what's fatting out?

[reshorserider2]

Ok I give up. Even Google can't tell me what "fatting out" means. I need to know so I can worry about it appropriately. I'm a newby and smoking my first 15lbs of summer sausage today. Using an Analog smoker and having a heck of a time trying to keep the temp at the recommended temps. Looks like it will be "best I can do" from here on out. I read somewhere that someone just sets the temp at 150 and walks away...for 24 hours. Sounds good at this point....once I can get it to stay at 150.

 

[shoebe]

As I understand it fatting out is when the sausage gets too hot when smoking it the fat melts and forms a pool. When it cools you got a big glob of fat you bite into not good

 

[thirdeye]

Fatting out is when the meat 'breaks' or separates from the fat usually because the smoker temp is too high. Basically, the smoker temperature allowed the sausage to get too hot and the fat in the meat melted. This usually happens around 175 degrees or above for certain blends and to prevent it, you start off with low smoker temps and ramp up the temp in small steps.

 

[reshorserider2]

Ok Thankyou I wondered why most folks increase the temp gradually. Helps a ton.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Any temp in the sausage or it’s surface over about 160* will make your sausage greasy. It “sweats” the rendering of its fat. Up to about 150* your good. Trick is to get IT to 145-150* over a long period as to allow smoke penetration but not over heat your sausage.

 

[smokerjim]

who needs google when we have SMF! they got ya covered.

 

[rtbbq2]

Ok I give up. Even Google can't tell me what "fatting out" means. I need to know so I can worry about it appropriately. I'm a newby and smoking my first 15lbs of summer sausage today. Using an Analog smoker and having a heck of a time trying to keep the temp at the recommended temps. Looks like it will be "best I can do" from here on out. I read somewhere that someone just sets the temp at 150 and walks away...for 24 hours. Sounds good at this point....once I can get it to stay at 150.

Don't run your smoker any higher than 165 and you should be able to avoid the fat melting. Sausage is done at 152 degrees then plunge into ice water to cool to 100 degrees. Keep sausage from being shriveled up.

 

[tallbm]

Ok I give up. Even Google can't tell me what "fatting out" means. I need to know so I can worry about it appropriately. I'm a newby and smoking my first 15lbs of summer sausage today. Using an Analog smoker and having a heck of a time trying to keep the temp at the recommended temps. Looks like it will be "best I can do" from here on out. I read somewhere that someone just sets the temp at 150 and walks away...for 24 hours. Sounds good at this point....once I can get it to stay at 150.

Hi there and welcome!

Hahaha I just posted basically the same info below in another thread. The analog smokers have nooooo insulation.

You may want to buy something like this:

To build a custom insulation sleeve that looks like this:

(from this post on SMF: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/insulating-a-propane-smoker.112976/)

This should help your smoker retain heat and hopefully help your temp swings.
Meat on a smoker usually only gets as hot as 15F degrees minus your set temp.

So if you want sausage to hit an Internal Temp (IT) in the meat of 153F you would want your smoker temp to be 165F or higher. Most walk up to 170F smoker temp.

If doing wild pork meat or game meat (bear, etc.) you MUST have the meat hit an IT of 165F to kill off the micro parasites they carry so you will have to bring the temp up to 180F in the smoker to hit 165F in the meat. I do this with my wild pork that I hunt and it works fine.

Your biggest issue is that your Analog controller will cause temp swings, so it is never really precisely on the temp you set, it swings around it to hopefully give you an AVERAGE set temp... not good for sausage and bacon making.
Also as mentioned above, the analogue smokers have no insulation which cause issues in holding temps and contribute to temp swings.

For about $150 you can get an Auber PID plug and play controller that would work to hold a much tighter temp for your smoker rather than temp swings.
I hope this info helps :)

 

[rtbbq2]

Ok Thankyou I wondered why most folks increase the temp gradually. Helps a ton.

Yes, also don't put sausage in a hot smoker. It can make the casings tough.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

YIKES

I must be doing something wrong.......

 

[flatbroke]

YIKES

I must be doing something wrong.......

You will get the hang of it

 

[pa42phigh]

Ok I give up. Even Google can't tell me what "fatting out" means. I need to know so I can worry about it appropriately. I'm a newby and smoking my first 15lbs of summer sausage today. Using an Analog smoker and having a heck of a time trying to keep the temp at the recommended temps. Looks like it will be "best I can do" from here on out. I read somewhere that someone just sets the temp at 150 and walks away...for 24 hours. Sounds good at this point....once I can get it to stay at 150.

See how the fat came to the outside of the sausage that’s what happens there is a gel like substance all over the sausage .. sorry I don’t have a better picture

 

[BGKYSmoker]

How long did you mix the meat?
Over mixing can smear the fat causing a faster fat-out or (fat rendering) in the smoker.

Smoker temps for a succesful sausage should be raised gradually.

When smoking sausages until they are fully cooked, sometimes it is advantageous to gradually raise the temperatures of the smokehouse while smoking
Start by smoking the sausages in a 120°F environment for 2 hours, then raise the temperature to 130°F for 2 hours before finishing the hot-smoking process at 170 until your meat IT reaches between 149-152 i which you can decide to cold water or shut your smoker down open the vent full and leave hang.

 

[reshorserider2]

As I understand it fatting out is when the sausage gets too hot when smoking it the fat melts and forms a pool. When it cools you got a big glob of fat you bite into not good

As I understand it fatting out is when the sausage gets too hot when smoking it the fat melts and forms a pool. When it cools you got a big glob of fat you bite into not good

Any temp in the sausage or it’s surface over about 160* will make your sausage greasy. It “sweats” the rendering of its fat. Up to about 150* your good. Trick is to get IT to 145-150* over a long period as to allow smoke penetration but not over heat your sausage.

Hi there and welcome!

Hahaha I just posted basically the same info below in another thread. The analog smokers have nooooo insulation.

You may want to buy something like this:

To build a custom insulation sleeve that looks like this:
View attachment 472014
(from this post on SMF: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/insulating-a-propane-smoker.112976/)

This should help your smoker retain heat and hopefully help your temp swings.
Meat on a smoker usually only gets as hot as 15F degrees minus your set temp.

So if you want sausage to hit an Internal Temp (IT) in the meat of 153F you would want your smoker temp to be 165F or higher. Most walk up to 170F smoker temp.

If doing wild pork meat or game meat (bear, etc.) you MUST have the meat hit an IT of 165F to kill off the micro parasites they carry so you will have to bring the temp up to 180F in the smoker to hit 165F in the meat. I do this with my wild pork that I hunt and it works fine.

Your biggest issue is that your Analog controller will cause temp swings, so it is never really precisely on the temp you set, it swings around it to hopefully give you an AVERAGE set temp... not good for sausage and bacon making.
Also as mentioned above, the analogue smokers have no insulation which cause issues in holding temps and contribute to temp swings.

For about $150 you can get an Auber PID plug and play controller that would work to hold a much tighter temp for your smoker rather than temp swings.
I hope this info helps :)

Thankyou! I've noticed it fluctuates continually. I have a digital remote thermometer. I've been watching the received closely all day. It 's like having a newborn!

 

[reshorserider2]

See how the fat came to the outside of the sausage that’s what happens there is a gel like substance all over the sausage .. sorry I don’t have a better picture View attachment 472054View attachment 472055

Oh ok. Now I get it. Thankyou! Hopefull that won't happen.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

You will get the hang of it

Maybe

 

[reshorserider2]

Thankyou! I've noticed it fluctuates continually. I have a digital remote thermometer. I've been watching the received closely all day. It 's like having a newborn!

One more stupid question. How do I know when to add more wood chips? Is it too possible to add too many? I'm not getting much smoke.

 

[JckDanls 07]

This is why we use the A MAZ N pellet tube (or maze) ... smoking at that low of a temp the chips will not smolder ...

As for temps fluctuating .. that's the way the analogs work... they use contact relays... meaning when it needs heat the element will come on at 100% until desired temp is reached... and then it over shoots temps because element is still hot... It's just like an oven it's ether on full blast or off...

When using a PID controller... they use an SSR relay... where power is on and off real quick many times a minute... this holds temps pretty much exactly at set temp... Plus some are programmable so you can program temps to raise at certain times...

So with a pellet tube (or maze) and a PID controlled smokehouse it is a true set and forget setup ... Alls you have to do is monitor IT of the meats ..

 

[thirdeye]

One more stupid question. How do I know when to add more wood chips? Is it too possible to add too many? I'm not getting much smoke.

You don't want more smoke. Less is more better. If smoke is really noticeable, it's likely too heavy. Gentle smoke over a longer time frame is the key. You need to watch the smoke like a hawk, and don't let it get too noticeable.

 

[reshorserider2]

You don't want more smoke. Less is more better. If smoke is really noticeable, it's likely too heavy. Gentle smoke over a longer time frame is the key. You need to watch the smoke like a hawk, and don't let it get too noticeable.

ok thanks. I thought it was suppose to be billowing out the sides . ...at least that's what I pictured. There is a def learning curve with this. I am determined to eat it not matter what!