Summer Sausage Issues

[jmk51621]

Hopeing someone can help us, we used 1 package Lebonon Bologna Seasoning, 1oz Sure Cure, Stuffed in 2.4in X 12in Mahogany Fibrous Summer Sausage Casings, all Beef approx 80/20 beef to fat ratio, stuffed tight, hog ringed end. Hung in our Southern Pride Smoke Chef smoker lowest temp is 150F. cooked 4hrs @ 150F, then 165F until internal meat temp 150F. Then Ice bath for 15 min, They came out of the smoker shriveled even before the ice bath. We though that maybe our temp in the smoker was off, so we did the rest of our casings we had stuffed and used a digital thermometer probe and hung in the smoker between the meat and that batch did the same thing, we even took them out at 145 internal temp. The finish product does not taste bad but it shrunk and has fat that dripped out and solidified between the casing and meat, so we had to take the casing off before packaging. Any thought of what we should do different?

[sweet betsy]

jmk51621 Couple of things you might have done wrong.

1. Your meat block was to fat
2. You under mixed the batter and did not extract enough
   protein. Your batch was not sticky enough.
3. Your meat temperature was too warm, got to keep
   below 40 degrees during entire mixing procedure.
4. Your smoker was too warm when you put meat in it,
   and got too hot too quick. It did not give the protein
   enough time to set up before you started cooking it.
5. Also, you need to let the sausage set at room temp
   for 15 to 20 minutes or longer before you drown it in ice water.
   The ice shocks the sausage when it is 150 to 160
   degrees. This will really make it wrinkle
6. Try a longer, cooler, cooking cycle. Low and slow.

[sweet betsy]

It looks completley overcooked like an internal temp of 170 degrees

[Austin]

jmk51621
I would second point number 2 from sweet betsy
Probably the most likely issue.
Could be sweet betsy’s number 4 as well.

sweet betsy really hit a lot of key points overall!!! Number 5 or 6 could come into play as well.

I’ll have Jonathon respond tomorrow with more details and ideas. Jonathon can help explain more on why each piece might affect the result that you saw. Definitely something that we and the community here can help with though!!!

[Jonathon]

jmk51621 Yeah, that is “fat out” https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/320/the-importance-of-protein-extraction-in-snack-sticks?_=1601557825877 is an older article but still has some important information. Also, did you hold it overnight or use a cure accelerator?

I’d also check out this https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/1108/cured-sausage-206-advanced-cured-sausage-processing

[jmk51621]

Jonathon We used the meat, seasoning, sure cure, and water, then stuffed and put in fridge over night. I will take a look at the extractor link. Thanks for your time.