What is your sausage setup?

[agcrock2005]

I just ordered mine, specifically for sausage, and was wondering what your setups look like.  Also, any advice would be appreciated. I've been making quite a bit of sausage over the last year and smoking it on my offset but it's a pain keeping my pit at those low temps, so I'm hoping this machine will help!

 

[old sarge]

Welcome to the forum. Check the search feature and see if that will help while you wait for other responses.

 

[Smokin Papa]

Everyone deserves at least one reply on your topic/post.
For my sausage setup, the wife, not I, suggested moving the kitchen table and buffet out into the family (right next to the kitchen) and set up my work station.  Close to the big farm sink for cleaning and right next to the door to the deck where my smoker is.
Has been working fine, using my LEM #22 Big Bite grinder and my Hakka 22 lbs electric stuffer.

 

[agcrock2005]

Thanks for your post.  How have you dealt with the condensation when making your sausages?  I completely dry my sausages out with a fan before putting them in my SI smoker, but when I check on them a few hours in they're dripping wet.  That's with me using the bella smoke generator and the jerky dryer fan.  I must be doing something wrong...

Pic of my last batch of venison jalapeno cheese sausage before smoke.

 

[Smokin Papa]

A couple of things and questions.
1.  How much liquid are you using?  It using a binder you need 10% liquid (100ml, I use grams and kilos), if no binder you can go as low as 5%. Make sure you are mixing to the tacky stage for protein extraction.
2.  Are you using a water pan? You may be using too big.  I put a small (bread pan) in to keep the casings from drying out too much, doesn’t sound like your problem.
Just watched a video from Eric of 2 Guys & A Cooler on how to get a snap to your sausages.  In it he did like you. He has an SI 4D. He took a 12” or so fan and dried them in the smoker for about 45 minutes, door open.  He said check after a couple of hours and if you find condensation on the Sausage, crack the door about 3 inches and let it dry out. Keep at same temperature.
3.  Are you cooking too hot and is it’s fat rendering out?  I try to keep my highest temp at 170f.  I always use cure #1 in my sausages so I can use the programmable steps and start low.
120f  for 1 hour dry
130f 1 hr
140f 1 hr
150f  1hr
170f til IT of meat is 150f
Sometimes will go into a stall and I will pull them at 145f+ if it is taking too long and the casings may get tough.  Time and maintained meat temperature will still make it safe to pull.
Ice bath and then dry and bloom on the counter before in the fridge and vacuum seal the next day.

Hope that helped. Get back with more info and we can see what to do.
Craig

 

[agcrock2005]

Thanks for the help. 

1.  I use non fat milk powder and heavy whipping cream to form my binder.  Just checked my recipe and it looks like I'm using right at 8.3% liquid.  And I've been mixing until it sticks to my hand and won't fall off, so I think I've got the right extraction.
2.  I have not used a water pan.  Thanks for the 2 Guys tip.  I've watched lot of his videos but looks like I might have missed one.
3.  Looks like I differ from you a little on the temps.  I've been doing 135 for 2 hours, then 155 for 2 hours then 180 until 150 IT, then into ice bath.  Maybe I should slow that down a little longer.  I'll try your temps for next batch.

 

[Smokin Papa]

I use heavy cream in my bratwurst recipe.  I don’t always go that low and slow on the steps. Also done 135f 2 hours dry/smoke, 150f 2 hours cook, 170f til IT of 150f.
For me 180f is too high, always get fat starting to render, even if it stays around the inside of the casing. Can make your sausage more crumbly.
Just as you think you got it down for the process, a different wrinkle pops up.  Especially when you start doing snack sticks and jerky. Even a difference in doing ground Jerky and whole meat jerky.
Do you belong to any of the FB groups? Great info and tips there. Some of my favorites are:
Homemade Sausage Making
Sausages, Snack Sticks and Jerky Making
Polish Sausage Club
Sausage Appreciation Society
Texas Sausage Makers
for Jerky
Making Jerky (just saw that they made one of my photos, the groups home page photo,  didn’t know!)
Homemade jerky making recipes and tips
I just counted and for smoking meat, sausages and jerky, I belong to 15 different groups
Keeping going and have fun. Keep in contact!

 

[agcrock2005]

Thanks!  I'll check some of those groups out.  I've been doing a lot of homemade peperoni sticks lately.  Pic below for reference.  Not sure how to attach multiple pics or I would. They're definitely more tricky than the sausages, but easier to control the condensation for me, for some reason. 

 

[Smokin Papa]

Just made my first batch of pepperoni sticks.  My wife likes my summer sausage recipe in snack sticks. Friends like it when I add jalapeño & Cheese to them, too hot for the wife.
Only been doing snack sticks since I got the 5D Wi-Fi end of November and Jerky, just started 4 month ago.
Thinking about the condensation, do you live in a moist climate?  I’m in So. Utah by the Arizona border, St. George area.  It’s very dry down here, hence using a small water pan works for me.  Can’t do any cold smoking now since our late spring, summer and early fall nighttime temperatures are from 80*+ on the cool nights and up to 110* on hot nights..
Will learn to adapt using it in our summer temps.

 

[agcrock2005]

Thinking about the condensation, do you live in a moist climate?  I’m in So. Utah by the Arizona border, St. George area.  It’s very dry down here, hence using a small water pan works for me.  Can’t do any cold smoking now since our late spring, summer and early fall nighttime temperatures are from 80*+ on the cool nights and up to 110* on hot nights..

You might be onto something here.  I'm in north Fort Worth and while not incredibly humid, we definitely have humidity that could effect this.  I'll have to do some more research on how to mitigate that inside the smoker.