Weekend Processing
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Cabelas90 I’ve been really lucky thus far with quick snack stick cooks. Our smoker at the shop isn’t the best for low and slow. It tends to cook FAST…less than an hour to get to 150. I then finish in a water bath. I mix everything by hand until I feel I get the protein extraction I need and have yet to experience fat out.
Joe Hell I mix by hand every time (4x so far, I’m a newb) & I still fat out every. single. time. I’m at a loss to be honest. I mixed thoroughly with a squeezing, turning move for 10-15 minutes. Meat was nice and sticky. Start in smoker (30" smoke hollow), hanging, at 120°F for 1 hr. 140°F for 2 hours. 150°F for 2 hours. 175°F until internal temp reaches 165°F, and then move immediately to the ice water bath for 15 minutes. If anyone could throw me a bone, I will take it!
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Joe Hell I mix by hand every time (4x so far, I’m a newb) & I still fat out every. single. time. I’m at a loss to be honest. I mixed thoroughly with a squeezing, turning move for 10-15 minutes. Meat was nice and sticky. Start in smoker (30" smoke hollow), hanging, at 120°F for 1 hr. 140°F for 2 hours. 150°F for 2 hours. 175°F until internal temp reaches 165°F, and then move immediately to the ice water bath for 15 minutes. If anyone could throw me a bone, I will take it!
@kanevak Whats your meat block and recipe? Ive seen some recipes that fat out no matter what as theirs just not enough seasoning to tie up the fat but those normally would be along the line of natural.
Joe Hell will tell you and although ive never done it yet I think he’s right Pull those sticks after the 140 step and throw in 170 deg water to finish! -
@kanevak Whats your meat block and recipe? Ive seen some recipes that fat out no matter what as theirs just not enough seasoning to tie up the fat but those normally would be along the line of natural.
Joe Hell will tell you and although ive never done it yet I think he’s right Pull those sticks after the 140 step and throw in 170 deg water to finish!Cabelas90 I follow the Walton’s Meatgistics https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/182/how-to-make-homemade-snack-sticks?page=1 except I use an 17 lb block of 13.5 lbs lean venison & 3.5 lbs leaf pork fat. I do hand mix but my wife and I take turns and we try to do it thoroughly! So are you saying that more seasoning will help?
How do you keep the water hot? I don’t have the means to hot water cook a 17 lb batch of snack sticks.
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Joe Hell I mix by hand every time (4x so far, I’m a newb) & I still fat out every. single. time. I’m at a loss to be honest. I mixed thoroughly with a squeezing, turning move for 10-15 minutes. Meat was nice and sticky. Start in smoker (30" smoke hollow), hanging, at 120°F for 1 hr. 140°F for 2 hours. 150°F for 2 hours. 175°F until internal temp reaches 165°F, and then move immediately to the ice water bath for 15 minutes. If anyone could throw me a bone, I will take it!
@kanevak When mixing by hand you need to be mixing for about 25-30 minutes in order to get the proper amount of Protein extraction. It sucks, your hands are going to be very cold and cramp up a lot. I have the 20 lb meat mixer and it works perfect for me. I rarely make a 25 lb batch of anything and if I do it is usually a Fresh product and I just mix by hand enough to get the seasoning mixed in well.
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Cabelas90 I follow the Walton’s Meatgistics https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/182/how-to-make-homemade-snack-sticks?page=1 except I use an 17 lb block of 13.5 lbs lean venison & 3.5 lbs leaf pork fat. I do hand mix but my wife and I take turns and we try to do it thoroughly! So are you saying that more seasoning will help?
How do you keep the water hot? I don’t have the means to hot water cook a 17 lb batch of snack sticks.
@kanevak I dont think seasonings is the issue with that recipe especially with the binder. The recipes ive seen that just always fat out are usually like 3 ingredients because the hippies think everything is bad for you. Your fat % is good. Snack Sticks can Certainly be done without the water bath. Have you temped the meat that you grind? To warm and you cant get proper protein extraction also. I like to make sure its 31-32 deg when i start grinding. And Like AdamCA says you just plain may not be mixing it enough.
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@kanevak I dont think seasonings is the issue with that recipe especially with the binder. The recipes ive seen that just always fat out are usually like 3 ingredients because the hippies think everything is bad for you. Your fat % is good. Snack Sticks can Certainly be done without the water bath. Have you temped the meat that you grind? To warm and you cant get proper protein extraction also. I like to make sure its 31-32 deg when i start grinding. And Like AdamCA says you just plain may not be mixing it enough.
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I have traditionally used a milk based binder and have never had a problem with fat out unless I got the smoker temp too hot, over 170 degrees for snack sticks. I firmly believe in 160 degree hot water bath to finish snack sticks, bring 140-150 in smoker than finish in hot water bath
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I have traditionally used a milk based binder and have never had a problem with fat out unless I got the smoker temp too hot, over 170 degrees for snack sticks. I firmly believe in 160 degree hot water bath to finish snack sticks, bring 140-150 in smoker than finish in hot water bath
akdave Do you then cool at room temperature?
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akdave Do you then cool at room temperature?
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akdave Do you then cool at room temperature?
JerkyIsMySalad
As far as a water bath. A roaster, turkey cooker and a meat lug are options. If you can’t do all at once just split it up. Does not take long to get them to temp.
This is a 10# batch I did with lug and Sous Vide circulator.
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JerkyIsMySalad
As far as a water bath. A roaster, turkey cooker and a meat lug are options. If you can’t do all at once just split it up. Does not take long to get them to temp.This is a 10# batch I did with lug and Sous Vide circulator.
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PapaSop Are those collagen casings? I seen some opinions floating around that the collagen casings may not hold up to the hot water. Also, some collagen casings are thicker like the LEM brand.
JerkyIsMySalad
They are. Had a number of issues with the LEM brand and this was my first batch with Walton’s. I could tell as soon as I started stuffing them they were better. What a difference. Never going back. Even when a few of them started wrinking in the smoker the water bath smoothed them right out. Only way I’ll do these going forward. Summer sausage as well. -
JerkyIsMySalad
They are. Had a number of issues with the LEM brand and this was my first batch with Walton’s. I could tell as soon as I started stuffing them they were better. What a difference. Never going back. Even when a few of them started wrinking in the smoker the water bath smoothed them right out. Only way I’ll do these going forward. Summer sausage as well.PapaSop
BTW. That new name you have is awesome. Speaks volumes. -
PapaSop Thanks. I love Jerky. I have to vacuum seal it in small portions so that it lasts. Haha. I’m diggin the snack sticks too so hopefully I could master those!
JerkyIsMySalad
I have to do the same thing with my jerky or I’d eat it all in one sitting… With a beer of course!Just keep trying. You’ll get it. Always taste good no matter what they look like.
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I always use ice bath on smoked cured sasuage and snack sticks, once it has hit 160 degrees put it in ice bath to stop the cooking process and then I dry them and let it reach room temp then in the refrigerator usually for a day till I get my Dear Wife to vac seal them and then in the freezer
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I also have been using my time at home to do some meat processing. I did 12 lbs of Bloody Mary snack sticks and 12 lbs of Hatch Green Chili brats this week. For both I used 7.5 lbs venison, 3 lbs pork shoulder, and 1.5 lb pork fat. I added 1oz carrot fiber to the brats. To the sticks I added 2oz carrot fiber and 2oz ECA.
The Hatch green chili is my new favorite brat flavor. I did half with hi-temp cheddar. Awesome!
The Bloody Mary Snack Sticks turned out great, but still can’t beat Willie’s. This was my second time using the hot water bath method. That’s the way to do it! I use a bull rack with my Jim Bowie GMG and can get all sticks on 3 trays without crowding. Smoked for 5 hours rotating trays every 30 minutes. Then into electric roaster with water at 170 for about 1 hour. Ice bath and then set out to dry for about an hour, then in the fridge for about 24 hours.
My first time using the hot water bath, I didn’t watch it and didn’t realize how quick it would finish. My water temp jumped to 185. Stick internal temp was at about 174 before I realized it. It seemed I had a little fatting out, and the sticks kind of plumped causing a different texture on that batch. This batch was perfect though.
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PapaSop Did your Sous vide circulator have any problems with oils, fat or pieces of casings getting sucked into the circulator?
Get more help with your processing questions and learn more about processing meat by subscribing to our waltonsinc.com youtube page at https://wltns.link/waltonstv I am a Gorilla, love yourself
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PapaSop Did your Sous vide circulator have any problems with oils, fat or pieces of casings getting sucked into the circulator?
Jonathon
None that I noticed. Not even any loose pieces in the water itself.
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