Roll Call (Start Here First)
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Brent from Garden City, KS. I’ve been processing my own deer for 21 years, since I shot my first at 16 yrs old. In the past couple of years I’ve gotten into sausage making and I’m loving it. Having Walton’s in KS has definitely stepped up my game with all the seasonings, equipment and expertise at hand. I look forward to learning and sharing with you all.
ksbowman83 Welcome to the neighborhood. Yes, you definitely have an advantage with being so close to Walton’s too. I would probably be in deep trouble if I were that close! Remember, go BLUE & enjoy the BLUE life.
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Welcome all! This is a new account for me as well, had a regular account but started my upcoming commercial business so I had to create a new meatgistics account, look forward to trying to help anyway I can!
RJ Adventures welcome to the community. Looking forward to hearing your input into the discussions. Go Team Orange

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Lufkin Texas checking in. Cannot wait to start my sausage making adventure!!!
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LOL you guys are amazing. You really do make all the work worth it! Chef remember, we don’t come right out and say why we put people in orange, you were at the last meeting, did you forget? Welcome LeafLard333 PapaSop Why, do you have some?!
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Lufkin Texas checking in. Cannot wait to start my sausage making adventure!!!
Hurricane0331 welcome to the community. A lot of knowledge and experience here. Feel free to enter the discussions and ask questions. We are all learning here. Go to your settings and Select Team Orange

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Made 7 1/2 lbs. venison/pork brats today w/Jerry’s seasoning. Good stuff, but cooked them (in the oven) too long. Taste alright, but a bit dry, almost like meat sticks. Wanted to get them to 160 deg. but know now that that was mistake. Dried them right out !! The last time, I boiled them and that was better. May try to smoke them…any suggestions ??
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Lufkin Texas checking in. Cannot wait to start my sausage making adventure!!!
Hurricane0331 Hello Texas, your going to like what we all have. But, don’t forget to go Blue! Blue Skies & Hurricanes, the perfect compliment & contrast.
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Made 7 1/2 lbs. venison/pork brats today w/Jerry’s seasoning. Good stuff, but cooked them (in the oven) too long. Taste alright, but a bit dry, almost like meat sticks. Wanted to get them to 160 deg. but know now that that was mistake. Dried them right out !! The last time, I boiled them and that was better. May try to smoke them…any suggestions ??
Clyde Johnson send them up to me in the Great White North for a taste test. I’ve got over 80 years of experience
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Clyde Johnson What temp did you cook them at, and what was the mix of venison to pork? You’d want/need to use a fatty cut of pork. Grilling works better with sausage in my mind. Smoking is good but you need to add cure if you are going to be in the danger zone (40-140) for more than 20 minutes. Then, you would also want to mix more and get protein extraction, otherwise you run the risk of the fat rendering out of the meat.
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AndyHCMC You can make snack sticks/pepperoni/summer sausage in your oven. To get a smoke flavor I’d recommend you use hickory smoke powder or the like. There has to be something like that available over in Vitenam? If not be careful using any liquid smoke. In meat processing sometimes it is used by smokers to spray onto the sticks so if you get that stuff it is often concentrate so you could easily add too much smoke flavor and overpower anything else. Experiment with propping your oven door to see if you can bleed off heat and stabilize the top or bottom rack at 120-130 or something around that?
Jonathon said in Roll Call (Start Here First):
AndyHCMC You can make snack sticks/pepperoni/summer sausage in your oven. To get a smoke flavor I’d recommend you use hickory smoke powder or the like. There has to be something like that available over in Vitenam? If not be careful using any liquid smoke. In meat processing sometimes it is used by smokers to spray onto the sticks so if you get that stuff it is often concentrate so you could easily add too much smoke flavor and overpower anything else. Experiment with propping your oven door to see if you can bleed off heat and stabilize the top or bottom rack at 120-130 or something around that?
Hi Jonathan, I’ve received my measuring equipment and checked my benchtop oven with door top left open I can maintain 125f (with door closed lowest is 140F).
So after our conversations about ECA not being available here and only hickory smoke liquid, plus no pre-made seasoning packets, do you have a starting point recipe with dried spices for me to try making snack sticks? quantity of each spice and smoke oil for a 2 lb batch? -
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Hello fellow meat lovers!!
I have been playing around with smoking, jerkying, sausage making and burger grinding for a couple years now. Some turned out great and some turned out not-so-great. There is sooooo much to learn about processes and procedures. Hoping I have landed at the right forum for educational assistance.Wayne2020 Welcome Aboard Wayne! Yes, you have landed right & we all learn something new just about every day here. You will learn a lot too & likely help us learn while you are at it. The "Not So Good can be the Most Fun, you will likely learn the most from it & forget the least.
Don’t forget though, Root For The BLUE. -
Clyde Johnson What temp did you cook them at, and what was the mix of venison to pork? You’d want/need to use a fatty cut of pork. Grilling works better with sausage in my mind. Smoking is good but you need to add cure if you are going to be in the danger zone (40-140) for more than 20 minutes. Then, you would also want to mix more and get protein extraction, otherwise you run the risk of the fat rendering out of the meat.
Jonathon I think my problem was that I put then in the oven at 300 deg. and they cooked too fast which dried them out. Ratio was 20% pork sausage to my venison. in the past I have just stuffed them, then frozen them and cooked them by grilling or boiling to 165 deg. I was thinking it would be good to have them cooked, frozen, then simply heat them through instead of worrying about the temps later. My thinking now has changed !!
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SWINPaul welcome to the community. Feel free to join the conversations and ask questions. A lot of knowledge and experience here and folks willing to help. Orange is where it is at. Go Team Orange

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Jonathon said in Roll Call (Start Here First):
AndyHCMC You can make snack sticks/pepperoni/summer sausage in your oven. To get a smoke flavor I’d recommend you use hickory smoke powder or the like. There has to be something like that available over in Vitenam? If not be careful using any liquid smoke. In meat processing sometimes it is used by smokers to spray onto the sticks so if you get that stuff it is often concentrate so you could easily add too much smoke flavor and overpower anything else. Experiment with propping your oven door to see if you can bleed off heat and stabilize the top or bottom rack at 120-130 or something around that?
Hi Jonathan, I’ve received my measuring equipment and checked my benchtop oven with door top left open I can maintain 125f (with door closed lowest is 140F).
So after our conversations about ECA not being available here and only hickory smoke liquid, plus no pre-made seasoning packets, do you have a starting point recipe with dried spices for me to try making snack sticks? quantity of each spice and smoke oil for a 2 lb batch?AndyHCMC I have checked through my books and haven’t found any beef specific snack stick recipes. I don’t see where any of the cured meat/snack sticks couldn’t be modified protein wise as long as you keep the meat/fat ratio good, adjust the seasonings to your taste and use the proper amount of cure. Anyone else out there want to input on this?
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Roanoke Alabama here
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Roanoke Alabama here
The Feedlot welcome to the community. Great folks here willing to help with a depth of knowledge. Watch out for those folks in those blue hats. Just go to your settings and select Team Orange.

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Bye @joshnsonmark581! Sorry guys, we had put in something to stop people from posting spam but this person took some time to get around it.
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