit you have of course. There are group of guys who swear this is the key to making good sausage and very much reduces the chance of fat out.

 

[kawakx125]

probably about as good as you will get with a pellet smoker. there is no way to 100% maintain perfect temps on pellet smokers as there is no way to weigh/count the number of pellets dropped when auger turns. can get close, but thats about it

 

[poacherjoe]

I have a SmokiTex smoker and it has a 30 degree swing. The factory rep told me it wasn't a big deal for making sausage but I was getting some fat out so I purchased an Auber PID controller and now my temps are plus or minus 1 degree and I have zero fat out. If your satisfied with the end result that you have now just leave it be, but if not look into a controller.

 

[smokerjim]

yes,always

probably a bit late but if it's cured you could go a little lower as long as ya wind up with a 155-165 internal temp, either now or freeze it and cook later to the internal temp.if that makes since.

 

[zwiller]

I didn't realize OP had a pellet grill. My bad. Sorry no experience.

 

[rippper]

those temps swing were with an empty smoker, after my burn off. may stabilize some packed with sausage.

 

[tallbm]

Just picked up a pit boss series 3. mainly for sausage. set it up with my ink bird and had temps yo-yoing pretty steady between 165 and 180. Now i know fat can start to render out at the 180 temp, but since it is just "peaking" there should I assume the average temp of approx. 172 is where I'm actually cooking at? or, should i smoke at a lower setting so the does not go above 170? thx in advance for any input

I do feral hog and wild game sausage walking a smoker temp up to 180F because I have to hit 165F IT in the sausage to kill any micro parasites that might be in the meat. These pigs eat anything/everything out in the wild.

I don't have an issue at a steady 180F, BUT.... I am using an electric smoker with PID controller so I am dead on with no swings.
In your case you can always lower temp 3F degrees or so and your max temp would go down some if the smoker is heating up too fast to hit 180 during the swing. That would be my worry is that the cycle from 165 to 180F is so fast it shocks some of the fat into melting but only trying would tell :)