WTF?

[indaswamp]

Have you run your smoker without meat in it to verify you can get up to temp.?

How many pounds of sausage did you put in the smoker? Max for a unit that size is about 12.5 lbs. of link sausage. If you loaded up more than that, your airflow will be restricted and the smoker will not perform properly.

 

[indaswamp]

I have 20 LB in the smoker

This is part of your problem. See above post. If you want to smoke 20# at a time then get a smoker that can handle 20#.

 

[indaswamp]

Also, after looking at a picture of your smoker, it has a dial thermometer. Dial thermometers are notoriously inaccurate-especially on mass produced models. They can be off 15~25* either way. Many demonstrations have been done verifying this fact with digital units measuring the temp in a smokehouse. 15~25 degrees off might be OK for BBQing, or hot grilling, but it just will not cut it for smoking sausages low and slow. Get a digital thermometer.

 

[wolters88]

I have the thermal couple from the maverick in the smoker telling me the temperature is 170 degrees, but its under the fatties. Should I remove like 9 of them and put them in the refrigerator to finish after these are done? My smoker Temp is digital.

 

[indaswamp]

I have the thermal couple in the smoker telling me the temperature is 170 degrees, but its under the fatties. Should I remove like 9 of them and put them in the refrigerator to finish after these are done? My smoker Temp is digital.

I would remove some links were it me. You need a top probe as well. Can you move the probe above the links to read what the temp is above the sausages? I always run the smoker off the top probe. When you start, the bottom and top probes will be close in temp. but as the meat heats up and starts to sweat, the water on the sausages start evaporating and you will get a cooling effect. This will show on the top probe by dropping the temp inside the smoker. You will need to adjust your heat to keep the top probe @ your desired temp. If you do not adjust, your smoker will be running cooler than what your bottom probe is showing. This effect is also pronounced by an over stuffed smokehouse with a lot of moisture coming off the links.

 

[indaswamp]

sorry for the typos, I fixed them....

 

[wolters88]

ok, I assumed the temperature on the smoker would adjust as the temp probe fore the whole unit is at the top.

 

[indaswamp]

Only way to know is to check it to verify it.

 

[indaswamp]

Propane or electric model?

 

[wolters88]

I put the probe at the top and took out ten of the 20. The temperature is reading 163 at the top with the maverick.

 

[indaswamp]

If electric, you could have a defect. I had a buddy that had a cracked heating element from shipping and the unit would not heat up properly. He called and the company replaced his unit promptly.

 

[indaswamp]

I put the probe at the top and took out ten of the 20. The temperature is reading 163 at the top with the maverick.

You should be good then. How long have the links been in the smokehouse? You could pull 'em and finish in a 170* water bath. If they have been in for 4~6 hours, they should have plenty of smoke on them, and the water bath will rehydrate the links. The water bath will finish then faster.

 

[wolters88]

They have been in the smoker for about 18 hours at this point.

 

[indaswamp]

Then I would pull them no question and finish them in a 170* water bath. 18 hours will dry them out.

Try doing a 5# batch with 100% pork. Get dialed in on 5# batches, then go to 10#. Get the hang of it with the new unit.

 

[indaswamp]

Are you smoking summer sausage again or link sausage in casing?

 

[wolters88]

Summer sausage again. I have a circulatory I use for sous vide. Should I just put that at 155 and put them in there until IT is 155?

 

[indaswamp]

I smoke a lot of andouille which is 2" in dia. pulled through beef middle casing. I've never smoked them for longer than 10 hours and not hit target INT of 152. For regular link sausages, usually 6~8 hours, but I like to smoke then @120* for 3~4 hours to get good smoke penetration on them. If you bump the temp 10* every hour, they can be finished in 4!5 hours.

 

[indaswamp]

Summer sausage again. I have a circulatory I use for sous vide. Should I just put that at 155 and put them in there until IT is 155?

Sous vide - perfect. I'd put them in @170* water. I'd pull them when they hit 152* and hold that INT for at least 12 minutes.

Did I read that right? You have a fattie in the smokehouse with the summer sausages? Did you put cure #1 in the meat or leave it out?

Fatties are to be BBQed @ 225~250*. They are not suppose to be slow smoked unless you have cure#1 in the meat. At sausage smoking temps, the meat will stay in the danger zone of 40-140 for over 4 hours.

 

[indaswamp]

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-stuffed-BBQ-Fattie/

 

[wolters88]

I have Cure #1 in the meat. Its just 20 summer sausage 1 lb casings with Deer and Ribeye trimmings. No clue why I put Fatty.