How To Make Homemade Snack Sticks
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If I want a more shelf stable stick, but I’m also adding citric acid, could I refrigerate the meat over night after mixing and adding sure cure. Then, come back the next day and add in the citric acid, stuff, the cook? Is that even necessary, or does the addition of the citric acid at first mixing almost act like a cure in its self?
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If I want a more shelf stable stick, but I’m also adding citric acid, could I refrigerate the meat over night after mixing and adding sure cure. Then, come back the next day and add in the citric acid, stuff, the cook? Is that even necessary, or does the addition of the citric acid at first mixing almost act like a cure in its self?
jramey I wouldn’t wait to stuff, your meat is going to setup and become extremely difficult to stuff.
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jramey I wouldn’t wait to stuff, your meat is going to setup and become extremely difficult to stuff.
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Randyman How much harder it is to stuff? I’ve done it before and had best luck when I don’t fully mix in the seasoning. I’ve also given up on stuffing sticks once because it was like trying to stuff cement mix. I just ran it back through a grinder and used it as ground product.
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Randyman How much harder it is to stuff? I’ve done it before and had best luck when I don’t fully mix in the seasoning. I’ve also given up on stuffing sticks once because it was like trying to stuff cement mix. I just ran it back through a grinder and used it as ground product.
Jonathon It’s been a lot easier since I got the 11 lb. stuffer. I use to use my meat grinder with the stuffing tube attachment but that was a 2 person job and the end product was like a 16mm hot dog. The auger was pulverizing the meat and I was looking for a stick with a courser texture. I might be adding a bit too much water in order for the stuffer to work but it seems to be working fine. Usually, I cube the meat and fat, add the seasoning, mix by hand then refrigerate overnight. The next day I grind through the course plate, add in the ECA and some water and mix by hand till the meat gets pretty sticky. Back in the fridge for a couple of hours then stuff and smoke. This seems to work for me. R!
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Randyman Ah, so you are adding seasoning then regrinding, that is going to solve most of your issues right there I would think! I once added so much water that it was basically soup. Easiest stuffing I have ever done though! However, that really drove home the fact that with a semi-dry sausage such as Snack stick or Summer Sausage you are going to have to cook out most of the water you add, so cook times go up! Sounds like you have a plan that works for you though. Can I ask why you hold it overnight? is it a timing thing or do you think it develops more taste?
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Randyman Ah, so you are adding seasoning then regrinding, that is going to solve most of your issues right there I would think! I once added so much water that it was basically soup. Easiest stuffing I have ever done though! However, that really drove home the fact that with a semi-dry sausage such as Snack stick or Summer Sausage you are going to have to cook out most of the water you add, so cook times go up! Sounds like you have a plan that works for you though. Can I ask why you hold it overnight? is it a timing thing or do you think it develops more taste?
Jonathon It’s a timing thing. By the time I get the pork barely frozen, cut up and seasoned it’s usually too late in the day to grind, stuff and smoke. I can start the next morning and get it smoked and chilled in a reasonable amount of time. That, and I’m a little lazy-just getting use to this retirement thing. Randy.
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I’ve been letting my snack sticks “age” for 24 hours in the fridge before smoking. Good idea, bad idea? Neutral? Can they go from the stuffer right to the smoker? Using all Walton products and ingredients.
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I’ve been letting my snack sticks “age” for 24 hours in the fridge before smoking. Good idea, bad idea? Neutral? Can they go from the stuffer right to the smoker? Using all Walton products and ingredients.
Lost River Jones I only know one thing if your using ECA they should be smoked right away. If your going to hold them for a while do not put the ECA in the following morning just before smoking. Hope that helps. I only wait until the next day to smoke because it takes so long. I start my sticks about 5AM and they finish around 3 PM
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Not using ECA. Appreciate your response. Yeah, I’m just holding them for a convenient time to start. But, I wondered if that might cause an an issue, etc.
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Not using ECA. Appreciate your response. Yeah, I’m just holding them for a convenient time to start. But, I wondered if that might cause an an issue, etc.
Lost River Jones I only have had one really good batch but that is because I am learning. I got great protein extraction but it took long because I mixed by hand. The next morning added the ECA and they came out pretty good. Getting ready for my next bat h because my boys are eating them all.
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Lost River Jones 24 hours is fine, that is not going to harm anything. Too much longer might cause and issue, 12 is the least amount of time but 24 is fine as well.
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Lost River Jones 24 hours is fine, that is not going to harm anything. Too much longer might cause and issue, 12 is the least amount of time but 24 is fine as well.
Jonathon Thanks for the advice!
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Hey guys, I’m the new kid in the neighborhood and have only made a couple of posts on this forum. I have read extensively all of the post concerning prepping homemade snack sticks and I’'m ready to try my hand. I know I’ll make mistakes but I learn by doing. I’m as familiar as I can be with your on line processes and procedures, and you have done well in your presentations.
OK, Back to me and my problems. Hardware ??? 1. I have in-house a medium size household food grinder that I plan on trying?? to use. 2. I have a Hobart commercial stand mixer, 3 speed, 1/3 hp pulling 8.2 amps. I plan to buy the 16 lb. Walton stuffier. I can’t justify the Walton smoker at this time. Help needed on a reasonably priced and quality SS smoker. Thank You TommyOde -Tom The 5 series Pitboss at Lowes is $400 and will smoke 20 16oz summer sausage hanging from one rack at the top with s-hooks. Best deal on a smoker you will find anywhere!..It is a verticle smoker with a glass front door and 3 yr waranty!!! My Traeger buddies are JEALOUS!!!
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So I did my first batch of snack sticks today. I have a Bradley smoker and I used waltons willies snack sticks. I followed the directions on how to smoke and everything. So I put 10 pounds of snack sticks inside the smoker. This ended up taking 16 hours to reach an internal temp of 152. I didn’t use any gel binder or anything (because I’m new and not sure if I need them yet. Hoping someone could tell me.) not only did it take 16 hours. They shriveled up and don’t look appealing. I also used the smoked collagen casings 19mm. Love the size. But now the casing taste awful which I think might be from being on the smoker for so long. Please help. Want to successfully make snack sticks but really struggling. Also I feel that 16 hours was way to long. When I need to get the rest of the 25 pound batch done. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.
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So I did my first batch of snack sticks today. I have a Bradley smoker and I used waltons willies snack sticks. I followed the directions on how to smoke and everything. So I put 10 pounds of snack sticks inside the smoker. This ended up taking 16 hours to reach an internal temp of 152. I didn’t use any gel binder or anything (because I’m new and not sure if I need them yet. Hoping someone could tell me.) not only did it take 16 hours. They shriveled up and don’t look appealing. I also used the smoked collagen casings 19mm. Love the size. But now the casing taste awful which I think might be from being on the smoker for so long. Please help. Want to successfully make snack sticks but really struggling. Also I feel that 16 hours was way to long. When I need to get the rest of the 25 pound batch done. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.
Blaker25 I would definitely recommend using Sure Gel as it is going to help make a better product, it’s not mandatory but highly recommended. Did you have any humidity in there, a bowl of water or something to introduce humidity? If not I would definitely try that next time and make sure you don’t overload the smoker with too much as it can impede air flow. The first time I made Summer Sausage it took forever because I didn’t have any humidity and I kept opening the smoker to check the temp not thinking that every time I did that I was letting all the heat out so if you don’t have a wireless thermometer I suggest getting one. You didn’t mention if you held the sticks overnight after stuffing or if you went straight to the smoker but if you are not using a cure accelerator you need to hold them overnight. That won’t effect the cook time but just wanted to point that out.
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Blaker25 I would definitely recommend using Sure Gel as it is going to help make a better product, it’s not mandatory but highly recommended. Did you have any humidity in there, a bowl of water or something to introduce humidity? If not I would definitely try that next time and make sure you don’t overload the smoker with too much as it can impede air flow. The first time I made Summer Sausage it took forever because I didn’t have any humidity and I kept opening the smoker to check the temp not thinking that every time I did that I was letting all the heat out so if you don’t have a wireless thermometer I suggest getting one. You didn’t mention if you held the sticks overnight after stuffing or if you went straight to the smoker but if you are not using a cure accelerator you need to hold them overnight. That won’t effect the cook time but just wanted to point that out.
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