Venison sticks and summer sausage temps

[jeremyd]

I made some sticks and some chubs. Used the LEM kit for the chubs and Snack Sticks Hunter blend for the sticks. Directions say to start smoker at 180 and smoke until 165 internal temp. I read on the nets to smoke until 152. then ice bath. What do I do?

 

[pc farmer]

180 is to high for me. I start at 120 and every hour bump 10 degrees. Up to 170. I pull them at 152 but dont ice bath. I cool at room temp.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I would definitely go with starting around 120, some will start there for an hour with no smoke for an hour then start smoke and raise smoker temp 10 degrees each hour and going to a max of 170. Depending on what smoker you have and what type of temps you can maintain...if your smoker temps get higher than that you risk fat out which could ruin the texture. I believe it's daveomak that only takes smoker temp to around 150 when doing summer sausage and keeps it there long enough to pasteurize the meat for a certain amount of time

Ryan

 

[pc farmer]

I would definitely go with starting around 120, some will start there for an hour with no smoke for an hour then start smoke and raise smoker temp 10 degrees each hour and going to a max of 170. Depending on what smoker you have and what type of temps you can maintain...if your smoker temps get higher than that you risk fat out which could ruin the texture. I believe it's daveomak that only takes smoker temp to around 150 when doing summer sausage and keeps it there long enough to pasteurize the meat for a certain amount of time

Ryan

Yup I have pasturized meat with Daves help. Mainly bigger sized casings.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yup I have pasturized meat with Daves help. Mainly bigger sized casings.

Yep, I remember the summer sausage but not sure about sticks. I would post (or paste) a copy of the pasteurization tables but on my phone and not sure I remember how.

Ryan

 

[JckDanls 07]

Can I ask what kind of smoker you will be using ? Will it be able to maintain these low temps that The Farmer has mentioned ?

I don't rinse/ice bath ether... My thinking is it washes the smoke off.. that I just spent money on to put it on

 

[tallbm]

I made some sticks and some chubs. Used the LEM kit for the chubs and Snack Sticks Hunter blend for the sticks. Directions say to start smoker at 180 and smoke until 165 internal temp (IT). I read on the nets to smoke until 152. then ice bath. What do I do?

Hi there and welcome!
I think you are getting great info. Notice how everyone is telling you to walk up the smoker temp. This is to avoid shocking and melting out the fat. Lem recommends 165F internal temp because that is guaranteed to kill any micro nasties in the meat, period. It takes getting the smoker up to 180F to hit 165F in the meat (smoker temp 15F higher than the internal meat temp you want).
A smoker temp of 180F is as high as u really ever want to go with sausage and snack sticks.

Since we are talking game meat if you are using any feral/wild pork or bear meat then you will want to take the sticks to an IT of 165F which again means walking the smoker temp up to 180F.
If you have any concern that your venison may have any micro parasites or other nasties then you take it to 165F IT on those sticks and sausages.

I live in TX and hunt venison animals (various deer, antelope, etc.) and feral hogs. I take all my feral hog meat sausage up to 165F internal heat so I speak from experience about taking the smoker to 180F.
I also do my venison this way as well just to be sure and just because I never know if there has been cross contamination between the feral pork meat and my venison meat in coolers, on tables, equipment, etc. Better safe than sorry.

I hop this info helps and I can't wait to see what u make :)

 

[jeremyd]

Can I ask what kind of smoker you will be using ? Will it be able to maintain these low temps that The Farmer has mentioned ?

I don't rinse/ice bath ether... My thinking is it washes the smoke off.. that I just spent money on to put it on

MES 440s

 

[JckDanls 07]

Are you hanging or laying on grates ??

If using grates make sure you rotate the grates during the smoke ...

 

[archeryrob]

I have moved lower and lower with Internal Temps IT and cooking to 145 is my standard and I have quit at 140 from not wanting to push the smokehouse past 175. I find the product is far more moist and and never a chance of fat out or over cooking and no need for an ice bath.

I wrote all about it on my blog and you can go to the food safety section her and talk with Daveomak and he's the one that taught all this to me a couple years back.

You just have to maintain the IT of that set temp for the required number of minutes. I like to cook to 145 and leave it at 15 minutes ot make sure the entire product got there. Last batch I did would not push and I left it at 140 for an hour and dampered the smoker and opened the door.